Martin Muleya
The Chibuku Road to Fame competition provincial finals recently took place in the stunning resort town of Victoria Falls, bringing together talented groups from Matebeleland North province.
Out of the ten participating groups, Simuniziva, an Afro-fusion group emerged victorious, taking home $2 500 for landing the top spot. On second position was Abelifa the Inheritors that plays traditional jazz that walked away $1 500 richer and Zambezi Fusion group that plays Aquastic fusion came third and walked away with $1 000.
Simuniziva, is a Chewa or Nyanja word which translates to ‘you don’t know me or don’t underestimate me,’ is a group of eight talented members led by Leopatra Reid. The group features Courage Mumpande- lead guitar, Maclean Phiri- bass guitar, Tinotenda Mautsi- drums, Takudzwa Mutoko- keyboard, Cornwell Ndlovu- percussion, Audrey Maseko and Sandra Moyo- vocalists.
In an interview with The Midweek Watch, Leopatra Reid expressed her group’s gratitude at winning the competition.
“This was our first time participating and we never thought we would scoop the top prize,” she said.
Despite stiff competition, Simuniziva’s unique blend of traditional and modern sounds impressed the adjudicators.
With their win, Simuniziva has proven that they are a force to be reckoned with, in the music industry. Their Afro-fusion sound is sure to resonate with fans across the region and their victory is a celebration of the rich cultural diversity of the region.
