Louis Mhlanga

Louis Mhlanga ranks among the earliest musicians to fuse funk and R&B in the manner of Earth, Wind & Fire with the indigenous dance rhythms of Zimbabwe, and he remains one of the most sought-after session players across the continent. His distinctive melodic guitar lines have appeared on recordings by King Sunny Ade, Hugh Masakela, Ray Phiri, Busi Mhlongo, Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, Caiphus Semenya, Letta Mbuli, Vusi Mahlasala, and the Soweto String Quartet. While living briefly in London during the mid-'80s, Mhlanga collaborated with Paul Weller as well as Afro-Caribbean artists Dennis Brown and Julian Bahula; more recent partnerships have included jazz-pop vocalist Al Jarreau and steel pan player Andy Narrell. At King Sunny Ade's Lagos studio he acquired his skills as a record producer, overseeing projects that encompass several albums by Thomas Mapfumo.

Alongside his own group Musik Ye Africa, which features drummer Jethro Shasha and bassist Jimi Indi, Mhlanga has collaborated extensively with Dylanesque singer/songwriter Vusi Mahlasala, whom he first encountered while contributing to the production The Devil and the Saint alongside poet Lesego Rampolokeng. Their initial joint release, Crush the Corn, appeared in 1997 and was followed by the 1999 concert recording Live at the Bassline, captured in Johannesburg. Since the late 1980s Mhlanga has maintained his base in South Africa, where he also serves as administrative manager of the Ethnomusicology Trust.