On September 27, Zimbabwean music sensation Gemma Griffiths headlined the Zim Health annual gala in Geneva, Switzerland. The event was marked not only by its philanthropic cause, but by an on-stage reunion with long-time friend, saxophonist and singer Vee Mukarati.
The performance, which took place at the Salle communale d’Onex festival hall, served as a bridge between Zimbabwe and its diaspora, all in support of improving healthcare services back home.
Zim Health hosts a gala every year to raise funds for work that they do in Zimbabwe where they buy hospital equipment and build hospitals in Zimbabwe’s rural areas. Every year they invite artists to Switzerland. This year they invited Gemma, Dereck Mpofu and DJ Ropa.
The non-governmental, non-profit association, is registered in Geneva and was established by Zimbabweans living in Europe to mobilise financial, material and human resources to support health services in Zimbabwe.
“The support we have received has directly funded critical medical equipment deliveries to Mount Selinda Mission Hospital and the expansion of Mabvuku Polyclinic, which has been our biggest project to date,” read a post on the association’s social media platform Instagram. “We witnessed pure musical excellence! From the first note to the final song, the energy was absolutely electric!”
Gemma, whose self-titled debut album continues to gain momentum, was the headline act for the prestigious event, performing with guitarist Matthew Ngorima alongside musicians from Mukarati’s band.
For the artists, the gala was as much about the music as it was about rekindling personal and professional bonds that span over a decade.
Reflecting on the performance, Mukarati shared his enthusiasm with IndependentXtra, stating, “The audience was great, it was a really good show. We had a great show and a good time, it was cool to play together again, I hadn’t played with her in 10 years or so.”
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He added that it was particularly meaningful to reconnect with guitarist Ngorima who played in his band when he was in Zimbabwe, noting, “It was cool for them (Mukarati’s band mates) to meet the genius behind some of the guitar lines, riffs and stuff that is in my music which was played by him. It was great seeing Dereck too, hadn’t seen him in a long time.
“Sharing the stage with Gemma was amazing, she is an incredible performer. Playing with her was easy because we have known each other for so long, it’s kind of like playing with your hommies, even from when we started playing together about 15 years ago when she was young and coming up.
“It is really great to see that she is living up to her full talent and that she keeps growing, she is an incredibly talented songwriter and singer so it’s good to have friends like that and get the chance to work together and to have a connection between Zimbabwe and Europe and be able to hopefully do that again in the future.”
This charitable context gave profound meaning to the musical reunions, highlighting Griffiths’ commitment to using her artistry for positive impact in her homeland. This performance is one of several highlights in a breakthrough year for the artist.
Meanwhile, her artistic momentum continues with the recent release of the visually stunning music video for her hit single Holy, featuring Nigerian superstar Peruzzi, which was shot on location in Harare and Lagos and premiered on Trace TV.
She co-directed the video alongside Emil Zendera. It celebrates cross-continental collaboration, much like her live performances, and is lifted from her acclaimed self-titled debut album that is now approaching one million global streams.
Her fanbase is growing across Zimbabwe, South Africa, the UK and the US followed closely by Kenya. The songstress was recently named as a Future of Music cover star by Rolling Stone Africa and featured on the cover of She Glows Africa, making her stand out as a powerful example of an artist successfully bridging continents while remaining deeply connected to her roots and the collaborative spirit that first nurtured her talent.
According to a statement released by her management, the video was produced by Zimbabwean producer Manuchie.
“Holy marks another bold step in her cross-continental journey, a celebration of creativity, and collaboration between Zimbabwe and Nigeria,” read the statement in part.
