Otto & The Mutapa Calling

Otto & The Mutapa Calling
Otto & The Mutapa Calling at Art Night London 2018
Otto & The Mutapa Calling at Art Night London 2018
Otto & The Mutapa Calling at Make Music Day UK 2018
Otto & The Mutapa Calling at Taste of Southern Africa Arts Festival 2017
Otto & The Mutapa Calling at Taste of Southern Africa Arts Festival 2017

Songs

Dineo is a Setswana song which celebrates our given talents
  • 1 Dineo
  • 2 Mhondoro
  • 3 Kusarima
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Videos

Ndebele folk song
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  • country:Botswana
  • region:Southern Africa
  • style(s):Afro, Marimba
  • label:not signed
  • type:Band, Composer/Songwriter, Quintet
  • gender:male, female
  • instrumentation:instrumental, vocal, percussion, dance orchestra
  • artist posted by:Otto Gumaelius

Line up

  • Graham Knight (Baritone Marimba, Backing Vocals)
  • Karabo Sankoloba (Tenor Marimba, Backing Vocals, Dance)
  • Miles Ncube (Hosho, Backing Vocals, Dance)
  • Otto Gumaelius (Lead Marimba, Lead Vocals, Mbira, Dance)
  • Sophia Mogapi (Drumkit, Backing Vocals)
  • Yusuf Legwabe (Djembe)

Links

Otto & The Mutapa Calling is a lively London based marimba band playing energetic, joyful music from Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, including folk songs, original songs and popular southern African covers. The band's set-up includes soprano, tenor and baritone marimbas, mbira, hosho, drumming and singing, with both traditional and contemporary dances. The marimba band’s sound is full of energy and pulsating rhythms - and their music shares the rich cultures, histories and stories of the people of southern Africa through rhythm, song and dance.

Otto & The Mutapa Calling is a unique and colourful experience and is the only active professional marimba band of its kind in all of Europe.

The band was officially formed in 2017 by band leader, Otto Gumaelius. Born and bred in Botswana, Otto started playing the marimba at the age of 11. He continued to play marimba music throughout his secondary school years, studying under marimba pioneer and composer, Alport Mhlanga. He played in the school band until he left Botswana in 2003, having performed widely in Botswana and South Africa.

After relocating to Sweden, Otto joined Zimba Marimba Band, a high energy marimba band specialising in the music, dance and traditions of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. With Zimba, Otto immersed himself in the music of Zimbabwe; learning from and performing with an array of internationally acclaimed musicians; working on marimba, mbira, dance and drumming, with performances in and around Scandinavia, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the United States of America. Highlights include performances for the King and Queen of Sweden in 2003, ZimFest in the USA in 2004, and being specially invited to perform at HIFA - Harare International Festival of the Arts - in 2007.

Otto moved to London in 2010 after graduating, and played with acts and artists including Flame Lily Arts, Afriquoi and Tsungai Tsikirai. In 2016, Otto quit his job as a project manager to pursue a full time career in music. With almost 20 years of experience, and a need for his own voice, Otto decided to put together his band, Otto & The Mutapa Calling, to perform a collection of his own original material as well as arrangements of the folk songs he grew up listening to and playing.

In July 2018, Otto and the band released their debut album, Mvura Ichanaya, released under Otto's name, which is available on all major online stores.

Concerts

Otto & The Mutapa Calling