Blessing’s HIFA Diary - Day 3, ambiguity, finding God & poverty
29 April, Thursday
Stanbic Bank day
“A country that’s going through some ambiguous moments.” - Maria Wilson – HIFA Executive Director, talking about Zimbabwe.
___
Day two without electricity – I think this qualifies as one of those ambiguous moments. I am not home all day so I haven’t really felt it too badly yet except for the unfairness of driving past lit suburbs all the way home after midnight only to reach ours that is in complete darkness. Thank God for the full moon otherwise it would be an untenable situation.
After leaving the press room way past the time of the first show I was supposed to see, I picked up an artist friend who is performing tonight. She wanted to go shopping for a shiny, purple, body hugging, short jacket with long sleeves. In Harare! I thought the flea market in Avondale would be the best place and also convenient as it was also the location for my next show. We didn’t find the jacket, of course – in Harare! – BUT I was very surprised at the wide selection on clothes available there and if there was a purple jacket of that particular description to be found anywhere in Harare, it would be here I think. We went on to the show. 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
