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Mokoomba

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Mokoomba
The Mokoomba Band
Mokoomba (Photo Credit: ⓒ WDR/Strange Milena)
Background information
OriginVictoria Falls, Zimbabwe
GenresAfro-Fusion
Websitemokoomba.com
Members

Mokoomba is a Zimbabwean internationally acclaimed and award winning Afro-fusion group. The group which hails from Victoria Falls rose to prominence in 2008 after winning the Music Crossroads Inter-Regional Festival (IRF). The group sings in a number of languages including in the Tonga, Nyanja and Lubale language. Mokoomba combines traditional and modern instruments with a rich blend of rhythms, creating a vibrant sound consisting of not only traditional Tonga music but embracing the diverse cultures of southern Africa.[1] The group topped the iTunes charts in 2012 with their second album Rising Tide.[2] Despite being popular outside Zimbabwe, Mokoomba is not well known in Zimbabwe.

Early career

The group was formed while the members were still in high school. That was 2002 when they were attending school together at Mosi-Oa-Tunya High School in Victoria Falls. There was an elderly musician in their neighbourhood, a guitarist called Alfred Mujimba (now late), a relative of Mathias Muzaza, who had music instruments that he had used with music group whose members had since dispersed. Mujimba discovered Mathias and from there was introduced to Mathias's friends and the friends would go to Munjimba's place after school to play. They then started playing with Mujimba and he'd give them a chance to do their own music performances sometimes.[3]

The group was initially called Koomboka (some, Kombooka) and at that time it was led by Alfred (son of Chief Siachilaba). Alfred was a manager/bandleader who also performed. In 2007 however, the band decided to take part in the Music Crossroads Local Festival in Bulawayo and because of age, Alfred couldn't be part of the band. They then changed the band name to Mokoomba for the competition. The group which went on to give a stellar performance at the National Festival held in Harare went on to represent Zimbabwe at the Music Crossroads Inter-Regional Festival (IRF) in Lilongwe (Malawi). The group faced stiff competition from other groups from Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia.

Music Crossroads Southern Africa Inter-Regional Festival (Lilongwe, Malawi 7–10 August 2008) but the band of 6 won the competition festival and as the winner of the IRF Grand Final they received a Music Crossroads European Tour of over 10 different countries, professional training and an album recording, to set them firmly on the road to fame. The group then decided to continue without him to be able to make the European tour. Thus the group became known as Mokoomba.[4]

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Group Members

Videos

Njoka Video shot in Harare



Mokoomba Performance on KEXP



Mokoomna at Afrikafestival Hertme 2010 - Part 1



Mokoomna at Afrikafestival Hertme 2010 - Part 2



Mokoomba performs Masangango live at Hootananny Brixton in November 2012



Mokoomba performs Masangango live



A live performance of Njoka at WOMAD Charlton Park, on 28 July 2013.



Mokoomba Toronto Debut! A Small World Music presentation



Makoomba: TD Sunfest 2014



Mokoomba performs Njoka and other songs live at Afropfingsten Winterthur 2013



Mokoomba performs in traditional gear



Short Mokoomba documentary on their music



Performance of Njoka at a festival in Europe



Mokoomba does an impromptu Njoka performance



Mokoomba live performance



Messe messe by Gregor Salto and Mokoomba



Welele by Gregor Salto and Mokoomba



Umvundla by Gregor Salto and Mokoomba



Busie by Gregor Salto and Mokoomba



Pictures

  • Mokoomba at at Festival Couleur Café.

