Tribal Style
Interview with Mugabe Tenn
Words: Michael Rabinowitz

The first time I met Mugabe Tenn, I fell down a rabbit hole.  We met at Zion New Testament Church of God, a compound in Lutz where his mother is minister.  Like the Mad Hatter, Mugabe served me a cup of homebrewed joe and akin to “A Day in The Life” someone spoke and I fell into a dream, awaking in a cow pasture in Pasco County.  Let’s just say there wasn’t Sweet & Low in my Sanka that day.

Regardless of the java’s potency, the company I kept that day made the interview process a breeze.  It’s Mugabe’s nature to make everyone feel at home and this is reflective in his music, be it his solo work or on bass with Tampa reggae kings, Tribal Style or the funk explosion lineup of The D’Visitors.  All of his performances emanate a block party groove, where all are welcome under the tent. 

That day Mugabe told me of the ambitious plans for Gwan Massive, the artist collective he organized with Tribal Style, The D’Visitors, Jay Giroux, DJ Blenda, The Ruckus, Ranmecka, Slopfunkdust, Breakdown, DJ Cor, Clint, Highah Seekah, and maybe even mayor Pam Iorio (last we at REAX’s editorial board checked).  It’s hard to believe only a year has passed and Gwan is the one identifiable signature to our music scene.  Tampa today seems too small for this crew of artists to take over. 

Now, after tireless promotions, heavy touring, poster design, multiple collaborations, and setting up his fellow Gwan’ers, Mugabe and Tribal Style are ready to focus solely on their own music.  Long entrenched in the reggae festival circuit, Tribal Style anchors Gwan Massive at an international level (courtesy of the Tenn family’s Jamaica connections).  If Gwan were The Transformers, Tribal Style would certainly be their Optimus Prime.

“Last year was really great, we really pushed it,” he excitedly recalls.  “The whole movement, Tribal Style, pushed who we are.  But, all we had were our old recordings from 2003 and CD’s.  We had new stuff but nothing on CD.  So, in Gwan tradition our shows have been who is ready for the ride, come along for the ride.” 

While the Bay area recognizes Mugabe and Tribal Style as part of the omnipresent Gwan Massive, the group looked to reconstitute as its own to remind everyone of their specialty: smoothed out post-modern reggae.  Releasing a new album of material that returns the band to its roots is a start, appropriately titled Olde Town. 

“A lot of people know Tribal Style from Gwan Massive shows.  With this album we wanted to establish Tribal Style as its own, with reggae,” Mugabe explains.  “Don’t expect to hear a lot of hip hop mixes.  Don’t expect to hear a lot of calabo’s.  Just going to be Tribal Style, straight up reggae.  We got a Pink Floyd-ish kind of funk.  Trust me, it’s going to trip your brain out.”  (Mix in some of his mystery coffee, and a trip to the far side of the moon would certainly be expected.)

“We are bringing back to what reggae used to be,” he affirms.  “Its about people hanging in the streets listening to music.  Even the CD cover is all of us dressed as buffalo soldiers.”  (A reference to the U.S. military’s first black regiments and Tampa’s own history for hosting Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders.) 

Olde Town is a laid back return to island dub with excellent engineering highlighting bluesy tracks like “Is It Me.”  Akin to sipping Mugabe’s dangerous brew, the LP possess an astral quality that even Roger Waters would deem worthy.  DJ Blenda highlights the turntables while Blake Yeager drips notes on a spaced out plane, all to a bouncing rhythm section lead by Mugabe and fellow Tenn brothers, TK and Muhtoni. 

But don’t expect Gwan Massive to be ignored.  Mugabe elaborates: “We are still doing a break.  We call it a ‘Gwan Break.’  Each individual was doing their own work.  Everybody is working right now.  Everyone is doing their own thing right now, but we will get back together again for shows.”

One of the tenets of Gwan Massive is to support each other; that is, the whole benefiting the individual.  With a new album and a renewed energy, a strong return of Gwan Nation is expected.  And, if Mugabe is serving his version of Jamaican Starbucks, then I can attest to what a wonderful day that would be. . . If I could still remember, that is.

Visit: tribalstylemusic.net to hear tracks and learn more.