Music
Samende, Ndaba Costa Moyo, Mathias
Muzaza, Abundance Mutori, Donald
Moyo and percussionist Miti Mugande
just loved their music and finally settled
on the idea to form a band.
They settled on the name Mokoomba
– derived from the reverence that the
Tonga people have for the Zambezi river
and for the ‘vibrant life that it brings to
their music and culture.’
It was at the Music Crossroads
competition in 2007 that they made
their mark on the music scene, winning
the regional finals in Bulawayo before
emerging triumphant in the national
finals too. That earned them a chance
to thrill the Southern African audience
at the Music Crossroads inter-regional
finals in Malawi in 2008 and thrill they
did, winning the event and securing a
first trip overseas. Such was the impact
they made.
That trip to Brussels, Belgium, ushered
in a whirlwind era for the group whose
distinct afro-fusion style became an
instant hit across Europe.
Fast forward four years and they have
finally been rewarded for the sterling
service they have done the country with
the National Arts Council naming them
the Arts Personality of the Year at the
recently staged NAMA awards.
Fresh from a tour of Tanzania where
they performed at the Sauti za Busara
music Festival Zanzibar, Mokoomba
reflected on the award that they received
in absentia as the ceremony coincided
with their performances in Zanzibar.
For the youthful six-some, the award
is a reward for the hard work they have
put in since their breakthrough at the
Music Crossroads inter-regional finals in
Malawi five years ago.
“We are very grateful to the NAMA
committee through NAC for recognising
the hard work that we are doing as a
young band from a small town,” said
Abundance.
“There are a lot of obstacles that lie
in the way for up and coming artists,
especially those that practice the kind of
music that is not popular. Our industry
is still very young and is not quite yet
prepared to deliver success to young
artists.”
Band manager Marcus Gora added:
“We thank everyone who has supported
us locally and internationally. The hope
is that this award inspires us to keep
working with each other. It is not the beall-and-end-all of our journey which, so
far, has been excellent. We believe it is
the start of something even bigger.”
While they have been a regular
fixture and a hugely popular act on
the international scene where their
performances have included high
profile festivals such as the European
Development Days Awards in Stockholm,
Sweden, the WOMEX festival in
Thessaloniki, Greece, the internationally
acclaimed Moshito Music Conference in
Johannesburg and a live performance
before a worldwide audience on a
popular BBC Two program ‘Later...w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x?&\??][ ??]??YKH ??[ ?^H]\?[ ??] H ?^H ?H ?\?H???Y? \ ???X??[? H NNL ? \?H ?\?H?[?\?[?Y ???X?H????ZY?]\?X???\? ?Y[??][??[? \?\ ?? H H [??Y[??
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