NEW: Duramazwi ready to conquer Europe

Online Reporter

CELEBRATED mbira ensemble, Duramazwi, is set to tour South Africa and the United Kingdom next month.

The dates and venues for the international shows will be announced in due course.

The Mbare-based ensemble, which is led by Sarudzai “Gogo”Jaravaza, is one of the local bands that is lifting the country’s flag high at international festivals.

In 2023 alone, the 10-piece ensemble performed at both the Aswan International Arts and Culture Festival in Egypt and at the Dubai Expo.

Duramazwi was seconded by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) as part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness and popularise mbira, which was listed on the Representative List of World Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in 2020.

Gogo Jaravaza said the mbira ensemble is raring to go.

“Last week, we took part in the China Cultural Festival in Harare and we were pleasantly surprised by the response that we got from the Chinese.

“We are expecting similar responses in the United Kingdom and South Africa,” she said.

Ms Charmaine Chibanda, a dancer with the ensemble, is excited about the forthcoming tour.

“I like travelling. This will be my first time to perform outside the country and I am naturally excited,” said Ms Chibanda.