The Blessing Bled Chimanga Experience

Date and Time

• Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024  7pm - 9:30pm

Location

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Details

Blessing Chimanga is an internationally acclaimed artist as a marimba player, singer, songwriter, and percussionist from Zimbabwe. He has been touring worldwide (Asia, Europe, North & South America, Africa) with his own African bands as well as with intercultural projects as a musical cultural ambassador of Zimbabwe, such as Zimboita, Kunzwana #1, or Mama Africa.
He has traveled to 20 countries across the world for music performances, workshops, and motivational speaking. In 2014, he was selected to represent Zimbabwe at an arts residency in the USA called OneBeat, which featured 35 musicians from across the globe.
Blessing has performed for his Excellency the Prince of Chennai and has been invited to perform at important state functions in India. In 2024, he was interviewed by Voice of America TV, and his discussion on marimba and African music became one of the channel's most-viewed interviews.
Blessing's music is marked by his virtuoso marimba playing and the powerful rhythms of Africa. His performances feature high-energy African rhythms on stage, combined with his outstanding talent for entertainment.
He has been a percussion adjudicator at the National Institute of Allied Arts in Zimbabwe and, in 2024, adjudicated at the largest marimba competition in Africa. Blessing has performed at major music festivals, including High (Zimbabwe), Barefeet Festival (Zambia), Iguazú en Concierto (Argentina), Glatt & Verkehrt (Austria), and the Oslo Arts Festival (Norway).
Blessing has performed with renowned musicians such as Oliver Mutukudzi (Zimbabwe), Eric Wainaina (Kenya), Amanda Elabanda (Italy), Sona Jobarteh (Gambia), Wezi (Zambia), Kunle Ayo (South Africa), and Freshlyground (South Africa).
In 2018, he served as the music director and was responsible for selecting artists for the Harare International Festival of the Arts, the largest festival in Zimbabwe. He has also coached multiple marimba bands in Zimbabwe and led the Winad Marimba Band on four tours to Argentina.
Currently, Blessing is the marimba coach and producer at the Kutandara Center in Colorado, USA. In 2024, he was selected as one of the adjudicators at the largest marimba competition in South Africa, which hosts over 400 marimba bands from across Africa.