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!
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.
More
[Pandaona rumbo rwuri kuimbwa seanthemu yeHIFA, ndati nditeerere. Rwandi zipa chaizvo.
Ndafunga kuti zvimwe zvingabatsirao mazwi acho akava muChiShona tianzwisise tose tose.
Hameno kuti anoimbika here [semunhu anehuyanga pakuimba] asi ndinofunga kuti pane vangapagonawo ipapo. Hameno kuti pane anogonawo here kupinzwa rwiyo rwacho muChiNdevere kana imwe mitauro yemuZimbabwe. Tino tora zvakawanda zvekune dzimwe nyika tichizviita zvedu asi tisinga simudzire zvedu zvakanaka. Rwumbo harusi rwedu zvedu asi kurwuimba mumitauro yekwedu zvinga simudzire kuimba nenzira dzakasiyana siyana.]
zvipingidzo zvingakura pakadii
ndino kurao kuzvipfuura
kure kupi kungaiswa kodzero dzangu
ndino mhanya kusvika ikoko
kana mukandi ramba
kana kuringa zvenyu kumwe
hazvinei, nekuti…….
..
[korasi]
chakasimba chiri mandiri
ndino ziva kuti ndino zvikwanisa
kunditadzira kwamunoita
mai funga kuti handichina madado
asi pane chakasimba chiri mandiri
..
pamuno rambisisa kunzwa izwi rangu
ndipo pandino nyaudzisa rumbo rwangu
hwandai seri kwemazidziro eJeriko
manyepo enyu achaondomoka pasi
mungandi nyima zvenyu nguva yangu pano
muchiparadza upfumi nehwangu
asi mwenje wangu uchapenya chaizvo
uchakupoforai maziso
nekuti……
..
[korasi]
chakasimba chiri mandiri
ndino ziva kuti ndino zvikwanisa
kunditadzira kwamunoita
mai funga kuti handichina madado
asi pane chakasimba chiri mandiri.
..
vakoma ne hanzvadzi
vakasimbira vachiti hatikodzere
isu tinoziva zvimwe
ingo varingai pameso muchiti:
ndichangozviita chete
ndichangozviita chete.
..
[korasi]
chakasimba chiri mandiri
ndino ziva kuti ndino zvikwanisa
kunditadzira kwamunoita
mai funga kuti handichina madado
asi pane chakasimba chiri mandiri
..
vakoma ne hanzvadzi
vakasimbira vachiti hatikodzere
isu tinoziva zvimwe
ingo varingai pameso muchiti:
ndichangozviita chete
ndichangozviita chete.
..
muturiki : Farai Madzimbamuto
Dear Friends
HIFA kicked off today and hey, I have to admit, it’s quite promising to be a memorable show. This is my first time to attend the festival and you can imagine the excitment. I went to the Funk Fusion Fashion Show and I saw some great designs by a Zimbabwean designer. Munyaradzi Chadzonga from BBA3 was narrating a story of a King who sent his sons to fetch a wife. Read more
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.
Edith Katiji on bass. PHOTO: Christian Hoppe
This Thursday 23 October sees a visit to one of Harare’s top live arts venues by the group ‘Rimuka Rine Ngoma’, a unique fusion of traditional mbira and the southern African simanjemanje, which is loosely gathered under the afro jazz umbrella, in an exciting double-bill with the dynamic singer, composer, bassist and actress, Edith Katiji.
Hailing from Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo – City of Kings – the group was formed by founder member Hudson Simbarashe in 2004, and plays in and around the city, with occasional visits to the capital, including HIFA last year.
This is the group’s second performance at The Mannenberg in Harare, courtesy of the jazz development programme of Pamberi Trust, with support from the W.F.Kellogg Foundation. Read more
Tags: [Afro Jazz, Book Cafe, Edith Katiji, Flame, Habana Sax, HIFA, HIVOS, Mannenberg, Pamberi Trust, Rimuka Rine Ngoma, Ryan Cohan Quartet]
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