Zimbabwe’s longest-running urban culture festival, Shoko Festival, will return for its highly anticipated 14th Edition in just a few days. Running from the 26th to the 28th of September 2024 across venues in Harare & Chitungwiza, this year's festival will be anchored by 3 main events: Comedy Night, Mash Up Night & the Peace In The Hood Concert.
This year's festival is running under the theme; Both Sides Of Samora. This shines a light on the class divide defined by Samora Machel Avenue, the road that has historically separated different social classes, art genres and cultures in Harare.
Shoko 2024 is aiming to be a platform that bridges this gap by showcasing the bubbling urban culture from uptown to downtown, and from the suburbs to the hood.
This year we are so amped to celebrate the diverse backgrounds of young people who are joined together through the love of music and performing arts. Our star studded line up is a true reflection of that and we will be announcing more acts in due course. - Shoko Festival Coordinator, Vera Chisvo
The festival promises to bring together a diverse array of hip-hop, dancehall, stand-up comedy and spoken-word acts.
Here is a rundown of what to look forward to at the 2024 Shoko Festival:
Comedy Night - Thursday 26 September
• Harare Gardens Mainstage
Dubbed "The Homecoming," Shoko Comedy Night will be a homecoming performance for America's Got Talent Season 19 finalist Learnmore Jonasi. National Arts Merit Awards as the A NAMA, Savanna Comic Choice Awards and Steve Harvey's Stand Up Spotlight award winner, Shoko Comedy Night will be Jonasi's first performance in the country since he relocated to the United States.
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| Learnmore Jonasi |
The award-winning comedian will be supported by Tinashe "This Is It" Fortune who has been trailblazing the local comedy scene, Tanya Alex who was recently part of the #NotSoDryComedyTour with Savanna, and multidisciplinary artist Probeatz.
DJ - Pretty Gangsta
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| Nadia Nakai |
• Harare Gardens Mainstage
Headlined by South African hip-hop heavyweight, Mash Up Night is set to be an electrifying showcase that fuses hip-hop, dance, and theatre, all while celebrating Zimbabwe’s rich urban culture and diverse soundscape. This ground-breaking event is curated by the seasoned multidisciplinary artist AneUnhu and will feature over 15 performances from some of the most exciting names in the arts: Kayflow, Dough Major, Dingo Duke, RayKaz, Bhekiwe, Lalla Martin, Rutendo Jackie, Afrikera Arts Trust.
Following the Mash-Up Night performances will be the "Battle of Samora" curated by Noble Stylz. The rap battle will see Donne Jovi & Gilmo facing off against Uchiha Clan members Fund Reezy & Double Jae.
DJ - TAPIWA
Tamy Moyo
Peace In The Hood Concert - Saturday 28 September
Set for Unit L, Community Hall Grounds in Chitungwiza, the Peace In The Hood Concert will once again be bringing live music to the people. Curated by Kirk, the concert will feature an eclectic selection of performers with a special focus on hip-hop: Master H, Tamy Moyo, Voltz JT, VI The Law, MuGaratia, Tha Nu Vyb, Young Gemini, MC Adhama, Xuman, Natasha Muz, Scrip Mula, and DJ Tashman.
On the sidelines of the Shoko Festival is going to the 10th Edition of the Hub Unconference, an inspiring programme of talks and boot camps on digital media, tech and the creative economy. This will be happening in the lead-up to the main festival, on the 24th & 25th of September at Moto Republik. Titled the 'Open Data Africa Summit', this year's Unconference will be running under the theme Level Up.
It will feature conversations that range from AI to the Music Business, with guests such as Zimbabwe's Minister of ICT and a wide range of speakers from across Africa.
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