After hosting its debut concert last year, Sofar Sounds Harare returned for its second intimate concert in April this year which was hosted at the spacious First Floor Gallery in the city centre. The shows which are hosted in different spaces around the city of Harare, are part of a new music concept that debuted in the country last year in December at the restaurant Vanilla Moon in Mount Pleasant.
Sofar Sounds Harare is part of a global network of music curators and musicians putting on live music concerts in out-of-the-ordinary venues. It is coordinated by multi-platform creatives Khumbulani Muleya. The original London installment of Sofar Sounds (Songs From a Room) was a house concert hosted by founder Rafe Offer 15 years ago, to which he invited a few friends. The concept expanded rapidly and today it is present in more than 450 cities throughout the world. Its shows are run by independent music curators in the cities where they reside.
The community-based shows are invite only and to attend guests apply via www.sofarsounds.com in order to reserve tickets. A show lasts 3 hours and has a line-up of 3 or 4 artists of different genres each performing 20 minute slots. Sofar concerts are distinct in that they are hosted in unique and secret locations that provide an intimate setting where attendants are immersed in a music experience free of the usual distractions normally associated with livemusic shows. The venue is kept a secret until a day before the show, and the performers are not introduced to the audience until they enter the stage, which is something that adds a sense of mystery and thrill to the occasion.
"We are so happy to have hosted our second concert, we actually sold out way in advance which shows that the brand is getting recognised. The concept is still new in Zimbabwe, and the idea is to spread the Sofar model across the country as there are many musicians looking for a way togrow their local and global audiences, as well as fans seeking a genuine connection with music," Muleya said.
Actor, guitarist, singer and session musician Kudzie Kayz who sings and plays Afro Jazz music fused in an original mix of indigenous African sounds and contemporary urban styles was part of the performers including country folk-rock musician, Zowa and singer song writer Cinginkosi Ncube whose genre is afro soul. The afro-acoustic group Gwevedzi performed at Sofar Sounds Harare's inaugural concert last year, and as a result of their appearance, they were given the chance to be shortlisted for a Sofar Sounds music residency in London.
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The concert also included Nasibo and Glenview-based Tru Bantu Tribe. Globally, more than 100 artists who performed at Sofar shows have beennominated for a Grammy, with 24 Sofar alumni nominated for a Grammy in 2022 alone. On the same day, there were other concerts that took place all over the world in locations such as Lahore (Pakistan), Bangalore (India), Bloemfontein (SA), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Brussels (Belgium), Drobak (Norway), Ancona (Italy), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Valencia (Spain), Bucks County and Reno (US).
The next Sofar Harare concert is sold out and has been scheduled at yet another secret location on Saturday 24 June.
