A Few Days in Beautiful Norway

I've just returned from a small town called Nesbyen in the Norwegian mountains with my colleague Beatrice Muzenda. We traveled there to collaborate on a music performance with Jimu Makurumbandi and his band, Dandemutande, at the final show of Kulturkrydde in Gol. 

It has been quite an interesting week, mostly because it was the first time seeing a southern African musician take on the Kora, a west African instrument, and adapt some of our folk songs to it. Jimu's philosophy questions why we as Africans think that outside of our own cultures, it's only ever western / classical instruments we can learn. Why not learn another African instrument? I found this incredibly interesting - and it surely was a treat to be apart of his show.

We spent several focused, but relaxed, days preparing the repertoire before finally doing a full run through on the Sunday in preparation for the big show on Monday evening. We sang a mix of Shona folk songs as well as Jimu's own music. There was acapella singing, mbira, kora, marimba and drumming - and the audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy our performance.

Apart from the beautiful music we got to be a part of, the clean air and beautiful mountains were also an absolute treat! We went hiking up one of the mountains one evening, and didn't get back home till about 1am - at which point it still wasn't completely dark!

Norway was a really great experience and I look forward to my next visit!

Posing for a picture with the band after the show

Our stage set up at the concert

We saw a field with lamas on our way to the airport and had to stop for a picture!

Pata Pata Tribute To Miriam Makeba

The late Miriam Makeba blessed the world with so many beautiful songs. One of our all time favourites is Pata Pata, which we performed last night at Juju's Bar & Stage, with the lovely Tsungai Tsikirai on lead vocals.

Pata Pata is sung in isiXhosa, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, and the title means "Touch Touch". The song was originally recorded in South Africa in 1957 but was only released in 1967 whilst Miriam Makeba was living in exile in the United States of America.

The original lyrics in isiXhosa are as follows (with a rough explanation in English in brackets):

Saguquka sathi 'bheka' (As we danced we said "Look!")
Nants’ iPata Pata (It's the Pata Pata)
Saguquka sathi 'bheka' (As we danced we said "Look!")
Nants’ iPata Pata (It's the Pata Pata)

Yiyo mama, yiyo mama (This one, mama; This one, mama)
Nants’ iPata Pata (It's the Pata Pata)
Yiyo mama, yiyo mama (This one, mama; This one, mama)
Nants’ iPata Pata (It's the Pata Pata)

Pata Pata is the name of the dance
We do down Johannesburg way
And everybody starts to move
As soon as Pata Pata starts to play

Saguquka sathi 'bheka' (As we danced we said "Look!")
Nants’ iPata Pata (It's the Pata Pata)
Saguquka sathi 'bheka' (As we danced we said "Look!")
Nants’ iPata Pata (It's the Pata Pata)

iyo mama, yiyo mama (This one, mama; This one, mama)
Nants’ iPata Pata (It's the Pata Pata)
Yiyo mama, yiyo mama (This one, mama; This one, mama)
Nants’ iPata Pata (It's the Pata Pata)

Every Friday and Saturday Night
It's Pata Pata time
The dance keeps going all night long
Til' the morning sun begins to shine

ABOUT US

We are a rhythmic world-music African marimba band, based in the United Kingdom, playing folk music from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana.

We are available for hire for all types of private and corporate events, including weddings, private parties, fundraisers, charity events, business networking events, conferences, festivals and concerts. Workshops are also available in marimba, mbira, drumming, singing, and African dance.

For bookings and enquiries, contact us on +44 (0)751 550 8934.

Zimba Marimba International Marimba Camp

What a weekend it's been working with lovely young musicians from Sweden, Norway, Iceland and England - and working alongside a wonderful teaching team of African cultural arts practitioners from Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South Africa, Guinea, The Gambia, France and Sweden! I've returned to London with a thoroughly nourished soul after all the beautiful music and dancing!

The camp started off on Friday afternoon with a round of workshops, before we all gathered in the main concert hall for an evening of live music led by the workshops teachers. There was mbira music, sabar drumming, kora and of course, marimba.

The camp then continued on Saturday morning with a full two days of workshops. Below you can see a picture of where I was doing my teaching.

