Three-man group consisting of Harare born twins and a New Zealand national is set to light up the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) with a fusion of hip hop and other traditional and contemporary music influences.
The trio, True Vibenation which is made up of Australian based twins Verbaleyes and Native Wit and their childhood friend Klue, a New Zealander with Eritrean roots will perform at HIFA’s ZOL Mainstage (former Telecel Mainstage), on the evening of Wednesday 29 April in an Australian Embassy sponsored show.
Native Wit (real name Bheki Mkwananzi) said they can’t wait to perform on their home soil. “It’s a huge honour for us and we’re really excited to be playing at HIFA.
“My brother and I were born in Harare but have lived most of our lives in Australia so for us to be able to come back to the place it started through playing music is very special.
“We can’t wait to get over there and share our music with everybody!” he said.
Since the debut of their first album The Sunshower Phenomenon the group has become known for their vibrant live shows in which they prove themselves masters of many styles.
Their music blends together hip hop, Afro-beat, jazz, dubstep, soul, Latin and electronic music to create a unique a distinctly Australian sound.
The trio sets themselves apart from the mainstream hip hop scene by incorporating instrumental music with traditional turntable beats.
With self-made instruments and while blowing the horns, they excite crowds with their infectious energy.
Ambassador-Designate Suzanne McCourt said “We can’t wait for Harare to enjoy the amazing True Vibenation experience. They are a wonderful example of the strong ties between Zimbabwe and Australia and their live show is sure to wow the audience and get people moving”.
On the back of the album’s success and reputation for their live performance, True Vibenation sold out their album launch at Sydney’s iconic Annandale Hotel and have been touring relentlessly since, wowing audiences with their infectious energy and a live show which sees them go beyond the traditional hip hop format of two turntables and a microphone and transform into a live beat making band complete with a blasting horn section.
With hundreds of shows under their belt, festival slots at Sydney Festival, Peats Ridge, Future Music, Secret Garden, Subsonic, Woodford and Changing Lanes as well as support slots with Jurassic 5, Chali 2na, Dead Prez, Foreign Beggars, DJ Kentaro, Horrorshow Thundamentals and many more True Vibenation are ready to play for their fans and add some new ones.
If a night of ruckus beats, big horns and a genuine party vibe sounds like exactly what you need, then drop in to a True Vibenation show near you.
Not only will they leave every ounce of energy on the stage (with a smile) they’ll also leave you grinning from ear to ear and begging for more.