BRAVO! presents NOBUNTU

BRAVO! PROFESSIONAL PERFORMING ARTS AT BYU presents

NOBUNTU Professional Performing Arts at BYU Feburary 26, 2022 #BYUBravoSeries Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram by following @byuarts!

WELCOME BACK! If there is one thing that has been made abundantly clear after the last year and a half, it’s that together is a great place to be. We are delighted to welcome you back to our venues and hope you are ready for what promises to be a wonderful season.

As I reflect on the pause the BRAVO! series took this last year, it’s hard for me to put my finger on the thing that I missed most. I missed the energy that patrons and performers bring to our halls, I missed hearing the last note of a concerto hanging in the air, I missed the boundless creativity of theatrical performers, and I missed the moments of introspection that I seem to attain best when being truly inspired by the wonders of a live performance.

I hope you will find something in a performance in the BRAVO! series that will move you, inspire you, or leave you thinking more deeply than before.

Thank you for being here and for your support. Of all the places you could be tonight, we are glad you chose to spend an evening with us.

Enjoy,

Bridget Benton BRAVO! Series Producer

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CONTENTS ARTIST BIOGRAPHY pg. 6 PROGRAM INFO pg .9 BYU College OF fine arts and Communications pg .11

Cover photo by Werner Puntigam Photos on this page by Ronald Davis BRAVO! 3

Photo by Werner Puntigam

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Professional Performing Arts at BYU presents

NOBUNTU Saturday, February 26, 2022 7:30 p.m.

Madsen Recital Hall Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center

Masks worn over the nose and mouth are required for the duration of this performance.

Please silence all mobile phones and electronic devices.

Photography, video and/or audio recording, and texting are forbidden during the performance.

Exclusive management for Nobuntu: Alliance Artist Management 5030 Broadway, Suite 812, New York, NY 10034.

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Photo by: Ronald Davis

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY Nobuntu, the female a cappella quintet from Zimbabwe, has drawn international acclaim for its inventive performances that range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro-jazz to gospel. The ensemble’s concerts are performed with pure voices, augmented by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments such as the Mbira (thumb piano), and organic, authentic dance movements.

Nobuntu was nominated for Best Musician of the Year at the Zimbabwe International Women Awards in London in 2015 and is currently a two-time winner for the Best Imbube Group at the Bulawayo Arts Awards 2017 and 2019. In the last few seasons, the quintet has performed at festivals and concert halls in Italy, Austria, Germany, Belgium, the Czech Republic, and throughout the African continent. The ensemble was a huge critical success at “Trans-Vocal” in Frankfurt and “Voice Mania” in Vienna. Their first tour to Canada, in 2016, included performances in Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Victoria.

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The word Nobuntu is an African concept that values humbleness, love, unity, and family from a woman’s perspective. The ensemble represents a new generation of young African women singers who celebrate and preserve their culture, beauty, and heritage through art. The ensemble’s mission is the belief that music can be an important vehicle for change, one that transcends racial, tribal, religious, gender, and economic boundaries.

Back at home, Nobuntu holds a number of community initiatives, one of which is the Nobuntu Pad Bank, where they gather sanitary pads for young women in the arts in underprivileged communities.

Nobuntu has released three recordings—Thina in 2013, Ekhaya in 2016, and Obabes beMbube in 2018. The group has made dozens of television and radio appearances throughout Africa and Europe promoting these recordings and the culture of their homeland.

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Photos by: Tk

PROGRAM INFO UYANGIPHOXA

Duduzile Sibanda

UTHIXO

Thandeko Moyo

CRY SONG

Dumisani Moyo

NOBUNTU CLICK SONG STREETS

Zanele Manhenga Heather Dube

CULA

Zanele Manhenga

SILELE

Traditional arr. Japhet Mlauzi

OBABES BEMBUBE MISODZI EWUWE LAY DOWN AVUMILE UMUSA AMAZING GRACE MOYA MOYA IMPI

Dumisani Moyo Zanele Manhenga Traditional Linda Tillery and The Cultural Heritage Choir Zanele Manhenga Heather Dube Traditional arr. Nobuntu Traditional arr. Zanele Manhenga Zanele Manhenga

The word Nobuntu is an African concept that values humbleness, love, unity, and family from a woman’s perspective. This program features traditional songs and original arrangements.

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Photos by: Ronald Davis

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BYU COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATIONS Dean Ed Adams

Associate Dean Amy Petersen Jensen

Associate Dean Jeremy Grimshaw

Associate Dean Rory Scanlon

Assistant Dean Bridget Rosella Benton

Assistant Dean Melinda Semadeni

Assistant Dean Thaylene Rogers

Assistant Dean Don Powell

BRAVO! ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Dean Ed Adams Executive Producer Amy Petersen Jensen Producer Bridget Rosella Benton Department Of Dance Curt Holman Department of Theatre & Media Arts Megan Sanborn Jones School of Music Diane Reich

Lighting Operations Manager Mark Ohran

Marketing Services Manager Rex Kocherhans

Assistant Lighting Operations Manager Kenzie Wise

Program Designer Jessi Blackham

Audio Operations Manager Troy Streeter Projection Operations Manager Kevin Anthony Audio Production Specialist Taylor Glad Business Manager Brian Olson

BYU ARTS PRODUCTION RESOURCE AND OPERATIONS GROUP

Assistant Business Manager Kathy Heckel

Director Bridget Rosella Benton

SUPPORT STAFF

Assistant Director Troy Streeter Production Manager/ Technical Director Jared Patching

Travel Peter Esera

Poster Designer Ty Davis Copywriter Alie Carter Assistant Dean Melinda Semadeni Senior Writer Alyssa Anderson Writer Capri Baker Social Media Specialist Savanna Shiman Web Developer Isaac Smith Photographer Dylan Carter

Assistants to Producer Lily Moore Abi Urton Dayne Joyner Courtney Lawson Jessie Moore

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