Online Reporter
Liberty Dube
Entertainment Correspondent
MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST, composer, cultural educator and author, Othnell “Mangoma” Moyo, is set to take his distinctive interpretation of Zimbabwe’s indigenous musical traditions to South Africa this weekend, in what promises to be an evening of music, storytelling and cultural exchange.
Chipinge born and bred Moyo, who is also the founder of the Ngoma Ingungu Cultural Arts Centre in Domboshava, Zimbabwe, will perform tomorrow at the Dr Miriam Makeba Concert Hall, Unisa Muckleneuk Campus in Pretoria.
The performance offers audiences an opportunity to encounter one of Zimbabwe’s most dedicated cultural practitioners, whose career has been built around preserving traditional music while finding new ways of presenting it to contemporary audiences.
Known internationally as “Mangoma”, Moyo has spent years researching, performing, teaching and documenting Zimbabwe’s diverse musical heritage.
His work straddles the worlds of traditional performance and contemporary artistic expression, making him both a performer and an educator whose music carries a strong cultural message.
With more than 1 500 performances across Africa, Europe, North America and other parts of the world, Moyo has established himself as one of Zimbabwe’s notable ambassadors of indigenous music.
His performances are distinguished by his extensive collection and knowledge of traditional instruments, including several types of mbira, matepe, valimba, ngororombe, chipendani, hosho and traditional drums.
Rather than treating the instruments simply as relics of the past, Moyo presents them as living forms of artistic expression capable of engaging modern audiences.
For him, music is also a way of communicating history, identity and knowledge.
Speaking ahead of his Pretoria performance, Moyo said his work was driven by a desire to keep Zimbabwe’s musical traditions alive while creating opportunities for audiences to engage with them in new ways.
He said: “My work is about keeping indigenous knowledge alive and allowing it to breathe in the present.
“I use traditional instruments, stories and rhythms, not simply to recreate the past, but to create meaningful experiences for today’s audiences.
“Every performance is an opportunity to share Zimbabwean knowledge and identity with people from different backgrounds.
“Through music, teaching and writing, I hope to encourage young people to value what comes from their communities and to understand that our traditions have a place on contemporary stages.
“My greatest joy is seeing people connect with the music, ask questions and leave with a deeper appreciation of Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage,” he said.
Moyo’s influence extends well beyond live performance.
As a cultural educator, he has conducted workshops, masterclasses, lecture demonstrations and artist residencies at more than 50 universities and educational institutions around the world.
His educational engagements have taken him to institutions including University of Missouri, Duke University, Dartmouth College, University of Florida, Lewis and Clark College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Skidmore College and union College.
His teaching philosophy goes beyond showing students how to play instruments.
Moyo introduces audiences and students to the wider cultural environment from which Zimbabwean music emerges.
His programmes cover instrument construction, oral traditions, dance, storytelling, rhythm and the cultural philosophies that inform traditional music-making.
This approach allows students to understand indigenous music, not merely as a collection of sounds, but as a knowledge system connected to community, history, spirituality, language and everyday life.
His international work has consequently positioned him as a bridge between Zimbabwean communities and audiences seeking deeper understanding of African indigenous arts.
In 2024, Moyo established the Ngoma Ingungu Cultural Arts Centre in Domboshava, creating a physical space dedicated to safeguarding indigenous knowledge and encouraging cultural exchange.
The centre hosts study camps, artist residencies, instrument-making programmes, performances and cultural immersion experiences.
Participants from different parts of the world can engage directly with Zimbabwean music, dance, language, food and traditional ways of learning, with community practitioners playing an important role in transmitting the knowledge.
For Moyo, establishing the centre represents another step in ensuring that Zimbabwe’s cultural traditions remain active and accessible to future generations.
It also provides a platform where young artists can learn from experienced practitioners and where international visitors can experience Zimbabwean culture beyond conventional performances.
Moyo has also taken his preservation efforts into publishing.
He recently launched his second book, “Matepe Book One: A Thunderstorm in the Deze – Echo of the Ancestors”, which contributes to the documentation and transmission of matepe music and its performance practices.
Through his writing, Moyo combines practical musical instruction with cultural context, creating material that can be used by musicians, educators, researchers and future generations.
The book reflects his wider belief that preserving indigenous music requires more than performing it. It also requires documenting the knowledge behind the instruments, rhythms and traditions so that it can be passed on.
One of Moyo’s most distinctive creations is Saungweme, an innovative solo performance that brings together up to 11 different mbira types alongside percussion, voice and storytelling.
The work demonstrates his ability to place traditional instruments within a contemporary concert format without losing their cultural character.
Through Saungweme, Moyo explores the versatility of the mbira and creates an immersive performance that moves between music, narration and cultural storytelling.
His approach reflects an evolving Zimbabwean musical landscape in which traditional forms can be reimagined without being disconnected from their origins.
Moyo’s contribution to arts and culture has earned recognition beyond Zimbabwe.
Among the accolades associated with his work is the International Labour Organisation’s Green EnterPRIZE Award in 2019. He was also nominated for a Zimbabwe Music Awards in 2023.
Yet his work continues to move between major stages, classrooms and rural communities.
That balance is central to his identity as “Mangoma”.
For Moyo, cultural preservation is not confined to concert halls or academic institutions. It happens wherever knowledge is shared — whether through a performance, a workshop, an instrument-making session, a book or a conversation with a community elder.
