(NORTH ADAMS, Mass.) – Zimbabwean singer-songwriter Netsayi performs her unique brand of “Chimurenga soul” music at MASS MoCA on Saturday, July 19, 2014, at 8pm. Netsayi’s music boasts a jazzy, rhythmic pulse that connects Afropop to folk-rock, connecting the dots between Joan Armatrading and Angélique Kidjo. Using handcrafted wooden instruments native to Africa, Netsayi’s enchanting vocals and insightful lyrics bounce playfully behind an energetic stage band.

Once said by the New York Daily News to be Zimbabwe’s “best kept secret”, the African songbird now garners international attention from the most recognized artists in the music industry. Bono, one of her scores of champions, calls Netsayi “anarchic and joyous, thoughtful and mischievous.” Meanwhile, the New York Times describes her music as having “global reach and universal impact.”

This is one of only two times that Netsayi performs live in the United States this year (along with Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY). She initially forged a reputation as a solo act, performing in clubs and a cappella in London’s backstreets, before gaining acclaim in the United Kingdom for her two albums “Chimurenga Soul” and “Monkey’s Wedding.”

After a 40-date UK tour supporting Grammy Award-winning legends Ladysmith Black Mambazo, she returned to her home in Harare in 2010 to form the band Black Pressure, bolstering her already impressive performance repertoire. The group garnered invitations to perform in the U.S., including shows on NPR and at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).

Part of MASS MoCA’s summer of music, Netsayi performs outside under the Dré Wapenaar Pavilion. A full bar, and dinner and snacks from Lickety Split, are available before and during the show. Tickets are $12 advance, $16 day of, and $20 reserved seating. Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA box office, located on Marshall Street in North Adams, from 11am to 5pm (open every day except Tuesdays). Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 x1 during box office hours or purchased online at MASS MoCA.