Illustrative image, AI-generated.
Did you know a Zimbabwean percussionist has spent over a decade turning marimba, an instrument most of us associate with school assembly halls, into a genuine AfroHouse festival act? Kudzai Vincent Muwori, better known by his stage name WOWRAE, has built a career doing exactly that, blending live marimba, ngoma, hosho, and bongo drums with contemporary African electronic dance music.
From high school marimba to Realm of Percussion
Muwori started playing marimba at Hartmann House and St George's College, inspired by watching his sister perform in high school. In an interview with My Afrika Magazine, he explained that he originally planned to become a commercial pilot, and only fell in love with the marimba the first time he played it, an obsession that has now shaped 16 years of his career. His "WOWRAE" stage name is simply a stylised version of his surname, a nickname friends gave him in high school that stuck.
He gained real momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic through viral marimba covers of Amapiano, house, and EDM tracks, work that helped establish him as a distinctive voice in Zimbabwe's live electronic music scene. All the marimba and percussion on his recordings is played live in studio rather than sampled or programmed, something he treats as central to his musical identity.
Beyond his own performances, Muwori founded Realm of Percussion, an outdoor African electronic dance music experience he describes as a "cultural movement" exploring the relationship between Zimbabwean tradition and contemporary electronic sound. He told My Afrika Magazine that one of his most memorable shows was hosting the event atop the Domboshava Mountains outside Harare, to fewer than a hundred people, calling it unforgettable precisely because everyone present was fully immersed, success for him was never about the size of the crowd.
Taking marimba beyond Zimbabwe
WOWRAE has performed at the Lake of Stars Festival in Malawi in both 2019 and 2025, the Miombo Magic Festival, the AftersKE and ADUMA festivals in Kenya, and Zimbabwe's own Shoko Festival and Castle Lite Nights, among others. He was also part of the lineup for the Zambezi Mighty Bonfire, performing at three lead-up Bonfire Night events in Kadoma, Bulawayo, and Harare before the main event, which he described as surreal given the established names also on the bill.
He's candid about how difficult it once was to get booked as a percussionist. "When I first entered the music industry as a percussionist, it was extremely difficult to be booked because percussion, particularly the marimba, was not considered an essential part of a band," he told My Afrika Magazine. "That exclusion motivated me to create something unique for myself and stand out from everyone else."
Alongside performing, Muwori teaches marimba and percussion at St George's College, Peterhouse Boys' School, and the AfriKera Arts Trust, composing original ensemble pieces for his students. He argues that keeping marimba in Zimbabwean schools matters well beyond music class. "Teaching the marimba is essential to preserving our culture," he said. "The value we place on our traditional instruments and music gives young people a stronger sense of identity, purpose and direction."
His most recent single released in May 2025, and he has said a new chapter of original AfroHouse material, including collaborations with other vocalists and artists, is due through 2026.