Staff Writer
Harare’s creative heartbeat lands at Moto Republik this Saturday, 6 December, as Harare Open Mic hosts its final 2025 edition—aptly themed Let the Artist Speak—in solidarity with the 16 Days of Activism campaign. From 2–5 p.m., the space is set to pulse with poetry, music, and an exciting homecoming.
Masa Returns to the Stage That Raised Her
Headlining the afternoon is Masa Caroleen, the fast-rising genre-blending musician behind the hit Paye, featuring Mwenje Mathole.
Now based in South Africa, Masa has been steadily carving a name for herself on international stages—sharing platforms with guitar maestro Silent Nqo at Joy of Jazz, performing at Stories I Never Told in Johannesburg and Pretoria, and appearing at Nijo’s comedy events.
Moving across the border, she says, reshaped everything.
“My creative world expanded in a massive way,” Masa said. “It’s widening my audience and helping me blend my Zimbabwean roots with a broader African sound. I’ve grown as a musician and a storyteller.”
But the multi-talented artist is much more than a voice.
Masa is a poet whose work I Miss Home appeared in the Ipikai Poetry Journal (2024), a voice-over artist, and currently the custodian of her grandfather’s memoir project. She has been in and out of Harare working with local creatives, including a performance at Jacaranda Music Festival in October and this week’s Skai at Dusk Concert at Alliance Française.
Masa Caroleen
November alone saw her release four collaborative tracks across hip hop, jazz, and experimental sounds—and she’s already deep in the studio shaping her 2026 catalogue. Yet she insists she’s never too big for open mic culture.
“Open Mics are the stepping stones,” she said. “They’re where you test your voice, your confidence, your presence. For many of us, it’s the first place we realise, ‘Wait… I can actually do this.’”
Linda Gabriel Makes a Triumphant Return
Sharing the spotlight is celebrated poet Linda Gabriel, returning after a five-year hiatus during which she focused on farming, motherhood, and completing her Msc. in Disaster Risk and Livelihoods Studies.
“I am back and looking forward to gracing more spaces and stages,” she said.
Gabriel has already re-entered the circuit, performing at Nyimbo zaKwatu, Royalty & Rhymes, and Sofar Sounds.
She’s currently working on new collaborations and hopes to stage her second one-woman show in August 2026. She’s also developing the KwaMasi Cultural Heritage Centre in Kutama, where she aims to host poetry events.
A Stage for New Voices and Familiar Flames
Curated and hosted by poet-playwright Batsirai Chigama, Harare Open Mic has grown into one of the city’s most diverse artistic melting pots. Saturday’s finale promises a vibrant mix of voices—emerging poets such as Praymore Kugara, Yvonne Matanhire, I Eat Lemons, Lindsay, and Nyanduwri, plus musicians Vimbiso Vambe, Rumbidzai Mutasa, Tapiwa Mandinde, Emmanuel Khumbani, and more than twelve new acts making their debut.
The event will be steered by the incomparable Vera, the funky jazz singer-songwriter whose live performances have been lighting up Harare and stages abroad.
With its mix of homegrown stars, rising talents, and heartfelt activism, this edition of Harare Open Mic promises to close the year with a soulful, electrifying bang.
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