TAWANDA CHARI
Shoko Festival doesn’t need to oversell itself. The longest running urban culture festival in the country has always delivered. This year’s Mash Up Night is no different. Shoko’s flagship music night returns on Friday, 25 September 2026 at Harare Gardens, headlined by Saintfloew, Voltz JT and Mugaratia - three names that, between them, cover almost every corner of where ZimHipHop is right now.
It’s
taken this long for Saintfloew to headline Shoko, which says more about how
full his schedule has been than anything else. Few artists move as freely
between hip-hop, dancehall and the more experimental lanes he’s carved out for
himself, and fewer still use that range to actually say something.
2023’s
Rise and Lead, following Hip Hop Broke My Heart and Sauna Season, pushed that
further than either project before it. We called it “a bold evolution” of his
sound at the time, one that took on drug abuse, youth disillusionment and the
search for something better without losing its edge. He’s stayed one of the
most in demand names on the live circuit since, most recently at The Hit
Factory earlier this year, on a bill that pulled together some of ZimHipHop and
Zimdancehall’s leading voices.
If
Saintfloew’s headline slot is overdue, Voltz JT’s is a known quantity - and one
of the strongest hip-hop sets Mash Up Night could ask for. The Jecha Trap
originator has built his name on sharp storytelling and social commentary
delivered in a style that’s unmistakably his own. Our review of N.O.P Makoni
called it a project of “mind-blowing depth,” its thought-provoking lyrics
riding calm rhythms and mellifluous melodies.
Voltz’s
standing within the local hip hop community has also been reflected in his
award history. His N.O.P Makoni won Best Album and he took home Song of the
Year and People’s Choice at the 2024 Zim Hip Hop Awards. In 2025, he added the
Best Hip Hop Hustle award to his growing list of accolades.
Mugaratia’s
Shoko story started at the 2024 Peace In The Hood concert in Chitungwiza. He
returns this year with considerably more weight behind his name, most of it
earned on stage. The 2025 Zim Hip Hop Awards recognised what that kind of
moment represents, naming him Best Alternative Artist. His refusal to sit
inside one genre is clearly working in his favour.
Mash Up
Night also introduces Shoko audiences to Xiba, one of the sharper female voices
to emerge from the scene in recent years. She first landed on people’s radar
via 2022’s “Jumanji” alongside Saintfloew and Bagga, before stepping fully into
her own lane. 2024’s “New Girl” marked that shift — we called it “a declaration
of artistic independence,” a showcase of vocal ability, songwriting and
creative control that was entirely her own.
Representing
Bulawayo is Bhila, out of Cowdray Park, whose sound moves comfortably between
hip-hop, Afropop and Afro-soul. 2023’s “Mathapelo” is the clearest example of
that range — a soulful, melodically rich celebration of love and lobola that
leans fully into cultural narrative instead of skirting around it.
Running
alongside Mash Up Night is Mashoko Tapes, Shoko’s music residency programme,
back for a third edition. The premise stays the same: put a handful of Mash Up
Night performers in a room together and let them build something new. This
year’s collective - Supermuno, Millz Million, Easy Ice, Luigi Badgenna and
Hooksmith - join Bhila, with the resulting project dropping as a lead up to the
night itself.
Among
the participating artists is Supermuno, whose Project Superstar EP recently
demonstrated an artist deeply interested in exploring identity, survival and
the realities of life in the Global South. We have previously described the
project as an introduction to an artist who sees herself as a work in progress,
using her experiences to construct a broader story about Zimbabwean life and
resilience.
Hooksmith, meanwhile, is one of the names to
watch coming up through ZimHipHop: a Best Newcomer nod at the 2025 Zim Hip Hop
Awards, recognition for his verse on “Kepele,” and a Best Collaboration
nomination for that same track alongside Yadis.
With
established stars, rising voices and an innovative collaborative project all
converging at Harare Gardens, Mash Up Night promises to embody the spirit at
the heart of Shoko Festival: bringing together Zimbabwe’s diverse urban culture
and giving artists a platform to experiment, collaborate and connect with
audiences.
Tickets
available online at shokofestival.co.zw. Physical tickets are also available at
Elixir liquor stores in Harare.
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