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Freshly Ground ends HIFA on a high note
Kubatana.net
May 03, 2004

All photographs by Kubatana.net

The Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) which began on Tuesday April 27, came to an end last night with a surprise guest appearance by Zimbabwe's superstar Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi performing a duet on the song Todii (What shall we do) with Freshly Ground, the South African band based in Cape Town. This is the second time that Freshly Ground has performed at HIFA.

Freshly Ground lived up to expectations and kept the crowd on their feet. Their music is a fusion of the mbira, kwela, violin and soft rock with a distinct African feel. The sultry voice of Zolani Mahola, who danced and swayed on the stage like mama Mirriam Makeba, gave the people a good run for their money on the Caltex Main Stage.

It is not surprising that they were invited to perform at the opening of Parliament in South Africa early this year. They have also performed at the Robben Island African Music Festival and Heritage Day with Oliver Mtukudzi, Jonathan Butler, the delectable Judith Sephuma and recently at the North Sea jazz Festival where they performed alongside Femi Kuti and Mirriam Makeba.

Freshly Ground is made up of seven members who include Simon Attwell, a Zimbabwean now based in Cape Town. Simon plays the flute, percussion and mbira in a way that evokes the spirits.

Some of the big names that performed at the HIFA Main Stage this year include Senegalese Ishmael Lo who performed two songs with Oliver Mtukudzi. Then there was the great voice of Angolan Waldemar Bastos and the rising British sax player Soweto Kinch, whose album "Conversations with the Unseen" won the MOBO award for Best Jazz Act 2003 and a Mercury Music prize for Album of the Year.

The show ended with a breathtaking fire works display that ignited the Harare Grounds in a colourful scene that endorsed the heartbeat of the city throughout the festival.

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