INTERNATIONALLY-acclaimed Bulawayo musical group Mambo Mbira is scheduled to embark on a month-long European tour that would take the outfit to Austria and Germany.
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A member of the group, Othnell Mangoma Moyo said the tour was organised by 10th District Studios which has mobilised them as artistes in their own right to go and perform.
“The tour organised by 10th District Studios in Bulawayo under Dumisani Ramadu working with Tswarelo Mothobe, is not necessarily for monetary benefit, but to create relationships and network with people from other countries,” Moyo said.
“From these tours we get more jobs. It is also a way of marketing us and most of the times we get more shows out of them. We get schools and colleges that want us to teach music and music companies who want us to collaborate with their musicians. Zimbabwean music has not been exploited much. Our chord progression is different from other countries and they are usually fascinated by that,” he said.
The group comprises Moyo, Zanele Maseko, Hailee Hudson and Edgar Bera and its sound is defined by an edge that is new to Zimbabwean mbira music.
Its different styles of playing create a sound that maintains both the African and the Western classical music approach to this genré.
The four known for skillfully playing on traditional drums, shakers and the breast calabash are set to start recording an album in February after releasing as single Mandandare in August 2014.
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Meanwhile, Moyo and Julian Tshuma of Amakhosi Cultural Centre have organised a mini festival titled Talent Explorer in Nguboyenja, Bulawayo, scheduled for April 10 and 11.
It will involve nine disciplines, music, dance, theatre, drumming, street soccer, marathon, outdoor marketing for companies, flea market and complementary technology for people living with disabilities.
“The whole aim is to search for talent and we will have promoters from Austria and Norway scouting for talent. We will be in Bulawayo on the 15th of January to prepare for our mini festival which will include art, sport and business,” Moyo said.
Moyo is currently on an exchange programme at the Indonesian embassy in Harare with Haritem Tong from that country and Austrian artiste Matze Min.
The exchange programme was organised by Moyo in conjunction with the Indonesian embassy and Duende Percussion.
