Welcome
SoKo Jena
©Tommy Rustad
I am a Zimbabwean born and bred artist.
I am identified as ‘SoKo’ which is my totem; the great white Baboon which is oriented as a king chieftain in Shona culture with the responsibility to preserve, teach and spread word. SoKo/ Shoko is translated as ‘‘word’’ in English.
l am word, l carry word and my body is word. My being is deeply entangled and invested with my totem. I am an animist and I use its technology to unpack my Black African presence. I use humor in order to reach a wide range of audiences and people perceive my work as fearless, sophisticated, and witty. I strive to be fearless in how I approach the material; aiming for a space that is both sophisticated and witty.
Biography
McIntosh Pedzisai Jerahuni is a Zimbabwean choreographer, dancer, composer, and visual artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores themes of migration, identity, Blackness, resistance, and spirituality. Trained at the Dance Trust of Zimbabwe and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, he has developed a unique artistic language that fuses traditional Zimbabwean movement, contemporary dance, sound, and visual art.
McIntosh’s work is deeply influenced by his personal experiences of displacement, cultural hybridity, and belonging. His performances embody Migrant Aesthetics, reflecting the movement of people, histories, and ancestral memory across borders. Through his choreographic and sonic compositions, he navigates the tensions between rootedness and exile, tradition and innovation, reclaiming African performance as an evolving, dynamic space of resistance.
As the founder of jena_practice, McIntosh is committed to harmonizing heritage and contemporary expression, creating immersive artistic experiences that challenge dominant narratives while celebrating African creativity. His works, including Kamwe Kamwe/One by One, The Architecture of Blackness, and We Who Do Not Belong, have been performed and exhibited internationally, resonating with themes of historical trauma, resilience, and liberation.
McIntosh has collaborated with and been mentored by renowned artists such as Peter John Sabbagha, Nora Chipaumire, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Boyzie Cekwana, and Mamela Nyamza. His contributions to the global dance and performance landscape have earned him recognition, including the Pina Bausch Fellowship and multiple National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) in Zimbabwe.
Through his practice, McIntosh continues to push the boundaries of African contemporary performance, using movement, sound, and space to tell stories that are urgent, poetic, and deeply human.