Online Reporter
Langalakhe Mabena [email protected]
Seasoned Urban Grooves musician Nox Guni, who recently returned to Zimbabwe after spending nearly two decades in South Africa, is set to cement his legacy on home soil through the launch of the Nox Homecoming Urban Grooves Festival, an annual event aimed at celebrating Zimbabwean music.
The inaugural edition of the festival will be held in Harare on September 5 and will feature some of the biggest names from the Urban Grooves era, including Roki, Maskiri, Stunner, Sandra Ndebele, Ex Q, Xtra Large, Shinzo, Tererai Mugwadi and host Nox.
Nox said he decided to launch the festival to create a signature event that his fans can look forward to every year, a celebration of his birthday (September 6) and his musical journey.
“The plan for this festival is to make it an annual event. We’ve already registered the festival name and company, Ice N Roses Events. It will be held every first Saturday of September.
“We chose the first Saturday of the month because it falls on the last weekend before children return to school. It’s also a great opportunity for people to enjoy quality, mature music before the school term begins,” said Nox.
The artiste, who is set to release a new song titled Bye Bye South Africa as he bids farewell to Mzansi, said he wants the festival to grow into a major national event before eventually expanding internationally to countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada, where Zimbabweans can reconnect with the Urban Grooves sound.
To realise this vision, Nox said he is seeking partnerships and endorsements from businesses and corporate organisations willing to invest in the festival.
“We’re engaging corporate partners and working on several initiatives to ensure the festival’s long-term success and growth. This is a huge undertaking, and for it to be sustainable and impactful, it must be built on a foundation of collaboration,” said Nox.
Meanwhile, the Ndinonyara hitmaker revealed that his record label, Ice N Roses Records, has relocated to Zimbabwe and will now be based in Harare.
