Hope Masike

Musician Hope Masike is commonly known for her singing and mbira playing. Her captivating, playful and experimental vocal skill plus her sound of modern mbira playing have earned her the title 'Princess of Mbira'. Hope sounds like a young, modern and female version of Thomas Mapfumo who grew up listening to all sorts of music, from Salif Keita and Letta Mbuli to Dave Brubeck and Nina Simone! Her sound can be likened to a more Jazzy and funky Blacks Unlimited fronted by Eva Cassidy! Coming from a family where just about everyone had a great voice, Hope was always surrounded by beautiful singing. She used to go watch her mother at choir practice sessions on Tuesday nights, listened and watched her brother dance to RnB and watched Brenda Fassie on AfroBeat on Saturday nights on TV. Later she went to music school in Zimbabwe leant mbira, Zimbabwean dances and rhythms (among other things), founded a band in 2007and took off. Hope Masike has thrilled music lovers and critics locally and regionally. Her music ventures have led her to tours and collaborations of note. She has performed with Salif Keita at Harare International Festival of Arts. She has graced numerous festivals including Zimbabwe's HIFA Festival, SHOKO Festival and Chimanimani Festival; Exit Festival in Serbia; Oslo World Music Festival and Mela Festival in Norway; Africarjac Festival, Afrolatines Festival and Festival de vents in France, Loganberry Festival and Mavambo Festival in the States. She has graced numerous cooperate and national events in Zimbabwe. Masike is also a part of a Norway-based collaborative world music outfit called Monoswezi. www.monoswezi.com. Her music has been licensed for movies such as Rumbidzai Katedza's documentary 'The Tree of Life' and 'The Axe and the Tree'. She has two studio albums to date, namely HOPE (released in May 2009) www.cdbaby.com/cd/hopemasike and MBIRA, LOVE AND CHOCOLATE (released in May 2012). Both albums were recorded at Monolio Studios with extra recording at Greenland Studio (Norway) for the second album. She has collaborated and featured on albums with other bands such as Norwegian outfit Monoswezi, Zimbabwean Christian Hip Hop outfit Monky Nuts and French Jazz outfit PatsyJazz. Hope Masike has also featured on compilations such as the anti-piracy album by Zimbabwe Music Rights Association 'Stop It', World Wide Artist compilation of Zimbabwean music now, 'Zimbabwe' and 'Ubuntu Sessions', an album inspired by the theatrical production Ubuntu 2009 (Netherlands). Currently, Hope Masike is promoting her second album. She is also working on her third album not due for release anytime soon as she is still looking for a producer. In early 2013 she will be on tour with Monoswezi in Norway and London. The rest of the year she will embark on a month-long United States tour with her band in mid-year, one solo tour in France and continue with her themed 'mbiracentric' concerts. For more on Hope Masike's schedule please refer to her gig calendar. The Guardian- '…full of infectious optimism and energy.' Hope Masike Official