The Sunday News
Ntombiyolwandle Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
POPULAR Bulawayo tribal house music outfit, Djembe Monks is set to perform at the prestigious Miombo Magic Music Festival this weekend together with a host of other Zimbabwean artistes.
The Monks will however, be in a position to play an ambassadorship role as they are the only Bulawayo ensemble at the festival.
Miombo Magic Music Festival is branded a family festival that began in 2012 and has since grown big attracting thousands of foreign and local revellers through music and dance.
The name Miombo is the word used to describe the woodlands that characterise much of the Zimbabwean highveld where the festival is set.
The festival was initiated to raise money for the Christon Bank Primary School, and since then, it has continued to run annually for the same purpose.
This year the festival will run from May 27 to 29 seeing over 40 live bands and artistes from across the country performing.
The three-day music festival, which comes with on-site camping for revellers, takes place in the stunning setting of Christon Bank in Mazowe, 30 kilometers north of Harare.
One of the group members Emmanuel “Rootz” Nkomo could not hide the group’s excitement of having to perform with big fish in the music industry.
“We are excited and honoured to be the only group from Bulawayo to perform in the festival and also getting a chance to perform alongside big acts such as Jah Prayzah, Ammara Brown and Victor Kunonga, among others. We wish that Bulawayo can have such kinds of events where people can showcase their talent,” said Nkomo.
Nkomo told Sunday Life that the director of the festival invited them to come perform after seeing them perform at Hifa.
“Gus Le Briepon, director of the festival saw us performing at Hifa last year. He liked our style of music saying it was unique and very energetic. He then invited us to come and perform in the festival,” said Nkomo.
He hinted that the group is working on an album that will be released this year.
“Right now we are working on a new album that will be released soon. The album has fresh ideas that our fans will love and we have tracks were we are collaborating with big artistes,” he said.
