Gothic Theatre
Bongo Love
Bongo Love was formed in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe by John Mambira, who still heads up the band and Nhlanhla Ngwenya who has now moved to the UK to work on a drumming project. With John playing drums and providing lead vocals, Themba Mawoko was recruited for the lead marimba, Trymore Jombo for mbira and Mpho Mambira for the baritone marimba. “Afro-coustics”, as they call their genre, is a unique combination of styles delivered on these traditional instruments with lyrics in English, Shona and Ndebele. Since moving to Harare from Bulawayo in 2005, the fabulous quad has gone from playing mostly private functions to performing in some very popular clubs in Zimbabwe’s capital, putting on a stellar show every time and winning over countless audiences. Last year they were invited to participate in several Music Crossroads competitions in Zimbabwe and Mozambique where they wowed the judges and received invites to perform in Sweden as well as the Dominican Republic. On their way to Santa Domingo for the African Caribbean Pacific festival, they stopped off in Boston to play a charity show for victims of Hurricane Katrina and take part in a “Plugged In” cultural exchange program.
