A cappella groups do not usually originate in Zimbabwe, but that’s what makes Nobuntu so special.
“They have been in the industry for slightly over five years, but their name rings wide and loud,” wrote Nkululeko Nkala in a 2016 review. “These girls remind me of the legendary group Black Voices. They take any song and make it their own and in an amazing way.”
Nobuntu will showcase its impressive vocals on Tuesday, Oct. 24, when the group performs at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, as part of Music at Noon: The Logan Series. The performance takes place at noon in McGarvey Commons, in the college’s Reed Union Building. Admission is free, and reserved parking for audience members will be available in the Reed lot. The concert is part of Nobuntu’s first American tour.
The five-part a cappella group was founded in 2011 on the notion that female a cappella groups were underrepresented in Zimbabwe. Their repertoire is a fusion of traditional Zimbabwean-rooted music, Afro Jazz, gospel and crossover, and they utilize traditional instruments such as the Mbira and some dance movements.
The ensemble was nominated for Best Musician of the Year at the Zimbabwe International Women Awards in 2015. In 2016, they released their second album, “EKHAYA,” which pays homage to African lifestyle and values.
Music at Noon: The Logan Series was founded by Kay Logan in 1989 and receives major support from the Kay Logan Trust. Additional funding is provided by the Penn State Behrend Student Activity Fee. Music at Noon receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional support for this program is provided in part from an Erie Arts & Culture Project Grant, made possible by community contributions to the Combined Arts & Cultural Campaign and the Erie Arts Endowment.
For more information about The Logan Series or Nobuntu’s appearance, contact series director Gary Viebranz at 814-898-6289 or email gav3@psu.edu.