The London-based marimba band plays a blend of music from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana, including original music, traditional songs, and popular covers.

The band’s performances are full of joy, energy and pulsating rhythms, and the stories blended with the songs they play celebrate the people, cultures and history of southern Africa.

Audiences are rarely able to resist getting up and dancing once the music starts to play.

Formed in 2017, the marimba band is led by Otto Gumaelius who started playing African music on the marimba in the late 1990s in Botswana.

The band is currently comprised of musicians from Botswana, Zimbabwe, and the UK, and it is the only active professional southern African marimba band of its kind in the country.

The band performs using southern African marimbas, with drumming, singing and mbira.

Band leader, Otto Gumaelius, and band drummer, Tomson Chauke, also lead regular southern African music workshops covering drumming, marimba, mbira, song and dance. They teach at community events, schools, festivals, corporate days, and more.

Read more about our workshops here.

The band's popularity sees them performing regularly at festivals, live music venues, weddings, community events, and much more.

Recent performances in 2025 include Jersey Arts Centre, Erin Arts Centre, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Tropical Pressure Festival (winners of Battle of the Bands 2025), Celebraaition Festival, Festival of Colours, Elementary Festival, Yebo Festival, The Brunswick, The Jago, The Rising, Mabiko: Celebrate Africa, Pride of Reading Awards, Colchester Zoo, Africa Business Forum Oxford, and many more.

Thank you for taking the time to browse our website. We look forward to playing for you at our next gig.

Use the contact tab to get in touch if you’d like to enquire about a booking.

In the mean time, you can stay in touch with us on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, or enjoy our music on YouTube and Spotify.