Why it was a Sacred Concert to remember
Scores of people of various ages and hues braved Harare’s sweltering heat on Saturday, 8 November 2008, to join the celebrations to mark 200 years of the abolishment of slavery with a performance of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts by the 50 strong Zimbabwe College of Music (ZCM) Choir and the Trio Arctic Band. The versatile and awe-inspiring Zimbabwean diva, Prudence Katomeni- Mbofana held the solo soprano reins.
The performance was a unique collaboration between the ZCM and their Norwegian counterparts courtesy of The Culture School of Fredrikstad as well as FK Norway. Each year three lecturers from ZCM go to Norway to guest lecture in an exchange programme that sees three Norwegian lecturers making the trek to Zimbabwe. This year’s trio, Tone Jordhus Søvik (saxaphone), Brith Løkken (trumpet) and Klæboe Eyvind Helseth were at the forefront of organising the concert. Linda Gjersoe Helseth (trombone) flew all the way from Norway to be part of this groundbreaking performance. Read more
Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts come to Harare
This weekend, Zimbabwean diva Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana, backed by the fifty-strong Zimbabwe College of Music Choir, will attempt to do something that has rarely been done in Africa, let alone in the world- Perform one of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts.
Because of the scale of the music and the sheer number of artists needed to execute each work, Ellington’s sacred concerts have rarely been performed in the 30 years since his death in 1974.
More on The Zimbo Jam
This week @ the Book Café and Mannenberg: 23 Oct – 01 Nov 2008
SPECIALS THIS WEEK
The Book Café
SAT 01, 2-5pm, House of Hunger POETRY SLAM – GIVING EACH OTHER A BOOST – the ‘Feel Good’ Slam. Celebrating LIFE - Come Feel The Energy! All Poets Welcome. A Pamberi Trust Project supported by Hivos
SAT 08, 2-5pm, SISTAZ OPEN MIC – Come on out Sistaz With ATTITUDE – Song, Dance, Poetry, Whateva - this is UR space, come do UR thang! Register with Rudo B4 2pm on 793182, 792551. A Pamberi Trust Project supported by Hivos
Mannenberg
SAT 08, 8-9pm, Zimbabwe College of Music presents DUKE ELLINGTON’S SACRED CONCERT – featuring PRUDENCE KATOMENI-MBOFANA (soprano), TRIO ARCTIC BAND & the ZCM’s 50-strong choir – The Duke’s famous masterpiece in Harare for the first time ever: a rare treat for jazz-lovers! Limited seating, arrive early to get a good seat. (Followed at 10pm by Luck Street Blues). Read more
Hope is the magic behind Kakuwe
New. Exciting. Hope Masike (Photo: Pamberi Trust).
Portrait of a Rising Star
An new exciting sound, filled with a fragrance of hope rooted in Zimbabwe, imbued with echoes of Africa and the African Diaspora, has come to the fore. The force behind the magical renaissance is Hope Masike and Kakuwe Band.
Kakuwe’s sound is eclectic fusion music with deep earthy traditional rhythms driven by pulsating nyunganyunga (mbira) strains, infectious West African djembe drumming, a soul nourishing thumping bassline and mystical marimba melodies, with a poignant recorder weaving through it all like a cool breeze.
These are infectious melodies born of a vision nurtured by talented Zimbabwe College of Music Ethnomusicology students in search of their musical identity. They call themselves Kakuwe, after the “Go Away Bird” whose call in the forest warns the rest of forest’s inhabitants of impending danger. The group’s vision and sound is steeped in the Zimbabwean landscape, with its questing spirit reaching out to vibrant Pan- African elements to come with a unique style. Read more
