Interview With Mokoomba Band

Mokoomba is a band on the come up which consists of six childhood friends who plan to continue sharing their stories through music with the rest of Africa. Check out the interview we did with them on their plans for the future, inspiration and the role of Zimbabwean youth going forward.

How is 2015 treating Mokoomba so far?

Mokoomba is doing well in 2015 and all is going according to plan. Locally we are doing a good number of public as well as private shows and recently we did a well-received opening concert for the Harare International Festival of the Arts in collaboration with a cast of talented local and international musicians and dancers. On the touring side of things, we have taken a bit of a back seat this year to focus on recording new music but we will travel to a few festivals inside Africa.

How was the group formed, are you childhood friends, did you hold auditions, how did the group come to about?

Six young boys namely Mathias Muzaza, Trustworth Samende, Abundance Mutori, Ndaba Coster Moyo, Donald Moyo and Miti Mugande formed Mokoomba in 2007. They all grew up in the same neighborhood of Chinotimba Township in Victoria Falls where they always got together after school to play music until they decided to form a band.

You are a versatile group, which is refreshing to see in Zimbabwe, how many languages do you in-cooperate in your compositions?

Mokoomba sings in Tonga, Luvale, Nyanja, Ndebele and Shona.

Do you all write the songs you perform and record or you have one designated writers?

Our lead singer Mathias Muzaza writes most of our songs and the rest of the band works on the musicality. It is a very democratic process and everyone in the band is welcome to contribute ideas.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

We have humble dreams to become an established band from Zimbabwe that has pockets of support around the globe.

What has been your biggest challenge?

There are a lot of challenges in the music business and the biggest challenge that most bands are facing, including ours, is how to come up with new models to sell music in the face of rapid changes in technology and consumer habits.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

We are inspired by the older generation of artists who continue to show us the way.

Who are your top 5 favorite local musicians?

Honestly, we do not have favorite local or international musicians because as we grow older, we have learnt to value and respect the talent and work that every artist puts in whether they are famous or not.

Do you think young people are involved in the future of this country?

Young people have no choice but to be involved. In Zimbabwe around 64% of the population is made up of young people 25 years and below and this means they are already the majority so efforts need to be made to include them in decision making so they can help shape the wonderful future they deserve.

Do you get support more locally or outside of Zimbabwe and where would you prefer to be recognized more, home or abroad?

The way we see it is that we are continuously developing support for our work everywhere and that we have as good a number of young people that support us at home as well as abroad.

Whats your biggest achievement yet?

Our greatest achievement has been our ability to travel around the world sharing our people’s music and culture, winning some awards along the way 🙂 .

What do you guys do to relax?

We enjoy listening to different kinds of music and to travel.

What’s your advice to the Zimbabwean youth?

Innovate!!!