Dudu to stage homecoming show

Dudu has been part of a regional tour under the Female Literary Arts Music Enterprise (FLAME) artistic collaboration which included Mozambican icon, Mingas, and South Africans Mpumie Twala and Ndithini Mbali.
The FLAME project saw the musicians perform in Maputo; the popular Bushfire Festival in Swaziland and the Bassline in Johannesburg before winding up the tour in Harare at the beginning of June with two shows at The Mannenberg.
Organisers of the show say the show at The Book Café “promises to be fired up as Dudu returns from the rich experiences of the last few months, no doubt inspired and inspiring, as she celebrates as always, her homecoming”.
Penny Yon of the Book Café, who are organising the show said “in spite of being the youngest, Dudu was one of the livewires of the production, adding strong Zimbabwean flavours to the repertoire which included music by each artist – and the region loved them”.
Yon said the music of Dudu Manhenga and her backing band, Color Blu, has been accurately described as “an afro jazz adventure” — a fusion of genres afro, contemporary, Zimbabwe traditional, township, jazz, afro, latino, and a cultural cross-breed of Zimbabwe’s Manica, Mashona and Matabele rhythms and melodies, spiced with some energetic stage work, sizzling vocals, and a dignity of delivery of which all Zimbabweans can be proud.
“Dudu has been commanding attention of music-lovers and fellow musicians in the southern African region and abroad in the last two years.
“Her performances in Serbia last week at the Exit Festival have rounded up a series of tours in which she thrilled audiences in South Africa, Mozambique and Swaziland as part of the now famous FLAME regional tour,” she said.
Earlier in the year, Dudu took part in the Harare Jazz Festival alongside some of the great jazzists in the country and the region.
Dudu  has also performed in Harare, Lusaka and Ndola both in Zambia, with the brilliant Italian jazz group under the leadership of jazz pianist, Sylvia Manco.
Dudu was one of Zimbabwe’s well travelled musicians who have successfully toured other countries and participated in various collaborations.
Last year, participated at the Johannesburg’s Arts Alive festival; collaborated brilliantly with Mozambican musician, Mingas, and performed alongside Italian visitors Ital-Jazz and hosted Mozambican superstar Chico Antonio in Harare.
Dudu has also featured on a continental album for the campaign-against-hunger project by Action Aid International-Africa, Hunger Free, Music for Freedom and Justice 2009, which includes two Dudu Manhenga originals, Is This the Life and Women of Africa.