My shared office with Erik Noresson for the weekend

We had a lovely two days and worked with a total of 8 groups - ranging from young children to young adults. Below you can see a clip of one of the songs I taught to the group from Iceland.

One of the songs I taught was Silang Mabele - a folk song from Botswana.

On Sunday afternoon, all the student groups got to share some of what they had learnt over the weekend. The oldest group closed the concert with a lovely Mhande-rhythm song from Zimbabwe called Cheke. It's an mbira song arranged by Jacob Mafuleni for the marimba, and the song is about crossing the river. 

For more information about marimba workshops, camps and performances in Sweden, visit: www.zimbamarimbaband.com

Sayiwela: Folk Songs of Southern Africa

Prior to industrialisation in southern Africa, the Ndebele people of Zimbabwe sustained themselves through farming, hunting and livestock herding. This changed drastically at the turn of the 20th century after their defeat in the Anglo-Ndebele war, which as a result, brought on the introduction of various colonial taxes which the indigenous people had to pay.

Many people, almost entirely men, had to leave their homes in search of formal work to earn an income. According to Russell Kaschula, the economy of Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia at the time), was unable to absorb all its labour force, resulting in people having to illegally cross into South Africa to seek work in the mines there.

Their journey was symbolised by the dangerous crossing of the river Limpopo - and song, as is common in African culture, was used to communicate and preserve this piece of history. 

The song, Sayiwela, was composed and its title translates to "We Are Crossing" - referring to the crossing of the Limpopo river into South Africa.

The lyrics for Sayiwela are:

Sayiwela, sayiwela (We crossed over, we crossed over)
Sayiwela sibili (We really crossed over)
Sayiwela Ingulukudela (We crossed the Limpopo River)
Siyofuna imali (To look for money)

Baphina obaba? (Where are the fathers?)
Basemazulwini (They are in heaven!)
Basitshiyel'indubeko (They left us problems)
Indubeko zomhlaba (These earthly difficulties) 

Baphina okoko? (Where are the mothers?)
Basemazulwini (They are in heaven!)
Basitshiyel'indubeko (They left us problems)
Indubeko zomhlaba (These earthly difficulties) 

Here's a short clip of my own marimba version of the song:

And here's the released version by Lovemore Majaivana:

To learn songs like this, join my weekly class in Bethnal Green. Find out more here. Private bookings and performances are also available. Feel free to get in touch today! 

Zimba Marimba International Marimba Camp

All roads lead to the south of Sweden at the end of April for Zimba Marimba International Marimba Camp. It's going to be a stunning weekend of African music workshops in marimba, mbira, drumming, singing and dancing - with a fantastic line up of musicians and teachers from Zimbabwe, The Gambia, Tanzania and South Africa. This year the camp will attract keen participants from Sweden, Norway, Iceland and the UK.

African Marimba Music Classes In London

Come shake off the midweek blues by joining my African marimba music classes running every Wednesday at 6pm at Saint Peter's North Community Centre, 1 Marian Place, E2 9AX. £10 gets you in. Advance booking essential.

You will learn folk songs from Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, along with popular covers and marimba compositions by leading pioneers of the instrument. We'll do a bit of singing and dancing as well for those who are keen.

About The Marimba of Southern Africa

Read more about the marimba of southern Africa here.

About Otto Gumaelius

To read more about me and my background, have a look here.

Book your place in an African marimba music class

Book your place via my website, here. Advance booking essential.

Spill Festival 2016

Last year our marimba duo had the honour of being part of the world premier of Shabnam Shabazi's performance installation, Terra Nullius, commissioned by Spill for The Spill Festival of Performance - an international festival of live art, activism and performance presenting the work of exceptional artists from around the globe.

Here's a lovely video by the Pacitti Company showing highlights from the evening.

African Marimba Music Classes in London

I'm teaching African marimba and mbira music classes every Wednesday at Saint Peter's North Community Centre in Hackney.

The African marimba builds on the percussive element of the African drum by adding harmonious melodic expression. Using soprano, tenor and baritone marimbas to build an ensemble, participants get the wonderful opportunity to learn, play and create wonderful rhythms and melodies as a marimba band, and have a great time whilst doing so.

