guitarist/singer/composer/arranger/producer
He started his musical career in Zimbabwe in the seventies
inspired by Earth, Wind and Fire while working to fuse those
sounds with Shona and Ndebele musical traditions tp produce
and indigenous African pop groove.
But his interest in traditional musici and composing took his
talent in directions far more varied than pop music. He
produced albums for most of the country's world music stars,
including Thomas Mapfumo.
He helped to build an innovative formal and informal teaching
programme focusing on modern and traditional popular music. At
the same time he worked with : Talking Drum,Ilanga, Mudzimu,
Southern Freeway and Musik ye Afrika. Mhlanga has an extensive
Zimbabwean discography, ranging from popular and traditional
music to gospel and soul.
In London he worked with Paul Weller and performed all over
the world with Nigerian juju star King Sunny Ade, Hugh
Masekela, Busi Mhlongo, Sipho ''Hotstix'' Mabuse, Khumalo, Ray
Phiri, Semenya, Vusi Mahlasela and Stef Bos.
Louis Mhlanga can be considered one of the main Zimbabwean
musicians with an international career whose music is full of
polyrhytms and rich melodies, based on ancient spiritual music
combining elements of the broad scala of pop- and world music.
Since 1998 Louis is working as a regular guest of the Paul
van Kemenade Quintet.
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