BY AGATHA CHUMA BEFORE the out break of COVID-19, Victoria Falls-based Afro-fusion musical group, Flying Bantu had been soaring high into different countries.
The pandemic saw the group, made up of five members: Tinashe Maoneni, Amkela Moyo, Sam Gulubani, Joshua Alufasi and Bongani Moyo, folding its wings and resting while waiting for the right moment to take off again.
After a two-year break, the group is set to perform in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania this November for the Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations Exchange and Showcases. The event offers a platform for different countries to showcase their talent to a diverse audience of local and international delegates including festival curators, record label promoters and other industry professionals.
Speaking to NewsDay Life & Style, band leader Maoneni said they have been preparing for an international act and now it’s their time to fly high.
“We believe we have been ready for this for a while and now the opportunity has arrived. This show is not the usual festival or gig, it’s a showcase and we are going to do our best to show that we are ready for the next level and export,” Maoneni said.
“Our drive as a musical act is to achieve something bigger which we are still far from and we know we have a better chance if we work together.”
Flying Bantu’s sound embodies various flavours and boldly expresses an Afro, rock, reggae and funk mix, which can be best described as fusion. They have managed to perform at various festivals such as South Africa’s Rocking the Daisies 2016 and 2017, Oliver Mtukudzi’s 65 birthday concert in Cape Town 2017, and Toronto Music Week 2019. They have managed to share the stage with popular artistes such as Micasa and Africa’s biggest electronic producer/Dj Black Coffee and locally with Gemma Griffiths and Ammara Brown, among others.
“One of the challenges we have been facing is to get airplay here in Zimbabwe. I’m not sure why, but I guess maybe our sound is not the usual one. Music is a beautiful art and what a privilege we have to create it. It only requires a drive and you need to archive something in that space. Laughter, travelling and exploring is a big thing which connects people and as a group we do that so as to open our minds and keep on producing good content,” he added.
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The fusion group holds a National Arts Merit Award for the best music video of the track Sunshine City and they are currently working on an album to be released later this year to add to their first album Ceasefire.
- Follow Agatha on Twitter@AgathaChuma
