Zimbabwe Awake Vol 1

Whatever view one takes of Robert Mugabe's political leadership, there is no question that the world's media provides a very one-dimensional view of Zimbabwe. Amid the general condemnation and the determination to present a narrow picture of a country characterised by oppression, poverty and injustice, there is never even a hint that there may be another side to life in Zimbabwe, or that Harare still boasts a vibrant cultural scene. The South Africa-based label Sheer has compiled 16 tracks by Zimbabwe's leading contemporary artists and although two of them have recently died, the remainder are still performing and continue to provide inspiration, hope and entertainment to their people. Edith Katiji's roots rock draws pleasingly on a gamut of southern African styles. G56 create a lilting, flute-led take on Afro jazz-pop. The voices of Prudence Katomene and Rute Mbangwa would impress in any language and Mathias Julius makes righteous Afro-reggae in the Lucky Dube tradition, while the classy fusions of Dudu Manhenga and Bongo Love deserve a wider audience. As a musical sampler that soundtracks a rather more complex Zimbabwean narrative to the one that's routinely peddled in the news headlines, it's more than worth checking out.