Note to Note Sing to World Games

Tsitsi Ndabambi
Harare community choral group Note2etoN, pronounced as Note to Note has become the first adult Zimbabwean choir to qualify for the prestigious World Choir Games 2018; an annual championship competition wich will be held this year in Pretoria South Africa between 4 and 18 July.

“It all started as a dream by two friends Sabelo Nyoni-Maswaure and Kuda Nyemba to establish a community choir outside of the traditional gospel choirs and form a group for high school and college graduates in January 2016,” said Shamiso Bobo the PR Manager.

“Just two weeks in existence the choir lifted its first trophy in the National Institute of Allied Arts NIAA Eisteddfod Music Festival in 2016 and later on in 2017.”

Banking on these successes, the choir set its eyes on achieving international ranking and status by qualifying for the 10th World Choir Games set to be held in Tshwane, South Africa in July 2018.

They are registered to compete in the Championship Competition where they will rub shoulders with some of the best choirs in the world. They will be the first Zimbabwean choir ever to enter and qualify for the games in the twenty-year history of this high profile competition.

To make their journey a success they held a fundraising concert titled Woyaya on Saturday 24 February 2018 at Reps Theatre where they treated their audience to wine and cheese before they commenced the show.

“For the next four months we will be hosting over several concerts until we reach our targeted budget for the trip to South Africa,” said the group general manager Simbarashe Masoka.

At the Woyaya Concert they performed traditional songs, negro spirituals from the slavery era, a dash of pop music by Katy Perry’s Roar, John Legend to contemporary Latin music in four different sets accompanied by an orchestra.

There were also solo performances by the choir members ending with the theme song Woyaya.

During the first two weeks of March they are looking forward to regaining their trophy at this year’s NIAA Eisteddfod Music Festival which are kicking off from Tuesday 6 March at Gateway High School.