The name Mokoomba stems from the deep respect that the Tonga people have for the Zambezi River and for the vibrant life that it brings to their music and culture. This exciting Tonga group from Zimbabwe certainly has a unique sound that is set to take the global music scene by storm!
Winners of the Music Crossroads InterRegional Festival (IRF) in Lilongwe, Malawi in August 2008, MOKOOMBA brings audiences an electrifying blend of Afro-fusion and tantalizing traditional Tonga rhythms. It is a six-piece band singing in Tonga, one of the lesser known languages and cultures of Zimbabwe, fusing it with: keyboard, percussion and drums, rhythm and bass guitar and a dynamic showcase of Tonga made instruments like Jemba, whistle and bell as well as an array of other indigenous instruments, making this some highly danceable.
The group was formed as Mokoomba in 2001 and has now become a household name in the Victoria Falls region of Zimbabwe. In 2004 the group recorded their first album entitled “The first of Mokoomba” in Harare featuring the group’s senior founder Alfred Mujimba.
Their first participation at Music Crossroads, was at the Local Festival in August 2007, in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and went on to blow audiences away at the National Festival held in Harare. Their road to fame started in August 2008, at the Music Crossroads InterRegional Festival (IRF) in Lilongwe, Malawi, where they were awarded with the Music Crossroads first prize – a European tour in 2009. After this, Mokoomba went on to release their debut album Kweseka which was launched together with their European Tour in 2009, in Stockholm, Oslo, Bilbao, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Brussels. The next year, Mokoomba returned to Europe for a tour where they performed at prestigious stages all over Europe. As of 2019, Mokoomba has performed in Africa, USA, Canada, South Korea and all over Europe.
The group’s songs relate to social ills such as the HIV pandemic, love, and other issues. In 2012, they recorded the second album, Rising tide and in 2017 the album titled Lyando.
Band Members
Accomplishments
