Mokoomba, The Jazz Café, London, July 25

Originating from northern Zimbabwe, Mokoomba have gained an international reputation over the past 15 years for their infectiously high-energy gigs. Performing live at Camden’s Jazz Cafe, the sextet showcased their signature blend of rock rhythms, funk grooves and reggae alongside an eclectic pan-African variety of genres including Afrobeat and highlife.

Mokoomba (photo by Miguel Santos)

They opened with a highly spiritual rendition of ‘Masangango’, a moment of introspection before snapping into the vibrant Afrobeat groove of ‘Kumukanda’. Lead vocalist Mathias Muzaza took centre stage with exceptional presence and charisma, his impressive vocal range matched by his impassioned enthusiasm. Electric guitarist Trustworth Samende dazzled with his Congolese-style soukous guitar, and bassist Abundance Mutori laid down punchy funk lines on his multicoloured neon-tape-wound bass strings.

The setlist was studded with tracks from their 2023 album Tusona: Tracings in the Sand, including highlights such as ‘Nyansola’ and ‘Njawane’. The middle of the set featured a five-part a capella interlude with percussion accompaniment, the rich call-and-response vocals expertly led by Muzaza. Throughout, drummer Ndaba Coster Moyo was the most obvious rock element, his driving backbeats combining with Miti Mugande’s flurries of triplets and syncopated bongo grooves to create complex polyrhythms. Phathisani Moyo played the part of an Afrobeat horn section on keyboards, his synth lines crisp, bright and brassy.

Mokoomba’s music, for all its feel-good danceability, also remains sharply aware of social issues and the importance of resilience during adversity. The socially conscious fighting spirit of Zimbabwean chimurenga music lives on through Mokoomba.