Nobuntu, an all female a cappella quartet from Zimbabwe, have been together for thirteen years performing anything from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro Jazz to Gospel.
Duduzile Sibanda explained how Nobuntu came to be,"We come from the same city, Bulawayo, which is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and we all grew up there. We were born and bred there. So 13 years ago, a label called 10th District called for auditions for ladies who could sing this type of a cappella that we do. The type of a cappella that we'd do is called mbube. So we went along with other girls at that time, and we got the spots."
Mbube can be traced back as far as the 1920's from the Natal region and is associated with migrant workers from coal mines and factories. In the 1960's this style of music was popularized by The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens. Traditionally this genre was performed by men, but this doesn't deter Nobuntu. They bring together all their talent as individuals to the stage.
"There's not one style of doing things. Hence, you will even see or feel or hear the different sounds. That's because we all bring our different experiences and bring our different, good energy towards the music. So that's also a reflection of where we come from individually. So people always ask us, like,'Who leads the song? Do you have one leader of a song?' No, no, no. We have different leaders for different songs because we are all differently, let me say, talented because of our backgrounds as well," said Sibanda.
As well as performing around the world, Nobuntu puts together workshops where they teach young people about the Zimbabwean's culture, dance, history, language, and of course, their music. They believe that music can be an instrument for change, so when they take the stage or classroom they use it as an opportunity to bridge gaps between generations and other cultures.
Get tickets to see Nobuntu perform live at The Foundry Theater on Saturday, October 26 at 7:00PM.
