By A Correspondent- Zimbabwe’s world-acclaimed a-cappella group Ubuntu will this month perform at Georgia State University’s Rialto Center for the Arts, in Atlanta.
According to the university, the show is set for Saturday, October 15 at the historic 833-seat performing arts venue which is also marking its 100-year anniversary.
The show by the all-female Zimbabwean quintet is part of the centre’s annual Rialto Series, “a unique subscription series featuring world-class artists, presenting an eclectic mix of world music, jazz, contemporary dance and international programs, as well as media arts”.
Nobuntu have drawn international acclaim for its inventive performances that range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro Jazz to Gospel.
The ensemble’s concerts are performed with pure voices, augmented by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments such as the Mbira (thumb piano) and organic, authentic dance movements.
Nobuntu was nominated for Best Musician of the Year at the Zimbabwe International Women Awards in London in 2015 and is currently a two-time winner for the Best Imbube Group at the Bulawayo Arts Awards 2017 and 2019.
The word Nobuntu is an Zimbabwean concept that values humbleness, love, unity and family from a woman’s perspective. The ensemble represents a new generation of young African women singers who celebrate and preserve their culture, beauty, and heritage through art.
The ensemble’s mission is the belief that music can be an important vehicle for change, one that transcends racial, tribal, religious, gender, and economic boundaries.
Nobuntu comprises of Claire Dangarembwa, Heather Dube, Joyline Sibanda, Briget Siphiwe Dube and Duduzile Sibanda.
The release of their debut 11 track album in 2013 titled THINA immediately took them to their first international tour in Europe in November the same year were the group played in Concert venues and Festivals mainly in Germany and Austria.
The ensemble’s mission is the belief that music is the most important and original wheel of change, way of expression of a new generation of young women singers with the uniqueness to transcend racial, tribal, religious, gender and economic boundaries