UKAMA Band, a traditional afro outfit from Zimbabwe, took top honours at the Imagine Music Xperience (IMX) International Final 2024, held in Belgium on December 15.
The international music competition, which drew 28 young musicians from 10 countries, including Belgium, Finland, France and Zimbabwe, showcased original compositions at Le Botanique in Brussels.
Ukama Band's victory earned them a €1 500 (US$1 560) cash prize and professional coaching, paving the way for them to take their music career to new heights.
“Their energetic, authentic performance and style wowed the audience and jury alike!” read a statement released by www.imaginemusicexperience.net recently.
Mellecrack from Belgium came second, receiving prize money of €750 (US$780), while Krapyl from Norway landed the third position and walked away with €250 (US$260).
All finalists, including Bondesson Trio (Sweden), Skylar (Hungary), Ognen Zlatanov (North Macedonia), Kraiden (Finland), The Grote Geelstaart (Netherlands) and Jade Lamy from France spent the week participating in skills-building workshops with industry professionals.
These professionals included Ricardo van Mildert (entrepreneur in the mental health space), Nika Bauman (multi-disciplinary artist), as well as Matt Clark (programmes and marketing director Jeunesses Musicales International) among others.
Special mention was extended to Grote Geelstaart and Kraiden. The latter emerged as the online public’s favourite, while Grote Geelstaart won the Muziekgiterij prize, a package that includes performance, studio and recording opportunities.
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Ukama Band was formed last year when Kundai Mudepu (acoustic guitar, lead vocalist), Nyasha Gurira (drummer), Nokutenda Kutirai (lead guitar) and 14-year-old Takudzwa Mudepu (bass) met at Churchill Boys High School in Harare.
They sing mostly in Shona and their music expresses cultural norms and values.
The competition was streamed on the video sharing platform YouTube. Ukama, who were the sixth contestants, opened the set with Vakawuya kumba and then made a smooth transition introducing a groovy number titled Mamukanganisa with lyrics “zivayi zvamunoita pamberi pevana ...” meaning “know how to behave in front of children”.
They closed off their set with Kure nehama, a track that carries melancholic undertones and an outstanding bassline coupled with impressive guitar and drum playing. The band clearly impressed the audience and left the stage amidst thunderous applause.
By fusing local and world genres, the band is carving its own identity.
“Our purpose is to bring healing to broken-hearted people and broken families. The band’s name is Ukama, which means ‘family’,
“Our purpose is to bring families together and heal the broken-hearted,” band spokesperson Nyasha Gurira told an event host after their performance.
Had it not been for financial and visa challenges, the youngsters would have made their debut on the international platform last year when they won the regional finals.
They were, however, fortunate enough to receive an invitation from the competition committee to participate at this year’s edition with arts and culture organisation Africalia buying them flight tickets.
They are first-year students at Music Crossroads Academy Zimbabwe (MCAZ) where they were given a scholarship to study for a certificate in professional music as well as sound engineering.
“Naturally, the boys are very hardworking and they are committed to their work. They have a high understanding of music and have been involved with it for some time. What they did not have was an opportunity to learn, which is what Music Crossroads is doing for them,” Mirriam Patsanza, the Imagine Music Experience Competition coordinator for Zimbabwe told IndependentXtra.
The Imagine Music Experience has inspired, empowered and engaged young musicians, including the globetrotting Mokoomba, the Compact Disk Dummies and others.
It takes place in eight countries. According to their website, the competition starts with a series of pre-selections, either digital or live. Young musicians enter their music projects online and the most promising is selected to participate.
One winning artist is selected from each country to participate in the Imagine International Final.
The event was organised by Jeunesses Musicales International, a global movement that empowers young musicians under 21 by providing a platform to showcase their original music. The platform prioritises artistic development, collaboration and the creation of original work.
