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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 2017)
December 6, 2017 The Skanner Page 7 Arts & Entertainment By Andrew Selsky Associated Press EUGENE, Ore. — As Zimbabweans celebrat- ed the ouster of dictator Robert Mugabe, they danced on the streets to previously banned pro- test songs by one of the country’s most famous musicians — a man jailed by the country’s former white rulers and hound- ed by the black govern- ment that succeeded them. The musician, Thomas Mapfumo, watched the euphoria from exile in the U.S. But he’s not re- joicing — because Mug- abe’s political party and his cronies still run the country. “I think there’s noth- ing to celebrate about,” Mapfumo said this week in an interview with The Associated Press in the college town of Eugene, Oregon where he has lived since 2004. “It’s still the old train that we’re riding but they’ve got a different driver now.” When Mugabe re- signed on Nov. 21 under military pressure, end- ing his iron-fisted rule of 37 years, Mapfumo’s “ It’s still the old train that we’re riding but they’ve got a differ- ent driver now songs blasted from car speakers to the crowds partying on the streets. For years, his music had been banned from public airwaves and was played in secret by Zimbabwe- ans. With Mugabe’s party, ZANU-PF, still in power, there’s no sign Zimba- bwe will overcome its long history of repres- sion and political cor- ruption, Mapfumo said. Former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, now the party head, was sworn in as president on Nov. 24. Nicknamed The Crocodile, he is accused of helping direct the slaughter of thousands of people in ethnic mas- sacres in the 1980s. “The root cause of our problems is ZANU-PF. There are still people who still believe in those bad policies,” Mapfumo said, citing in particular the takeover of white- owned farms — many of which went to Mugabe’s allies — that led to the collapse of Zimbabwe’s agricultural production. Zimbabweans are elec- trified about the possibil- ity of Mapfumo return- ing home to perform with his band, The Blacks Unlimited, for the first time since 2004, when ‘Billboards’ cont’d from pg 6 Look for Frances McDormand to land another Oscar nom- ination for a superb performance where she convincingly con- veys the profound dis- tress of a grief-strick- en mother desperate for answers. Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson go toe to toe in ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ loughby (Woody Har- relson) in 20-foot-high, block letters why he hasn’t yet made an arrest. Unfortunately, the ploy backfires. Yes, it embar- rasses the chief. How- ever, it also generates public sympathy for him, given how everybody in the tight-knit community knows he’s been battling pancreatic cancer. Undeterred in her quest for justice, Mil- dred subsequently pre- vails upon Willoughby’s dimwitted deputy (Sam Rockwell) to pick up the ball. But Dixon’s a revenge-minded racist who’d rather hassle than help the mom in mourn- ing while arresting Af- rican American citizens for minor infractions of the law. Written and direct- ed by Oscar-winner Martin McDonagh (for “Six Shooter”), Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri is a thought-provoking so- cial satire which paints a chilling, yet plausible, portrait of just what it might be like to fight an entrenched patriarchy comfortable with a sta- tus quo favoring White males. Excellent HHHH Rated R for violence, sexual references, ethnic slurs and per- vasive profanity Running Time: 115 min. To see the trailer vis- it: TheSkanner.com. he left the country with band members and rela- tives. “I thought we will nev- er see him play here again, but now I am very hopeful he will re- turn home for a show of our lives,” said Shupai Muchingami, a fan in Ha- rare, Zimbabwe’s capital. Mapfumo, known as the Lion of Zimbabwe, confirmed to AP that his manager is trying to ar- range a gig in the south- ern African country. His upbeat music, featuring the tradition- al mbira thumb piano and an electric guitar tweaked to sound like an mbira, often carried lyrics of rebellion in the Shona language and in English. He called the musical style he invent- ed “chimurenga,” which means “struggle” in Sho- na. During the guerrilla war against the white racist regime when the country was named Rho- desia, Mapfumo sang lyrics like “Mothers, send your sons to war” in support of the strug- gle. After Zimbabwe achieved independence, he performed in a 1980 celebration concert that also featured Bob Mar- ley. But several years later, Mapfumo became dis- enchanted with the gov- ernment as Mugabe and his ministers enriched themselves while Zim- babweans became more destitute. His most politically charged anti-Mugabe JEREMY HOGAN/THE HERALD-TIMES VIA AP, FILE African Music Star in Exile Awaits Real Change for Zimbabwe In this April 6, 2011, file photo, Thomas Mapfumo, of Zimbabwe, performs with members of his band at the Wells-Metz Theatre at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. Mapfumo, As Zimbabweans celebrated the ouster of dictator Robert Mugabe, they danced on the streets to previously banned protest songs by one of the country’s most famous musicians, Mapfumo, a man jailed by the country’s former white rulers and hounded by the black government that succeeded them. Mapfumo has been in exile from his country in Eugene, Ore., since 2004 and has watched the euphoria over Mugabe’s downfall with skepticism. songs included “Masoja neMapurisa” (“Soldiers and Police”), “Pidigori waenda” (“The Man is Gone”), “Vanoita seva- nokudai” (“They Pretend to Love You”) and “Cor- ruption .” “When I see something wrong I have to point it out,” Mapfumo said. “I can’t stand by and look when these things are happening to my peo- ple. That’s not what we fought for. We fought in the struggle because we wanted to be a free na- tion. We were fighting for democracy, for free- dom of speech, freedom of movement.” Zimbabwe, he said, might need a mass revolt See ZIMBABWE on page 8 PUTTING PEOPLE Constructing Hope TO WORK in the Pre-Apprenticeship Program CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FREE Ten weeks of construction training for those with legal history, minorities and low income, ages 18 years and older. 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