Nobuntu is a female a cappella quartet from Zimbabwe that radiates joy. Nobuntu has garnered international acclaim for its inventive performances, which 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 means ‘mothers of humanity’. The singers come from Bulawayo, the second-largest city in Zimbabwe, where the language spoken chiefly is Ndebele. In Ndebele, ‘no’ stands for ‘mother,’ and ‘ubuntu’ is an umbrella term for everything good — love, peace, forgiveness, and everything that a woman or a mother embraces.

The ensemble performs many Mbube-style songs, which is a South African genre. The Mbube genre is dominated by men, making Nobuntu the first all-women Mbube group not only in Zimbabwe but in the world. The ensemble’s mission is based on the belief that music can be a powerful vehicle for change, one that transcends racial, tribal, religious, gender, and economic boundaries.