Harare marks two years of Sofar Sounds

The global music platform was founded in London, the United Kingdom, in 2009. It comprises curators and artists who create intimate live music events through secret performances in unique spaces such as galleries, living rooms, backyard gardens and other non-traditional venues.

In Harare, it has become a platform for artist discovery and a space for multicultural audiences who appreciate the unique concept and come together to discover and explore different locations around the city.

It has also become a platform that fosters collaboration. Recently, Sofar Sounds Harare and Sofar Kigali Sounds collaborated to showcase the talents of Sofar Harare alumni Bantu Spaceship and soon-to-be alumnus Jordan Moozy. The artists were part of the seventh edition of the Music In Africa’s ACCES Showcase festival in Kigali, Rwanda, from 14 to 16 November.

“I have never experienced something so incredible,” Moozy told Music In Africa. “To connect with artists from across Africa who share my passion and love for music was truly exhilarating. ACCES provided several tools and knowledge that we need to navigate through the music business. Performing at Sofar was a great experience too. I loved the energy of the crowd and the unique format. The lineup was incredibly talented and it was an honour to be a part of it.”

Sofar Sounds Harare has featured more than 50 artists, including such as Prudence Katomeni, Tru Bantu Tribe, Nasibo, Kudzie Kayz, Zowa, Filbert Marova, Deuteronomy, Soulful Leah, and Raven Duchess, among others.

In March this year, the platform collaborated with Scripts and Bars, a Zimbabwean creative economy project, to curate an all-women concert to celebrate International Women’s Month. The concert featured Kim Makumbe, Eden Lang, Lalla Martin and Cinginkosi. Scripts & Bars also featured standout performances by Banshee and Indigo Saint at ACCES.

Last year, multi-faceted artist Kyla Blac and Afro-acoustic band Gwevedzi were featured on Sofar Sounds’ esteemed online segment the Listening Room. In 2022, Gwevedzi performed at Sofar Harare’s debut show and was shortlisted for an artist residency programme in London.

Recently, Sofar Harare hosted its 15th edition at Bridgenorth Studios, a new world-class music recording facility in Chisipite. The concert featured songbird Mary Anibal, Afro-fusion sensation Masa Caroleen, alternative rock group Mann Friday and emerging Afro-fusion outfit Rudzi The First.

Hosted by award-winning broadcaster and media practitioner Candice Mwakalyelye, the show started with a 25-minute set by Masa Caroleen, whose performance of ‘Umasa’, ‘Rainbow’, ‘Ndega’ and ‘Tochema’ showcased her beautiful voice and creative flair, notably when her keyboardist T Blawu skillfully mimicked her vocals on the song ‘Nzelo’, much to the delight of the audience, who marvelled at the sight of watching a live exhibition of pure musicianship.

Next was the Afro-fusion duo Rudzi The First, backed by their band Wekutanga and led by Dr Greyy, who plays the acoustic guitar, and Dionne Tanaka Maregedze, whose voice type can be described as coloratura soprano.

Mann Friday, led by Zimbabwean-born musician Rob Burell, appeared on the Sofar platform for the first time and featured the legendary keyboardist Keith Farquharson, who left the audience spellbound by his masterful piano playing skills. Farquharson also doubled as the concert sound engineer. The band’s skilled drummer, Maor, switched between drumsticks and brushes and gently swept and thumped the drums and cymbals. Throughout their set, Basil Mahachi, a solid bassist, expertly controlled his playing volume and tone, making the bass sound like a pulsating heartbeat, while Lukas Knaup, an economic and restrained guitarist, used space effectively, allowing notes to breathe, complementing Rob’s acoustic strings and soaring vocals, as witnessed when they performed ‘Heal’, ‘To Me’, ‘Compass’ and ‘First Rains’.

Mary Anibal, a recent participant in this year’s Music In Africa’s Gender@Work programme, closed the show with a memorable performance. Backed by her band, the vocal gymnast incorporated a whistle and maracas. She enthusiastically plucked and clicked on her 18-key nyunganyunga mbira instrument, hypnotising the audience and leaving them entranced. Her set included songs like ‘Bhonzo’, ‘Gogoride’, ‘Paya’ and ‘Mvura’, with her song choices shifting from serene to high-energy rhythms as she hopped, skipped and jumped, prompting the crowd to rise and dance.

On the same day, Eskisehir (Turkey), Kigali (Rwanda), Patna (India), Taipei (Taiwan), and Baku (Azerbaijan) also hosted Sofar shows.

To date, Sofar Harare has hosted shows in spaces such as First Floor Gallery Harare, Chapungu Sculpture Park, Alliance Française de Harare, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Vanilla Moon, Old Rock Space, Borrowdale Racecourse, Chez Zandi, Puttery Barn, Prince Edward High School, as well as in gardens at private residences around the city.

In May, Sofar Global honoured the National Gallery of Zimbabwe by naming it among their top 10 most historic venues globally, alongside other iconic locations in Portugal, the US and the UK.