Kundalila

Biography:

Traversing diverse musical territories through the simple beauty of voice, Kundalila brings together unique a cappella and acoustic sounds which draw from the group's many cultural backgrounds - Congolese, Zimbabwean, Greek and Australian - and take you to a place of familiarity, regardless of origin.

In 2009, Kundalila made a swift entrance into Melbourne’s world music scene. Taking part in Visible 2009 - a unique mentorship and creative development program of Multicultural Arts Victoria - Kundalila has found itself performing at festivals such as the Emerge and Sustainable Living Festivals, venues such as the Suzuki Night Market and the Boîte World Music Café, as well as in the Mix It Up concert public program which supported internationally acclaimed Greek singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki at the Arts Centre’s Hamer Hall. They have performed at the esteemed Premier's Gala Dinner celebrating cultural diversity in 2010, and also made an appearance on Channel 31's Antenna Awards broadcast. Two of the group's songs are featured on the Visible CD Volume 4, and this year their song "Hatina Musha" featured on the Best of Visible compilation release. Work on their debut album is currently underway.

Officially, Kundalila was born in January 2009, however the seeds of the group were planted much earlier as its members explored a deep passion for music separately before eventually finding each other. Etienne Dinanga & Rene Sephton begun performing together as a folk duo in 2003, released their debut album ‘Tika Nayemba’ in 2005 and performed widely at festivals such as Melbourne International Arts Festival, Yackandandah Folk Festival and the Daylesford Singers Festival. Growing up together in Zimbabwe, the Makombeshamu sisters have shared a musical bond since childhood with performances dating back to 1993, including a tour of southern Africa in 2000 with Anointed (of Gweru).

After two months formed as Kundalila, the group finally stumbled across the missing voice of Alice Chew - an old high school friend of Rene's and a contemporary dancer with a belief in using the arts for promoting peace, as well as a new year's resolution to practice more music - which completed the sound of Kundalila. Together they blend the rich harmonies of southern Africa, the irresistible rhythms of Congolese soukous, the tragedy of the Mediterranean and the honesty of contemporary Australian folk.

The group's name originates from the Bemba language of Zambia, southern Africa, and translates to "cooing dove". Kundalila is also the name of one of Zambia's most beautiful waterfalls, which represents both the group's sound and purpose. From the sweet melodies of peace to the thunderous calls for social justice, Kundalila's lyrics are heart warming and thought provoking reflections which lament the human condition around the world, as well as rejoice in the blessings life offers every day.

Members:

Alice Chew, Rene Sephton, Ruramayi Makombeshamu, Sharon Makombeshamu & Etienne Dinanga

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