Mokoomba, darling abroad but least appreciated at home

Tawanda Marwizi

“A prophet has no honour in his land” can best describe Afro-fusion group, Mokoomba. No doubt, the group is a darling of the international community but it has made little impact on the local musical scene.

Originally from the resort town of Victoria Falls, the name Mokoomba is a Tonga word that explains a river, which is a rich source of life for people in the Tonga region.

With only two albums Luyando and Rising Tide, the group has managed to win the hearts of many fans internationally, performing in more than 40 countries in the world.

Over the weekend they performed at Pete the Monkey, St-Aubin sur Mer in France, Festival des Musiques d’Ici et d’Ailleurs, Chalon en Champagne in France and Gentse Feesten, Gent in Belgium.

On Tuesday they performed Okarina Festival, Lake Bled in Slovenia while their international diary stretches till November.

The group comprises six band members Mathias Muzaza, Trustworth Samende, Abundance Mutori, Donald Moyo, Miti Mugande and Ndaba Coster Moyo. Their different talents united them as they grew up, moulding them into a unique outfit that fuses different instruments.

In an interview with Business Times, the group manager Marcus Gora said:

“Mokoomba always performs at home when they are not travelling. It might not be as frequent as they would like, but the concerts are always very special and successful. Our local fans can attest to this. Our wish is to get more airplay on local radio for our albums Luyando and Rising Tide, so that more people can be introduced to Mokoomba’s music,” he said.

Gora said if they are played on local radio stations people would appreciate them and they can have more concerts across the country.

While critics have questioned if the most travelled group is getting much in terms of monetary gains from their tours, Gora said the tours have managed to develop them into a professional group.

“Mokoomba is becoming a recognised live act from Zimbabwe and the continent at large because of these tours. We have been able to develop ourselves as professional musicians who live off their work and take care of their families,” he added.

In Zimbabwe, collaborations have become stepping stones for several musicians, but Mokoomba has not followed the same trend.

“We are confident that the music we are making is important and is going in the direction we want, and that’s why we have not done so many collaborations. However, we are always open to collaborate when the right opportunities come our way,” he said.

This year, the group has been nominated for the Songlines Music Awards in the UK set for October 20, in the ‘best group’ category.

While several groups have collapsed due to their failure to have a clear leader, Gora said Mokoomba group members have a deep understanding of each other and have developed personal relationships that allow them to push forward as a team.

“The band has been together for a long time and has developed great relationships and understanding, developing an attitude of equality. Over such a long time they have found ways to communicate and to respect each other to avoid such disputes,” he added.

In May this year, the group was inducted into the Afro-pop Hall of Fame. They have performed alongside some of Africa’s biggest world music stars such as Salif Keita and Femi Kuti. Mokoomba still has a busy performance calendar ahead of them for the rest of the year, including shows at Festival des Musiques d’Ici et d’Ailleurs, Chalon en Champagne in France, Gentse Feesten, Gent in Belgium, Okarina Festival, and Lake Bled in Slovenia.

Key to note is also their upcoming performance in September at Lollapalooza Festival in Berlin, where they are on the same line-up as Grammy Award winning Canadian singer, The Weekend.

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