Vee Mukarati

Vee Mukarati is a Zimbabwean saxophonist,composer and producer based in Geneva,Switzerland. His music is a mixture of contemporary afro-jazz, afro-pop and soul. 

Vee's musical life began at a young age. At 10 he undertook the clarinet and played in youth orchestras under the instruction of his music professor, Mitchell Strumpf. At 15, as a member of the Prince Edward school jazz band, he started playing the saxophone. It was at this point that he committed himself to jazz and improvised music. He went on to study a degree in Jazz and Contemporary music at Newpark Music Centre in Dublin, Ireland. 

After completing his studies he lived in Zimbabwe's capital city, Harare until 2018. Quickly establishing himself as an innovator in the city's jazz scene he hosting a popular concert series called "Afrojazzanova" which featured collaborated with some of Zimbabwe's most talented rising stars.

In Africa, he has performed at festivals and venues in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique and Ghana. He has also collaborated with some of the continents biggest names including Oliver Mtukudzi, Gemma Griffiths and Mokoomba 

The first recordings of his compositions were discovered in 2012 as the lead singer and saxophonist of the quartet, Jacaranda Muse's debut album September Sun which was released under the French record label "Heavenly Sweetness". 

In August 2017 his first solo album "Nyamavhuvhu Night Sounds" was internationally released under, Primrose Records. Following it's release it was awarded a Zimbabwe National Arts Merit Award for the music video to the song 'Over Again' which also marked Mukarati's debut as a music video director and was produced in collaboration with Zimbabwean visual artist,Helen Teede.

On August 22nd 2020, Vee released a second album called "Vital Signs" which was included in Bandcamp's essential releases list the week it came out. "Vital Signs" is A meditation on the contemporary Afro-jazz sound that attempts to bring jazz full circle back to its African roots. An exploration of the duality of the migrant experience; what it means to be a stranger in a strange land; racial injustice; mortality and loss; and the power of hope. It was listed as one of the 20 best albums of the year by Pan-African music magazine.

In 2024 Mukarati was the laureate of the Casino Barrier Montreux prize for talent and creativity. He is the leader of Vee Mukarati and the Horn of hope, a twelve piece large ensemble that has performed at Paleo festival, Cully jazz festival and JazzOnze+ Festival to name a few.

Mukarati holds a bachelors degree in jazz performance and a masters degree in jazz pedagogy from the Haute Ecole De Musique in Lausanne Switzerland and works as a Professor de Chant musiques actuelles at the Conservatoire Populaire de Genève.