TOP ethnographer Othnell Moyo, also known as, Mangoma spent the greater part of the year 2024 performing and conducting workshops on mbira music including traditional dances in colleges and universities in the United States.
He conducted three workshops at his Ngoma Ingungu Cultural Arts Centre in Kubeta village, Munyawiri ward, Domboshava, which is an arts centre that he founded and opened in May 2024.
He has already put in place adequate grounding for his forthcoming Mavhurachando Camp set for April this year.
On January 25, Moyo and mbira sensation Mary Anibal will join forces in a performance titled, From Village to Town and Back to the Village, at the Zimbabwe German Society in Harare.
“This unforgettable show showcases the richness of Zimbabwean ancient music, its contemporary interpretations and a fusion of both,” Mangoma said.
“It is part of a resilience project that highlights the music that was banned during colonisation. The duet will take the audience on a journey through the influences and silences of this music, ultimately revealing its unapologetic essence.”
He said the performance would conclude with a question-and-answer segment, inviting the audience to engage in a conversation about the different eras of Zimbabwean music, the impact of colonisation and the journey towards recovery and revival.
Mangoma and Anibal are highly-skilled musicians who have mastered a range of ancient Zimbabwean and central Mozambican musical instruments, including the mbira, varimba, chitende, chigufe, ngoma, hosho and ngororombe. The duo’s performance is intended to parade and make known the rich social multiplicity and wide array of Zimbabwean music traditions.
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Mangoma has laid a strong foundation for his forthcoming April 2025 camp, his third after holding a successful camp that ended on December 31.
His passion for cultural tourism has grown stronger and resilient as several tourists have accepted the Ngoma Ingungu Cultural Arts Centre as a good tourist venue. Ngoma Ingungu Centre has 16 huts, three big rehearsal studio huts and 13 huts that can accommodate up to 26 campers staying in pairs.
“The first camp was called Mavhurachando Study Camp, the second was Inxwala Study Camp that happened in December. Inxwala Study Camp, is an annually held vibrant celebration of Zimbabwean traditional music, dance, instrument-making and storytelling.
This immersive experience brings together learners from around the world and renowned teachers from rural Zimbabwe, including Mangoma and three other experts. Set amid the stunning Ngoma Ingungu Cultural Arts Centre in Kubeta village, Domboshava, Zimbabwe, the camp offers a unique opportunity to delve into the rich cultural heritage of Zimbabwe.
“The Inxwala gave the attendees a chance to connect with like-minded individuals, learn from master artistes and immerse themselves in the beauty of Zimbabwean culture. It was indeed an unforgettable experience for the students, teachers, hosts and villagers,” Mangoma said.
The musician said after the January 25 show at the German Society he would for the next three months focus on the annual Mavhurachando Study Camp.
“From April 24 to May 2, 2025 Ngoma Ingungu Cultural Arts Centre will hold the Annual Mavhurachando Study Camp. The camp conceptualised and curated by Othnell Mangoma Moyo is a cultural excursion inviting participation from artistes, researchers, students, cultural archivists, historians or patrons interested in learning traditional Zimbabwean music and its instruments to immerse themselves in a few days of learning indigenous art forms.
“It will be held at Ngoma Ingungu Cultural Arts Centre, Chigiji Road in Munyawiri village, in Domboshava, Goromonzi, Zimbabwe, starting from April 24 until May 2, 2025, an eight-day deep dive into mbira, ngoma, hosho and marimba from beginner, intermediate to advanced level. Registration is open until April 10.
Moyo said he was more than willing to build the Ngoma Ingungu Cultural Arts Centre into a starred tourist resource and he admitted that he would be looking for partnerships and alliances to keep his dream alive.
