Online Reporter
Mbulelo Mpofu [email protected]
WHEN Bulawayo collective Ndwe On Her steps onto the stage at a joint in Bulawayo on September 25, it will be more than just another live performance.
The showcase will mark the city’s first live presentation of the group’s recently released four-track EP, Mix Masala, while also bringing together local contemporary musicians and members of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra (KZNPO) in a unique cultural exchange.
For the trio of vocalists Luchi Shiki, Scoo and JustLeo, alongside producer MK Beats and project manager Miriam Patsanza, the event is not simply about sharing a stage with orchestral musicians.
It is about discovering what can happen when artists from different musical backgrounds come together and learn from one another.
At the heart of the evening will be Mix Masala, an EP made up of four songs: African Woman, Mr DJ, Lobola and Nqobile. According to Scoo, the project explores experiences and emotions that many women can relate to.
“It’s about a MIX of things most people, especially women have experienced. From being a bride, learning how to love your African beauty in a westernised world to confronting a toxic partner and requesting a DJ to repeat a song you like. The EP truly is a mix of emotions and experiences,” Scoo said.
Those themes of identity, love, relationships and self-acceptance are reflected in the title itself. Rather than focusing on one topic, the EP moves through a variety of emotions and everyday experiences that many listeners will recognise.
The project was created under intense pressure. The four tracks were written and recorded in just two days, a process Scoo says tested the team’s creativity and resilience.
“It was fun but also stressful. We enjoyed collaborating with each other as vocalists and our talented producer. The pressure came from the fact that it was all down in a matter of two days. All 4 tracks. But it taught us to execute under a new kind of pressure,” she said.
Now the group is preparing for another new experience, performing alongside professional orchestral musicians from South Africa.
The visiting KZNPO team includes violinist Nicola Botha, cellist Clara De la Guerre, oboist and pianist Margrit Deppe, French horn player Neil Smit and pianist and vocalist Christof Spies.
For Ndwe On Her, the collaboration is something they never imagined would happen.
“This type of music is unique and not that popular in our country. We’re most excited because we’ve never worked or performed with an orchestra, let alone a South African collaboration. It’s a dream come true for most people and for us too,” Scoo said.
However, the orchestra was not involved in recording Mix Masala. Instead, the September 25 showcase is part of a broader cultural exchange programme that will see artists from different genres performing together and sharing ideas.
KZNPO manager and performer Christof Spies said the goal is mutual learning rather than simply presenting a joint concert.
“We have not been involved up to now in the creation of this EP, but are using 25 September’s cultural exchange evening to perform alongside one another, allowing some of the orchestral musicians to showcase their skills through chamber music performances, while also learning from the other styles of music presented by other artists,” he said.
That spirit of learning lies at the centre of the partnership. Organisers hope the exchange will not only expose audiences to different styles of music but also encourage young people to develop an interest in instruments often overlooked in mainstream music.
“It is our hope that we would stir interest in instrumental music-making that goes beyond the standard band-instruments commonly played, and that we would inspire one another to learn from the different styles of music presented,” said Spies.
The programme extends beyond the performance. On September 28, the South African musicians will conduct workshops, lessons and a question-and-answer session with pupils at Whitestone. A concert at the Zimbabwe Academy of Music will follow on September 29.
According to Spies, the educational aspect is just as important as the performances.
“Our hope is to stir interest in instrumental playing, give some professional input into specific pupils, and build relationships with South African institutions for further training for talented individuals,” he said.
The visitors will also collaborate with New Creation Church worship bands on September 26 and 27, while songwriting workshops and studio recording sessions are scheduled for September 28 and 29.
For Spies, songwriting remains vital because music must continue evolving to reflect the realities of the communities it serves.
“We feel that it is critical that we continue to find new sounds, rhythms, colours, textures, chords, melodies and words to capture the real struggle and hopes of our people and to speak hope and vision into our local contexts. This is the purpose of song-writing and a part of why we are in Bulawayo,” he said.
The exchange has been made possible through support from Kay Media, the British Council, the Embassy of Switzerland and financial assistance from the Mzansi Philharmonic Orchestra, which has helped cover travel and related costs.
“We are thankful for the financial assistance given that have enabled us to cover our musician’s travel costs and are helping us inspire local talented musicians to be bold and creative,” Spies said.
Beyond the concerts and workshops, Spies believes music has a far greater role to play in society.
“It is so important to our societies that music and art are not only on the peripheries (e.g. background noise in the shop), but at the centre of society, calling it forward and upward into a better version of what it should be. Music is not only a skill, but a gift to society that we should treasure, cultivate, and diligently continue to thrust into the spotlight as much as we can. It is for our good!”
For Ndwe On Her, what started as a frantic two-day recording session has grown into something much bigger. Through Mix Masala, the group now finds itself at the centre of a cultural exchange that brings together contemporary artists, classical musicians, students and music lovers from Zimbabwe and South Africa.
