Mozambican group set to star at Forde Festival
BY SAM BANDA JNR
IN FORDE, NORWAY:
A Mozambican group known as Tumbila Muzimba is set to perform at this year’s Forde Traditional and World Music Festival in Norway, giving more representation to southern Africa.
The Forde Traditional and World Music Festival, which starts today, through to Sunday, is the largest festival for traditional and world music in Scandinavia, presenting about 100 acts and 300 artists from all over the world.
Last year, Zimbabwe’s group, Mokoomba, performed at the festival where they conquered.
Founded in 1997, Timbila Muzimba orchestra is dedicated to preserving and expressing various chopi styles, including tchopo, tchingomana, ngalanga and mgodo.
The orchestra has produced two CDs titled Conta Propria and Warethwa.
There is no Malawian group once again at the festival.
The last time the country participated in the festival was in 2016 when, through Music Crossroads Malawi, it participated in the Talent programme.
The participants in the Talent programme were Thokozani Mdoko, Asante Maulidi and Patrick Chimbewa.
Other African acts participating at the 29th edition of the festival are Fanfarai Big Band from Algeria and Elida Almeida from Cape Verde.
The festival’s Artistic and Managing director Hilde Bjorkum said this will be her last festival.
“It has been a real priviledge to lead the Forde Festival all these years. I admit we have heard some critical voices. We have had some tough times and a huge amount of work. But most importantly, there has been so much learning,” Bjorkum said.
Bjorkum visited the country last year on the Talent programme.
The theme for this year’s edition is “The Dance in the Music, the Music in the Dance”.
“In folk music, the dance is inseparable from the music and we celebrate the world’s fantastic forms of dance expression and driving dance music both from our own country and from abroad,” Bjorkum said.
Meanwhile, the country’s Madalitso Band will today star at Roskilde Festival in Denmark.
This is one of the top festivals in Europe and will this year feature other top acts such as Eminem and Bruno Mars.
“The band is geared for the festival and ready to fly Malawi’s flag. After this festivaling we will go to Berlin, Germany,” Neil Nayar, the band’s Co-manager said Tuesday.
The group’ will perform in Germany on July 8, Switzerland on July 13 and then hold eight gigs in France starting from July 15 to 25.
They will also hold three shows in Norway and one in Sweden before returning home in August
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