Edith We-Utonga (supported by Ajay Srivistav)
August 8 AT 2:00 pm
Edith We-Utonga
One of just a few nominees for the 2025 Folk Album of the Year award with her latest album Varipasi, Edith WeUtonga is a ground breaking bassist, vocalist and songwriter leading her Utonga band. Playing an authentically Zimbabwean sound laced with Jiti, Chimurenga and Shona folk she experiments with some of her favourite World music flavours such as Rhumba, Reggae Calypso and Jazz. She formed Utonga in 2010 and quickly released her debut album in that year – a ten track effort titled UTONGA. This album catapulted her to being one of Zimbabwe’s most recognized musicians to feature at some of the country top live venues.
Edith has performed at all of Zimbabwe’s top Festivals and headlines most of them including INTWASA Festival koBulawayo, Women in Jazz, Harvest Festival and Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA), where she has collaborated there with African legends, the likes of the late Oliver Mtukudzi, Ismael Lo and international acts like Publish the Quest.
She has twice been nominated for Best Female Musician at Zimbabwe’s premier Awards National Arts Merit Awards, as well as the Zimbabwe Music Awards. In 2018 she was won the Best Alternative Act at the Bulawayo Arts Awards (BAA’s).
Internationally, Edith has had performances in India, Norway, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zanzibar and the DRC.
Supporting Edith is Ajay Srivistav.
Ajay Srivastav is a critically acclaimed roots musician, who reflects the life and lessons learnt as a British born artist of Indian heritage, with uplifting songs of protest and change.
His unique slide guitar style is layered with inflections of sitar and sarod. This ability to merge scales, and techniques from classical Indian music with slide guitar playing, are down to his continual search for commonality where there is difference.
A seasoned musician and performer, Ajay has played guitar in the studio and on stage with diverse range of artists including Gregory Isaacs, DJ Ritu, Jah Wobble and Zakir Hussain. Then, whilst visiting his ancestral home in the ancient city of Varanasi, he took the time out to draw on his experiences and influences to develop his own musical vison.
His albums ‘Karmic Blues’ and ‘Powerless’ are the perfect antidote to the polarised times we live in, exploring issues of division, identity, mental health, inequality and faith. Often asking big questions and offering searing insights grounded in peace, positivity and redemption. Listen in, you’ll hear a lifetime between those notes.
