AFTER winning the Music Crossroads Inter-Regional Festival Competition in Malawi 15 years ago, multi-award winning afro-fusionist band Mokoomba has been on a roller coaster ride touring the length and breadth of the world and performing to international acclaim.
The six-piece band is gearing up for a spectacular performance at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) on December 22. The concert, themed 'The Heritage Concert,' is not merely a musical event, but a celebration of Zimbabwe's rich cultural tapestry and natural treasures.
Band manager Marcus Gora, in an interview with StandardStyle, emphasised the significance of the concert's theme. "It speaks to our love for our country and its diverse cultures and natural endowments and the need to celebrate and preserve them for future generations," Gora said.
“It is a celebration of good music, music that might not be very popular at present but will last for a long time. At this moment we are proud to announce that we will be joined on the line-up by the fantastic Victor Kunonga whose sound represents the best of Zimbabwean guitar and traditional music. More acts will be announced soon.”
The Heritage Concert marks the culmination of a busy schedule that has seen the band perform locally and internationally. The biggest highlight is their successful launch of Tusona: Tracings in the Sand a thirteen-track album that is a follow-up to their 2017 album Luyando which was released by Outhere Records.
The album has received acclaim from international press, including The Guardian Observer. “This third album affirms their savvy mix of spirituality and exuberance; more electric than 2017’s semi-acoustic Luyando, more polished than their debut, Rising Tide. While grounded in the traditions of the Luvale people of the Zambezi – the group hails from Victoria Falls – their sound is pan-African. A blend of Zimbabwe’s tumbling Chimurenga rhythms and Congo’s Soukous guitars underpin up-tempo numbers such as Nyansola, where they are joined by a horn section from Ghanaian highlife troupe Santrofi. Upfront is the powerful voice of Mathias Muzaza, a charismatic figure able to strut and swing or to soar spectacularly.” — The Observer
“The new album has also been well received in Zimbabwe. We have had increased local airplay and some of our singles on the album have been topping the charts on Radio stations like Star FM and Classic 263,” Gora said.
The band has also had high rotation on international world music radio programs around the world having been play-listed on BBC Radio 6 as well as on online music shows and podcasts. As a result, Tusona: Tracings in the Sand has topped the World Music Charts in Europe and done well in the Transglobal World Music Charts.
Locally, Mokoomba has done a good number of concerts performing in Mutare, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, and Harare. They also performed in Swaziland, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Sweden, and Austria to mention a few.
“We are going to be previewing some elements of our new act that we will be touring around the world next year, we urge our supporters to get tickets early, bring your visitors who are coming from the diaspora and let’s celebrate good music and our heritage together,” Gora added.