The Hope College Great Performance Series will feature Nobuntu, a female a cappella ensemble from Zimbabwe, on Friday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts.
Nobuntu has drawn international acclaim for its inventive performances that range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro-jazz to gospel. The ensemble’s concerts are performed with pure voices, augmented by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments, and dance movements. The name Nobuntu is an African concept that values humbleness, love, purpose, unity and family from a woman’s perspective.
“…rich voices and exhilarating rhythms, both physical and vocal, poured out from the stage to enchant a near-capacity crowd,” reviewed the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
The singers of the group are Thandeka Moyo, soprano; Zanele Manhenga, soprano; Joyline Sibanda, alto; Heather Dube, alto; and Duduzile Sibanda, tenor. The group has released three albums, “Ekhaya,” in 2015; “Thina,” in 2013; and “Obabes Bembube,” in 2018. The group has performed live and on television and radio throughout Africa, Europe and the United States, and was nominated for the Zimbabwe International Women Awards in Musician of the Year 2015 Category and has twice won the Best Imbube Group at the Bulawayo Arts Award (2017, 2019).
Tickets are $23 for regular admission, $17 for senior citizens and members of the Hope College faculty and staff, and $6 for children. Admission is free for Hope College students. Tickets are available at the Events and Conferences Office located downtown in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.). The office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at 616-395-7890. Tickets can also be purchased online at hope.edu/tickets and will be sold at the door if available.
Audience members who need assistance to fully enjoy any event at Hope are encouraged to contact the college's Events and Conferences Office by emailing events@hope.edu or calling 616-395-7222 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts is located at 221 Columbia Ave., between Ninth and 10th streets.