Debut album, European tour for Nobuntu

Nobuntu launched their debut album, Thina, over the weekend at Indaba Book Café to a packed house of media hacks and fellow artists such as Willis Wataffi, Raisedon Baya, Jeys Marabini, Stha the poetess and others. The venue was graciously provided free of charge by one Kimba Brookes who is the owner of Indaba Book Café which is tepidly growing to become Bulawayo’s own version of Harare’s Book Cafe.
Nobuntu, made up of Duduzile Sibanda, Joyline Sibanda, Heather Dube, Siphiwe Bridget Dube and Claire Ratidzo Dangarembwa sampled tracks off the album Thina to an appreciative multi-hued crowd that soon took to the dance floor as the group upped the ante on their performances in songs such as Intombi zeNatali and Usibali. The album features three traditional song rearrangements Ma Ebizwa, Intombi zeNatali and Usibali. For a first effort, the album is commendable. I found “Noma nini” to be particularly bluesy and jazzily inflected  in the iconic U.S. singer Nina Simone tradition. Written and solo-performed by Duduzile Sibanda, who in my view is one of the strongest vocals of all five, the song   would have been more potent with piano or mbira accompaniment.

Other stand out original tracks are Streets, Soka Lami, Cry Song and Mbira Music. The former track channels influences of the late Chiwoniso Maraire’s Iwainesu in its refrain. I suppose that the late Maraire is that much of an epoch defining artist to not have somehow impacted on those that now follow in her footsteps.

The eleven track album was produced by Dumisani Ramadu Moyo a member of multi – platinum selling imbube group Insingizi (now based in Austria). With over twenty years’ experience in the music industry, Moyo explained his involvement in the project, “As you may know, I am familiar with vocal production having been part of Insingizi and touring with them all over the world. Nobuntu is signed to my label 10th District Music which is based in Austria and they are now set for a sixteen date tour of Europe in November.  The visas and everything is set and ready for the group.”

Moyo’s work with the group is to be applauded in as far as the promotion of young talent is concerned. Having gone through the proverbial mill in search of fame and fortune as part of Insingizi, who better than him to mentor fresh talent on what the global arts market demands from artists.  Incidentally, Moyo has also produced, mixed and mastered Jeys Marabini’s latest offering which this column will review in coming weeks.
Nobuntu are in good hands. They will do Zimbabwe proud overseas and may well outgrow the novelty of an all-girl imbube ensemble. My advice would be for them to continue enriching their sound with percussive instruments as the producers   wisely decided to do first time  out.