Mokoomba is one of Africa’s most exciting young bands to emerge from the African continent in the past 10-15 years. Hailing from Victoria Falls in the NW corner of Zimbabwe, Mokoomba is setting dance floors ablaze with their unique mix of traditional Tonga and pan-African music cultures with dashes of Rap, Ska, Soukous and Afro-Cuban music. Since winning the Music Crossroads Inter-regional Festival Competition in Malawi in 2008, Mokoomba has toured more than 40 countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
In 2013 Mokoomba was featured at Harare International Festival of the Arts 2013’s closing concert in collaboration with Senegalese star Baaba Maal. They then embarked on a 40 date summer tour with debut performances at WOMAD (UK), Roskilde Festival (Denmark) and the Gnaoua Festival (Morocco) as well as trips to South Korea, Kenya and Reunion Island. In 2014 Mokoomba performed at WOMAD Australia, WOMAD New Zealand and did a European tour including 13 dates in the UK. That summer they debuted in North America on a 6 week tour that took them to major Canadian festivals (eg Montreal, Vancouver, Sunfest), and Seattle, among other cities. Spring 2016 Mokoomba played the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, and brought down the house as part of the Africa Now Festival. They toured again in the US in the fall of 2016 (LOTUS Festival, Joshua Tree Festival, Globalquerque), and spring of 2017, playing the internationally renowned New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Festival Internationale de Louisiane in Lafayette, LA, and the LEAF Festival in NC. The rest of the summer saw them performing at the Concert of Colors festival in Detroit, Nuits d’Afriques in Montreal, the Cleveland Museum of Art, Mountain Stage in WV, Lowell Folk Festival, the Kennedy Center’s Millenium stage, and the Edmonton Folk Festival, before returning to Europe where they continued touring for another 6 weeks. The band was on the road for 6 months in 2017 alone, and continued to make new and passionate fans wherever they performed. In 2018 they showcased at SxSW in Austin, performed at BRIC House in Brooklyn, NY, did a week-long residency with the Zimbabwe Cultural Center of Detroit, returned in early May to receive the Afropop Worldwide Hall of Fame Award, and then returned in June for a month of touring before hitting the summer festival circuit in Europe. They have hit the road again since the pandemic is winding down, and have released a new album this year on Outhere Records (Munich) called Tusona.
Mokoomba’s newest album, “Tusona: Tracings in the Sand”– was recorded entirely in a DIY fashion during the pandemic, showcasing their unique Zimbabwean sound and honoring their deep respect for tradition. “Tusona” pays homage to the Luvale tradition of using signs and symbols drawn in the sand during initiation ceremonies. It represents Mokoomba’s artistic growth and reflects their collective experiences over the years, forging a distinctive musical identity. The album is a testament to Africa’s guitar band heritage and disproves the notion that Africa’s musical output is solely producer-based. Mokoomba’s music resonates with the heartbeat and rhythm of a community connected through their music, serving as a source of rejuvenation, resilience, and strength in these changing times.
In collaboration with ALIA Prod.
