Irish musicologist and concertino ace Jason O’Rourke was at his best as he belted traditional melodies and his compositions during his two-week collaboration residency for music composition and performance with Music Crossroads Academy in Zimbabwe students and alumni.
O’Rourke provided the opening act with an instrumental solo of the song Reels and the quintet of Fungai Tanyaradzwa Blessing Chinogaramombe, Chiedza Melody Weeler, Panashe Mujuru, Polite Tanaka Mwanangeni and Washington Bungu later got on stage for the highly dynamic and melodious song Air.
From there on, a partially-filled Prince Edward School Music and Computer Centre got active in dance and sing-along for songs like Shandira Pamwe, Dande, Nehondo, Slides, Ichanaya, Mugarandega and Polkas. Merrymakers called for encore for the song Dande as they nearly took over the show.
Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana, Music Crossroads Academy in Zimbabwe director, said the camp was a success, adding that it should be a building block for uplifting musical talent at their institution, including mobilisation of resources for musical performances.
“Kushandira pamwe, Shona for working together, collaboration and or co-operation, is intended to energise former and current students who have already made names as folk and traditional music performers.
“We are happy with the students' ability to blend well at this international gathering and we are looking for much bigger opportunities in the coming future,” Katomeni-Mbofana told NewsDay Life & Style.
O’Rourke, a PhD holder in Medieval English, who has recorded and produced eight albums, admitted that the Kusandira Pamwe project was his first experience to blend the concertino with Mbira.
“It went on well. I was nervous in the beginning and I am happy with the way the Music Crossroads Academy in Zimbabwe has co-operated,” said O’Rourke.
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Weeler predicted the heavy rainfall that poured during the performances. She sang Ichanaya with great virtuosity as melodies from the mbiras, drums and the concertino interlocked and synced amazingly. The other enchanting thing from the performances was the replication and restoration of several Shona art vocal culture traits such as yodelling or yoiking in a freestyle manner, which was full of articulation and emotion. The combination of percussion and melo rhythms from the drums brought an amazing atmosphere as O’Rourke played dual melodies with both hands on the concertino.
Susan McCollum, honorary consul of the Republic of Ireland, was happy with the performance and promised to advise her embassy to bring more of such experiences. The Irish embassy in Zimbabwe has its own Irish Film Festival but it renders unrelenting support to the European Film Festival. Dumisile Msimanga from the Irish embassy could not hide his excitement and wished the creatives success in their future endeavours.
Abigail Garikayi, director of the Prince Edward School Music and Computer Centre, said: “The Kushandira Pamwe concert was very exciting to watch. Unfortunately, schools are closed and the only remaining students here who watched the show stayed behind to perform at the Mbare Market Square, which President Emmerson Mnangagwa officially opened.
“We had many lessons to take back home from both the official opening and Jason O’Rourke and his company.”
Prince Edward students energised the Dande encore as each one of them rushed on stage to grab either mbira or drum or joined the dancers. The performance proved the adage that there is no audience or spectator in African musical arts performances true.
The musicians who participated in the collaboration and performance are looking forward to perform with concertino ace O’Rourke in Ireland.
