Chimbombay b/w Imagine (picture sleeve)

Mashiya was the recording name used by Montreal musician Brian Redmond after his work with The Sound Box and Marble Hall. Redmond had been active in Montreal’s English-language rock scene since the mid-1960s, first with The Red Cats and then with The Sound Box, recording two singles for Regency before moving into Marble Hall in 1970.

By 1972 Redmond was working with producer Hank Squires and songwriter-producer Martin Martin on a new series of recordings. Under the name Mashiya he recorded ‘Chimbombay’ b/w ‘Imagine’ for London Records, catalogue M. 17440. ‘Chimbombay’, written by Chris Kritzinger and Julian Laxton, was produced by Squires, directed by Hugh Dixon, arranged by Phil Vyvial and executive produced by Jim Bentley. The flip side, ‘Imagine’, was written and arranged by Martin Martin, with Squires producing and directing and Bentley and Redmond serving as executive producers.

The record was made as a Trax recording and issued by London in Canada in 1972. ‘Chimbombay’ also travelled beyond Canada, with releases appearing in markets including Greece and Peru.

The connection continued into 1973 when Shaka recorded a French-language version, ‘Chimbombay Amene Moi’. Phil Vyvial arranged the track, while the reverse, ‘Penser’, was written and arranged by Redmond. Hank Squires again handled production and musical direction, with Jim Bentley as executive producer.

Mashiya was a short-lived name in Redmond’s recording career, but it links several important strands of Montreal rock from the period: his earlier work with The Sound Box and Marble Hall, the production work of Hank Squires, the songwriting of Martin Martin, and the Trax and London recordings that followed.

-Robert Williston