Mokoomba
By Caleb Hoze
So, you may wonder, what does Mokoomba mean? Mokoomba, according to lead guitarist Trustworth Samende, “is the deep respect that we have for the Zambezi River as a source of life.” The band Mokoomba comes from Zimbabwe, where part of the Zambezi River lies. More specifically, the band resided in Victoria Falls, which Samende -as well as others native to the area- calls “Mosi-oa-Tunya.”
When asked how the group came to be, Samende reveals, “We all grew up in the same neighborhood. We all went to the same schools.” To play and practice their music, they relied on a neighbor who had instruments, as the members had none at the time. Samende states, “[The neighbor] would bring us together to just jam. That’s when we ended up deciding to become a band.”
The members of Mokoomba are Mathias Muzaza, who sings lead vocals; the aforementioned Trustworth Samende, lead guitarist; Abundance Mutori, background vocalist and bass player; Donald Moyo, keyboardist; Ndaba Coster Moyo, drummer; and Miti Muganda, percussionist.
The band has released a total of four albums, but Samende says each one is different. He explains, “There’s no formula. It changes every time. Sometimes, it starts with the chorus… Sometimes, it starts with the guitar melody… You never know where the inspiration [will come] from. It depends.”
Samende also states, “We sing about things that happen every day.” Whether the song is about love or even illness, Mokoomba takes the theme and couples it with an unforgettable tune. For example, “Manina,” a song released recently in their album Tusona: Tracings in the Sand, concerns COVID-19 and its effect on humanity. This song entails a river unlike the Zambezi, which is claimed to be a giver of life. The band reimagines their view of water as something that can take lives instead– this revision acting as a metaphor for those lost from COVID-19. Samende clarifies, “We don’t know what took them. They are gone, and we don’t know where they’re going to end up. So, we use the river as an example… they’re just flowing with the river.”
Mokoomba is often described as an “afro-fusion” band. But what does that mean exactly? When considering the geography of Victoria Falls, the band’s genre is more easily understood. Samende expresses, “We are at the border.” The border he references is between Zimbabwe and Zambia; moreover, Victoria Falls is only a few hours from Botswana. Thus, in total, the group was influenced by three nations, which helped them cultivate their distinct sound.
Additionally, Mokoomba uses many different languages in their songs: “In our songs, we use [six] languages: Tonga, Luvala, Nyanja, Ndebele, Shona, and English.”
“We’ve been on the road,” says Samende. Since April, the group has been touring the United States– from places like New Orleans to New York City. They have upcoming shows in Wisconsin, as well: on August 5th, they’ll be in Milwaukee; and on the 6th through the 8th, they’ll be in Madison. Towards the end of August, the band will leave the United States. Samende expresses his excitement, stating, “We will be going to the U.K. We’re doing a few tours there, a few festivals.”
Recently, Mokoomba has released Tosuna: Tracings in the Sand, and according to Samende, “What makes it different is that it is self-produced. One hundred percent. We did everything ourselves.” With their new album, they wanted to create something different. He believes they did, but claims “It was a gamble.” Nevertheless, the band must have hit the jackpot. Their new album is phenomenal.