Come along and shake off the midweek winter blues to the warm sounds of southern Africa!

Marimba: 6-7:30pm
Mbira: 7:30-8:30pm

Text 07515508934 to book your place. Advance booking required. Classes cost £10.

See you on Wednesday! 

Address:
1st Floor
Saint Peter's North Community Centre
1 Marian Place, E2 9AX

More info:

www.tasteofsouthernafrica.com

Introducing Chimoio - Southern African Marimba Fusion Music

CHIMOIO is a lively, upbeat London based southern African fusion band playing original music with distinct cultural roots in Botswana and Zimbabwe.

We sing in English, Setswana and Chishona.

Using the marimba and mbira at the core of our music, we link our cultural past with the present, and project our hopes and aspirations for a greater world. We aim to spread joy and make people think, smile and dance.

Contact us today to make a booking.

African Marimba Music in Terra Nullius at Ipswich Museum for Spill Festival

I've spent the past two days up in Ipswich doing final preparations for, and performing in, this year's Spill Festival.

Our marimba duo formed one of several elements in the performance installation, Terra Nullius, curated by Shabnam Shabazi and presented inside the beautiful Ipswich museum.

We performed a non-stop 2 hour set which included marimba and mbira music - with both traditional songs as well as original compositions.

Fully kitted with our Terra Nullius red shirts in the incredibly cool room we got to play our African marimba music in.

Southern African marimba music in the Netherlands

We have just returned from a lovely couple of days in the Netherlands where we performed at the opening of Biennale Gelderland in the beautiful cultural centre, Rozet, in the heart of Arnhem.

We packed our marimbas in the back of a 9-seater mini bus on Thursday afternoon and headed for the Euro tunnel. 8 hours later we arrived in Arnhem with great thanks to our chauffeur for the journey, Paul Noels - who was also in the line up of performers for the following day.

We checked into our lovely bed and breakfast, and got what sleep we could before breakfast that morning. Later that afternoon we were picked up and headed to Rozet, to soundcheck and await the big opening that evening. 

We went on at 7pm, and delivered an energetic set of Zimbabwean traditional songs - including Mugara Ndega, Manhanga Kutapira, Chemutengure and Zvichapera, as well as popular South African song, Pata Pata, by Miriam Makeba.

After the show, we were invited to a jam session in the restaurant in Rozet alongside all the other acts that had been invited to perform at the opening. This was great fun! We were joined by Vimbai Zimuto, a fantastic Zimbabwean musician who is based in the Netherlands.

Here's one of the songs we performed - Chemutengure - featuring Vimbai Zimuto. 

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-- ABOUT OTTO AND THE MUTAPA CALLING --

Otto and The Mutapa Calling is a lively London based marimba band playing energetic, joyful music from Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, including folk songs, original songs and popular southern African covers. The band's set-up includes soprano, tenor and baritone marimbas, mbira, hosho, drumming and singing, with both traditional and contemporary dances. The marimba band’s sound is full of energy and pulsating rhythms - and their music shares the rich cultures, histories and stories of the people of southern Africa. Otto and The Mutapa Calling is a unique and colourful experience and is the only active professional marimba band of its kind in the United Kingdom.

www.ottogumaelius.com

-- SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS --

Like on Facebook here

Follow on Instagram here

Listen on Spotify here

Watch on YouTube here

Live African Marimba Music at Nottinghill Carnival

2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the Nottinghill Carnival - Europe's largest street party - and what an honour it was to be part of the celebrations, performing with Flame Lily Arts on the World Music Stage, hosted and sponsored by the legendary Levi Roots.

The acts on stage were mostly Caribbean, so it was extra special getting to represent southern Africa at such a huge gathering. We performed several southern African classics, through acapella singing in Mbube style, as well as with instrumental accompaniment on Zimbabwean marimbas and djembes. 

Below are a few pics from the day.

Flame Lily Arts in full swing, performing popular Zimbabwean song Ndiani Waronga

Backstage with Beatrice & Nqobile

Some of the friends that came out to support us.

We hope to be back at the carnival again next year!

