On Friday 26 July from 8pm, Book Café celebrates three gifted young women artists who have been making waves on the music scene in Zimbabwe and beyond - HOPE MASIKE, Edith WeUTONGA and RUTENDO MACHIRIDZA, in a lively back-to-back concert at the popular performing arts venue in the capital.
The show turns the spotlight on the astounding progress of these young women who are stepping out boldly in their careers, leading the way for the new generation in Zimbabwe with artistry, passion, dignity and pride, taking the music industry ‘bull’ by the horns, overturning misconceptions about women in music, and striding confidently into the future at the same level and higher, than many in the male-dominated industry. They’re vibrant, they’re deeply creative, they’re out of the box and off the chain, each in their own unique way, making for a lively performance through the night.
On
Friday 26 July Hope and Edith WeUtonga graciously lend their support to up&coming multi-faceted Rutendo Machiridza (mbira) who embarks on an intensive fund-raising campaign at this event, to raise support for a part-scholarship offered by the famous Berklee College of Music, USA. The show gives Rutendo a platform to ‘show her stuff’ to Zimbabwe in general, and potential sponsors in particular, and launches her determined drive to get to Berklee. See her fundraising campaign at
http://www.gofundme.com/30e4ns and more details below.
‘Stepping Out’ on
Friday 26 July is coordinated by arts development organization Pamberi Trust through its youth and gender programmes, and overlapping with the new initiative spark “Mbiravolution” by Hector Mugani. Pamberi Trust programmes for arts development are funded in part by Hivos, Africalia, the European Union and others.
It is a high honour for any musician - and especially a young Zimbabwean woman musician - to be accepted into a school as prestigious as the Berklee College of Music.
Rutendo plays the Nyunga-Nyunga mbira and has a five-octave vocal range. She has followed the music within her from a young age, growing from strength to strength as a mbira musician, singer and songwriter, and achieving local recognition through her music studies, talent competitions, musical collaborations, national and regional awards, local and international tours, and an encounter with acting, in the last few years (see artists profile attached).
She studied for the National Certificate in Music at the Zimbabwe College of Music in 2011, where she also performed in the college jazz band, and served as President of the Students Representative Board. Rutendo has a very strong academic record, acquitted herself extremely well at A Level, and received numerous academic achievement awards throughout high school. Her personal motto is ‘Average is never enough’.
Hope Masike
Hope Masike is a highly-acclaimed young mbira-singer-songwriter who has travelled the music road since childhood, graduated from the Zimbabwe College of Music some years ago, formed the band Kakuwe, performed widely in Harare and the region and produced two albums ‘Hope’ and ‘Mbira Love & Chocolate’ to date, travelled in the world, studied improvisational skills in jazz at the Culture School of Fredrikstaadt in Norway, performed in Europe and more recently in the southern African region, and is warmly-embraced by music-lovers back home in Zimbabwe.
Along with many other music collaborations, in 2011 and 2012 Hope brought the exciting group ‘Monoswezi’ (Mozambique-Norway-Sweden-
Zimbabwe) to Harare and performed at HIFA 2013 in a riveting regional collaboration with famous young SA pianist Bokani Dyer and Mozambican saxophonist Muzila Mulembe, which went on tour to AZGO Festival in Maputo, and Bushfire Festival in Swaziland this May.
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| Hope Masike |
In 2013 Hope won the NAMA award for ‘Outstanding Female Artist 2012’.
For the remainder of 2013 Hope says, “I am off on a European tour late this year, the tour includes but is not limited to Norway, Denmark, UK, then back in Africa for South Africa and Zambia gigs. Back home I will do Shoko Festival, World Music Festival and my own grand concert in September. This a special concert for me.
"It has been over two months since I gigged with my band as we were on a break. We resume local public gigs in September.” In the meantime, she says “This is a once-off concert in support of the launch of Rutendo's Fundraising campaign, I will also be welcoming new band members joining my band lineup”, so all should take advantage of the chance to catch Hope Masike with her band.
Hope is very supportive of Rutendo, and admires her determination. She said “Here is a musician who wants to take herself
and the Zimbabwe music industry to a new level, and she deserves all the support she can get. It’s a big deal to be accepted by Berklee. I have even tried, but gave up because of costs. It is very commendable that she has the courage to give it a try. She has huge potential to become big, and sell the brand Zimbabwe, as even talking of mbira out there is selling Zimbabwe. It’s also important for the history of mbira in the world. At home, it would inspire other young musicians wanting to study higher, encouraged by her example to persevere. We need such success stories, especially for female artists. I wish her every success.”
Rutendo Machiridza: A Date with Destiny
Rutendo Machiridza (23) is an exceptionally gifted young Zimbabwean musician, singer and songwriter who has been offered a unique opportunity to study at the famous Berklee College of Music, USA, on a merit scholarship.
Recognized worldwide as one of the top schools for music education in the United States, Berklee provides a rigorous program that trains students - who have met their high standards for selection - to excel in careers in music. With claims to notable alumni such as Quincy Jones and John Mayer, Berklee College of Music is famous for producing many artists who have met with world-wide acclaim post graduation.
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| Rutendo Machiridza |
It is a high honour for any musician - and especially a young Zimbabwean woman musician - to be accepted into a school as prestigious as the Berklee College of Music.
It is inevitable that Rutendo should find herself in the hallowed halls of the world famous Berklee college, one of the world’s highest seats of music learning.
Two acclaimed women artists of Zimbabwe, lady of jazz Dudu Manhenga and the fast-rising ‘mbira princess’ Hope Masike lend Rutendo their full support. Hope Masike says: “Here is a musician who wants to take herself
and the Zimbabwe music industry to a new level, and she deserves all the support she can get. It’s a big deal to be accepted by Berklee. I have even tried, but gave up because of costs. It is very commendable that she has the courage to give it a try. She has huge potential to become big, and sell the brand Zimbabwe, as even talking of mbira out there is selling Zimbabwe. It’s also important for the history of mbira in the world. At home, it would inspire other young musicians wanting to study higher, encouraged by her example to persevere. We need such success stories, especially for female artists. I wish her every success.”
An incredible opportunity awaits Rutendo if she is able to raise $47,000 by September 2013, to support costs beyond the scholarship of $18,000 per year. An incredible challenge.
Rutendo is blessed with a gift that is destined to take her to world stages, proudly Zimbabwean. She has invested her whole life in this gift, learning, working, sacrificing, struggling, and now stands on the brink of fulfilment and the possibility of world acclaim.
For Zimbabwe, she is a daughter of the soil who is able to present the magic of the mbira and Zimbabwe to the world with the highest credentials.
Rutendo is already performing fund-raising gigs around Harare, and pushing sales of her debut CD, with guidance and support from established women artists Dudu Manhenga, Hope Masike and others.
See Rutendo's fundraising campaign at
http://www.gofundme.dcom/30e4ns.
ENDS
Pamberi Trust
0772 394 394
