Gracing both the Cabaret stage and the theatre marquee throughout the weekend were ten men from Zimbabwe who captured every audience from the second they ran onto the stage to the sorry moment when the final perfect notes were sublimely harmonised. Formed in 1991, Imbizo are a full time touring company who regularly visit countries in Africa and Europe. The set began with traditional African song, performed in at least four harmonic ranges from ocean deep to tweeting bird. That would have been enough but just as the audience were being happily lulled along on a sweet rhythmic wave, Imbizo started dancing. To their own accapella rhythm they each took a turn in the spotlight and uniformly made Michael Jackson look just a little stiff. Their performance ended each time with a long piece called Bansula Jive that grew faster and louder with every verse until finally reaching a magnificent crescendo of clapping tapping and spinning before plummeting into silence as the whole band began a kind of elastic legged African break dance. It was breathtaking and the crowds begged for more. Afterwards I spoke to Newton Naube who said Imbizo are playing a few more dates in the UK this year including Womad and Sidmouth Folk Festival. To find out where you can see them e-mail [email protected] Words and pictures: Sandy Francis