By Simon Ngena

HAILED as one of Zimbabwe’s mbira music custodians, Ruvimbo Hope Masike has been bringing her brand of Zimbabwean music to diverse global audiences since 2007.Born on September 9, 1984, Masike began her musical career while she was at the ZMC around 2006 when she formed an afro-jazz band, made up of Ben Kabasa (percussionist), Dunmore Sengere and Tarisai Gweje (backing vocalists). However, the band was shortlived after two of the band members relocated to South Africa. Undeterred, in 2007 Masike formed another band, Kakuwe, whose members included Blessed Rukweza (percussionist), Elisha Herema (bass guitar), Songwe Limbikani (marimba) and Theresa Muteta with Maxwell Mburuko, a marimba player, and Blessing Chimanga joining the line-up at a later stage. The Delta Gallery, National Arts Gallery of Zimbabwe, the German Society as well as the ZMC among other organisations and or centres were also instrumental in nurturing Masike. However, Masike’s road to stardom came in 2008 when she was invited to perform at Book Cafe after she was asked to take over the Tuesday nights from Chiwoniso Maraire who had relocated to the US. In due course, she would become a regular fi xture at the Alliance Francaise.

In 2009, Masike released her fi rst album titled ‘Hope’. This was followed in 2012 by her second album titled ‘Mbira, Love and Chocolate’ and ‘The Exorcism of a Spinster’ released on London-based label Riverboat. She has also published two poetry anthologies; one in English titled ‘Ask Me Again’ and published through Amazon on February 7 2020 and an anthology of Shona erotic poems called ‘Dzevabvazera’ published on February 11 2022. The 41-year-old’s stage repertoire is a fun-fi lled hybrid of music styles knitted together by her signature sublime mbira playing, sultry voice and highly-charged performances. Her live performances seamlessly move from classic Zimbabwean traditional music to her compositions of of the traditional mbira together-blended with different music styles. Fans throng Masike’s shows to have fun, feed their spirituality and experience the beautiful Zimbabwean culture.

The ‘Tsubvubone’ hitmaker obviously takes pride in her culture and heritage, often challenging colonial-induced stigma against it and championing it’s documentation and youthful re-packaging both through her music and brand. Hailing from Musana, Mashonaland East Province, Hope Masike draws her inspiration from all things art and African, leaning very heavily on nearly a century of a strong mbira music legacy but not ignoring the obvious infl uences from modernity. She has brilliant hopes for the future of Africa and basks in carrying her African culture with her all the time. She has thrilled music lovers and critics globally. She has graced numerous cooperate and national events as well as festivals in Zimbabwe, playing at presidents’ inaugurations, product launches, weddings and many other kinds of events. She has several international tour credits including performing in Southern Africa, Asia, Europe and the west coast of America.

Like most prophets, Masike often goes unnoticed at home but is feted in the Nordic countries, especially Norway, which has become like a second home to her. In fact, in 2011, Masike relocated to Norway for a whole year and returned in 2012. During her sabbatical from the local music scene, Masike taught African music at Kultreskolen i Fredrikstad, a culture school. Whilst in Norway, Masike collaborated with the Afro-Nordic outfi t, Monoswezi, touring several countries as well as with Anniken Paulsen, a Norwegian composer and pianist; Ibou Cissokh of Senegal, Sheila Massungue of Mozambique and Anthony Maina from Kenya, among other most notable African musicians. She also struck a deal with French DJ Oil and Bokani Dyer of South Africa. Back home, she was part of the Southern African collaborative, Mahube as well as the Austrian-Zimbabwean collaboration named ‘Kunzwana’. In addition, the gwenyambira has collaborated with global superstars such as Malian singer-songwriter, Salif Keita, often referred to as the ‘Golden Voice of Africa’; the late Oliver Mtukudzi, Steve Dyer and veteran guitarist Louis Mhlanga.

She has also collaborated with local alternative hip-hop outfi t The Monkey Nuts and American horn band, The Huntertones. among many others. In the early years of her career she was part of the Norwegian cultural exchange programme Umoja CFC which composed Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa and Norway; and Onebeat music exchange programme which comprised numerous different countries including Zimbabwe and the US. Away from the stage, Masike is a music teacher, offering lessons in mbira, voice and music theory. She also ventures into mentoring younger musicians through her TribeHope Trust programme called ‘The Seven of Us’. And when she is not caressing the keys of a thumb piano, Hope Masike is a board member of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, and a member of the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association and Zimbabwe Writers’ Association.

As if that is not hectic enough, Masike has featured in a local soap opera ‘Muzita Rababa’; acted in and done scoring for the short fi lm on child marriages called ‘Ruvimbo’s Wedding’; as well as directed her NAMA-nominated autobiographical documentary ‘titled One Woman and Her Mbira’. The ‘Mbira Princess’ holds a degree in music from the Zimbabwe College of Music in association with Africa University, a Diploma in Fine Art and National Certifi cates in Applied Art and Design and in Musicology.

Masike’s work – collaborative and otherwise — has earned her several awards and nominations both locally and internationally, including the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA), where she scooped the 2012 NAMA Outstanding Female Musician; KORA Awards, ZNCC Women in Enterprise Awards and the Zimbabwe Achievers’ Awards where she competed against the likes of Jah Prayzah, Mokoomba, Tehn Diamond and Junior Brown.

No doubt, Masike’s prodigious talent has not gone unnoticed, if the following press reviews are anything to go by: ‘”An accomplished mbira player and vocalist with a watertight backing band, she balances tradition and experimentation to carry ancient rhythms effortlessly into the 21st century,” wrote Liam Brickhill in the Mail & Guardian. Writing in NewsDay, Tapiwa Zivira had this to say:. ‘In motion picture, Hope Masike’s video to ‘Huyai Tinamate’ can only be likened to Madonna’s epic Frozen video . . .”