Born on the 6th of January 1981 DUDU MANHENGA
is a dynamic young Zimbabwean singer/songwriter who leads and fronts the group
‘Color Blu’. Her music has been accurately described as ‘an afro jazz
adventure’ – a fusion of genres: afro, contemporary, Zimbabwe
traditional, township, jazz, afro, Latino, and a cultural cross-breed of
Zimbabwe’s Manica, Mashona and Matabele rhythms and melodies, with energetic
stage work, and sizzling vocals.
This
self- styled jazz artist is no stranger to the big stage having worked and
shared the stage with music greats such as Tuku, Steve Dyer, Louis Mhlanga,
Tanga wekwa Sando, and the late Dumi Ngulube. During the Spring Jazz Show she
will share the stage with Alexio Kawara and Cool Crooners.
Coming
to Bulawayo immediately after her international tour and the successful launch
of her latest album, Rites of Passage,
Dudu Manhenga and her band, Colour Blu, are set to light up the 8th
edition of Intwasa Arts Festival koBulawayo on the 20th of September 2012 at the Rainbow Hotel with her sizzling hot “afro –jazz adventure”
performance.
When Rites of Passage premiered at
the Harare International Conference Centre earlier this year it was received to
wild rounds of applause and a standing ovation. Rites of Passage is
a musical biography, which promises to excite and entertain fans while telling
them the story of this talented afro jazz diva. It speaks of journeys,
challenges and victories, and celebrates 16 years of music that has not only
put Zimbabwe on the radar for thousands of music lovers, but has touched the
world over and over again.
Since her musical journey
began at the age of 16, the singer-songwriter who doubles as a teacher,
worship-leader, wife, mother, entrepreneur, activist and imaginer has plunged
herself deep into a full schedule of entertaining, mentoring and campaigning
for better spaces for women in the arts.
Her music has taken
her to Italy, South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana,
Denmark, Germany, France and Serbia.
Major highlights
have been her recent tours of Italy in 2011 and 2012. In cooperation with the
Embassy of Italy in Harare, Dudu and Color Blu first toured Italy in 2011 with
14 appearances at concert and festival events. They also appeared on Italian
national television, did a magazine photoshoot with Italian Vogue.
In her many years in the music
industry, the group has performed widely at clubs, cooperate gatherings and
festivals in Zimbabwe (HIFA, Winter Jazz Festival, Regional Jazz Festival, Dudu
is also active in music rights and anti-piracy issues, gender and anti-violence
activities, and is a major contributor to the FLAME (Female Literary Arts Music
Enterprise) programme, for the development and promotion of women artists into
the mainstream of the arts, which is run by Harare-based arts organization
Pamberi Trust. She has facilitated and participated in 16 workshops with FLAME.
Dudu studied her O’s to A
level at St Columba’s High School in Makokoba. The school is located close to
Amakhosi Theatre and it encouraged and facilitated her involvement in the
arts.Dudu then joined her first band Gospel Arc and later moved to 1st
jazz outfit Siyeza headed by former southern freeway and Wells Fargo guitarist
Handsome Mabhiza who groomed her and tailored her taste to the music of Dorothy
Masuka, Letta Mbulu, Thembi Mtshali, Miriam Makeba among other afro and
township jazz greats. Opportunities to be featured on different projects and
recordings as both lead and background singer were also taken on by the ambitious
young lady.
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