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-- ABOUT FLAME LILY ARTS --

Flame Lily Arts is a UK-based African performing arts company. The group specialises in Ndebele and Zulu dances, accompanied by harmonious Mbube style singing, with drumming and marimba accompaniment. The group's members come primarily from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana, and are proud cultural ambassadors of southern Africa. 

www.flamelilyarts.com

-- ABOUT OTTO AND THE MUTAPA CALLING --

Otto and The Mutapa Calling is a lively London based marimba band playing energetic, joyful music from Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, including folk songs, original songs and popular southern African covers. The band's set-up includes soprano, tenor and baritone marimbas, mbira, hosho, drumming and singing, with both traditional and contemporary dances. The marimba band’s sound is full of energy and pulsating rhythms - and their music shares the rich cultures, histories and stories of the people of southern Africa. Otto and The Mutapa Calling is a unique and colourful experience and is the only active professional marimba band of its kind in the United Kingdom.

www.ottogumaelius.com

-- SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS --

Like on Facebook here

Follow on Instagram here

Listen on Spotify here

Watch on YouTube here

Southern African marimba music at Migrant Business Show

Here are some pictures and videos from our show last night at the Migrant Business Show.

African marimba music at Fego Caffe

Our marimba band was invited to provide some southern African marimba entertainment at Fego Caffe in aid of a Save The Rhino fundraising initiative. We put together a repertoire of South African songs to cover with vocals and drumming.

Our set list ended up including songs by the late Miriam Makeba (Pata Pata / Click Song), the late Brenda Fassie (Weekend Special), Mahotella Queens (Thoko) and Solomon Linda (Mbube / The Lion Sleeps Tonight), as well as some of the more traditional Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu repertoire, including the wedding song uMakoti Ngowethu, a song celebrating the new bride and announcing her acceptance into the family; Mancube, a song about a woman who is using witchcraft; and Majola, a song used in traditional rituals imploring the ancestors to reveal themselves to help resolve matters within the family.

Here's a little showreel from the evening at Fego Caffe:

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-- ABOUT OTTO AND THE MUTAPA CALLING --

Otto and The Mutapa Calling is a lively London based marimba band playing energetic, joyful music from Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, including folk songs, original songs and popular southern African covers. The band's set-up includes soprano, tenor and baritone marimbas, mbira, hosho, drumming and singing, with both traditional and contemporary dances. The marimba band’s sound is full of energy and pulsating rhythms - and their music shares the rich cultures, histories and stories of the people of southern Africa. Otto and The Mutapa Calling is a unique and colourful experience and is the only active professional marimba band of its kind in the United Kingdom.

www.ottogumaelius.com

-- SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS --

Like on Facebook here

Follow on Instagram here

Listen on Spotify here

Watch on YouTube here

Entertaining at Pop Up Africa Market at Spitalfields

We had a great bank holiday Monday at Spitalfields performing some of our tunes at Pop Up Africa's market event - Africa at Spitalfields. Here are some pictures from the event. They're not the best quality - but I thought I'd share them anyways!

Marimba band entertainment at South Africa Freedom Day celebrations

The 27th of April, 1994, was the day the first democratic election was held in South Africa. Ever since, it's been a day of celebration, as South Africans mark the liberation of their country and its people from a long period of colonialism and apartheid. 

We were really pleased to have been invited to perform at Acklam Village Market to commemorate Freedom Day with the South African community in London.

We gave the audience two sets of music. The first was a more traditional, drumming set, with singing and dancing, and included songs like Shosholoza and liberation struggle song, Oliver Tambo Theta NoBotha.

We then brought in the marimbas for our second set, which really got the crowd going. We covered Miriam Makeba, Brenda Fassie, Mahotella Queens and Beatenberg to name a few. The tunes went down a huge treat!

Here are some videos from the night.

South African Liberation song Oliver Tambo Tetha noBotha

Our marimba cover of Brenda Fassie's Weekend Special

Xhosa wedding song, Qongqothwane, made famous by Miriam Makeba and commonly known as Click Song

If you wish to read more on South Africa Freedom Day and what it's all about, you can find some more information here.

