Otto And The Mutapa Calling
Otto & The Mutapa Calling is a colourful London based marimba band playing energetic, joyful music from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana, including folk songs, original songs and popular southern African covers. The band's set-up includes soprano, tenor and baritone marimbas, hosho, drumming and singing, with both traditional and contemporary dances. The marimba band’s sound is full of energy and pulsating rhythms - and the band’s music shares the rich cultures, histories and stories of the people of southern Africa.
The marimba band was officially formed in 2017 by band leader, Otto Gumaelius, who started playing African music on the marimba in the late 1990s in Botswana. The band is comprised of musicians from Botswana, Zimbabwe, Cyprus and the UK.
Alongside private events and weddings, some recent performance highlights include Peckham Festival, Lambeth Country Show, Lewisham People’s Day, Spring Classic Festival, Devizes Picnic In The Park, Just So Festival, Late Bloom Festival, Kallida Festival, Timber International Forest Festival, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and One Love Festival. Band leader, Otto Gumaelius, has also led marimba and mbira workshops at festivals such as WOMAD and Tropical Pressure, to name a few.
Otto & The Mutapa Calling is a unique and colourful experience and is the only active professional marimba band of its kind in the UK.
Have a browse below for music and pictures. You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook, or listen to us on Spotify and YouTube.
Visit the events page on this website for upcoming shows.
Visit our website here: www.ottoandthemutapacalling.com
Our Sound
Debut Album - Mvura Ichanaya
The marimba band’s debut album, Mvura Ichanaya, was initially released in the summer of 2018 under band leader Otto Gumaelius’ name. It is a collection of original arrangements of folk songs from southern Africa, alongside some of Otto’s own songs. The album is available for download or streaming from all major digital outlets, including iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and Amazon.