Soko Jena

You can also view updates related to his creative hub on the Jerahuni Movement Factory Instagram page

Soko Jena (McIntosh Pedzisai Jerahuni) is a Zimbabwean multidisciplinary artist whose practice seamlessly merges dance, music, choreography, and visual art into a unified space of cultural resistance. Rooted deeply in Shona cosmology, animist traditions, and ancestral philosophies, his work reclaims Black African presence and challenges dominant, colonial narratives. Central to his creative philosophy is Jena practice, an evolving artistic and spiritual methodology that treats movement, rhythm, and voice as ancestral technologies. In Shona belief, Jena represents whiteness, signifying spiritual purity, clarity, and illumination. Through this framework, the physical body acts as a vessel or word (Shoko), serving as a bridge between historical memory, collective human identity (hunhu), and the divine. Jena’s expansive repertoire includes acclaimed international performances like The Architecture of Blackness and We Who Do Not Belong. His sonic language layers traditional Zimbabwean instruments, such as the mbira and ngoma drums, with experimental polyrhythms, electronic distortions, and powerful spoken word. Visually and structurally, his practice explores Migrant Aesthetics, capturing the complex realities of exile, historical trauma, and geographic borders. He often develops immersive, site-responsive installations that recreate architectures of flight and sanctuary using field recordings and oral histories. Beyond solo creation, Jena is a vital community builder. As the founder of the Jerahuni Movement Factory in Mbare, Harare, he activates spaces to mentor local talent and process societal struggles. Ultimately, Soko Jena’s fearless, witty, and deeply collaborative practice transcends pure performance. It operates as a sophisticated ritual of active remembrance, spiritual healing, and aesthetic rebellion.