I slept through the night for the first time, unaided, last night. I think I can safely say the jet lag is behind me, now I can reflect on Phase 1 of our trip.

The first two days were spent at Kulture Houz, studio and rehersal space, run by Trust Samende. We met Welly Mutepaire, our stand in guitarist, our mind blowingly incredible stand-in guitarist. We had all been pretty anxious about playing with a new person, but Welly put our minds at ease after the first song.

On Saturday, we had a performance at the Forest at Art Farm, double bill with Fab Fusion. The venue was great, I think our music was made to be performed outdoors, surrounded by nature, with family, old friends and new friends. Our first performance in Zimbabwe – my first time performing infront of my parents. I was not prepared for how emotional that would be. Especially starting with the song “Famba”, which is about a mother encouranging her child to keep on moving forward. We sang a few joint songs with Fab Fusion, which was so much fun, and by the end of the day we had made plans to collaborate on a recording in the future.

Sunday – Shona mass at the Cathedral, complete with the priest breaking into song mid-homily. My little Catholic heart was so full. We had lunch at Gavas Restaurant – which serves traditional zimbabwean food and is one of the top music venues in the city. Until recently, restaurants in mid to low density neighorhoods served prediominantly western food. Seeing so many tradistional food restaurants has been refreshing.

Monday was a treat, we visited the Music Crossroads Academy, an organization that provides education and professional training to musicians. We discussed what it takes to run a successful music business – things that we as a band are also trying to figure out. The organization is led by the Prudence Mbofana, or as I now call her, Pru :) She is such an icon in Zim film and music – from More Time to Jazz Invitation. I was fangirling hard, but I kept my cool. I did everything in my power not to sing “BP Yangu yakwira…” when I saw her. I imagine after 30+ years, that’s probably quite annoying! What a lovely human, and a visionary.

Our visit was facilitated by an old friend, Tariro NeGitare, a renowened guitarist who also supports upcoming musicians through various initiatives.

Tuesday was a packed day – we visited Clive “Mono” Mukundu. This is one of those people who you never know by name, but you have heard his work. One of the best guitarists in the country, and has played with and for everyone. This man is an archive of Zimbabwean contemporary music – his YouTube channel is a gold mine. We had an incredible discussion about the history and future of Zim music. 2 hours just was not enough time.

We then visited the Chapungu sculpture park. Walking through the outdoor gallery was an almost spiritual experience. Breathtaking works of art. I had never been there, at least not that I remember. Again, wished we had more time. They have an amphitheater, I can just see an intimate Mbira performance among the sculptures.

To end the day we joined our new friends, Fab Fusion, the Wyngard family, for dinner at their home. We felt so welcomed – we shared stories and music, and I think we composed at least 3 songs together!

Its been a whirlwind of a week, with so many unforgettable experiences. At the end of everyday, we found ourselves wishing we had more time. The next phase of our trip promises to be much slower, and I am looking forward to that. I am writing this while watching the sunset at the Ubuntu Learning Village in Gutu. I mean look at this sunset. Breathtaking isnt it?

Chiedza