New bar-restaurant in Newlands, Misty’s, is appropriately named: dark and atmospheric, the four-month old establishment is pioneering a new trend in bars on the social scene, serving up not just drinks, but also meals.

Last night, the venue hosted the latest in a series of performers, placing Netsayi & Black Pressure centre stage, one of the perhaps least known but most exciting bands in Zimbabwean music today. Specialising in afro-folk, the band served up song after song to audience approval.

Blending African musical tradition and some classic songs with a more contemporary feel, you could see that these are not just performers, they are artists who are serious musicians. Highlights included Georgie, the radio single Sara Regina and a warm and an interesting take on Bob Marley’s classic emotive tune Redemption Song.

Although overall the show was quite extraordinary, the first half of the set suffered from low volume, making it hard to appreciate the slow-tempo songs. The packed house was very lively and animated, with chatter often over-powering the music, prompting Netsayi to comment upon it. The second half began with a plea from EU Ambassador Aldo Del’rricia to respect the artistry of the performance, and coupled with louder volume from the sound engineer, then it was much easier to appreciate, the nuanced musical compositions from this extraordinary band.

It’s a band that is going places, and if their debut performance at Misty’s, and their debut performance of the year is anything to go by, the band is set for musical success with Harare audiences.

Pic credit: Tinashe Hwindingwi