Bulawayo’s creative family takes its talent to different stages in the Sunshine City.

For one weekend, Bulawayo’s creative scene travelled to Harare in different forms, with musicians and performers from the city appearing at several events across the capital.

It was not one sound or one generation.
Veteran musicians, young performers, hip-hop artists and entertainers all found their way onto Harare stages, carrying with them different parts of Bulawayo’s creative identity.

At the Ecobank Legends Night Africa on Saturday, veteran Bulawayo musician Jeys Marabini shared the stage with some of the continent’s biggest names, including Malian music legend Salif Keita.
Iyasa (Inkululeko Yabatsha School of Arts) also brought its youthful energy to the event, performing its popular song Banolila.

The Cool Crooners were also part of the line-up.
The Bulawayo representation was not limited to the performers.
Lady Tshawe, who also comes from the City of Kings and Queens, was the event’s MC. She brought her own energy to the night, keeping the programme moving while engaging with the crowd and adding to the entertainment.

Across town, award-winning Bulawayo artist Bhila was headlining Mash-Up Night.
Representing the City of Kings and Queens, Bhila brought his own sound and energy to the Harare crowd, performing ‘Malume’ among other songs. He shared the stage with Harare-based artists Voltz and Saintfloew.

By Sunday, another familiar Bulawayo name had taken to a Harare stage.
Asaph Afrika performed at the third edition of the Love & Faith Festival at Art Farm in Harare, joining a line-up that included gospel acts Bryan K, Vocal Base and The Unveiled.

Although the festival had a strong gospel focus, Asaph’s hip-hop performance connected with the crowd, with people singing along as he performed.
From the Ecobank stage to Mash-Up Night and then Love & Faith, Bulawayo’s artists were moving through very different spaces.

The music was different. The audiences were different. The stages were different.
But the city they represented was the same.
Bulawayo musician Sandra Ndebele also reflected on the Ecobank gathering in a Facebook post.

“Legends shared the stage and that’s the Ecobank Group effect. Truly a Pan African bank, connecting Africa and creating moments that matter,” she wrote.

For Bulawayo’s artists, performing in Harare also opens the door to new audiences, collaborations and opportunities to share stages with artists from across Zimbabwe and beyond.

While they may leave Bulawayo for a weekend, they do not leave the city behind.
They carry its sounds, its style, its language and the creative experiences that have shaped them.
Over one weekend, Jeys Marabini, Iyasa, the Cool Crooners, Lady Tshawe, Bhila and Asaph Afrika each represented a different side of Bulawayo’s entertainment scene.