Beyond imagination where music, dance and art is like food in the morning, afternoon and evening. Art is our way of living we are preserving it and spreading it to the young generation and into the future. Tswai Tswai is an unstoppable culture dance and music act that rises from Mutare’s Dangamvura Surburb whose members are a group full of energy and wide range of talented young people specializing in Mbira Marimba Ngoma Hosho Traditional and Contemporary dances, Acoustic guitar drums and craftsmanship that’s making of the traditional instruments.
The group was formed in the year 2000 as a traditional music performance group, known as the Ntswai Ntswai Crew. The group gained immense popularity and visibility performing at almost every major festival and events in the province and the country at large i.e. Road to fame, Music Crossroads, Chimanimani Arts festival, Chibuku neshamwari, Unity Galas, HIV and AIDS awareness programs by FACT, Africa University Anniversaries and Festivals, AM Zimbabwe interviews, Hotels, Solidarity Galas in Mozambique . In 2015 Getty Sabba became a consultant to Ntswai Ntswai rekindling the professional relationship with Sir Lino Piloto who was then a Lecturer at Africa University. That’s when the group rebranded to Ntswai Ntswai Arts in September 2015 to reflect the shift in ideology and vision. Whereas Ntswai Ntswai Crew was limited to performances, the Ntswai Ntswai Arts incorporated musical instruments manufacturing and training in addition to performances. Ntswai Ntswai Arts , as part of its repackaging, introduced western musical instruments in their performances in the form of an Acoustic guitar and Saxophone. This was meant to cater for a diverse local and international audience .
On the performance front the revamped Ntswai Ntswai Arts has scored great successes. The group has held successful shows at Mutare Junior Primary School to the school children which is very encouraging. The group travelled to Mthatha in the Eastern Cape South Africain March 2016 in time for the Masumpa Cultural Heritage festival held over the Easter holidays. Ntswai Ntswai Arts was invited to represent Zimbabwe at a festival bringing together artists from across the African continent. The group did put up a splendid performance playing soon after Mdu Masilela had brought the house down with his Kwaito beats.The group left the audience clamoring for more. The group was eventually invited to perform in Soweto at the Inside Out Jazz Lounge because of their vibrant act in the eastern cape.
Ntswai Ntswai Arts has held successful shows in their home city of Mutare. The group has performed at a Musical Gala called Mutare Music Tour organized by ACDT at Meikles Park Mutare. The group has been hired as opening acts for Jah Prayzah at the Platinum . Ntswai Ntswai Arts has also been engaged as curtain-raisers for Oliver Mtukudzi again at the Platinum . So impressed was Oliver Mtukudzi with the group’s performances that he committed to assist the group in recording their music.The group has also held shows at the Dangamvura Hotel with great appreciation from the audiences.
To reflect its flexibility the group also takes part at national events along other musicians. This has seen the group featuring at the inaugural Manicaland Independence gala held at the Mutare Showground on the 17th of April 2016 . The group did put up a splendid performance and lived up to its pre-show billing as one of the main acts along Hosiah Chipanga, Mark Sounds, Juicer Mupostori.
The group also performs at corporate functions as epitomized by their invitation by the Youth Initiative for Sustainable Economic Transformation (YICET) at their youth workshop. The workshop was held at the Mutare museum on the 12th of August 2016 and was broadcast live on Diamond FM radio station. The group was very much encouraged by the response from the audience to their own composed music.
The group is also available for private social performances such as weddings, parties, conferences. The group has receives a lot of support from the audience despite sharing the stage with Bob Nyabinde at one point, the crowd continued to cheer them on.
Ntswai Ntswai Arts as part of its growth strategy has partnered with Café 1 Eleven restaurant to hold shows at their venue once a month. The group benefits from gate charges to patrons as the Café benefits from sales of food and beverages to the audience. So far one show has been held there in August.
Speaking to our Kumakomo Community Radio Station on line, Linos Piloto the group founder said the Future plans for the group is to record albums and accompanying videos to improve the group’s visibility, putting up an arts center where there will be lots of arts activities i.eworkshop for making instruments, hall for shows, and theater in the park, classrooms for teaching, Mbira, marimba, dances, acoustic guitar, drumming djembe and choral,currently we are operating from home all our activities.
The group is currently perfecting and performing some of the songs on the album at its live shows and the songs are well received. The group also intends to establish an arts center where all forms of art will be taught. We also intend to work closely with schools colleges and universities for the preservation promotion and development of the arts and culture through music and dance and the visual arts.
Ntswai Ntswai Arts can be followed on social media platform;
YOU TUBE, Twitter, Facebook, or their website: www.ntswaintswaiarts.com