Zimbabwean, Five-Woman A Cappella Group, Nobuntu, Makes Its Annenberg Center Debut

Nobuntu, the Zimbabwean, five-woman a cappella group, makes its Annenberg Center debut, Saturday, November 17, at 8:00 PM. With their bright a cappella harmonies, the women of Nobuntu have earned international praise for the passion and joy they bring to their mix of Zimbabwean songs, Afro-jazz and gospel. The quintet's vocals are augmented by traditional percussion and dance, celebrating the vibrant identity of their culture and what it means to be an African woman. Tickets are available at AnnenbergCenter.org or 215.898.3900.

Nobuntu is a new generation of young women singers who celebrate and preserve their culture, beauty and heritage through art. Nobuntu was founded in 2011, in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The name Nobuntu is an African concept that values humbleness, love, purpose, unity, and family from a woman's perspective. Their repertoire is a fusion of traditional Zimbabwean-rooted music, Afro jazz, gospel, and crossover; their vocals complemented by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments such as the Mbira, and some dance movements. The ensemble's mission is the belief that music is the most important and original wheel of change, transcending racial, tribal, religious, gender, and economic boundaries. Their voices, energy and breathtaking performances are an experience that communicates humanity.

The release of Nobuntu's debut album in 2013, titled Thina, took the ensemble beyond their African borders, traveling to Austria, Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic. The ensemble won Outstanding Imbube Group in the inaugural 2017 Bulawayo Arts Awards and was nominated for Best Musician of the Year at the Zimbabwe International Women Awards 2015. In 2016, Nobuntu released their second album called Ekhaya, a homage to all things African; its beauty, the values and their norms as a people. The album is an attempt to leave behind a world and legacy their children will be happy to inherit and preserve. The album highlights the importance of a place called home.