HIFA 2009 Call for Artists!
The Harare International Festival of the Arts is now accepting artist applications for the 2009 edition of the festival. HIFA celebrates its 10th anniversary next year and the internationally acclaimed festival is set to put on its biggest event ever.
Artists from all artistic disciplines are invited to apply. Forms are available from the HIFA website. (www.hifa.co.zw). They can also be collected from
- National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Marondera, Gwanda, Chinhoyi, Bindura, Mutare, Masvingo
- National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare
- The Zimbabwe College of Music
- Dance Trust of Zimbabwe
The deadline for artist form submissions is 29 December 2008.
HIFA 2009 will be held from 28th April to 3rd May.
Craft 08- Gift Ideas
27th October – 14th December 2008
New ideas are never in short supply when it comes to art and craft and this year the National Gallery of Zimbabwe is hosting the first ‘Craft 08 Exhibition’. An exhibition of local craft work comprising of unique ethnic necklaces, earrings, bangles, t-shirts, cushions, wooden works, authentic and symbolic African objects and regalia. The exhibition aims to bring together a variety of crafts people in one location so as to allow interaction and at the same time presents business for Christmas buying public. The gifts on sale are affordable, original and suite any taste. Read more
Hope’s songs of redemption
The Making of a Unique Band
“By the rivers of Babylon I sat and wept,” thus sang the long- suffering Hebrews in their time of Babylonian captivity. They found themselves singing God’s song in a strange land. But though the song speaks of tears, it is actually a song of hope and redemption. The very act of singing it meant that the singers had in actual fact symbolically freed themselves. And, in these turbulent times we live in, we need songs and singers with enormous emotional power that can heal our grief, assuage our anxieties and allow us to hope for a better future. Hope Masike neKakuwe have it in them to do just this and more.
Hope, second from left, and members of Kakuwe
The dream and vision to form Kakuwe was born long before Hope decided to enrol at the Zimbabwe College of Music. Born with music in her blood, an independent feisty spirit, Hope was always someone who marched to a different drum, and so it was not surprising that when she decided to take her music seriously, she wanted to form a unique band with a different sound. Read more
National Art Gallery Staff Exhibition
The National Gallery of Zimbabwe is proud to be hosting one of its major shows on the exhibition calendar, the Staff Exhibition. The month long exhibition which starts on the 21st of October 2008 is a reflection of how the Gallery is proud to be a major participant in the moulding of the visual arts, which are expressive of culture that defines a people. Read more
National Gallery hosts fourth cotton exhibition
The National Gallery of Zimbabwe is proud to be hosting the fourth Cotton Exhibition on the 10th of October 2008. The show of 72 paintings, sculptures and textiles running under the theme ‘Strength and Complexity’ serves to bring out the fine qualities of cotton as a manmade fibre which has become of paramount importance in the clothing and design industries. Read more
Artists and professionalism
On Thursday 23 October, the 5.30pm Artists’ Voices Discussion at The Book Café presents the topic: “Artists & Professionalism”.
Organised by arts organisation Pamberi Trust, this platform to discuss artistic issues and help build the industry has been going on at The Book Café for some years, where artists raise issues for discussion which are relevant to their survival and success. Read more
This week @ the Book Café and Mannenberg: October 16 - 25
SPECIALS THIS WEEK
The Book Café
THUR 16, 5.30-7pm, LITERARY DISCUSSION – ‘VISIONS OF AILING MEN’ in Chenjerai Hove’s ‘Bones’ & Shimmer Chinodya’s ‘Strife’ – a presentation by DR ROBERT MUPONDE, Dept of English, Wits University, SA & one of the leading critics on Zimbabwean & African Literature, explores the ways in which differently placed dystopian masculinities in the two novels help us to think about the evolving narrative of post-colonial Zimbabwe. With MEMORY CHIRERE (UZ). FREE! ALL WELCOME!
