Southern African musicians share stage at HIFA

The joint performance featured the reimagined band Mahube, which comprised Zimbabwean artists Oliver ‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi, Mangoma Moyo, Sam Mataure, Josh Meck and Hope Masike, who were joined by Bokani Dyer (Botswana), Mbuso Khoza (South Africa), Steve Dyer (South Africa) and Xixel Langa (Mozambique). Running under the theme HIFA 2017 – Staging an Intervention, fans of the arts festival witnessed the above mentioned musicians fusing their styles and lyrical prowess on a song called ‘Let Our Song Be Sung’.

After performing the song, the musicians held solo performances, and despite a number of sound glitches, they reportedly succeeded to wow the thousands of fans who flooded the event. Masike was the first to do a solo performance and was later joined by Mtukudzi for a duet the saw the two performing ‘Hondo’. Mtukudzi later took fans down memory lane with ‘Shamiso’ and ‘Pata Pata’.

After the show, Masike told NewsDay that she enjoyed performing as Mahube and sharing the stage with some of Southern Africa's best musicians.

“The mere chance to work so intimately with Tuku, Sam Mataure and Steve Dyer from the first Mahube and the new musicians was a life-giving experience, an honour I thank the heavens for,” she said.  

“So, being on that stage, opening the festival under a beautiful Harare sky, next to musicians, whose work I respect so much, with a wonderful audience, was just God showing me how great He is and His love is incomparable to any other.”

Apart from music, HIFA showcases other forms of arts such as spoken word, applied craft and design, theatre, fashion and dance. The event will feature productions from Kenya, the UK and Zimbabwe. The event is showcasing talent at 17 venues and the programme can be accessed here.