Extra Musica in Town
The Brazzaville group arrived on Monday night ahead of their performance during the Africa Tourism Night Concert to be held at the Harare International Conference Centre on Saturday.
Extra Musica will share the stage with top South African groups Bongo Maffin and Mafikizolo, Botswana sensation Vee of TakuTaku fame while Tongai Moyo represents Zimbabwe. Speaking from their Harare hotel yesterday — the founder and leader of the group, Roga Roga - said the outfit was raring to go. “We are very happy to be in Zimbabwe for the second time since our first visit here three years ago. “This time we have come with new songs, dances, and a better performance and Zimbabweans should look forward to our latest album La Main Noire (Black Hand). We definitely are going to make them enjoy,” he said, speaking through his manager-turned interpreter Yusuf Fanfan.
Roga — who spoke through his manager-turned interpreter Yusuf Fanfan - was full of praise for Zimbabwe, which he described as “the country of Africa” as well as his second home. “Zimbabwe is the country of Africa. I like it because its people are a very receptive, respecting and nice people,” he said. Roga said by taking part in the concert, he was playing a bigger role in ensuring that Zimbabwe, Congo-Brazzaville and the African continent at large would project their tourism sectors to the outside world. “I am happy to perform so that Zimbabwean tourism can improve. Tourism is giving value to African traditions, culture and values by showcasing them to the world. So from this show we see Zimbabwe promoting tourism Africa through music,” he said.
Roga said African musicians were the ambassadors of their continent’s heritage abroad and noted as a good example the popularity of Extra Musica in France as one powerful means of how music can promote African tourism abroad.
Zimbabwean and Congolese music - he explained - shared almost the same trends. “Sungura and Congolese music are almost the same. The values are the same because in Africa music conditions are not like in the United States. African music is mainly about us playing music for culture.” He however said Extra Musica were looking forward to learning a lot from other musicians billed to perform on Saturday.
“We were impressed by the music of Oliver Mtukudzi, Alick Macheso, Tongai Moyo and Cephas Mashakada the last time we were here. We knew them from their shows and they played really nice music,” he said. The group that started in the early 90s as a gospel choral group based in the Ouenze Quartier has nine albums among them Confirmation (1997), Ouragon, Etat Mayor (2000), Shalai (2002) and Obligatoire (2005).
Their debut album, Les Nouvelles Missiles went gold in France in 1996 and earned them the Meilleure Group Award in their home country.
[Via The Herald ]
