By Style Reporter
Zimbabwean urban centres have in the last few years witnessed an increase in ethnic-themed nights in nightclubs and other entertainment spots as artistes diversify their revenue streams.
On the other hand, adding a little something special on a weeknight could also help nightclub owners lure patrons.
Lately, there has been an reinvention of traditional music in cities and Afro-fusion musician Sasha Lishomwa, simply known as Amadhuve Sasha (pictured right) in music circles, is among a group of musicians who are taking the ethnic beat into the urban spaces.
“I am happy to announce that I am having ethnic nights dubbed Traditional Saturday at Zim Café every week in Harare,” said Sasha.
“I have roped in two traditional dancers and mbira players to complement my backing team of instrumentalists. We now have a strong team of instrumentalists and the backing vocalists… These are pure traditional nights,” she said.
A niece to the late mbira player Edna Chizema, otherwise known as Mbuya Madhuve, Amadhuve Sasha is a regular entertainer in Harare where she is a resident performer at a local hotel.
She said the Traditional Saturday was a unique gig meant to “revisit our traditional lifestyles”.
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“We will be celebrating our traditional way of life through dance and music. We invite those interested to come every Saturday and see us in action,” she said.
A product of Progress Chipfumo’s Sound of Motherland outfit, Amadhuve Sasha started singing at a tender age in the AFM Church with the likes of Kiren Darare and Sebastan Magacha. She said she never looked back, joining the mainstream music scene that saw her moving from one group to another.
She said she was working on her forthcoming project, an album titled Mutsindo.
The 35-year-old singer said she was now ripe and ready to conquer the world on her own considering the lengthy journey she had travelled before going solo.
“I now feel that I have got what it takes to be at the top having shared the stage with almost every big artiste in Zimbabwe. I have learnt my lessons and I am always learning and improving my act,” she said.
Amadhuve Sasha introduced her debut single titled Two-timer at a successful launch ceremony held at Club Las Vegas in May last year. Her music is classified as Afro-fusion with a deep assortment of mbira and marimba.
