Pick of the Week - The Green Arrows (Zimbabwe)

"Undoubtedly the most important musical act to emerge from Zimbabwe in the 1970s."

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Dumelang. When I started Music of Africa, my plan was that Zimbabwe would be one of the main countries whose music I would feature. Then things took a sharp turn. It didn't take long for me to discover that the music of Botswana really clicked with me and, to a slightly lesser extent, it's the same for the music of Malawi.

Of course, Zimbabwe has quite a lot to offer in the way of music. I've featured a lot of music by Oliver Mtukudzi and some by Thomas Mapfumo and others. Recently I started compiling a YouTube playlist of Mtukudzi’s music.

That's a roundabout way of getting to the latest Pick of the Week, 4-Track Recording Session, by The Green Arrows. It comes to us from Germany's Analog Africa, one of a number of labels who reissue African music through the Bandcamp platform. Its 20 tracks compile an album and a bunch of singles from the mid to late Seventies.

Here's a snip from the program notes:

The Green Arrows, discovered by South African producer West Nkosi, had become the tightest, funkiest band around. The music was branded ‘wha wha (= beer) music’ as it got people to consume vast amounts of beer. The Arrows’ unique sound managed to be intensely danceable and catchy, yet breezy and laid-back at the same time. Guitar riffs sparkle like stars throughout each of these three-minute-long compositions. The rhythm section is flawless and the mellow, stoned vocals perfectly convey the band's overarching message: ‘Forget your troubles for a little while and dance with your fellow human beings - something great might come of it’. This is music to get lost inside, hypnotic and gently percussive, utterly irresistible and addictive.