Shoko Festival, Zimbabwe’s biggest and longest-running urban culture festival, is proud to announce its headline acts. The 2021 edition, will be running from the 20th to 25th September 2021 under the theme “Shoko Universe” and will be a completely virtual festival with all shows streamed online on the Shoko Facebook and Youtube pages. The headline acts include Tocky Vibes, Feli Nandi, Voltz JT, and Van Choga. International headline acts include award-winning UK rapper, Dizraeli, and Dutch spoken word artist, Smita James.
The festival will be headlined by Tocky Vibes who is currently riding high with “Mabhiritiyana” released in June 2021. Also on the lineup is the breakout artist of 2021 Feli Nandi who has made waves with her recent hits “Unotyei”, “Kukurumidza” and “Mufudzi Wemombe” with Trevor Dongo. Representing Zim Hip Hop is one of its brightest young stars Voltz JT who has been releasing viral video after viral video this year with “Nyaya Dzemari” and “These Days”.
Well known for his songs “Pindikiti” and “Do You Remember”, Van Choga is set to bring his inimitable alternative style to Shoko 2021.
On an international tip, the award-winning UK rapper, Dizraeli, is set to bring the fire with his creative brand of hip hop. Dizraeli has performed at the Glastonbury Festival, the Latitude Festival, the Eden Project, and the Royal Festival Hall. He has won both the Farrago UK Slam Championships and the BBC Radio 4 Poetry Slam. Dizraeli & The Small Gods were shortlisted for the 2014 Songlines Music Awards for their album Moving in the Dark. Also on the global lineup is Smita James, a powerful Dutch spoken word artist who has performed on stages including RE: Definition, Amsterdam Fringe Festival, Cinnamon Wednesday, the Black Magic Woman Festival and Ispeak.
“We’re so excited to be able to have such an amazing array of acts at Shoko 2021,” said Shoko Festival Director Comrade Fatso. “We are maximising the benefits of a fully virtual festival by bringing together all in one Shoko Universe the likes of Tocky Vibes, Feli Nandi, Dizraeli, Smita James and Voltz JT. It’s gonna be such an epic journey through this creative galaxy!”
“The arts sector has really suffered because of Covid-19, including restrictions on gatherings and the lack of income for artists, Shoko Festival Coordinator Kim Kute said
“So our ‘Shoko Universe’ aims to give an out of this world experience to our audience and a very important platform to our amazing artists,”
Shoko Festival will run over 6 days and will include diverse programming with different themes every night. It will be streamed online on the Shoko Facebook and Youtube pages. The Hub Unconference’s Digital Media Week will run during the daytime from 20 – 24 September and will feature various discussions and panels including a Virtual Mayors Forum, Women Create Worlds Summit and the Africa Satire Convention. Evening entertainment starts at 7 pm and Tuesday 21st September kicks off the nighttime concerts with Lost – A Spoken Word Experience. Wednesday 22nd September features The Underground, a unique selection of artists exploring subgenres in Zimdancehall and Zim hip hop. Thursday 23rd September will be the much anticipated Shoko Roast curated by Simuka Comedy, as popular Zimbabwean celebrities get together for an epic roast of a well-known public personality. Mash-Ups Night on 24th September will bring the weekend flavour as the festival presents two events streamed from Harare and Bulawayo featuring never-seen-before artistic collaborations. Shoko 2021 reaches its climax on Saturday 25th September in a jam-packed Peace In The Hood with lots of plot twists for our virtual audience. Shoko Universe 2021 will be an amazing 6 days of riveting performances, inspired talks and dope energy – a festival not to be missed!
About Shoko Festival
Shoko Festival is Zimbabwe’s most popular and longest-running urban culture festival. Shoko is all about promoting urban culture, free expression, and positive activism. Over the years the festival has provided a platform for hundreds of young Zimbabwean rappers, comedians, musicians, and spoken word artists to perform, collaborate and express themselves. Shoko also curates cutting-edge collaborations between local and international acts and builds international tours for young Zimbabwean artists. The festival also hosts free conferences, workshops, and panels on digital media, tech & the arts.
More details on www.shokofestival.co.zw
Email info@shokofestival.co.zw
