The heartbreak song ‘Sewe’ by Zimbabwean artist Silent Nqo took the Internet and the airwaves by storm. A different sound and a powerful anthem that presents a fresh sound for the Zimbabwean music landscape. Silent Nqo also featured Mann Friday on the song. The rock band has been in existence for nearly three decades now but with their feature on ‘Sewe’ they have gained new visibility and exposure to new listeners. 

Mann Friday is an alternative rock band which was started in 1997 at Rhodes University in South Africa. The front man and lead singer is Zimbabwean born Rob Burrell. While their roots may have been in the Eastern Cape, the band made its way to Cape Town in the Western Cape in search of success and to establish their career. They recorded their debut album ‘The Orchard’ in 2002 to much fanfare. The debut album was presented in their birthplace at the Grahamstown Arts Festival as a hybrid musical and visual performance. In the early 2000s they moved to the United Kingdom and tirelessly worked the pub scene, playing small gigs and night clubs across the UK. They issued more albums to varying levels of success. 

In 2013 they released the album ‘Train Rides and Radio Play’ that got them signed by V2 Records and they relocated to the Netherlands. The album was a great commercial success which saw it debut at number five on the Dutch music charts; one place below Back Street Boy’s ‘In A World Like This.’ Throughout their colourful career, Mann Friday has enjoyed success on pop charts around the world, performed on some of the greatest stages such as the Edinburgh Festival, Glastonbury Festival and Sofar Sounds to mention a few. Some of their best-known songs include the feel good, familiar favourite “Sunrise Everyday”, the catchy song with a fun music video “Fight For Me” and the mesmeric “Caravan In The Mist.” 

Rob Burrell is somewhat of a chameleon, a rock star and the founder of one of the most visible companies in the world. Burrell founded the money transfer and financial service giant Mukuru. Mukuru started as a fuel service for people abroad to buy fuel for relatives in Zimbabwe but it soon grew to become the financial giant that it is now, boasting of footprints in the Americas, Asia and Europe. It has also been ranked as one of the best organisations to work for on LinkedIn. So yes, the founder of Mukuru Financial Services is also a rock musician with long hair and hippie outfits. That is how multifaceted we are as humans!

Today Mann Friday has witnessed a resurgence of popularity for their contribution to ‘Sewe’ and are gearing up for the release of their eighth studio album titled ‘Chrysalis.’ They have even released an acoustic version of ‘Sewe’ in the lead up to the album’s debut. They have show the power of longevity and the perseverance one needs in their creative pursuits.