Joint tour: Siti & The Band and Berita AfroSoul
Zanzibar >> South Africa
This project aims to enhance the cultural connection between Zanzibar and South Africa, engaging creative audiences with unique collaborative musical content from both geographical hotspots and empowering fellow musicians and audiences to follow their roots whilst exploring their musical and personal identity,
During Siti & The Band’s tour in Uganda for DOADOA Festival they partnered up with Berita AfroSoul to record a collaboration. The collaborative track “Fire & Gold” sparked their transnational connection which now continues in this joint tour.
Both Zanzibar and South Africa have rich musical histories that are embedded in culture. Siti & The Band have been representing Zanzibar culture and female empowerment in Uganda, Kenya in Nigeria to an overwhelming response, especially from fellow female musicians. Berita likewse conveys a powerful pan African female message in her music. Their coming together for this tour which includes performances at Moshito Music Conference in Johannesburg and The Music Imbizo in Durban in late August – early September 2019 promises an inspiring musical experience.
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
With unique instrumentation – including Violin, Qanun & Oud – Siti & The Band is carrying the torch of classical Zanzibari taarab music by giving new life to the traditional sounds. In their first album they fuse their African roots with Western and Indian Ocean influences. Rooted in a mystic Island in the Indian Ocean, carrying influences from ancient Arab, Turkish, Indian and African musical traditions whilst fusing them with contemporary music from Jazz to Funk to Reggae and beyond, Siti & The Band are the rising stars from the East African region presenting a virtuous live show sparked with empowering messages. Siti Amina, lead singer of the group explains their bridging of traditional and contemporary cultural experiences: “A big challenge in today’s world is the lack of cultural education and the lack of knowledge of one’s culture. We recognised the need to put the mutual agreements of music into a new form where we could serve both our cultural heritage, as well as the influences of our globalised world.”
Berita is a Multi-award winning, gold selling, Afrosoul singer, songwriter and guitarist. She was introduced to South Africa through a stunning debut with the now classic ballard ‘Thandolwethu’ in 2012. Born Gugulethu Khumalo in Zimbabwe, she adopted the stage name Berita, her mother’s name, in honour of her mother and all courageous and strong African women. She has collaborated with African music royalty Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Oliver Mtukudzi, and the late Hugh Masekela, Berita is inspired to take her music all over the African continent and across the world, breaking barriers for the female African child.
