Blessing’s HIFA Diary- Day 0- ZESA, journos, partying
26 April, Monday Press Accreditation
I don’t want to begin my note with a gripe but seriously ZESA WTF!? Despite paying an overpriced electric bill we have had electricity less than 50% of the time this month. I almost can’t bear it.
Anyway, the light at the end of this week’s tunnel is that with HIFA on I will be too busy to care about not having power. So, off I went to get accredited with a press pass for the week and if anything has changed since I was last a member of the press for HIFA, it the rules. I think it was 2005 and there weren’t too many of us covering the events and there just as few rules. Today however, the room was PACKED and the rules were plenty. Regardless, one of the things that I had forgotten about us Zimbos i our complete inability to appreciate personal space. Oh no such thing in this place, your sweat is my sweat, your breath is my breath. It should be something I’m used to by now but I am not.
To continue, the press accreditation started on time - Kudos media liaison officer and continued smoothly until there was a sudden change in the perception of the journos who hadn’t yet been called up to get their tags. It seemed that there was a marked lack of trust in the proceedings for no apparent reason: I cannot count on one hand the number of times the beleagured press officer had to tell journalists to sit down and wait until their names were called. No, quite a few people believed that this was not going to happen and as a result they continually stood up to go and mill around the front tables, ask questions and generally stop things from actually moving forward. It was kinda funny and so typical.
After milling around myself for a bit, I moved on to go and mill around elsewhere until the British Council-hosted HIFA party. There are a number of theatre poductions featuring at HIFA this year that were sponsored by the HIFA Direct programme in partnership with the British Coucil. If I had some decent light I would be able to look at my programme and tell you how many and what they are but I did meet quite a few of the young directors and actors and actresses, one of whom is Chipo Chung whom I last saw on an episode of some UK drama series - The Bill comes to mind but it could just as well have been Holby City - Chipo I know this won’t impress you but I do suffer from vague moments like this from time to time ( also I am under pressure to finish writing before my battery runs out so I can’t really take the time to look it up but if I had to pt money on it I would say Holby City). Anyway, Chipo - rising star, was my junior at school so it was lovely to see her again.
I wonder though, where everyone has gone that I used to know. It used to be that I would go to these receptions and know 80% of the people there as more than just acquaintances but now, I am everyone elses’ acquaintance and a new face to many. Should I have moved on to some other place by now - I think I miss many boats in life - I don’t know why nobody ever tells me when things are changing. But hey, I’m here for HIFA, once again and that’s definitely a good thing. Now all I need is to find a secret spot that will be free and safe from miscreants anytime I need to park my car and life will be makeke. Opening night tomorrow - Yay!
Salif Keita to Perform in Zimbabwe!
Yay! Yay! Yay! Salif Keita is coming to Zimbabwe. The Mali-born music legend will perform at this year’s Harare International Festival of the Arts.
We’re blown away, totally.
Sam and Owen buried in Harare
Filed under: Music & Dance, Zimbabwean diaries, Zimbos who rock
Sam Mtukudzi and Owen Chimhare who died in a car crash on Monday morning (15 March 2010), were laid to rest at Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare this afternoon.
Speaking at a service held earlier in the day, Sam’s mother said that she had been robbed of two sons. Her husband, music superstar Oliver Mtukudzi said that Sam and Owen were great children and never gave their parents too many headaches.
Many of those present, including some of the artists that Sam had worked with, broke down intermittently during the service and wept for their friend departed.
Sam Mtukudzi, Owen Chimhare to be Buried in Harare
Sam Mtukudzi and his friend Owen Chimhare will be buried side by side at Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare tomorrow.
The Mtukudzi family has decided not to bury him in their rural home so that he can be interred with his friend.
More about the burial arrangmements
Sam Mtukudzi is No More
Sam Mtukudzi (1988-2010)
Sam Mtukudzi is no more. The young music star passed away in the early hours of this morning on his way home in Norton from Harare.
He and his sound engineer Owen Chimhare both died on the spot when their car veered off the road along Bulawayo Road, in the Kuwadzana Extension area.
Carl Joshua Ncube takes piracy fight to the streets
Zimbabwean animator and graphics artist Carl Joshua Ncube will from this afternoon live on Harare’s First Street for a week to raise awareness of the seriousness of piracy and to convince Zimbabweans to buy original products to support the artists.
