Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
AT some point during Mokoomba’s performance at the National Art Gallery in Bulawayo on Friday evening, it seemed as if lead vocalist Mathias Muzaza’s voice had been possessed by an alien being from another planet.
As the group’s performance reached a crescendo, what Muzaza was doing with his voice could just not be described as mere singing. Instead, as he squeezed his throat, coming up with a bewildering sound, he sounded like an extra-terrestrial being, broadcasting an urgent but melodious message from beyond our solar system.
Known as the man with “a thousand voices”, Muzaza’s ability to distort and manipulate his voice astounded an audience on the fourth day of the Intwasa Arts Festival that came with high expectations and was not disappointed.
At one point, Muzaza’s voice sounded like a lion’s growl, with a menacing edge that seemed to shake the very walls of the art gallery, yet during other parts of his mesmerising performance, he also sounded like a caged bird, singing with the desperate need to escape and fly into the clear Bulawayo evening sky.
While Mokoomba has always been hailed for its clean instrumental work, which gives Muzaza a clear canvas to paint a multi-dimensional picture of the sounds and rhythms of Zimbabwe, his voice sounded like an orchestra on its own on Friday evening.
As the band effortlessly switched tone and rhythm, either through Muzaza’s powerful voice or their immaculate instrumentation, gasps of amazement could be heard at the gallery.
Sitting on a high chair at the centre of a stage, Muzaza sounded more like a rapper than a singer, as he fired off quick fire verses in Tonga. He did not lose a step throughout, with his vocal ability showcasing a man that has mastered the crucial aspect of breath-control during live performance.
When he got rid of the chair, the group showcased the infectious energy that has become synonymous with their performances around the globe. At the snap of a finger, a crowd that had been seated in one moment would be on its feet the next, as Mokoomba seemed to have the beating heart of the art gallery in their hands, picking and choosing when they felt like quickening the pulse or slowing down the tempo.
As they moved on stage, dreadlocks swaying on a smoke-filled stage, they indeed seemed to be aliens, six rock stars from another planet that had been deployed to bewitch an audience that was thirsty for international-quality live performance.
On stage, Mokoomba feels like an experiment by a devious music alchemist. When one distills their sound, what is filtered down is a unique blend of some of Zimbabwe’s various music genres and styles. On Friday, the group showcased the energy of seasoned sungura artistes while maintaining the elegance of jazz maestros.
As they performed, one could hear the distant echoes of the Mosi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that thunders. The group has unashamedly made it clear that they aim to present the best of Tonga and Luvale culture to the world. This is evident in their performances and on Friday, one could have been forgiven for thinking that they were now perhaps in the middle of a Lukumbi ceremony, right on the banks of the Zambezi River.
However, Mokoomba thrives on showcasing the best of both worlds and during their set, their sudden switch to imbube felt as Bulawayo as the smoke that bellows from the city’s surviving factories.
A night after Insingizi’s Vusa Mkhaya’s performance was cancelled at the same venue, leaving a bitter taste from those that wanted to get a taste of the “Ancestor”, Mokoomba gave a scintillating exhibition as they broke into imbube mid-set.
“Saze sakhwel’ intaba, kude la esivela khona,” they sang, with Muzaza leading the charge. It was a moving performance, not only because they were giving the best of imbube in Bulawayo, the home of the genre, but because of the significance of the lyrics.
Indeed, Mokoomba have come from far. They have scaled mountains, building a reputation from scratch, song after song, performance after performance.
A prophet is rarely appreciated in his hometown, the adage goes, and that saying applies in particular to Mokoomba. After years of toiling on modest stages in Chinotimba township in Victoria Falls, it took foreign acknowledgment before their talents were fully appreciated at home.
Those are the mountains that they scaled and expressing their journeys and struggles through imbube on Friday, just felt appropriate. Imbube seemed to strip Mokoomba’s performance of any cosmetic adornments, leaving only five men in perfect harmony, painting a perfect picture of their struggles thus far.
Throughout that performance, Muzaza was the shining light, and as he swung between Afro Jazz and imbube, the audience could have been forgiven for thinking they were witnessing a lovechild between Salief Keita and Black Mambazo.
As they were winding down their performance, the audience could be heard begging for an encore. Mokoomba obliged once, but politely declined a repeat, and as they walked out of the National Art Gallery, none could be heard complaining. They had just been treated to a top-tier performance by men who are now masters of their craft. However, their exit from the stage was somewhat bittersweet.
Soon, Mokoomba will be back on the road again, giving the world a taste of some of the most delectable musical treats from the northern tip of Matabeleland. Bulawayo, like the rest of Zimbabwe, will have to just smile as they watch a feast cooked on their very doorstep get devoured on foreign tables. For now, the crumbs, as Friday’s one-off performance was, will have to do.