BULAWAYO-based Afro-fusion band Ditswi delivered a polished act at the weekend during the World Music Day celebrations held at the Bulawayo City Hall car park.
BY ARTS REPORTER
Bankrolled by Alliance Française every year, the celebrations are meant to showcase upcoming groups in the City of Kings.
The five-member group, which recently released a seven-track album, Soulful, churned out their new jazz single, Candy, to the applause of a crowd of over 300 young music lovers who had turned up to participate at the free road performance.
Group spokesperson, Raymond Langa, said they have decided to give Bulawayo music lovers a feel of the new song which the group will soon be recording.
Ditswi’s lead singer, Patience Tauro, captured the audience with her powerful vocals while the outfit was dressed “to kill” in African attire.
The group performed alongside other musicians, including Carlos Jiri, who got the crowd on their feet as he belted out Bob Marley’s songs, Calvin, Ebony Sheik, Drums of Peace, Afro Queens and Impumelelo Shining Stars.
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Alliance Française director, Phillippe Durand Masse, said 88 music groups participated in this year’s World Music Day celebrations, with performances running from morning and ending in the evening.
“The World Music Day performances give a platform to local musicians and the general public to celebrate different genres of music like drums, marimba, jazz, reggae, hip hop, and different African traditional music,” Durand Masse said.
“This year the number of musicians that have performed during the celebrations has increased, and I am grateful for the support of the Bulawayo City Council who gave us the performance space at their car park, as well as free electricity to connect our equipment.”
World Music Day celebrations were introduced in France in 1981 by their Ministry of Culture but have since spread to different cities across the world including Bulawayo.
The celebrations are open-air events held free of charge for music lovers.
