DOCTOR Thomas Tafirenyika Mapfumo, currently riding high on the charts with his Chimurenga Rebel album, is set to thrill his fans further when he releases three more albums within the next few weeks, Standard Plus reveals this week.

The chimurenga music maestro also has a mega-project lined up in which he will release CD versions of 16 of his albums currently available only on tape and vinyl.

Expected to hit the streets in the next two weeks will be Chimurenga Unlimited Volume II which features recycled and remastered versions of some of his songs. Chimurenga Collected and Dreams and Secrets will be released afterwards.

Cuthbert Chiromo, Mapfumo's manager, said studio recordings for Chimurenga Unlimited Volume II were begun way back in 1999 and remastered a year later.

"There are some additions, such as Mbira and female vocals, on many of the songs selected from different albums," Chiromo said.

Songs featured on the album include Munhu Mutema, Ndozvauri, Magariro, Chiruzevha Chapera, Vana Vechikoro, Gwindingwi Rine Shumba, Tamba Zumba naShe, Chidza Chepo and Nyamutamba neMombe. There is also an instrumental version of sentimental favourite, Joyce.

The other two albums to follow-Dreams and Secrets and Chimurenga Collected, are not entirely new compositions as they were released in the US and Britain respectively.

"The albums have never been released in Zimbabwe and it is by public demand that we want them on the local market. Dreams and Secrets was a joint album between an American band and Mapfumo. It contains much jazz and features songs like Marimuka, Big in America, Masimba and Regai Tione. All in all it has 12 songs," said Chiromo.

"We were approached by a UK company for a licence to do Chimurenga Collected, but we need to fine-tune it for the local market before releasing it."

Commenting on the CD project, Chiromo said: "The compact disc is now more popular than the cassette because it produces quality music. It is also by public request that we do this, but there is an extra bonus as most songs on these 16 albums will be remastered to suit the technology added to the music industry over the years."

The hard-hitting Chimurenga Rebel album, which has been blacked out by the ZBC because of its no holds barred messages, will soon be available on CD. Other albums earmarked for the project include, Chimurenga Unlimited Volume I, Corruption, Chimurenga Masterpiece, Hondo, Hokoyo, Ndangariro and Mr Music.

As if that were not enough for the year, the internationally-acclaimed Dr Mapfumo is scheduled to release another album in time for Christmas.