Otto and The Mutapa Calling

Otto And The Mutapa Calling is a colourful celebration of southern African music and culture. The London based marimba band plays energetic, joyful music from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana, covering traditional folk songs, original songs and popular southern African covers. The band's set-up includes soprano, tenor and baritone marimbas, hosho, drumming and singing, with a splash of both traditional and contemporary dances. The marimba band’s sound is full of energy and pulsating rhythms - and the band’s music shares the rich cultures, histories and stories of the people of southern Africa. 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, South Africa and the UK, and is the only active professional southern African marimba band of its kind in the UK. The marimba band performs at weddings, festivals, private parties and corporate events. Some recent performance highlights include Boomtown Fair, Peckham Festival, Lambeth Country Show, Colchester Zoo, Lewisham People’s Day, Spring Classic Festival, Devizes Picnic In The Park, Just So Festival, Late Bloom Festival, Kallida Festival, Timber International Forest Festival, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and One Love Festival. Band leader, Otto Gumaelius, has also led marimba and mbira workshops at festivals such as WOMAD and Tropical Pressure, alongside regular teaching of his own.