THUR 23, 5.30-7pm, ARTISTS’ VOICES DISCUSSION – ‘ARTISTS & PROFESSIONALISM’ – Are artists professional enough to maintain good relations and be taken seriously by stakeholders in the performing arts sector, business fraternity and venue operators? Discussion will be led by DUDU MANHENGA, SAM MTUKUDZI & CDE FATSO (t.b.c). FREE – ALL WELCOME. A Pamberi Trust project, supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
The Mannenberg
THU 23, 10pm, Pamberi Trust welcomes RIMUKA RINE NGOMA from Bulawayo, featuring HUDSON SIMBARASHE (guitar), double billing with EDITH KATJII (vo) under the F.L.A.M.E programme (Female Literary, Arts & Music Enterprise) – a great afro jazz collaboration from The City of Kings (and Queens!). Read more
FWords: Creative Freedom- USA Tour
Filed under: Art life, Books & literature, Notes from the Diaspora
‘FWords’ is a creative project to commemorate the Parliamentary Act of 1807 to abolish the British Slave Trade. Eight individuals were selected from some of Yorkshire’s most talented literary and visual artists, acclaimed through publication, performance, exhibitions and prizes, nationally, and in some cases, internationally. Read more
Of local festivals disrespecting local artists
Filed under: Art life, Entertainment, How Zimbabwe can be better
I note with great displeasure that at all the local festivals I have attended, foreign artists get the red carpet treatment whilst our own shero/hero artists get the backhand treatment ranging from non-payment of performance fees to zero star accommodation. I reckon it’s about time local artists formed a movement that protects them from such. Let’s hear what you have to say…
Why we write still
Someone made a remark, the other night, which had me thinking about the role of writing and value of writers. We were at the Book Café for a Literary Discussion on Valerie Tagwira’s The Uncertainty of Hope. The person asked why there was such a fairytale ending to the novel, given all the vicissitudes explored and the woes that Onai, the protagonist endures.
“Real life is not like that. Why is it our writers can’t tell it like it is?” lamented the participant. I wonder if the Brothers Grimm ever had to answer such a question. Why are fairytales still fascinating even up to this day? Read more
On The Zimbo Jam- Alick Macheso- Lucky Guitarist or Musical Genius?By Memory Chirere Although many Zimbabwean music lovers are agreed that Alick Macheso is the King of Sungura, the Zimbabwean brand of Rhumba, that is as far as the agreement will go. As Masimba Kuchera admits in an article on the Chesopower website, ‘there have been many schools of thought on the (real) strength of Macheso- some arguing about his skills with the bass guitar, some contending that it is his vocals and others proffering his dancing skills, it is generally agreed that the musician is of immense talent.’ When people agree that you are extremely talented but go on to debate hotly about exactly whether your strength lies in theway you walk or the way you run, then that is a mark of genius. You actually put people in a crisis of naming aspects of a phenomenon.
- A Dance Farewell for Isabel MatolaBy Ruvimbo Hope Masike Here is one of the most beautiful things about Zimbabwe. It is inimitably Zimbabwean. We Zimbabweans love peace, of course, among other things. We love fun, joy and we are naturally celebratory people even when there isn’t much to celebrate about. For instance young children jump around joyously chanting “Ndege! Ndege!” when an aeroplane passes over them. Now when there is something worthy of the celebration, the joy is electric, understandably so, considering how almost everything else around us is seemingly dull and confusing and uninspiringly so. As a result, when Isabel Matola’s Mozambique Dance Festival came by, it turned out to be one of the brightest lights in town, which was a well deserved acclaim.
- Kanda Bongo Man Lands in Harare With One Guitar[Herald] France-based rhumba maestro Kanda Bongo Man had just one guitar when he set out to perform at the Harare International Conference Centre on Wednesday evening, and his day was saved by a local musician who offered him his instruments on the 11th hour to avert what could have turned out to be an international disaster.
- Alick Macheso- Lucky Guitarist or Musical Genius?
