WATCH: Birckhead’s Zimbabwe tour: Jazzing up cross-cultural connections

Washington DC-based jazz band Birckhead recently completed an art and cultural exchange tour in Zimbabwe, which began with their performance at the Stanbic Jacaranda Music Festival (SJMF) and conducting workshops courtesy of American Abroad Music (AMA).

The AMA programme aims to communicate America’s musical contributions to the global music scene, fostering cross-cultural communication and people-to-people connections to global audiences.

Birckhead was part of a ten-band cohort chosen by the AMA to embark on exchange programmes in Zimbabwe, Surinam, Guinea, and Qatar, joining fellow jazz heads such as Oscar Williams and the Band of Life, Caili O’Doherty Quintet, Sounds of A&R (also known as S.O.A.R), and Tap Music Project.

After the SJMF, the quartet led by award-winning saxophonist Brent Birckhead performed at the Goethe Zentrum Harare/Zimbabwe German Society and conducted a “Social Media Workshop” at the Music Crossroads Academy Zimbabwe in Harare. On Friday, Birckhead collaborated with local artists Thandy Dhlana, Vuyo Brown, Simbarashe Hudson, and Zarae for a performance at the Zimbabwe Academy of Music in Bulawayo.

The All-American band consists of Brent Birckhead (saxophone), Noble Jolly Jr (keyboard), Romeir Mendez (acoustic bass), and Carroll V Dashiell III (drums). Known for its eponymous album, Birckhead has released saxophone-laced hits including “The Mourning After,” “The Alchemist,” and “The Ivory Antidote.”

Brent Birckhead told Chronicle Showbiz that it was his first time on African soil and that even before embarking on this journey, he already knew Bulawayo’s cultural ambassadors abroad, acappella quintet “Obabes bembube” Nobuntu who are currently on tour in the United States.

“It’s our first time in Zimbabwe but I must say that we were impressed with what Nobuntu is doing for the local music scene. We have known them through their various American tours. We have enjoyed the weather and the language which has distinct click sounds. It’s such a soothing melody in the ears.

“In the past few days that we have been here, we have been treated with respect and were also able to perform at a well-organised music festival. American Abroad Music brought us here with the idea of sharing a comprehensive programme which includes live performances, collaborations with local acts, lecture demonstrations, workshops and jam sessions,” said Brent.

The band also got to visit local radio stations, mix and mingle with fans, and also hold a press conference at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) in Bulawayo. They got to enjoy Matopo’s nature’s verdure and got to enjoy “a lot of steak, rice and sadza, smeared with peanut butter.”

@MbuleloMpofu