Tanyaradzwa Marabada
BULAWAYO-BASED all-female imbube ensemble — Nobuntu, is on a mission to popularise and promote local culture in the diaspora through art.
This comes as the high-riding group is back from their recent international tour which has seen them performing in the United States and Europe.
Keith Moyo, the group’s spokesperson, was happy with the impact the group has made overseas so far.
“The tour went on well according to plan. The feedback was awesome. One of the recent outstanding moments during the US tour was the performance we had at the Patricia Resser Centre for the Arts in Beaverton Oregon, it was an honour being part of the Venue’s opening ceremony,” Moyo said.
He went on to say the tour has opened windows of opportunities for the group which usually tours America and Europe thrice a year since 2011 when the ensemble was formed.
“Touring Austria feels like a brand new experience. It was home away from home because we get so much love and appreciation and there is a huge community of our Zimbabwean brothers and sisters doing great things in the Austrian arts industry.
“Touring the United States of America and Austria has given us a reflective moment of how much Zimbabwean arts are impacting the world.
“There is a need for us to open our eyes outside our country and appreciate Zimbabwean talent that is on international pedestals,” Moyo said.
Nobuntu comprises five women: Joyline Sibanda, Duduzile Sibanda-Mathobe, Heather Dube, Zanele Manhenga and Thandeka Moyo.
“Nobuntu was born upon realising the non-existence of an all-female imbube group in Zimbabwe, our acclamation has been breaking through what has historically been perceived as a male-dominated genre.”
The group boasts three studio albums — Thina (2013), Ekhaya (2016), and Obabes beMbube (2018) — and won a number of accolades including the Arts Personality of the Year at the Nama 2019 edition.
“As artists we always have to be out-matching ourselves, thinking of the next project as soon as we release a new body of work, that is how you preserve consistency and relevance so keep an ear on the ground for our future projects.”