Zimbabwe has new music festival, says organiser

Speaking to Music In Africa, the director of Ngoma Nehosho Music Festival, Walter Wanyanya, said the festival would book both African and international artists.

“We will feature artists from all over the world, not just Africa,” Wanyanya said. “For the first edition we have not done a call for artists but from 2018 onwards we will do so as this will be an annual event. The line-up will be announced soon and it’s exciting.”

Wanyanya said the festival would accommodate a variety of musical styles. “We will not focus on a specific genre but have musicians on our stage who use music as a way to express themselves using different genres,” he said.

“We will not be genre-specific because as the world becomes more globalised, the audience has begun seeking music that is being fused in many different ways. Being genre-specific would also mean that we’re not giving everyone a chance to perform at the festival.”

Asked about what the festival is meant to accomplish, Wanyanya said the organisers were intending to bring an event that “brings different people together to celebrate life under one common thing, which is the sound of music”.

“It’s the one language that everyone understands and has united people since the beginning of time and we are just joining many others who have provided a platform of this nature for people to enjoy music together,” he said.

The festival is envisaged to be a continuation of the Ngoma Nehosho Live Sessions, which Wanyanya hosts in Harare every three months. “Looking at how we’ve done these events as compared to other music shows, this will give you an indication of what to look out for come October,” he said.

“The festival, along with all the other music events we hold throughout the year, is designed to uplift our artists and also expose the audience to music, which will be presented in a way that will see many more people coming out to watch live music and support the efforts of the artists.”

Ngoma Nehosho is among Zimbabwe’s leading live events. It has hosted artists such as Oliver Mtukudzi (2015), Hugh Masekela (2015) and British Grammy Award-winning soul singer Joss Stone (2017). The event is also known for organising roundtable sessions for artists.