SOUTH African multi-award winning jazz artiste and producer, Steve Dyer said he was happy to be performing at the ongoing Harare International Festival of the Arts (Hifa), alongside his son, Bokani having last performed at the festival 18 years ago.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO/ PRECIOUS CHIDA
The Dyer family are part of the reimagined band, Mahube that also features Mbuzo Khoza from South Africa, Xixel Langa from Mozambique, Zimbabweans Oliver Mtukudzi, Hope Masike, Josh Meck, Mangoma Moyo and Sam Mataure.
It was a father and son affair on Wednesday, as the Dyer family (Steve and Bokani) mesmerised fans at the Global Stage under their The Dyer-logue band.
Speaking to NewsDay after their performance, the duo said they were happy to share the stage, as they understood each other as performers.
Steve, who once led a band called Southern Freeways in Zimbabwe in the early 1990s before relocating to South Africa said: “There is the relationship of father and son, but when we get on stage, its two performers, so there is empathy because we know each other very well, which is great.”
“It is always great that my father is with me on my musical journey since the beginning and he has been there to guide me in everything. A show like this is so stripped down and it was just the two of us, which is beautiful and powerful,” Bokani said.
The award winning Steve commended the growth of jazz music and other genres in Africa, saying it made them bring in new voices into Mahube.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“For the past years, music is blossoming not just jazz, but also other genres and I think the young generation are now far more globalised because they listen to music from Southern Africa and from the West, hence, the idea of bringing in new voices into the Mahube,” he said.
The Dyer-logue trace their relationship in music from Botswana in the 1980s, were Steve was once based.
Meanwhile, Katekwe and dancehall music fans will be in for a treat tonight, as music superstar, Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi returns to the stage for another performance alongside dancehall president Winky D on the ZOL Main Stage at Harare Gardens.
The Tozeza Baba hitmaker makes his second appearance at the festival that will end on Sunday after putting up a splendid performance on Tuesday’s opening night alongside the Mahube band.
In the latest development, the festival organisers have changed the time of the show from the initial 10 pm to 7:15pm, a development meant to accommodate more fans.
With such a development, the Ghanaian and Grammy award nominee Roki Dawumi will now fill in the 10pm slot.
The festival’s associate executive director, Tafadzwa Simba said: “Due to schedules of the artists, there is a change in the ZOL Main stage programme on Friday evening (tonight), Rocky Dawuni, who was scheduled to be performing at 7:15pm, is now moving to the 10pm slot and Tuku, Winky D and friends are now moving to that slot.”
Mtukudzi will share the stage with dancehall president Winky D, whom he collaborated with on track, Panorwadza Moyo.
Before Winky D and Tuku’s performances, some shows have been lined up for the day to entertain the festival-goers.
In the afternoon, an international group of musicians, Banda Magda band, led by Greek-born singer, Magda Giannikou stage a performance at the ZOL Main Stage.
At the Global Stage, at 1:30pm, fans will be entertained by Durban-based ensemble, Baroque 2000 featuring musicians of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra that was established 20 years ago and is famed for their vivid interpretations of diverse repertoire music.
Local brothers in jazz, Tinashe and Vee Mukarati will perform at the ZimGold Green Stage, before leaving the microphone for Harare International School band, who will be on the stage from 3:30 to 4:30pm.
United Kingdom artistes, Will McNicol and Luke Selby will share the stage at the Global Stage at a show scheduled for 3:15pm.
