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Zimbabwean ensemble making waves in Europe

16 Aug 2017 - 10:02

Published under the Creative Commons Licence

Eight-piece group Pamuzinda Traditional Music Ensemble is making a name in Europe. The band, which recently played its 10th European concert as part of its latest tour, has been embarking on annual tours since 2007 and amassed quite a following in countries such as Germany, where four of its members are based.

Pamuzinda Traditional Music Ensemble has played 10 concerts since the beginning of the current tour.

Boasting traditional dances accompanied by instruments such as marimba, mbira, ngoma, hosho and acoustic guitars, Pamuzinda Traditional Music Ensemble has performed in Belgium, France, Austria, Spain, Italy, the UK and the Netherlands, among others.

“We're into the last leg of the tour – just four more shows and we're done,” band member Shelton Sholla told Music In Africa this week. “This tour is an annual tour that has been going on for 10 years and is facilitated by our Germany-based members, Vengai Katogodo and Andreas Richter.

“Honestly speaking this year has been really fantastic. It’s been the ground-breaking year, the music that the guys are playing is just going places considering it’s being played on marimba. We've headlined almost every festival that we played this year, and we were booked again for next year.”

Sholla told Zimbabwean publication NewsDay that European audiences had received the ensemble warmly. “We are taking pure Zimbabwean traditional music without any dilution in it. People here are taking it as it is as well as appreciating it, because of its richness and uniqueness,” Sholla said.

“The group has just become so hot at festivals, with new music from the forthcoming album requested over and over again. The new music is just unique although played on marimba. It’s well-orchestrated to another level,” he said.

Pamuzinda Traditional Music Ensemble has released the albums Rhythms from the Mountains of Africa (1998), Padare 1 (2000) and Padare 2 (2004). The group is expected to release its fourth offering sometime this year, which will be available for purchase via its website.