Maria Chiguvari
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
FROM Harare’s music scene to the island of Mauritius, local urban music is taking another step beyond its borders, bringing local sounds into contact with a different culture.
Tamy Moyo and Nutty O will headline Mauritius tour as local music meets a different cultural experience.
The Miz Island Tour, running from November 13 to 15, brings together local music, island culture and the African diaspora in a three-day experience that goes beyond the dance floor.
The tour also raises an important question about how local music can connect with audiences beyond its traditional markets.
For The Miz organisers, the move to Mauritius is both a celebration of five years of the brand and an opportunity to share local musical identity in a new setting.
Tanaka Dennis said pairing Tamy Moyo and Nutty O was an easy decision despite their different musical backgrounds.
“Nutty O and Tammy Moyo come from different music backgrounds. But like you said, they are urban artists and according to me, arguably the two biggest pop stars we have in Zimbabwe now.
“So, it was a no-brainer to make them the headliners for the Miz in Mauritius because they all want to tell the same story, which is the Zimbabwean story. Zimbabwe is very rich in arts, very rich in music, very rich in culture and these two artists I believe truly represent Urban Zimbabwe.”
Dennis believes the two musicians represent different sides of local urban music but share a common identity that can be carried beyond the country’s borders.
“They all want to tell the same story the Zimbabwean story. Zimbabwe is very rich in arts, very rich in music, very rich in culture and these two artists truly represent urban Zimbabwe.”
The choice of Mauritius also reflects a shift in how local entertainment events are being experienced.
For five years, The Miz has been hosted in Johannesburg, where it has built a platform for local music and entertainment.
This time, the organisers are taking the experience to an island with its own musical traditions and cultural identity, creating an opportunity for Zimbabweans to enjoy their music while engaging with a different environment.
“The reason why we put the Miz in Mauritius, number one, we just turned five years as the Miz. We’ve been doing the Miz for the past five years in Joburg. So it was a way of celebrating the Miz turning five but also giving Zimbabweans a reason to just get away, go on holiday but while celebrating the richness of Zimbabwean music.
“So we combined the two, the celebration of the Miz turning five and just opening up doors for Zimbabweans to celebrate and have fun outside of Zimbabwe,” he said.
