Shoko 2022 Celebrates Local As It Announces Headline Acts

Zimbabwe’s longest running festival of urban culture Shoko Festival is proud and amped to announce its 12th edition which is set to run from the 27th of September to the 1st of October. Headline acts include Freeman, Voltz JT and Kikky Badass. Venues are spread across Harare and Chitungwiza with the main festival hub being Moto Republik.

This year’s edition of Shoko Festival has a special focus on local talent – which kept hope alive during the Covid-19 pandemic with a jaw dropping headline roster of Zimbabwe’s heavyweight household names. The Shoko 2022 headline acts are the Zim dancehall chanter HKD Boss Freeman who is promising to bring his full catalogue of hits, the King of Drill, Voltz JT, and the Queen of HipHop, Kikky Badass with the “Ginde” hitmaker – Crooger. Also on the line up are new hip hop stars including Trap Sungura pioneer Tanto Wavie, Brian Jeck from Chegutu, and Bulawayo based rapper Luminous. International acts include TMRS AwaGe & Rhodalia Silvestre from Mozambique and multi-creative DJ Lady Light from Zambia.

“This year at Shoko we want to celebrate our amazing local acts. We want to show that local is legit!” says Shoko Festival Director, Samm Farai Monro AKA Comrade Fatso “During the two years of lockdowns & a pandemic, our Zimbabwean artists were the ones who kept us entertained and motivated while we were stuck at home. At the same time the local arts sector suffered massively due to a lack of live shows with venues being closed. So this year all our headline acts are proudly Zimbabwean as we salute the power of our artists! So come through and PARTYcipate”

This year’s edition is running under the theme “PARTYcipate” which is a clarion call to encourage young people to be part of public processes that define their future. The theme is befitting of the election season that is upon us. The festival is maximising on the current relaxed Covid-19 regulations and assuming a hybrid format where most of its events will be physical and some will be online to cater for those who may not be in the city to physically attend.

Events lined up for this year include the Voice 2 Rep Watch Party, the Women’s Cypher, Mash Up Night, the Roast of Temba Mliswa and the main event, Peace in the Hood in Chitungwiza. The Voice 2 Rep Watch Party at Moto Republik on Tuesday 27th September will feature powerful new voices from across Zimbabwe that are using music to demand accountability. This event is presented in partnership with Accountability Lab Zimbabwe. The Women’s Cypher at Zimbabwe German Society on Wednesday 28th September will celebrate African women in hip hop and will feature TMRS AwaGe from Mozambique, multi-creative DJ Lady Light from Zambia and from Mutare Mary jane and Lisa Afonso with Dj Fafi on the decks as well as an all-female band. Mash Up Night will take place at Moto Republik on Thursday 29th September and will feature never seen before musical collaborations and will be shut down by

headline act Voltz JT. As is becoming the norm, on Friday 30th September Simuka Comedy is curating the second edition of the Shoko Roast of Norton MP Temba Mliswa at REPS Theatre and

will feature self-proclaimed Prophet Madungwe, Vimbai Zimuto, Lorraine Guyo, Sokostina, Ckanyiso Dat Guy, Bustop TV’s Lucky Aaron and Comrade Fatso. Last year’s hilarious debut roast featured Linda Masarira. The final day of the festival will be on Saturday 1st October where the main event Peace in the Hood will take place in Unit L Chitungwiza featuring headline acts Freeman and Kikky BadAss who are guaranteed to get the crowd jumping with their electric performances.

Shoko 2022 is proudly supported by Sounds Connect Fund and Oxfam. Shoko Festival is produced by Magamba Network, Zimbabwe’s pioneering creative organization.