THE Zimbabwe Jazz Community Trust (ZJCT) and Alliance Française in Zimbabwe thrilled the city of Bulawayo in an eventful Zimbabwe Jazz Festival 2025 over the weekend.
Last Friday at Alliance Française de Bulawayo, the festival’s eighth edition in the capital and fourth in Bulawayo kicked off with the right tone as The Frank Salis Experience, a dynamic cross-continental ensemble led by Swiss composer Frank Salis took to the stage.
It was a special moment for Bulawayo’s own “Afro-jazz adventure” Dudu Manhenga, who delivered a world-class performance, joined by Nobuntu’s lead vocalist and her sister, Zanele Manhenga, to add to the ambience.
Having left Bulawayo at a tender age for greener pastures in Harare, Manhenga said she was excited to be back.
“It’s great to be back to where it all started. I remember back in the day, I used to be afraid to compose and sing in the English language as I feared pronouncing words with double Ts like, ‘cattle’, ‘bottle’, but I eased into it, now I’m comfortable. That’s how we pronounce these words in Bulawayo,” she joked.
Award-winning saxophonist Vee Mukarati, a nascent star in Europe’s jazz circles, showed why he is the one to watch with a polished performance, which included Othnell “Mangoma” Moyo.
The Tich Makalisa Band, uniting the acclaimed pianist with talents from Zimbabwe and South Africa, made sure the night of jazzy sounds was thrilling.
For Amanda Tiffin, performing in Bulawayo after a long time, was special.
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This year’s festival coincided with the ground-breaking, “Frank Salis Experience — The Zambezi Sessions”, an ambitious residency and tour project orchestrated by Salis.
Five musicians from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Switzerland, Italy and the United States embarked on a two-week creative journey across southern Africa, starting in Lusaka (September 5), followed by Mutare (September 7) and Victoria Falls (September 10).
The tour culminated in the Zimbabwe Jazz Festival, with Salis’s ensemble headlining both the Bulawayo and Harare concerts on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
The collaboration between ZJCT and Alliance Française remains central to the festival’s success.