-- ABOUT OTTO AND THE MUTAPA CALLING --

Otto and The Mutapa Calling is a lively London based marimba band playing energetic, joyful music from Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, including folk songs, original songs and popular southern African covers. The band's set-up includes soprano, tenor and baritone marimbas, mbira, hosho, drumming and singing, with both traditional and contemporary dances. The marimba band’s sound is full of energy and pulsating rhythms - and their music shares the rich cultures, histories and stories of the people of southern Africa. Otto and The Mutapa Calling is a unique and colourful experience and is the only active professional marimba band of its kind in the United Kingdom.

www.ottogumaelius.com

-- SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS --

Like on Facebook here

Follow on Instagram here

Listen on Spotify here

Watch on YouTube here

Growing Up With The Marimba: The Zimba Marimba Years. Part 3/3

This third and final post in this series is dedicated to my wonderful years in Sweden, as a member of Zimba Marimba Band, led by Peta Axelsson.

I first met Zimba Marimba Band in 1998, when I traveled to Sweden that Easter with my Dad. Whilst we were there, my Uncle saw a newspaper article about a Swedish marimba group that would be performing in a nearby town – so we headed to the show that weekend and I met the group. We met up again, a few weeks later, in Åstorp, where I joined one of their classes and shared some of the music we were playing in Botswana.

Sharing some songs with a very young Zimba Marimba in Åstorp, 1998. 

I met up with the group again a few years later, on another family visit to Sweden, and got to spend a bit of time with them, workshopping and performing. The experience came to also reveal that my niece is a very talented drummer.

Zimba Marimba Band, 2002. 

It wasn't until 2003 when I moved to Sweden to do my International Baccalaureate diploma that I finally joined Zimba Marimba Band – which was an absolute delight, and something I will always look back on with great fondness. In that first year, we got to perform for the King and Queen of Sweden at the Research Centre in Lund.

We recorded our debut album Zimba Marimba Alive in 2004, in a cosy studio in Bjärred – a town just outside Lund. The album included 14 traditional and contemporary songs from Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa – including compositions by Michael Sibanda, Alport Mhlanga and Sheasby Matiure.

We then started planning for a study tour to Botswana and South Africa – which we embarked on in February 2004. It was such a pleasure getting to introduce my "new family" to my "old family" – and one of the highlights of that trip was our performance for Kgosi Mosadi Seboko, the paramount chief of my mother's tribe – the Balete of southern Botswana.

Performing at Maru-A-Pula Secondary School in Botswana, 2005

In the winter of 2005, I traveled with Peta to Iceland to work with Robert Falkner's groups. We taught the groups there marimba music and dances from Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa – and had a fantastic few days working with the young people there. 

Later that year, Zimba Marimba began plans to travel to the USA for the west coast’s annual Zimbabwean music festival – ZimFest – a celebration of Zimbabwean music and culture. We had a wonderful week of workshopping, performing, networking, live marimba and mbira music and traditional dancing. Some of my personal highlights included seeing the Chigamba family perform – namely, Irene Chigamba dancing, and her father, Tute Chigamba, playing mbira and Chipindura; getting to hear Michael Sibanda (my first marimba teacher) perform; getting my first taste of Mbira Dzavadzimu from Fradreck Mujuru; and learning Mhande, a ritual rainmaking dance, with Ilana Moon. We came back from the USA with a new energy and great eagerness to learn more.

Peta organised several workshops with musicians like Martin Svensson, Luckson Chikutu, Tipei Marazanye and Celso Paco to name but a few. We soon started fundraising to get ourselves back onto African soil – and we were fortunate enough to get a boosting from a local culture fund, which saw us meet our funding target. We left for South Africa in August 2006, and spent a few days there before heading on to Mozambique to first work with the National Dance Company of Mozambique in the capital, and later, with Timbila master maker, composer and player, Venancio Mbande, in Inhambane. We then set off for Zimbabwe – where we spent our time between Harare and Chiriseri in Domboshawa. This, for me, was an utmost incredible study tour as we really got to submerge ourselves in the rich musical and rhythmic culture of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. We studied with performing artists and teachers like Rujeko Dumbutshena; Ronnie Daliyo; Tute Chigamba; Hwamanda Dance Troupe; and uZambezi to name but a very few. Many of the names are hard to recall now after so long, but the faces and joyous moments live vividly on in me.

