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Kundai Marunya Arts Correspondent
National Gallery of Zimbabwe has defied the traditional gallery atmosphere, which mostly is painting and sculptors stationed as per curation with the audience passing through interacting with the art in dead silence.

Every first Friday of the month the gallery through its partnership with Enthuse Africa brings a different performance to the usually quiet environment, bringing a vibrancy that attract a multi-racial audience composed mostly of young people.

Last week, the event had heart-catching acoustic performance, story-telling and dance. Hosting the magical evening was rising comedian Louis the Prince, an effervescent storyteller who drove the audience to stitches as he joked about his personal life experiences and the world that surrounds him.

Also sharing the stage was a young writer, Sonny Jermain who read passages from his new book on mental health employing a soothing voice serenading the audience with his own version of the meaning of life, manhood, sex, and how to change life.

It was, however, the main performer, Fungai Nengare who had the best day in office as he charmed the audience with love ballads that warmed up the audience as he delivered a cocktail of both renditions from many great musicians and his own creations. Some of his songs that were a hit with the crowd were “Beautiful Day”, “Why”, “You Found Me” and “Beautiful Faces”, and “Maybe It’s You”.

Strumming his guitar to different tunes, Negare managed to get the crowd that for the better part of the evening were seated around born-fires, to jump up and dance as couples.

When most thought the night was over, event organiser, Stephanie Kapfunde introduced a dance trio led by renowned choreographer John Cole who wrapped up the night with magical dance moves that left the crowd awe struck. They danced to tunes by the event’s resident DJ Takudzwa Ashleigh Mfote a.k.a Made Her Believe.

Commenting on the evening a member of the crowd and aspiring musician Tarisai Musiiwa said she could not have wished for a better evening.

“It was all magical, from the story-telling, music and dance. It really warmed up the biting chilly cold weather. I just wish it had gone on for the whole night,” she said.

First Fridays are monthly events when members of the public get an opportunity to tour the gallery, interact with live music as well as other forms of performance art.