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Shona Sculpture Inspires Quincy Jones's Album 'The Dude'

June 15, 2021

A Shona sculpture inspired Quincy Jones' album 'The Dude' which is being reissued as a limited edition vinyl.

"One day, Henry Mancini and I were at an art gallery on Wilshire Blvd., and I saw a sculpture that just called out to me. It said, 'Hey man, take me home. I want to be an album, I want to be a tune.' I didn't question it and bought the statue right then and there, because it had an attitude like I'd never seen before. It might sound crazy, but that's what inspired the name of my 1981 album, The Dude, and you can see the silhouette of the sculpture on the album cover!" Jones shares. "I also found out that the statue actually came from a farm in South Africa. The farm wasn't making any profits, so the owner had a sculpting teacher named Fanizani Akuda (a member of the sculptural movement called Shona Sculpture) come and teach his workers how to sculpt, so that they could make a living, and The Dude is one of the sculptures that Fanizani made at the farm! I've had The Dude ever since!! The album went on to be nominated for five Grammy Awards and win three!"

Quincy Jones new Hey Dude album - Shona sculptures - Artistic Africa Gallery

New Quincy Jones Shona Sculpture By David Mushonga

We were very honored to add a Shona Sculpture to Quincy Jones' collection. Greg Spero, pianist / composer and one of the most revered and in demand musicians in the jazz, jazz fusion, instrumental hip-hop and electronic music was inspired to send Quincy Jones a gift and choose the 'Thinking Man' created by David Mushonga from Zimbabwe.

The farm mentioned by Jones - the Tengenenge Arts Centre (Tengenenge loosely means the beginning of the beginning in the Shona language), is an art community founded by the late Tom Blomefield.

Tengenenge is located in the Guruve district in Zimbabwe, has achieved international recognition because of the number of renowned artists that have lived and worked there, and are still living and working there.

Works from the "first generation" of sculptors at Tengenenge joined those which had been created by others who worked at the National Gallery of Rhodesia, where the then director, Frank McEwen organized exhibitions both nationally and internationally. Bloomfield encouraged many individual artists from a number of countries including Angola, Malawi and Mozambique to join the local community of mainly Shona ethnicity and was unconcerned whether they had formal training.

And would you believe, David Mushonga is at Tengenenge?

David Mushonga's Art Is Internationally Acclaimed

The "Thinking Man" has the distinctive Mushonga style, sculptured in Serpentine stone, which once polished, gives it a rich, dark luster.

David Mushonga - Shona Sculpture the Thinking Man - Artistic Africa Gallery

David was born in 1953 in Chiweshe Area, Centenary District, Zimbabwe. He completed standard six at St Alberts Mission school in 1967. David is a full-time artist and specializes in human forms and animals.

The unique facial features with big full lips, big nose, and eyes are a unique signature on all his pieces which he says depicts the spirit of Africa and all that is African, in wildlife as well as human beings.

He has sold his pieces to collectors in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

When you buy a Moyo piece, you are not just buying stone, but your own piece of history, a piece of modern contemporary art with an African flair. ~ Stef McDonald, owner of Artistic Africa Gallery

A Little Bit More About Our Gallery

Artistic Africa Gallery is a United States-based gallery encompassing stone and wooden sculptures. The art is predominantly Shona sculpture from Zimbabwe, where our artists work hands-on in the field. We are committed to first-class customer service and care.

Logistically, we are directly linked to the source of the stone and have direct access to the artists. We are able to ship our sculptures worldwide through dependable and fast shipping.

We have grown rapidly from inception, playing a vital role in the resurgence of the Zimbabwean sculpture community. It is an outlet for the immense talent of traditional and modern sculptors in Zimbabwe who have limited opportunities to access international markets and sell their sculpture. Our gallery and company is built on the basic principle that every person should have the opportunity to earn a living and support their family and has chosen to encourage artists to develop their talent while paying more than market value for their sculpture. We also provide stone, tools, and other materials for the artists.

In Zimbabwe, we are recognized as a company with integrity. We are committed to helping artists and their families find medical care and community support.

One of our missions is to support and give back…as well as their quality of life. When you buy one of our sculptures, you are contributing to the well being of the artists! ~ Kim McDonald, owner of Artistic Africa Gallery

SOURCES:

[Read More at The Music Universe.

Quincy Delight Jones Jr. is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award nominations, 28 Grammys, and a Grammy Legend Award in 1992. Wikipedia

Greg Spero is a pianist from Highland Park, Illinois. He has toured with Halsey and the Miles Electric Band and has composed music for film and television. He leads the jazz band Spirit Fingers. Wikipedia

Greg Spero - Facebook, YouTube.

Tom Blomefield - The Tengenenge Sculpture Community was established by Tom Blomefield in 1966.

Blomefield wrote that he sought an alternative source of income for his workforce, which materialized when the sculptor Crispen Chakanyuka visited and pointed out that the far

In 1973, Bloomfield sold his farm and moved to Harare, although the community at Tengenenge continued to produce sculptures.

Wikipedia - Read more…

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15502 Old Galveston Road

Webster, TX 77598

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