adminShowbiz Correspondents
THEY successfully made waves in the music circles with their tribal house hit song, Bhatshi, which had suddenly become an anthem at every party in Bulawayo.
Kwabatsha Dance Company – a group based in Bulawayo, continues to shine through traditional dances.
The 23-member dance outfit formed in September 2008, which has been specialising in traditional dances, music, drumming and short plays, is working on re-packaging their music to be able to suit the current music industry.
The group’s director and co-founder, Trust Madolo Gumbo, said the group was set to bring in a new feel to their live performance, songs and plays.
“We are bringing in a new feel to our production as we are going to fuse traditional instruments with house music to make it tribal house.
“We have engaged a South African choreographer and freelance dancer Thabani Makhalima as part of the re-branding process and he is going to bring in new dances which we are going to fuse with our traditional Isitshikitsha, Sitape, Gumboot and Umtshongoyo,” he said.
Madolo said as part of the re-branding process, the group held auditions last week Friday to look for new dancers, percussionists and drummers to join the group.
The ensemble — a remnant of Amawumbo Dance group — was for almost five years primarily involved in traditional dances only. They emerged with the release of their solo, Bhatshi, which was mistaken for a South African song.
Since then, the group has taken their new-found talent passionately, featuring on numerous singles which have topped music charts while releasing their own masterpieces.
derick.khumalo