Hope Masike releases new Album

Hope Masike

Mbira songstress Hope Masike has released her second album entitled Mbira, Love and Chocolate. The album, which features famous guitarist Mono Mukundu and Osbourne Mutengenzara, is a fusion of mbira and rhythms of samba and pop. The combination of rhythms gives the album a unique flair. 

In an interview with NewsDay, the mbira musician said she was trying to spice up traditional Zimbabwean music with international genres to broaden appeal. “I’m looking at mbira as a symbol of our national culture, chocolate as the foreign one, but sweet flavour and love are the unifying factors that combine the two,” Masike explained.

“Basically, Mbira, Love and Chocolate is about spicing the traditional music to keep it fresh and catchy, so as to capture a new generation of listeners.” Masike said she would be touring France, United States, Norway and the United Kingdom to promote the album which carries songs that excited audiences at the just-ended Harare International Festival of the Arts.

“In June I will be leaving for France and in August I will go to the United States before proceeding to Norway and then the United Kingdom in September.” She has already compiled two videos for songs Mapfunde, which is a folk song and Because of You — a dedication to her fans.

“Mapfunde is dedicated to the old and young to celebrate our childhood play songs that are now disappearing with technology.” Mbira, Love and Chocolate also features a Ndebele track entitled Inyoni which Masike described as her personal favourite. “The song encourages women not to feel sorry for themselves in times of depression and oppression, but to spread their wings and fly like a butterflies,” she said.

“I respect mbira — the music, the instrument and the culture. However, it hurts me to see mbira being associated with evil spirits.” Newsday