October World Music Festival Book Café Programme

The October World Music Festival is up and running and there are a bunch of exciting acts at the Book Café.

A new thing happening at the venue is the afternoon jazz sessions out in the back garden. The stage will be used for the first time. Shows there will feature young artists and kick off at 3 in the afternoon.

The festival will also see Alick Macheso performing at the Book Cafe for the first time.

The festival is made possible by the Italian Embassy.

The programme is as follows:

Tue 15, 8pm – Book Café welcomes acclaimed Italian visitors The ENZO FAVATA QUARTET, and a lively performance of ‘3GENERATIONS’, paying tribute to township music legends of Zimbabwe; and opening with emerging LEO BESCOTTI TRIO – Presented by October World Music Festival and GOLDEN PILSENER.

ENZO FAVATA is one of the most active and well-known Sardinian musicians in the Italian and international panorama. A saxophone player who specialises in soprano and sopranino sax but also in ethnic instruments from all over the world, using and interacting with acoustic instruments and electronic and computerised technology. He is an expert in live electronics and his musical research joins the arcane and the modern, experimenting with different languages and musical cultures. The Enzo Favata Quartet and 3Generations join the Book Café programme courtesy of the Embassy of Italy.

Wed 16, 3pm – Pakare Paye Stage @Book Cafe: DONALD KANYUCHI & THE RAIN SHADOWS – The Harare connection for young artists from Oliver Mtukudzi’s Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton; a partnership between Pamberi Trust and Tuku Promotions. Free, all welcome!

Wed 16, 8pm – South Africa’s THE BROTHER MOVES ON “Transitional music for a transitional generation” from the heart of Gauteng, alongside Zimbabwe’s HOPE MASIKE and MUBUYAETA, opening with NORMAN MASAMBA & POINT BLANK – Cc$10

The Brother Moves On is an exciting performance art ensemble from Johannesburg which emerged when “a circus of the imagination was required”, and played widely until they became “the new kid on the block you can’t deny”! TBMO has been travelling the world, and joins the festival for their Zimbabwe debut on the way home from their European tour, welcomed by Zimbabwe’s mbira princess HOPE MASIKE (mbira), hot off her own European excursions and stunning local productions, tonight with a fresh new mbira-violin collaboration with young MUBUYAETA MUBUYAETA; opening with NORMAN MASAMBA & POINT BLANK at 8pm.

Thu 17, 3pm – Pakare Paye Stage@Book Cafe: The Harare-Norton connection featuring TSVETE rising up swiftly in the ranks of emerging artists, direct from Norton! Free, all welcome!

Thu 17, 8pm – Zimbabwe sungura music legend ALICK MACHESO & ORCHESTRA MBERIKWAZVO, powerful sungura guitar and lively performance a.k.a. “Cheso-power!” Sharing the stage tonight with the feisty AMMARA BROWN, described as “a truly exceptional talent, with striking vocals and strong stage presence”, performing widely at home and beyond, this year as far as HIFA and Zanzibar. Show opens with firecracker KESSIA MASONA who is born to the stage and has been entertaining audiences all her life, around the capital and as far as Chimanimani this year.

Fri 18, 3pm – Pakare Paye @Book Cafe: The Harare connection featuring MUNYARADZI MATARUSE – a proud product of Pakare Paye who has come to the attention of music-lovers and fellows musicians alike, performing widely in Harare – live and direct from Norton. Free, all welcome!

Fri 18, 8pm – Zimbabwe’s internationally-acclaimed afropop group MOKOOMBA (Vic Falls) back from their recent tour, opening with emerging groups GWENGA & JAM SIGNAL. MOKOOMBA is the award-winning afro-pop group who emerged from the great Zambezi Valley at Victoria Falls, blazed their way through the capital and onto many stages in Europe and the world, while keeping fans at home delighted with their tight delivery and exciting African rhythms.

Sat 19, 3pm – YOUNG JAZZ – Exciting young jazz groups emerging onto the festival stage for a kicked-back Saturday afternoon session. Come and catch some of the freshest jazz talent on the block. – cc$5

Sat 19, 8pm – NETSAYI & BLACK PRESSURE in collaboration with trombonist SIYA MAKUZENI (SA), a unique electro-acoustic sound ‘crossing over’ – and to close the concert and festival, the mbira-derived guitar rhythms of VICTOR KUNONGA & PEACE , a hot favourite of Zimbabwe. Show opens at 8pm with emerging artists African Pride and Were.

Siya Makuzeni is an award-winning South African trombone player, vocalist, lyricist and songwriter who has established herself firmly within the world music industry, performing widely at home and around the globe, tonight collaborating with Zimbabwe’s Netsayi Chigwendere & Black Pressure, gifted young Zimbabwean artists who are enjoying ‘crossing-over’ musical boundaries – a continuing music collaboration which has included performances in London, Dakar, Cape Town and several recordings over several years. The concert closes with Victor Kunonga, known as ‘Zimbabwe’s Peace ambassador’ contributes richly to world music with the fascinating blending of his mbira-derived guitar rhythms, beloved of Zimbabweans.