  • Mokoomba at Husum Speicher

  • Mokoomba Music Group with instruments at Husum Speicher

  • Mokoomba in Belgium

  • Mokoomba with Shingai Shonhiwa (Noisettes) just after receiving the Songlines Mag award

  • Mokoomba dance Workshop WOMAD New Zealand

  • Mokoomba and Zig Zagworld in Gwangju

  • Mokoomba at concert in Gwangju

  • Mokoomba band in concert in Gwangju

  • Mokoomba with Mathias Muzaza, Zig Zagworld, Abundance Mutori and Mmcdee Moyo at Polé Polé festival in Belgium

  • Mokoombaat the Polé Polé festival in Belgium

  • Mokoomba at Couleur Café Festival

  • Mokoomba at Fest der Kulturen - Hannover (Germany) in 2012

  • Mukoomba group in Hungary

Tours

The group had toured extensively in many countries. The group had perfomed at many international concerts including at:

  1. 2014
  • Husbet – Esbjerk (Denmark)
  • Global – Copenhaguen (Denmark)
  • Cosmopolite – Oslo (Norway)
  • WOMAD – Adelaide (Australia)
  • WOMAD – Adelaide (Australia)
  • WOMAD – Taranaki (New Zealand)
  • WOMAD – Taranaki (New Zealand)
  • Ampere in Muffatwerk – Munich (Germany)
  • Treibhaus Innsbruck (Austria)
  • Botanique – Brussels (Belgium)
  • 30CC – Leuven (Belgium)
  • De Warande – Turnhout (Belgium)
  • The Sage Gateshead – Gateshead (UK)
  • Rich Mix – London (UK)
  • The Junction – Cambridge (UK)
  • Lighthouse – Poole (UK)
  • Wiltshie Music Centre – Bradford-On-Avon (UK)
  • Colston Hall – Bristol (UK)
  • Potardawe Arts Centre – Swansea (UK)
  • Mac – Birmingham (UK)
  • NCEM – York (UK)
  • The Apex – Bry St Edmunds (UK)
  • The Stables – Milton Keynes (UK)
  • The Brighton Dome – Brighton (UK)
  • Centre Culturel régional – Differdange (Luxembourg) – [Infos & Tickets]
  • ULM (Germany)
  • Kassel (Germany)
  • Worpswede (Germany)
  • Stuttgart (Germany)
  • Stanse (Switzerland)
  • Meck – Frick (Switzerland)
  • Moods – Zurich (Switzerland)
  • Bee-flat – Bern (Switzerland)
  1. Summer tour 2013
  • Harare International Festival of the Arts
  • Espace Delvaux – Bruxelles (BE)
  • RASA – Utrecht (NL)
  • Afro-Pfingsten Festival – Winterthur (CH)
  • Welt Musik Festival – Kassel (D)
  • Hallenbad – Wolfsburg (D)
  • Summer Stage – Köln (D)
  • Jazz Cafe – London (UK)
  • Weltnacht Festival – Bielefeld (D)
  • Oerol Festival – Terschelling (NL)
  • Oerol Festival – Terschelling (NL)
  • Africa Oyé Festival – Liverpool (UK)
  • Arts Festival of North Norway - Harstad (NO)
  • Mundial Festival – Tilburg (NL)
  • Roskilde Festival - Roskilde (DK)
  • TFF Festival – Rudolstadt (D)
  • ME YOU ZIK Festival - Luxembourg (LU)
  • Amsterdam Roots Festival – Amsterdam (NL)
  • Zelt Musik Festival – Freiburg (D)
  • Les Nuits de Gignac Festival – Gignac (FR)
  • Horizonte Festival – Koblenz (D)
  • Sommarscen Festival – Malmö (SE)
  • Earagail Festival – Letterkenny (IE)
  • Paleo Festival – Nyon (CH
  • Paleo Festival – Nyon (CH)
  • Bardentreffen Festival - Nuremberg (D)
  • Cambridge Folk Festival (UK)
  • WOMAD UK - Charlton Park (UK)
  • Maschsee Festival – Hannover (D)
  • Helden in the Park Festival – Eeklo (B)
  • Tollhaus – Karlsruhe (D)
  • Sziget Festival – Budapest (HU)
  • Huvila tent Festival – Helsinki (FI)
  1. Falls Tour 2012
  • N9 (Eeklo, Belgium)
  • Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld (Köln, Germany)
  • SOAS (London, UK)
  • Nancy Jazz Pulsation (Nancy, France)
  • Live show @ BBC “Later with Jools Holland (London, UK)
  • Showcase @ WOMEX (Thessaloniki, Greece)
  • Toll haus (Karlsruhe, Germany)
  • Muffathalle (Munich, Germany)
  • Moods (Zurich, Switzerland)
  • Meck (Frick, Switzerland)
  • Lager Haus (Bremen, Germany)
  • South Bank (London, UK)
  • Hootanany (London, UK)
  • Passing clouds (London, UK)
  • Fiddlers (Bristol, UK)
  • Africa Oye (Liverpool, UK)
  1. Summer Tour 2012
  • Music meeting festival (Nijmegen, The Netherlands)
  • Festival of cultures (Hannover, Germany)
  • Das haus (Ludwigsburg, Germany)
  • Speicher (Husum, Germany)
  • Treisband (Lubeck, Germany)
  • La ferme du Biéreau (Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)
  • Couleur café festival (Bruxelles, Belgium)
  • Africa festival (Stutgart, Germany)
  • Lindenbrauerei (Unna, Germany)
  • Voice of nomads (Baikal Lake, Russia)
  • Polé Polé festival (Gent – Belgium)
  • Babel sound fest (Balaton lake, Hungary)
  • Fest Afrika (Tampere, Finland)
  1. Summer Tour 2010

