In Maputo the group had been in an exciting music collaboration with Ivo Maia, the Mozambican artist who performed with the group at Harares Book Caf in September.
Dudu and Color Blu are now well known and highly acclaimed in that country since their participation at the Beira Jazz Festival in 2008, a 2009 collaboration with Mingas (Harare and Maputo), and again in 2010 with Pamberi Trusts FLAME Regional Tour, and private studio work by gifted drummer Blessing Muparutsa with top Mozambican artists such as the popular Chicco.
Its the afro-jazz adventure of Color Blu that attracts the artists and audiences of Mozambique, their ability to deal skilfully with their unique and complex rhythms, styles and flavours, and to deliver an exciting high-quality music performance a satisfying experience for all involved.
This most recent regional visit is sandwiched between featuring in an exciting October production of the 1970s musical IPI NTOMBI, in Dudus hometown Bulawayo, Zimbabwes City of Kings (and Queens), with young actors and dancers of the Masiyephambili Junior School from 19-23 October and her forthcoming Homecoming Tour later this month.
Home-coming tour
Born and raised in Bulawayo, Dudu has been busy in other parts the world over the last four years, and will be taking time this November for a Homecoming Tour to get in touch with old friends and audiences of Bulawayo. Dudu and Color Blu will be concentrating on their new music, crafted specially for different audiences – a dinner event, club gigs, and township shows (with only a small and friendly cover charge).
Dudu will be visiting her people in the places where she grew up, and presenting prizes as former head girl of both her primary and high schools, and also to current head girls and best students, courtesy of Edgars retail clothing store. She will also present a collection of donations to the Emthunzini Wethemba Childrens home intended as an annual activity which she hopes will grow to include many more givers.
Past four years
Described as an afro-jazz adventure, the music of Dudu and Color Blu has come a long way to receive recognition and acclaim both at home and beyond our borders.
In the last four years, she has delivered a consistently high standard of music performance, leading to their third and fourth music recordings Jula (2007) and Towards Alignment (2009), with tours to South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, Denmark and Germany, inclusion in the local Italian Jazz Festival in the last 2 years, as well as all major jazz festivals within Zimbabwe. In 2010 she widened her reach to include Swaziland and Serbia also, and the recent Maputo collaboration.
As well as being a busy mother of four, in 2010 Dudu reached new levels with her election to the emerging Association for Women in the Performing Arts in Zimbabwe (AWIPAZ), appointment to the board of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, and appointment as Deacon at Harares Jubilee Christian Centre, where the group leads in worship.
Post published in: Arts