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Brenda Phiri Arts Correspondent
Mawungira eNharira bade farewell to their fans in style when they staged their gig at the Book Cafe over the weekend. The nine-member outfit put on an outstanding performance for a handful of fans who turned up at the venue as part of the Mbira Month which is celebrated in September. Barely eight years after it split from Mbira DzeNharira, it is clear that Mawungira Enharira have mastered the mbira instrument and are taking it to greater heights.
In their Friday gig, an upcoming group Madhonza Makuru opened the show on a high note.
Clad in traditional regalia, the group dished out some of their best songs until around 10pm.
Although they kept the tempo high, the grand entrance by Mawungira eNharira made them look like amateurs in the trade.
Mawungira eNharira displayed great skill in playing instruments, singing and dancing in a traditional manner.
The highlight of the show came when the mbira outfit started chanting different totems much to the amusement of the audience.
Great was their act that even the smartly dressed and modern looking fans got to their feet and danced the night away.
The group got more interactive as their dancer moved into the crowd, basket in hand, asking for donations for their travels.
They bid farewell to their fans before speaking briefly about their upcoming expedition across the Limpopo.
Mawungira eNharira is a group that was formed by Nyamasvisva MaAfrica in 2003.
Since then, they have mesmerised fans with a celebration of rich traditional music with the mbira instrument taking centre stage.
To date, they have five albums and have headlined in some of the most prestigious traditional music festivals, like the recently held Zimbabwe Music Festival Bira (Zimfebi) a few weeks ago.
They are also regular performers at Harare’s Book Café where they command a massive following.
At present, they are making finishing touches to their upcoming album, “Vhunza Mutupo” that is due for release next month.
Online Reporter