Welcome the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Band, the Debutants of the 2025 Spasskaya Tower Festival

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces Band will debut at the Spasskaya Tower International Military Tattoo, bringing to Moscow’s Red Square an authentic music sketch that blends together traditions and contemporary trends.

Our guests from distant Africa have planned plenty of surprises to impress the audiences in Moscow, including vibrant dances, rhythmic drum beats, colorful attires, and vivid folk songs. Zimbabwe’s history would have been incomplete without music. Whether it is a traditional ritual or a passionate struggle for independence, it has always been a means for self-expression. All these qualities are embodied by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Band, which is an illustrious emblem of national unity and cultural identity.

The history of the ensemble roots back to the early 1980s when Zimbabwe attained its hard-worn independence from colonial rule. Having embarked on this journey the young state began forming its national institution with the focus on the defence forces. Initially all the major military services had separate music bands. However, in 2015 it was decided to amalgamate all the music ensembles into the joint Zimbabwe Defence Forces Band, which was a huge step forward in advancing the culture of military music within the country.

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces Band participates in key national events such as celebrations of the Independence Day, Heroes Day, and Defence Forces Day. The ensemble musicians cover the arrival and departure ceremonies of heads of foreign states and governments, as well as Guards of Honor rituals.

The ensemble is currently under the leadership of Major Simeon Munsaka who is also in charge of the Music Service of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. He is assisted by Lieutenant Admire Rutendo Mutonono holding the position of head of the band.

In 2025, the Spasskaya Tower Festival will unfold on Moscow’s Red Square between August 22 and 31. The tattoo’s overwhelming production will bring together over 1,500 of the world’s finest performers representing Russian and foreign military and law enforcement agencies, as well as artistic troupes. The seventeenth run is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Great Patriotic Victory, and once again will be enjoying the unwavering organizational and/or financial support of the Russian Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture, and Moscow Government Department of Culture.