Spreadin' The Word

At a time when the US is set to begin a new era in its place in a world wracked by war, poverty and injustice it is vital to continue the exchange of ideas and the process of solidarity between the grassroots of America and Africa. The Spread The Word Tour is bringing to the East Coast of the US two of Zimbabwe’s leading protest bands to play at festivals, clubs and campuses to create these links and start a new phase of global dialogue. Coming from a country of extreme human rights violations and rampant poverty it has never been more important to hear the words, thoughts and music of these youthful African cultural activists.

Running from the 1^st till the 26^th of April The Spread The Word Tour features Comrade Fatso & Chabvondoka, Zimbabwe’s leading protest band, and Outspoken & The Essence, one of the country’s most cutting edge spoken word hip-hop groups. Comrade Fatso & Chabvondoka’s album, House of Hunger, is banned in Zimbabwe yet has received praise globally having been labeled as ‘undeniably alluring’ by Canada’s Mail and Globe. Fatso and his band have toured extensively, with their poetry and music appearing in print and broadcast media in over fifty countries while Fatso’s poetry is studied at universities in the UK and South Africa. Outspoken & The Essence are a fresh, radical sound in Harare, combining conscious lyrics with an afrosoul hip-hop sound. Outspoken has performed regularly in southern Africa having featured at most major poetry festivals in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. Outspoken and Fatso are also the founders of Magamba!, a youthful cultural activist network that uses arts and culture in the struggle for justice in Zimbabwe.