Kenyan choral group joins World of Hans Zimmer Europe tour

Described as the ‘Hollywood Rebel’, Zimmer’s melodies and compositions have featured in international blockbusters including Dune, James Bond – No Time to Die, The Lion King, Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Dark Knight trilogy, Interstellar, The Last Samurai and Top Gun: Maverick, among many others. He has won two Oscars and four Grammys and was named on the list of the Top 100 Living Geniuses, published by The Daily Telegraph in 2007.

Titled The World of Hans Zimmer – A New Dimension, the concert series began in Prague, Czech Republic, on 8 March and will travel to 56 European cities before concluding in Lisbon, Portugal, on 9 December. It seeks to immerse audiences in Zimmer’s works. The Nairobi Chamber Chorus is expected to perform in 13 cities.

Speaking to Kenyan journalist Bill Odidi about being on the tour, Nairobi Chamber Chorus director Ken Wakia said the ensemble was “extremely lucky and honoured to be a part of it.”

Wakia said the group was invited to perform after a tour organiser heard about the group through an invitation to perform at a music festival in Germany.

“We accepted and we sent an audition piece,” Wakia said. “After a couple of weeks, they got back to us saying the artistic committee was pleased with the group, and here we are now travelling across Europe in sold-out arenas of between 10 000 and 15 000 seats every show. Honestly, it still feels like a dream.”

Wakia added: “I think the addition of our African dance movements during performance has been a wonderful addition to the show, without which it would have felt like there was just that one little thing still missing. My aspiration with this new show is to preserve the culture of the orchestra and allow audiences to rediscover the unique facets of orchestral music.”

Artists on the tour include conductor and long-time Zimmer collaborator Gavin Greenaway (UK), singer and composer Lisa Gerrard (Australia), producer and composer Lebohang ‘Lebo M’ Morake (South Africa), best known for arranging and performing music for The Lion King movies and stage productions, and vocalist Nokukhanya Dlamini (South Africa).

Wakia said: “Google those names and tell [me] whether you won’t get goosebumps if you were sharing the stage with them. We are performing with soloists from around the world, but when we are onstage, we are one family.

Zimmer himself will not appear live during the tour, as he has done in previous productions of his music, but will function as the show’s curator and musical director.

“My aspiration with this new show is to preserve the culture of the orchestra and allow audiences to rediscover the unique facets of orchestral music,” Zimmer said. “There are many background stories I would love to tell and long-time companions and friends I would like to introduce.”

The concert tour’s precursor, The World of Hans Zimmer – A Symphonic Celebration, was first staged in Germany in 2018.