HARARE - February sees the African tour of three rising music stars from Africa and three leaders of Asian music renewal, who blend their individual creativity and musical traditions into one unique performance a rare cultural fusion between Asia and Africa. (Pictured: Chiwoniso wit
The show will debut at The Mannenburg this weekend, featuring mbira star Chiwoniso Maraire, with Peter Solo (Togo), Erik Aliana and Chouchou Bass (Cameroon), Chang Jae-Hyo (Korea), and Sakaki Mango and Ndana (Japan). The idea of creating a cross-cultural Afro-Asian collaboration was born during the Japanese music festival Sukiyaki Meets the World. Eight musicians started to imagine a performance where each musical colour takes its role and keeps it spirit, but shares its codes, meanings and creative backgrounds, in fantastic harmony.
Speaking of artistic collaborations after a 2009 visit to the US, Chiwoniso said Theres this whole new beginning of working with new artists, where you hope theyre going to feel where youre coming from, that theyre going to understand what youre thinking. I feel there is a magic in music, that there is a magic in being able to move and reach out to certain people, saying, Hey, I feel you and them reaching back saying, Yeah, I feel you too! The result for the present collaboration is a rich, electrifying performance which can only be described as great music of the world. The appearances will be held in Johannesburg, Swaziland, Zanzibar and Harare.