HARARE - Mokoomba They will be on stage Saturday, 30 April at the Coca Cola Green S(11.30am -12-30pm) . Mokoomba are no strangers to the annual carnival having had their debut performance there in 2009 at the Global Stage to rave reviews. In line with this years HIFA theme the Engagement Party, the collaboration will be an interesting mix of Zimbabwean reggae and Tonga dance rhythms.
Mokoombas star continues to rise since their win in 2008 in Malawi of the Music Crossroads Inter-regional festival. They have now toured Europe twice, performing at festivals and concerts as well as teaching workshops in schools. They have also had a tour of the Southern African region and their music has been universally well received as they sing in several languages including Tonga, Ndebele, Venda, Nyanja and Lubale. Mokoombas debut album Kweseka-Drifting Ahead has been doing well on the local and international market. Messe Messe, bands hit track from the album, a collaboration with the popular Dutch house producer Gregor Salto funded by Africa Unsigned as part of the Stand Up Anti Poverty Campaign run by EEN/GAAP and its remixes has been making waves on the local and international dance music charts. Mokoomba are also subjects of a new documentary titled “Mokoomba d’une rive l’autre” (From one coast to the other) directed by Belgian film-makers, Frank Dalmat and Francis Ducat which tells the story of the of six talented young musicians from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe addressing the “Question Of The Relationship Between Culture and Sustainable Development in Africa” and more widely between culture and economic development in the south.
Having travelled so much, our goal now is to make our music popular in our home country Zimbabwe and to get people to understand more, appreciate and buy it. I believe by performing at arts festivals like HIFA, we celebrate and preserve a great part of our culture and tradition, said Donald Moyo, the bands keyboard player.