Europe Month Closing Concert: Under the Same Sun
May is a significant month on two calendars at once. In Zimbabwe, it is Culture Month. Across the European Union, it is Europe Month — the period in which EU Delegations around the world celebrate the EU's partnerships and values, anchored by Europe Day on 9 May. That both Zimbabwe and the EU have chosen May to celebrate culture and identity is a reflection of something universal: that culture matters, and that celebrating it together is always richer than celebrating it alone.
This Saturday, the EU Delegation to Zimbabwe marks the close of Europe Month 2026 with a free outdoor concert — Under the Same Sun: Where Groove Meets Guitar — hosted at the EU Residence in Harare, in partnership with Sofar Harare.
European Union, 2026
On Wednesday morning, ahead of the concert, Spanish Flamenco guitarist Juan Cruz Palacios and Khumbulani Muleya — curator of Sofar Harare, the local chapter of Sofar Sounds, a global community that has been restoring the magic of intimate live music experiences across hundreds of cities worldwide since 2009 — visited the Star FM studios to give audiences a taste of what to expect. The conversation quickly moved beyond the concert itself, to the instruments at its heart.
Yesterday, Juan and Khumbulani had taken their preparations beyond the studio and into the heart of Zimbabwe's living musical tradition. The pair travelled to Tynwald to meet Jacob Mafuleni — a master musician, instrument craftsman and cultural custodian whose career spans over three decades. Jacob began his journey in 1990 with the Boterekwa Dance Troupe, going on to tour the world and collaborate with some of Zimbabwe's most celebrated traditional artists, including the late, great Chiwoniso Maraire. Today, he leads Shingira Mbira Masters and the Mhodzi Marimba Band, and dedicates much of his work to training young people in his community — entirely free of charge — in the crafting and playing of traditional instruments. Sitting together, Juan and Jacob played, listened and exchanged — a Flamenco guitarist from Madrid and a mbira master from Harare, finding, as musicians always do, that the distance between them was far smaller than it appeared.
European Union, 2026
From Tynwald, the musical journey continued as Juan and Khumbulani met with Trust Samende — one of Zimbabwe's most accomplished guitarists, producers and music directors. With over 20 years of international experience across more than 40 countries, Trust is a cornerstone of the globally acclaimed band Mokoomba and has graced some of the world's most prestigious stages, from Glastonbury to WOMAD. As the founder of Kulcha Houz Studios and the Trust Samende School of Guitar, he is as committed to nurturing the next generation of Zimbabwean musicians as he is to performing for audiences around the world. The session between Juan and Trust was a natural meeting of two guitarists who speak the same musical language — one rooted in Flamenco, the other in African guitar — and a glimpse of what Saturday's audience can look forward to.
European Union, 2026
On Saturday, Juan Cruz Palacios — who trained under legendary Flamenco master Alejandro Manzano in Madrid — will bring the Flamenco guitar, one of Spain's most treasured traditional instruments, to share the stage with celebrated Zimbabwean guitarist Trust Samende and a Jacob Mafuleni. The mbira, known as the voice of the ancestors, is one of Zimbabwe's oldest musical traditions, carrying deep spiritual and cultural significance. Together, these two traditional instruments will meet, listen to one another and create something new.
Speaking at Star FM, Juan reflected on what draws him to collaborations like this one: "Music is a common language we all share as musicians," he said, expressing his excitement for Saturday's performance.
It is a sentiment that speaks directly to the EU's own founding values. The European Union — home to 27 member states, dozens of languages and centuries of distinct cultural traditions — has always understood that diversity is a strength, not a barrier. The EU's motto, United in Diversity, is not just a principle for governance; it is an approach to life, to culture and to partnership. Saturday's concert, where a Flamenco guitar and a mbira find common ground on the same stage, is that motto brought to life.
The EU has long viewed culture as a vital dimension of its engagement with Zimbabwe — a genuine pillar of a partnership built on mutual respect, shared values and people-to-people connections. Under the Same Sun is a proud expression of that commitment: a reminder that whatever our differences in language, tradition or geography, we share this planet — and on Saturday afternoon, we will share the same music.
Join us this Saturday, 30 May 2026. Gates open at 2:30 PM, concert begins at 3:00 PM. Limited spaces available — pre-registration required at sofarsounds.com/events/65886. Outdoor venue — bring a blanket, pillow or chair.
Under the Same Sun is presented by the EU Delegation to Zimbabwe in partnership with Sofar Harare, as part of the EU Delegation's Europe Month 2026 public diplomacy programme.