8Melkweg – Amsterdam (The Netherlands)

  • Couleur Café festival – Bruxelles (Belgium)
  • Festival Musicale del Mediterraneo – Genoa (Italy)
  • Me you Zik festival – Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
  • Program Rock um Knuedler (Luxembourg)
  • Moulin fantôme – Tubize (Belgium)
  • Afrikafestival – Hertme (The Netherlands)
  • Etnomusic festival – San Marino (Italy)
  • Colours of Ostrava festival (opening act of the Cranberries) – Ostrava (Czech Republic)
  • Pirineos Sur festival : Huesca (Spain)
  • Imagine festival – Trondheim (Norway)
  1. Falls Tour 2009
  • EU European Development Days European Commission – Stockholm (Sweden)
  • Voice and Accountability’ – Stockholm (Sweden)
  • Innvik – Oslo (Norway)
  • Espaloia kafe Antzokia – Elgeta (Spain)
  • Excantina – Bruxelles (Belgium)
  • Kingmaschool – Amsterdam (The Netherlands)[5]

Awards

The group has won both local snd international wards:

Discography

The oufit has two albums:

  1. Kweseka (2009)[8]
  2. Rising Tide (2012)
  • Njoka
  • Masangango
  • Mangongo
  • Mwile
  • Misozi
  • Yombe
  • Nimukonda
  • Ndundule
  • Manunge
  • Mabemba
  • Mvula
  • Welelye




References

  1. ↑ BIO, 'Mokoomba', Retrieved: 21 May 2014
  2. ↑ Zimbabwean Band Mokooomba, Storms World Charts, 'NewsDzeZimbabwe', Published: 27 Oct 2012, Retrieved: 21 May 2014
  3. ↑ Mokoomba - Full Performance (Live on KEXP), YouTube, Published:31 August 2014, Retrieved:21 February 2015,
  4. ↑ Penny, Poney Gross Tonga youth band MOKOOMBA winner @ Music Crossroads, Mulonga.net, Published:7 September 2008, Retrieved:21 February 2015,
  5. ↑ CONCERTS, 'Mokoomba', Retrieved: 21 May 2014
  6. ↑ Mokoomba in homecoming show, 'NewsDay', Published: 16 May 2014, Retrieved: 21 May 2014
  7. ↑ Mokoomba Scoops International Award, 'Zimbo Jam', Published: 26 Nov 2013, Retrieved: 21 May 2914
  8. ↑ ALBUMS, 'Mokoomba', Retrieved; 1 May 214


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