Towards the end of our stay, we gave a concert at the College of Music alongside several other artists, which was apparently broadcast on national television. This was probably because we played Hondo – a marimba adaptation of a very spiritual mbira song that says Zimbabwe's liberation came about through bloodshed, as was predicted by the spirit medium Chaminuka (Zimbabwe yakauya nehondo; Chaminuka wakauraiwa – nehondo, vakomana). 

Mbira Nyunganyunga workshop with Geoffrey in Chiriseri, 2006.

2006 marked my final year as a student in Sweden. I had applied for university in Edinburgh and got accepted. So after our trip to Zimbabwe, I only had a few more shows with the group before leaving. I remember quite fondly our last concert, at Kulturnatten (Culture Night) in Lund. We were fresh from Zimbabwe and buzzing; and the concert was absolute magic! Lucky for me, it wasn’t quite a final goodbye – as I still had my family in Lund so would be back a few times a year.

We travelled one final time to Zimbabwe in May 2007 as Zimba Marimba Band – on special invitation to participate in the annual Harare International Festival of the Arts, otherwise known as HIFA. Our one and only billed performance was so warmly received that we were invited to perform again on the main open stage on the Saturday. We really had a fantastic time in Zimbabwe – and I’m so thankful to the Swedish ambassador, Sten Rylander, who was instrumental in getting us there.

Zimba Marimba performing at HIFA, 2007.

I will remain eternally grateful to my dear friend Peta Axelsson for all the opportunities she has brought to my life. Had it not been for her enthusiasm and love for Africa, I really wouldn’t be the person I am today. Tatenda zvikuru! 

Growing Up With The Marimba: The Maru A Pula Years. Part 2/3

This second post is dedicated to my years playing marimba at Maru-a-Pula Secondary School, from 2000 to 2003. 

I went through three groups whilst in high school, all led by Alport Mhlanga, who was one of the key pioneers of the Zimbabwean marimba as we know it today. You can read more about that here. 

In 2000, we started off as a small group of 4 that had joined Maru-a-Pula from Thornhill Primary School. We would often sneak into the marimba practice room behind the assembly hall during break time to play our favorite songs from primary school. It wasn't long before Mr Mhlanga picked up on our "tinkering", as he called it, and gave us the opportunity to piggy back on some of the senior band's performances, doing a few numbers at their shows.

After a while, my friend Tshepiso Tebogo-Maruping and I were the only two who wanted to keep up with marimba, so we joined one of the afternoon groups, comprised mainly of Form 2 (9th grade) students. However, their lack of enthusiasm soon led to the group falling apart, and the following year Tshepiso and I moved on and banded up with a larger group. I played in this group until I left Maru-a-Pula in May 2003. At the time of my departure, the band was made up of 8 people - Tshepiso Tebogo-Maruping, Lesego Letsapa, Lebo Letsie, Bonolo Moletsane, Liliana Saplontai, Goroma Mazonde, Sharon Sibanda and me. I was the only boy, and this was typical of marimba bands at Maru-a-Pula. We started off as two boys, but Kealeboga soon left due to family commitments. 

We pretty much spent every break time, lunch time, and all free afternoons practicing, practicing, practicing! We never grew bored or tired, and would only head home because we had to! I have many, many fond memories in the marimba rehearsal room. We performed frequently, both in and out of school. 

Looking back, I think some of my fondest memories are of the stories that Baba (Mr Mhlanga, as we fondly referred to him as) had to share. We didn't always understand them straight away, but there was always a profound meaning to everything he shared. I think this is why it was so hard accepting his passing in June 2012. All I can do is be grateful for the three fantastic years I got to play in his bands, and all the incredible learning I got to do under his wing.

Below are a few pictures taken from my very last performance with the band, on May 20th 2013, the day I moved from Botswana to Sweden! "Till the bitter end", as they say! 

Performing at Main Mall in Gaborone, 2003. (Left to right - Front row: Goroma, Otto, Lesego. Middle row: Tshepiso, Liliana, Sharon. Back row: Bonolo, Mr Mhlanga, Moipone.)