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and its ingenuity has seen it touring outside the country’s borders.
The group, which is now based in Harare, launched its second album and their first professional international CD titled Rising Tide on Friday. The oldest band member is 25-years-old.
The launch was held at Alliance Francaise de Harare
The band emerged in 2008 as a timid sextet from Victoria Falls, rising through the Music Crossroads Inter-regional Festival, an African youth band competition to win the top prize — a European tour and a record deal.
Four years later, an African tour, two European tours and a string of collaborations with top DJs like Gregor Salto, the sextet are seasoned professionals asserting their versatility and artistry with urgency and an imperative to be heard and to be heard by all.
The group’s manager, Macus Gora, said Rising Tide was a tsunami of energy, passion and spiritual force.
He said the album delivers music that has neither genre nor geographic nor demographic boundaries.
“It is compelling, thrilling and undeniable. It is a showcase of depth and creative potential that cannot fail to continue delivering in the future and announces Mookomba’s arrival and its claim to its rightful place as young stars on the world stage,” he said.
Gora said Mathias Muzaza’s omnivourous composing genius is the one which becomes a funnel for every musical talent in the group which he transformed into vigorous and powerful anthems like Manunge or playful and ironic ditty Njoka. He said Muzaza, who is also the lead vocalist, is driven and versatile vocals navigate the band. The band has Trust Samende on lead guitar, Abundance Mutori on bass, Donald Moyo on keyboards, Miti Mugande on percussion and on drums is Coster Moyo.
The album, was produced by an Ivorian producer based in Belgium, Manou Gallo, whose hand, according to Gora, adds international quality and a subtle support in developing the West African accents on the album.
This West African influence can be felt on tracks like Masangango and Misozi.
“The album was recorded in Belgium, Cote d’Ivoire and Zimbabwe featuring 13 guest musicians and friends from around the world,” he said.
Gora said he believes that in music industry where fitting into a genre has become a commercial imperative, predictability and mediocrity have also become common-place.
“Luckily, Mokoomba, does not care. They don’t care that people do not expect to hear Spanish guitar from a band hailing from Binga and Victoria Falls, singing in Luvale, Nyanja and Tonga. It is this factor together with originality that makes this young band special,” he said.
Online Reporter