Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Maureen is an Afro Jazz singer and songwriter with 35 years in the music industry. Maureen started her music career as a teenager, and she has a collection of five albums (Nandayeya 2000, Coming Home 2002, Evolution 2004, Tetwe 2005, Soul Masala 2007). She is backed by ‘Ashilile Band’ comprising six instrumentalists. The band is inspired by tradition and plays a fusion of traditional Zambian and western music. The band plays all genres of music but their strong suit is the Zambian field.

Maureen is a motivational speaker, and she has addressed in her music as well as at conferences issues on malaria, HIV, child abuse, domestic violence, morality, religion, and dealing with the loss of a loved one.
Maureen has collaborated and shared stages with various artists such as the Malmo Symphony of Sweden, Oliver Mtukudzi, Fra Fra of Netherlands, Magic System, Baba Maal of Senegal, Black Voices of the UK, Leona Lewis, Jonathan Butler, and Seal. Maureen has also led a female Acapella group called Amashiwi to Japan.

Maureen has won multi-Ngoma awards, two Azami awards and Starmaker accolade. She was nominated in the 2006 South Africa Kora Award for Best Female Artist. On March 21, 2014 Maureen was awarded the Born ‘n’ Bred Lifetime Achievement Award. She is also the Plan International Goodwill Ambassador and member of the Zambia Adjudicators Panel (ZAP). On September 18, 2015 she was awarded Africa’s Most Influential Women Awards for Arts in Zambia and the SADC region.

Ellisha James a.k.a KIBOPAPACHA (previously Pacha the Great ) was born and raised in Arusha, Tanzania. Ellisha started rapping at age 12  while participating in the Ishi Campaign against AIDS, performing in different social events, and attending various youth & music oriented workshops. In 2012 he won the Serengeti Fiesta Free Style with MC Shujaa, then in March of 2013 he was among the 4 chosen artists within the SUA PROJECT who form the music group called KiNGS under Daz Naledge (producer). Ellisha is currently working on the album titled FRESH FROM SCHOOL in association with DAB MUZIK.

When it comes to South Africa, the Jack Mantis Band still has it’s place as one of the country’s top jam bands. When they do find themselves here, they continue to perform on large stages such as Rocking the Daisies, Splashy Fenn, Oppikoppi, Kirstenbosch Gardens and the Paul Cluver Amphitheatre. The past two years has seen them share stages with the likes of Prime Circle, Kahn Morbee (The Parlotones), Ard Matthews, Arno Carstens, Albert Frost and – most recently – Dan Patlansky.

With a history steeped in music and a lifetime spent gaining insight and wisdom the world over, Mantis brings something truly generous to his performances. A sense of common humanity and togetherness. The brotherhood between band members and the sincere heart expressed through their music is tangible. It is undeniable that their vision is to create a conscious shift through their music and to hold a space for meaningful shared experiences.

Yes Rasta! is a reggae band based in Livingstone, Zambia. They have advocated for the earth on many occasions, and live conscious lifestyles in alignment with their musical advocacy. The band has performed and appeared on TV all over Zambia, and pay regular visits to the nearby Mosi-Oa-Tunya “The Smoke That Thunders,” Victoria Falls.

Dr. Mtukudzi grew up in Highfield, a poor neighborhood in Salisbury (modern-day Harare) in Southern Rhodesia, as the eldest of seven siblings[1]. While both his parents sang in a choir, they were initially not supportive of his continued interest in music, consequently breaking his first homemade guitar.[2]

He began performing in 1977 when he joined the Wagon Wheels, a band that also featured Thomas Mapfumo and fellow legendary guitarist James Chimombe. They were given the rare opportunity by Paul Tangi Mhova Mkondo, an African nationalist and music promoter, who provided money and resources to the group. With the support of Mutanga, the prayers and blessings of Amai Mutanga, he allowed them to perform at Mutanga Restaurant & Night Club (Pungwe) which, at the time, was the first and only African licensed (obtained by Mkondo) night club available for blacks under Rhodesia’s policy of segregation. Their single Dzandimomotera went gold and Tuku’s first album followed, which was also a major success. Mtukudzi is also a contributor to Mahube, Southern Africa’s “supergroup”.[3]

With his husky voice, Mtukudzi has become the most recognised voice to emerge from Zimbabwe and onto the international scene and he has earned a devoted following across Africa and beyond. A member of Zimbabwe’s KoreKore group, with Nzou Samanyanga as his totem, he sings in the nation’s dominant Shona language along with Ndebele and English. He also incorporates elements of different musical traditions, giving his music a distinctive style, known to fans as Tuku Music.

On 23 January 2019, Mtukudzi died at the age of 66, just a few months after our collaboration. May his soul rest in peace, as his legacy lives on.

Maun, Botswana

A living legend in Botswana, we are honored to call Stiger Sola our friend. He’s got a heart of gold, and a voice that personifies years of experience singing and storytelling in Setswana and his mother tongue, se’Yei. Literally born inside the Okavango Delta wilderness, Stiger has that “star quality” that’s hard to describe, but as soon as you meet him, you know that he’s a very special human, and a talented musician!