Lancelot Mapfumo – The Most Underrated Percussionist of Our Time
By Kamangeni Phiri 16/12/2022
Percussionist Lancelot Mapfumo, best known as a mainstay in the legendary musical ensemble, The Blacks Unlimited band for over four decades, was one of the most underrated artistes of our time.
The man was a rare mix of talent and gumption.
There wasn’t much that remained unchanged in the late talented musician’s incredible life. He embraced ingenuity with new drum playing skills and enthralled fans with his rattles and keyboard playing style whenever he toured the world as a band member with his more famous brother, chimurenga music guru, Thomas Mapfumo.
But the rhythm, percussion, passion, loyalty, and persistence he gave to the chimurenga beat, remained a constant.
“Lancelot was a brother and friend to me. If I think about it, it is something that pains me a lot, it troubles me. I toured the US and the whole of Europe with my brother. It pains me that from the Blacks Unlimited original lineup, we are only three that are surviving. It’s only Washington Kavhayi (bassist), Themba Ncube (saxophonist) and myself who are still alive. Just take a look at the Mabasa album cover sleeve and you will see what I am talking about. Another key member I miss is Picket Chiyangwa, my nephew,” Mukanya eulogized.
Lancelot breathed his last on September, 18, 2022 after suffering from bone cancer.
He was 68.
The man chimurenga music fans affectionately called Mukoma Lancie was an enigma. From the day he became a professional musician in the late 1970s, the late percussionist exhibited not only an aura of spiritualism, but a reflection of the drumming and percussion virtuosity that became his trademark in his more than 40 years in the art industry.
The late percussionist would run a side-show parallel but in harmony with that of his big brother, Thomas. He would beat the twin congas facing downwards yet remain in sync with the rest of the instrumentalists, only to lift his head to do backing vocals.
At times, depending with the tempo, Lance would shift into an upright position, standing behind his congas as if he was a guest speaker addressing a gathering. He would hit his congas in a seemingly casual but intense manner, adding the same rhythmic sweetness to the Chimurenga beat.
Lancelot was a man of few words who ironically made friends easily.
“My brother was so good with the congas that he had established his own set of fans. He was that good, the best in the game. Lancelot was a quiet person, the quietest in our family and he always dressed smartly, a perfect gentleman and a people’s friend. He was also good friends with music legend, Alick Macheso,” Mapfumo told 1zimlegends.com this week in an exclusive interview from his Oregon base in the US.
Lancelot was a multi-talented artiste: he could play the keyboard, congas (ngoma), rattles, (hosho) and also do backing vocals.
He also held a unique record of having belonged to one band in his entire life.
Understandably, the chimurenga music king is still to recover from the loss of his brother and band member.
Mukanya says when he returned to Oregon, his US base, coming from his last South African Show, he was shocked to find his brother on his deathbed.
“I had left him in good shape working on a different project while I toured South Africa. When I returned to the US, I learnt that my brother had collapsed and admitted in hospital after developing problems with his legs. They diagnosed cancer of the bone in his legs. His situation deteriorated fast within a few days.
I was so pained. Lancelot was the longest serving member of the Blacks Unlimited. He had been with the band for more than four decades as he was there when it was formed,” said Mapfumo.
Lancelot was born on 11 April, 1954, in Harare’s Mabvuku suburb. He was the last born child in family of five, which had legendary musician, Thomas Mapfumo as the first born.
Lancelot started his primary school while staying with his maternal grandparents in Chief Nyandoro’s area, Marondera rural. He together with his brother Thomas attended the local Chiwonana School before moving to Harare to join their parents who were church leaders.
In Harare, Lancelot attended Mabvuku School together with his two sisters before their parents were transferred to Mbare.
Lancelot was enrolled at a government run-school in Mbare. He went up to standard six before he proceeded to Manzou for his secondary education.
“He was not that academically gifted so he ended up attending an upper top, Manzou, for his secondary education and went up to form four,” said Mukanya.
After school, Lancelot was employed as a security guard in the then Salisbury, (now Harare).
Mukanya learnt of the meager salary that his young brother was getting and he told him to quit his job.
“I realised that there was no future for him and convinced him to join the band. Lancelot agreed and it became a lifelong partnership as he remained loyal to the Blacks Unlimited up to the day he breathed his last,” he said.
Lancelot was a devout Christian who grew up in the Christian Marching Church, a breakaway indigenous church of the Salvation Army.
Lancelot’s story is steeped in history, with three generations worth of musicianship. He grew up listening to traditional music played during biras held at his maternal grandparents’ homestead in Marondera. The grandparents were very much into traditional music and there was a lot of singing and drumming at their homestead.
Lancelot’s parents, his mother, Janet Chinhamo and father, John Kashesha Mapfumo, were active singers in the church choir. And the Christian Marching Church, did everything in the same manner like the Salvation Army.
“This explains my love for music and the brass section in particular. We used to play these instruments at church. Lancelot grew up on the same diet of music and Christian values. Like me, he was a staunch Liverpool supporter. His widow gave me his Liverpool flag and I cherish it a lot,” said Mukanya.
Lancelot is survived by wife, Eunice, two daughters, Tabeth and Cleopatra and three grandchildren.
Tabeth is married and is based in Zimbabwe while Cleopatra is with her famous uncle in the US.
Blacks Unlimited trombonist Canaan Kamoyo, a close friend of Lancelot, described the late percussionist as a humble person and professional.
The two met in 1990 when Kamoyo joined the Blacks Unlimited.
“We were always together, be it at home, during shows on tour abroad or locally and when we took a break. Mukoma Lancie was very quiet and humble. He was always punctual for rehearsals and we would always find him already at the venue of rehearsals, practicing on his keyboard or favourite congas. He was not like other people who would act irresponsibly and be rude to others just because their brother or relative happened to own the band. Lancelot was different,” said Kamoyo in a recent interview with 1zimlegends.
Lancelot was keen on helping groom new talent. Around 1995, he teamed up with Kamoyo and set up Ngoma Huru, an organization that trained youths in different aspects of music.
Harare City Council chipped in by first availing them space at Mai Musodzi Hall for their project and later by helping source funding and donations.
They were also helped by a local musician, Rego Tagwirei who availed his band instruments to the youths. Tagwirei ended up joining Lancelot and Kamoyo in running the project.
Youths, mostly kids from Mbare and a few others from other suburbs turned out in their numbers. At one time the project had over 100 youths who wanted to be trained but due to inadequate equipment they ended up trimming the numbers.
Some of the youths groomed by Lancelot and Kamoyo became key members of the Blacks Unlimited before moving to other projects.
Among them, there was talented guitarist, Zivai Guveya, now based in UK and twins, Beauty and Betty Simbanegavi, based in Zimbabwe who are still part of the Blacks Unlimited to date.
“When he moved overseas we remained in touch. Five years ago, he called, he wanted to send instruments to me so that we can revive our youth project. Unfortunately, I did not have space to store the instruments. I was still in the process of looking for a place.
My last time to see and perform with Lancelot was at the beginning of 2019 when we did the nationwide Peace Tour here in Zimbabwe.
Lancie remained a brother and friend till the time he died. I say to him. Continue Resting In Peace my brother, I will always miss you and the way you played the congas,” said Kamoyo.
And could there be a change in the chimurenga beat, now that the man who helped define the genre with his congas is no more?
We await Dr Thomas Mapfumo’s next studio recording for an answer.
