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, popular southern African covers, and original songs.

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, 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, leads regular marimba and mbira workshops at schools, festivals and more, with noteable appearances at festivals such as WOMAD and Tropical Pressure.

We look forward to playing for you and your guests at our next gig. Use the contact tab to get in touch.

In the mean time, you can find us on Instagram, Facebook, Spotify and YouTube. Stay in touch by following us on our social media pages below.