Iyasa set to ‘Rise Up’ with new album

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Bulawayo-based arts group, Inkululeko Yabatsha School of Arts (Iyasa), is set to release a new album titled ‘Rise Up’ by the end of August.

The group’s founder and director, Nkululeko Innocent Dube, revealed this in an interview with VicFallsLive.

“‘Rise Up’ is our latest project, and we’re excited to share it with the world,” Dube said.

“Our last hit, ‘S’jaiva Sibancane’, was well-received, and we’re hoping to repeat that success with this new album.”

Iyasa, has been a force to be reckoned with in the arts scene since its inception in 2001.

The group has toured several countries, including France, Spain, and Australia, and has won multiple local and international awards.

But Iyasa is more than just a performance group.

“We’re a school of arts, and our mission is to incubate young people,” Dube explained.

“We don’t do auditions; we train and teach. All we need is passion, interest, and dedication.”

The group works with around 30-40 young people and has partnered with 40 schools across the country to create productions that tackle issues affecting youth, such as drugs and substance abuse, and climate change.

One such production will be taken to Germany for an international exchange program.

With ‘Rise Up’, Iyasa is set to take their music to the next level. As Dube rounded, “By the end of the year, we want people to be dancing to our music and enjoying what we do.”