Blessing’s HIFA Diary- Day 1, A giddy beginning
27 April, Tuesday
BancABC day
It’s finally begun and everyone is giddy with excitement. It’s the opening tonight and that’s always a sure winner. At the press conference this morning there are representatives from BancABC, HIFA and some of the musical personnel from tonight’s performance – details later. Also reps from the play Jutro coming from South Africa and strangely enough I have watched this very actress sitting in front of me before – quite recently too, in a play in Sandton (Joburg) and here I am seeing her again in Harare before the year is through. Her name is Keren Tahor. It seems that once you see or meet a person , you are destined to see them again and sometimes more than just once again.
I have been holding mini-press conferences with myself for the past couple of weeks just to see what it’s like on the other side and I have fielded my own questions with deep and philosophical answers that make me something of a visionary in the eyes of my own little press corps. I would have done better to spend the time reading the programme once more before venturing into the grounds of the Telecel Main stage for the opening performance. Perhaps I would have understood the unfolding dramatics better.
I have to say a choir of 90 strong, singing Orff’s Carmina Burana, dressed in black robes, then later all in white – SPECTACULAR! There was a major screen projecting stunning visuals, dancers, stilt walkers, flames, water carriers, people floating ( or appearing to float, if you were standing where I was) above the heads of the audience, moving to the stage – dancers appeared from anywhere and everywhere – there were flame torches, a sacrifice of some sort and finally an ascension and fireworks. It was captivating, it was pure fantasy and absolutely high drama. I could barely contain my joy (maybe at just being out for a change) and my enthusiastic support for the proceedings even if I was sometimes confused ( if I had remembered what was said about the performance in the programme I would have had a clue!) In fact, I didn’t contain my excitement and enthusiasm, I whooped and clapped and shouted, and sang along, despite standing on the fringes of the grounds and sometimes not being able to see around people.
Methinks, HIFA is outgrowing this venue – especially for the big events. The grounds take 4000 people and it was standing room only by the time we made it inside, ten minutes before starting time. People had already been queuing up shortly after 5pm. Lesson learnt.
The very first show I watched in the morning though, was Kupenga KwaHamlet at the Standard Theatre. It was two actors playing all the parts in the play. It was innovative with charming moments of natural comedy. The actors were engaging and charmed you into their quirky interpretation with its infusion of Shona songs, language and character traits. The Shakespearan English was delivered clearly enough to follow the plot even for me who has a vague idea of the storyline, never having read the play. I think I can speak for everyone when I say I thoroughly enjoyed the play and it set the tone for the rest of the day. It just got better and better. There was good music on the Coca Cola Green (Edith WeUtonga and her band) where I met my sister and the kids who had just been for a graffiti workshop in the youth zone. There was a wide range of food and drink to choose from and the weather played hot and cold with us, burning us so that we took off our jackets, then in the next minute fridgidairing us so that we put them back on. For Goodness sake!!! Anyway, minor inconvenience.
I walked around the craft market – they have GREAT stuff. I couldn’t resist picking up a couple of knick-knacks and chatting to stall holders as if they were my new best friends – in fact I think I have made a couple of new friends – I’ll be seeing them all week so might as well settle in proper. I was rescued from spending more money (or chatting someone to death) by a friend and I proceeded to chat him to death while he was lost in pre-stage nerves. It was finally time to go to the spoken word performances at the Hivos Spoken Word Cafe. I love this little venue – it’s where all my friends are – my poet friends not the new best friends I make every so often. While I enjoyed all the poetry there today, I was especially touched by the St Giles School (for children with disabilities) performance. Their little fingers on their heart-shaped, motif-covered mbira’s created a clear harp-like sound that made me think that this is what chamber music would sound like in African heaven (don’t ask!)
Some memorable quotes of the day:
“Something that shows what this country is made of.” – Maria Wilson, Executive Director HIFA, talking about HIFA
“HIFA yauya!” - a 4 year old passing the Crown Plaza with her mother, excited by the bustle.
“It’s dangerous at times.” – Ben Costello, Musical Director and Conductor of Carmina Burana, talking about the energy of the performance to come.
“One diverse but beautiful nation.” – Colbert Mpofu, Choir Director, talking about the effect of all the hard work and cooperation that went into a 90 strong choir.
“Oh my prophetic soul!” - Hamlet
“I bury this love in a cartoon coffin.” – Nick Dickson Monro – poet
“The smell of steel and oil is the incense of our labour.” – Togara Muzanenhamo - poet
SO! BancABC day at HIFA. FANTASTIC.
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