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Sophia Chese : Arts Correspondent

“We have mainly toured in Europe and this North American Tour is really something we are excited about. It is always nerve-wracking to perform for a totally new audience and also push your music to them.” Bulawayo-based all-female ensemble’ Nobuntu is set to tour Canada for the first time beginning end of this month.The ensemble, which recently launched their second album entitled Ekhaya on online stores, consists of five young women Joyline Sibanda, Zanele Manhenga, Thandeka Moyo, Heather Dube and Duduzile Sibanda.

In an interview with the group members said they are looking forward to a great tour since this is their first time tour Canada.

“We have mainly toured in Europe and this North American Tour is really something we are excited about. It is always nerve-wracking to perform for a totally new audience and also push your music to them,” said Manhenga.

Manhenga highlighted that they are set to perform both old and new songs during the tour.

“We are going to perform our old tracks from our previous albums and also introduce new tracks which are on our forthcoming album,” she said.

She added that they are looking forward to a number of international tours this year saying the Canadian tour is just the beginning of greater things to come this year.

“This year our team has planned a lot of activities which will see us perform more in Zimbabwe and across the globe. We are looking forward to representing Zimbabwean music in Canada and showing how much of a solid people we are,” she said.

She also highlighted that on their return they are going to embark on a national album launch tour in Bulawayo, Harare and Victoria Falls from May to June.

Meanwhile, prior to their Canada tour, the ensemble has released two singles from their second album “Ekhaya”, with “Narini” receiving a lot of airplay on local radio stations.

The other single “Woza Ngane” addresses women abuse and how women can stand for each other to eradicate this social problem.

According to the group, the name Nobuntu is an African concept that values humbleness, love, purpose, unity and family from a woman’s perspective.

Their repertoire is a fusion of traditional Zimbabwean rooted music, Afro Jazz, Gospel and Crossover in pure voices.

Although they major in accappela, the group sometimes used traditional instruments for select songs.

The ensemble was nominated for Best Musician of the Year at the Zimbabwe International Women Awards 2015, which were held in London, United Kingdom.