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Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent
“Watch Out”, a hit song by 70s band, Move, marked the pinnacle of percussionist Ebba Chitambo’s career.

The song spoke out against the repressive laws of the colonial regime in the then Rhodesia.

“Freedom is coming, watch out, freedom is coming and have a gun with your travel,” was on the lips of the black majority who had had enough of the heavy-handed Ian Smith regime.

Chitambo (69) and other members of the Move band gained popularity as the message in their song resonated with the masses.

The percussionist Chitambo alongside fellow countrymen who were members of the Wells Fargo band, put the country on the global map way before the country attained independence in 1980.

Chitambo has vast experience in the music industry and has been a member of the Movers band and Wells Fargo before leading the Friends band.

He grew up in Pelandaba suburb in Bulawayo which has produced high profile personalities that include the late Vice-President, Dr Joshua Nkomo, former Kaizer Chiefs player Robson Muchichwa and many others. Chitambo’s love for music could be attributed to the music shows that were regular at community halls during his youth days.

Saturday Leisure caught up with Chitambo who narrated how he took up music as a profession after replacing a drummer of a band who showed up at a show drunk and could not play.

“I grew up in Pelandaba and our family was one of the first families to stay there. When we got there, most of the area was just a bush as there were no houses. I am a product of the Bulawayo City Council Youth Clubs and that’s where I learnt music. At the club, there was everything an artiste could wish for; from sports, music to dramas. Each township had a youth club where we used to compete with each other now and then in music, soccer and tennis among other fields.

“When we grew up there were bands that used to play at halls and as children we were not allowed at such shows. We however, watched from a distance and we enjoyed doing that,” said Chitambo.

Recounting how he joined a music band, Chitambo said the Movers band found itself in a fix after their drummer got intoxicated and could not perform.

“I joined Movers after I was approached by the guys who had seen me at Pelandaba Hall. One weekend they had come to the hall and their drummer came drunk and failed to play. People had paid their money and as such they could not cancel the show. The group then asked who among the audience could play the drums and I volunteered. I had never played drums my whole life but surprisingly I was equal to the task on this day. I played about four to five songs and then ran away,” he said.

Chitambo said his peers were equally surprised by his good performance which made the Movers band seek his services.

“I then joined the band which had the likes of Joseph Musonda and Clifford Kaunda. The other members I just remember their names as Friday, John and Gordon. They came and told me that their drummer had relocated to Harare and I could take his position. It was then that I confessed that I could not play the drums,” he said.

Chitambo said the band members persuaded him to join saying they were satisfied with his performance at the Pelandaba Hall gig.

“They took me to a practice session to a house where their instruments were with a guy called Peter Matanga who was my brother’s friend. After the session they said they were happy with my performance and I could not believe it. I however, asked them to assist me perfect my skills by engaging someone who knew how to play the drums to teach me. They then brought one called Peter from Mpopoma. He did an extremely wonderful job on the drums and I concluded I was no match. I almost gave up but they encouraged me to listen to a lot of music so I could catch up,” said Chitambo.

The veteran musician said he listened to a variety of music and this helped him improve his drums playing skills.

“We then got a contract at Pata Pata beer garden and we played there for a long time. We later realised that it was not sustainable to use someone else’s equipment as we were using Peter Matanga’s instruments.

He used to take half of whatever we earned and we shared the remaining half. Some of us then decided to buy our own instruments but other members insisted on continuing to hire instruments,” said Chitambo.

He said he bought a set of drums and Joseph bought a guitar and the other guys who were against the idea of buying their own instruments left the band.

“New guys including Kausano from Earthquake in Mzilikazi and the late Eric Juba who was later on part of the Cool Crooners and Elton Mantshinga then joined the band. We then changed our name to Move,” Chitambo said.

He said they roped in Sambi, Ronny and Norman but unfortunately the group disbanded.

Chitambo said he then joined the High Courts band in Mzilikazi which had the likes of famous author Virginia Phiri who was the lead vocalist, Fredrick Mpedzisi who is now in the UK, Benson Ndlovu, Handsome Mabhiza and a guy called Dave.

“Mabhiza and I became close. The other guys in the group were not fully committed as they had jobs and we would rehearse after work. We would wait all day for them to knock off which was a drag, that’s when we decided to start something else and the idea of Wells Fargo band was born,” said Chitambo.

He said Handsome agreed with the idea and they started looking for guys to join the new band.

Chitambo said among those that joined was Joseph who returned from Botswana.

“Joseph became very close and our play was telepathic. He suggested that we try Never Mpofu who started with us before he went to play with Tuku. Never was a boy that I so much misunderstood as he would pass as a mischievous fellow in the neighbourhood at Number Six. He used to wake me up and ask for my guitar. I would give him but I had no faith in him because he was playful. I was later impressed with his guitar playing skills. Eventually, we had enough songs and material to start shows,” said Chitambo.

The musician said one of their first shows as a new band was at Happy Valley Hotel before they went on to tour Botswana and South Africa because of the 70s hit song, Watch Out.

Chitambo said the song endeared them to music fans in different countries as many of them were then fighting for freedom. He said the song however, created problems for them with the white colonisers who accused them of mobilising people to fight against the establishment.

“We recorded ‘Watch Out’ and the first version of the song was banned on radio because the message was offensive to the white settlers. The song had lines like ‘Freedom is coming, watch out freedom is coming, and have a gun with your travel’. We had to change the lyrics to ‘Watch out the storm is coming and the sun could touch me’ so that it could be acceptable on radio. Joseph had also recorded the song with Eye of Liberty using the original lyrics, but with a different groove and it was banned,” he said.

Chitando said the song also got them into trouble with the police who raided one of their shows and assaulted band members.

“They injured me and Handsome and we had to stop playing for a couple of weeks,” he said.

Chitambo when the resumed staging shows, they had another nasty experience when the crowd went wild and invaded the stage during one of their shows. He said police had to be called in and they stopped the show.

“Police had to escort us back to the hotel. We had never experienced something like that. People made long queues on the road to this particular show which had to be stopped by police when the crowd went wild,” he said.

Chitambo said when West Nkosi, a South African music producer, saxophonist and songwriter was in Harare recording for Green Arrows, a band founded by legendary musician, Zex Manatsa, they took the opportunity to also record their own songs.

He said Nkosi wanted to work with local bands and he was pleased with Move playing Ndebele songs which he termed soul music.

From there on, he said they were to rub shoulders with the who’s who in the music fraternity of the time including Letta Mbuli, Caphias Semenya, Hugh Masekela and Steve Dyer.

“We had a good relationship with Dyer and at one point, he wanted to play with us. He told me he had music he wanted put together and asked for our input. We worked with him on Southern Freeway’s album ‘Thabiso’. We went to Harare to record and headed back to Gaborone leaving him to mix.

“He later called and said the recording had been erased. We had to go back to Harare to redo the album. However, I had to stop over in Bulawayo as my brother had died. The guys wanted to wait for me but I told them to proceed,” he said.

From there, Chitambo was to take care of his family and he stopped playing with the Move band before giving his instruments to his brother and a local church.

Years later, he teamed up with musicians from old and defunct groups including Godfrey Khumalo (Keyboard) and Julius Phiri (Guitar) and together they established a jazz outfit, Friends Band in 2012.

“We knew each other from long back as we were in the same industry although with different bands. We all had a unique appreciation of music and I guess that’s how we have managed to remain a unit,” he said.
Chitambo is still playing with Friends band. — @mthabisi_mthire.