Afro-pop star Oliver Mtukudzi headlines Shakori Hills

The Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance, October 11-14 in Silk Hope NC, added depth to its world music component with the announcement of Afro-pop sensation Oliver Mtukudzi as a headline performer.

Sometimes called “Tuku,” Mtukudzi has built an international reputation since the mid-1970s, when he performed with a band called Wagon Wheels. He later formed Black Spirits, the band that has backed him as a featured performer. Mtukudzi is know for playing a in a genre called “chimurenga,” which is inspired by the hypnotic rhythms of the mbira (thumb piano). Mtukudzi's act also incorporates pop influences, South African “mbaqanga,” the energetic Zimbabwean pop style “JIT” and the traditional kateke drumming of his native Zimbabwean clan.

The fall Shakori HIlls festival, part of the Grassroots festival franchise launched by jam band Donna The Buffalo, which also includes the Grassroots Festival in Ithaca NY and a spring Shakori HIlls event, features a strong mix of world music, jam rock and roots styles. Other artists on the eclectic lineup include Jim Lauderdale, John Jorgenson Quintet, The Duhks, The Greencards, Toubab Krewe and many more.