Ufasimba takes Gwanda by storm

A rising Imbube music group has taken the mining town of Gwanda by storm through a genre that locals can identify with.

The streets of Jahunda are vibrating to traditional sound laced with captivating performances.

The Ufasimba, the Home of Arts Group can easily be mistaken for the legendary Black Mambazo of South Africa or the Indosakusa of Bulawayo, a rising Imbube group that has taken the music industry by storm.

Clad in traditional African print, the group has touched the hearts of all age groups in the mining town with lyrics embedded in ancient wisdom.

Receiving a standing ovation whenever they perform at national events, the group is confident of taking the genre to greater heights.

"Ufasimba is a name derived from history which means conquerors and we believe we are here to conquer the music industry. We sing about life, the social ills like drug abuse, and we embed our meaning in folklore and proverbs. We want to rise to the level of Black Mambazo or Indosakusa and we believe we can do it," said Mthabisi Moyo, Ufasimba's coordinator.

"With the support we are getting from sponsors and other stakeholders, we think we can take our genre to greater heights.We are edutainers, we sing gospel and culture and we want to fuse our genre with contemporary genres like amapiano so that we also catch the youths," Laston Sunday, a group member noted.

Imbube genre is a form of African vocal music usually comprising male cappella singers with voices in rhythmic unison, which was popularised by groups such as Black Mambazo, Black Umfolosi, Solomon Linda and Indosakusa.