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Peter Tanyanyiwa Arts Correspondent
Zimbabwean jazz musician, songwriter and bass guitarist Josh Meck stole the show when he shared the stage with acclaimed Franco-Togolese band Vaudou last Saturday in the Alliance Francaise de Harare garden.

Josh Meck who had been silent for some time on the local music scene was backed by Mokoomba guitarist Trust Samende and the former Prince Edward crooner delivered a well-polished performance and left the crowd begging for more.

Afro jazz sensation Meck said he is looking towards coming back and settling permanently in the country.

“I want to thank Alliance Francaise de Harare for this opportunity to open for the legendary Vaudou Game band and I have to say I am really amazed with the level of growth in Jazz music that is happening in Zimbabwe at the moment, back in the day many did not quite grasp the Jazz music.

“I want to thank the people for the love and support this show was just something, I loved the response from the audiences, I always love to play to such a lively and interactive audience.

“At the moment I am in-between Zimbabwe and South Africa but working towards permanently settling back in the motherland,” said Josh Meck.

Meck played his old time renditions together with a few new songs, he managed to keep the crowd on their feet for the duration of his performance and at one time whilst performing his hit “Vanobata Zvakawanda” he took his base guitar and got in the crowd, playing next to his fans, which he received cheers for.

The acclaimed Franco — Togolese band Vaudou Game is currently touring Southern Africa and did not disappoint on this show as a headline act with their old school classic analogue sounds, they surely proved that music is a universal language, even singing in their foreign language Vaudou Game managed to create a fan base at the show considering many had only heard about the international funk group recently.

The group performed courtesy of the Alliance Francaise de Harare and Bulawayo, the French Embassy in Zimbabwe, Alliance Francaise Southern Africa and Institut Francais.

Alliance Francaise director, Franck Chabasseur said this show was a cultural actions and part of Franco Zimbabwean friendship.

“This is why alliance is here. We want people and other musicians to discover, to exchange and understand influences at stake between Africa and the francophone world,” he said.

“Vaudou Game is a six piece band founded by Peter Solo, lead singer and composer, claiming and spreading the spiritual and musical heritage of the Voodoo culture.

“They strive for authenticity and the analogy sound of Apiafo, this is Togolese funk that has perhaps never before explored its ancient roots so deeply and proudly,” Franck Chabasseur.

The seven piece French group Vaudou Game describe themselves as a convergence of African and Afro-American musicians who champion a genre of funk called Vaudou Funk hailing from the cradle of Vaudou culture in Togo, Benin. Vaudou Funk inspirations come from the rhythm and blues of James Brown, Otis Redding and Wilson Picket.