Kundai Marunya Arts Correspondent
Widely-travelled afro-fusion outfit, Mokoomba, will end the year with a string of shows across Zimbabwe as a tribute to local fans who have supported them since their formative years.
The group, which recently performed in Ghana, wrapping up its international tour that included 50 concerts on the continent, Europe and North America, will start with a show at Harare’s Theatre In The Park on December 27.
It will then travel to Bulawayo for a show at The Smokehouse on December 29 before ending the year with another show at Victoria Falls’ Three Monkeys on New Year’s Eve.
Mokoomba manager Marcus Gora said they had a fruitful year.
“Our year was very good, we travelled a lot staging shows in countries like Kazakhstan and Ghana where we had never been, thus gaining a new audience,” he said.
“We headlined a festival in Zanzibar where we performed a special tribute show for the late Dr Oliver Mtukudzi.”
The group also received the NAMA Arts Personality of the Year Award.
This year, the group only staged two public events in Zimbabwe, as it was constantly engaged outside the country.
Said Gora: “As the year ends, we saw it fit to perform for our local fans starting from Harare, Bulawayo, and ending in our home town, Victoria Falls.”
On their local shows, Mokoomba will incorporate emerging artistes as a way of supporting local talent.
“We will select three upcoming musicians who will perform at our local shows as a way of boosting local talent,” said Gora.
“We will announce the artistes as we get closer to the shows.”
Next year, the group plans to release its third album, which was currently being recorded.
Mokoomba is a multi-award winning afro-fusion group that hails from Victoria Falls.
The group is credited for being the third from Zimbabwe to be inducted in the Afro-pop Hall of Fame in the United States, after the late Oliver Mtukudzi and mbira music icon Thomas Mapfumo.