Shumba and Sara Davies to put on a Book Cafe night in the UK because we all felt like we were really missing that vibe, and we wanted to do something to help and promote Zimbabwean music and culture.
After a nervous start the show was opened by Les Mommsen of the Tha Tha Ensemble, playing to an appreciative audience at the quirky Bethnal Green Workingmen’s Club in East London. All credit to his acoustic duo who had within their first number transported the audience all the way back to the comfortable vibe of a little corner of Zimbabwe in Fife Avenue. Charmed by the cool jazzy sounds the audience clapped and cheered and in return were treated to one of the finest lead bass displays you could hope to see.
The night was hosted by Denton Chikura, one of the new generation of Zimbabwean comedians who kept everything flowing smoothly and periodically coaxed great roars of laughter from the crowd with his news reports, irreverant announcing, and the odd ‘most eligable bachelor in the room’ competition.
The star performance had to be the Anna Mudeka band, on stage as a trio at the end of the first half. Mbira, drumming, a two tier Marimba and some passionate and indeed ‘spirited’ dancing proved the key ingredients to the audio and visual feast that had the audience clambering for more. It was maybe a pity that most of the crowd were not quite up to dancing yet, it being early in the night, but a request for some audience participation saw Amy Brickhill, drummer of Zimbabwean dhindhindi punk band Water Ship Down, join Anna centre stage for a well received djembe jam.
The second half was heralded by a ridiculously fantastical tale about fictional hereo Nhemo by the night’s host Denton, who once again had the audience ‘rolling in the aisles’, before introducing the poet Tererai Karimakwenda. After, some stirring sentiments with his first two poems, which I know touched several people in the audience (because they told me so afterwards), Tererai jazzed up his third offering by inviting Water Ship Down bassist Matt Joiner, and drummer Amy, on stage with him for his well received ‘slam’ finale.
Last up, my turn on stage with Matt and Amy, transforming myself as if by magic from fill-in sound engineer to the third member of Water Ship Down. We opened with ‘Tafadzwa’, a song I first played at the Book Cafe in Harare almost two years ago.
The general feeling we got was that all those who attended really enjoyed the whole evening, and were hassling us to find out when the next one might be which bodes well for future Paw Paw Jam events. Thanks to all the performers who made the show such a success and to our media sponser The Zimbabwean. The next Paw Paw Jam will be sometime in November. Watch this space!
Post published in: Uncategorized