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Entertainment Reporter
A number of collaborations by Zimbabwean and foreign artistes made this year’s edition of Musica 2014 a resounding success. The week-long festival gave music lovers the best from both worlds as Zimbabweans exchanged notes with visitors some of whom had never listened to local music before. Some of the highlights of the festival include a collaboration between Dudu Manhenga and Enzo Favata, Patience Musa and Amanda Tosoni as well as a concert featuring Feindrehstar from Germany with Zimbabwe’s own Jam Signal.
Soulful diva Dudu mersmerised the audiences when she shared the stage with Enzo to produce a flawless act. The two blended well and delighted the audience in what critics described as one of the best performances at the festival.
Already, Jam Signal band is making waves in the capital Harare where they perform at different upmarket clubs.
Their music is a fusion of genres including renditions which they give a new feel to make them their own. Jam Signal, is a jazz band that was formed by former Prince Edward students. And then they performed alongside Feindrehstar it was magical.
Renowned for their live gigs, Feindrehstar play danceable and eclectic “Krautclub” mix of club and world music. The band that has a busy tour schedule will be playing in Africa for the first time at Musica 2014.
The seven members of Feindrehstar, all of whom hail from the city of Jena in Thuringia, are a self-styled live band and play at a wide range of venues – whether right up close to the audience in clubs or at open-air festivals.
The band has been playing together for about seven years with the same line-up: Trumpeter Kalle Mille, saxophonist Johannes Haschke, DJ Thomas Schläfer, bassist Boris Nielsen, drummers Krishan Zeigner and Friedemann Ziepert, and keyboardist Lars Mäurer.
Feindrehstar released their first album, Vulgarian Nights, in 2010 and this will be followed by Love & Happiness, which is set for release in late 2014.
It was the first time that the band performed in Zimbabwe and energy was high among the members.
Also making it to this year’s festival were Andrea Valeri, Puglia Jazz Factory, Davina Green, African Pride, Alexio Kawara and Victor Kunonga who celebrated his 49th birthday on Sunday.
Musica 2014, organised by the Italian Embassy, the annual music festival ran from October 18 to 25 and for the first time incorporated the battle of school bands in its programming. The competition was open to high school bands only. The Musica Battle of Bands sought to foster music skills development among young and emerging artists as well as providing them with opportunities for exposure and facilitate cultural exchange.
The top three winners were invited to perform on the main stage at the Embassy of Italy during the festival, alongside established international and local artists.
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