Black Uhuru to Grace Zimbabwe Presidential Inauguration

Reggae band Black Uhuru in a promotional photograph during the 1980s. The group will attend the inauguration of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Jamaica’s Black Uhuru to grace President’s inauguration

August 22, 2013
Ruth Butaumocho Entertainment Editor
Zimbabwe Herald

One of Jamaica’s most successful and oldest roots reggae music outfits, Black Uhuru, is expected in Zimbabwe today to join a galaxy of local and regional artistes who will entertain guests at President Mugabe’s inauguration at the National Sports Stadium in Harare.Renowned Congolese rhumba musician, Koffie Olomide, South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Ndilimani Cultural Troupe from Namibia will join more than 10 local musicians to entertain the more than 60 000 guests expected to throng the Nationhal Sports Stadium today.

Director of urban communications in the Media, Information and Publicity Ministry, Major Anywhere Mutambudzi, confirmed that the Jamaican group together with the three regional outfits were expected in the country this morning.

“They all confirmed that they will be in the country in time for the event and I am happy to say that the nation will have an opportunity to be entertained by these high flying artistes at this important occasion, where every Zimbabwean has been invited,” he said.

While the three other regional artistes are no strangers to Zimbabwe, having held several shows before, the Jamaican group is new to these shores expected to ignite a revelry among the legion of music fans expected at the event today.

Black Uhuru (uhuru being a Swahili word for freedom) is a musical group that was formed in 1972 with a line-up of musicians that included Garth Dennis, Derrick “Duckie” Simpson and Don Carlos. The group’s first release was a cover version of Curtis Mayfield’s “Romancing to the Folks”.