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Oliver Mtukudzi and Japanese singer on stage

Arts Reporters
Although attendance was below expectations, performers at this year’s Harare International Festival of the Arts lived up to expectations with various genres offering varying performances.

The opening night last Tuesday presented a spectacular act from Mahube, a regional group that had artists from South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

The act was directed by renowned jazz singer Steve Dyer and it featured local acts like Oliver Mtukudzi, Hope Masike, Josh Meck and Sam Mataure.

The festival had a good number of theatre productions. There are many arguments in the world built on bias of theatre arts in our culture but there are many people who believe that theatre is important not only for our entertainment, but also to build up a culture in a quickly growing uncultured generation.

This year Hifa was loaded as all plays at Reps theatre lived up to billing with great performances from local stars such as Edmore Sandifolo, Rumbidzai Karize, Tanya Charumbira and Charmaine Mujeri.

Some of the plays include “Tumaini”, “Temeraire” and “Ole New Orleans”. “Tumaini” is a play that sets out to show the push and pull factors of migration.

The physical theatre production was one of the people’s favourites because of its twists in migration philosophy.

It stars award winner Nyaradzo Nhongonhema, Rumbidzai Karize and Tanya Charumbira.

Sandifolo and Mujeri managed to wow the crowd with the play “Temeraire” written by New Zealand based artist Stanely Makuwe. The two main show actors couldn’t leave you in doubt as they portrayed reality, what we see every day in society but we are afraid to give solutions or prevent.

The play was directed by award winner and director of recent local movie ‘Escape’ Dr Agnieszka Piotrowska whose prowess managed to convince the audience glued at the stage.

The play is about a sad love story of Temeraire who impregnated a maid in Mashava area. Temeraire was known for flashy lifestyle and spending money with a lot of women.

He impregnates a maid Primrose who later decides to kill the baby and throws it in a sewage tank. The reason being that she was young and knew well that it would be hard to look after the baby since Temeraire has deserted her.

However, Primrose later haunts Temeraire, giving him a taste of his medicine, torturing him but what makes the play interesting is she later forgives him.

On the Global Stage of the festival Swing Mates serenaded fans over the weekend.

Part of the crowd at Hifa

The band performed well and the venue was filled to capacity. With their energetic performance and dazzling guitar skills, the band left the audiences clamouring for more.

They performed their songs that were in English and Spanish. In an interview on the sidelines of their performance, the lead vocalist Ziaa said they were happy to have been awarded the chance to perform at the Harare International Festival of the Arts. “We feel so lucky, this is our first time here and I can tell you that it is amazing, I can feel the love and it just feels good,” she said.

She said they were looking forward to collaborate with some local artists. “We feel we need to meet with the Zimbabwean musicians so that we work together, we only have four days here and we just hope we will be able to have some collaboration,” she said.

Ziaa highlighted that they are hoping that they will be invited back to perform at such a prestigious festival and hailed Zimbabweans for their steadfast and unwavering love.

Ziaa, is a sassy blues and soul singer from Reunion who is backed by the toe-tapping swing rock energy of two talented musicians from Lyon (France), Clément Vincent and Julien Regnault.

Open-hearted expressions of the soul in both English and French, their songs carry people away to the intimacy of warm nights spent on faraway shores.

After touring France and the Indian Ocean, now the trio accompanied by Gérôme Geney, a drummer from Réunion, said they are ready to share their melodious hip-swinging blues with the rest of the world.

On a visual arts note, appreciation of arts and crafts sector continues to grow as people were not only enjoying viewing the products, but buying them from renowned sculptors.

It has proved beyond doubt that several artistes that came to exhibit wanted to display the highest level of innovation. Craftsman showed skill in making mats, baskets, claypots and other products.

Sculptor Venessa Rangisse had the best experience at the event. “I have been coming on this festival for years and it has managed to create contacts for me every year,” he said.

The male sculptor said he relishes this year’s festival saying it has created him with an opportunity to learn from other sculptors. Metal sculptors were also part of the exhibitors.

Traditional dresses found their way to the glamorous festival with designers likes Rose Vambe of Ashava Fashions, said she was happy to be exhibiting at the highly subscribed fete. “We exchange notes here as fashion designers and that contributes to our passion to have a national dress that identifies the true Zimbabwean culture,” she said.

This year’s experience gave her enough time even to witness several fashion shows that were held at the event. “Fashion is a learning process and we are happy that we had all the time to watch, exhibit and learn from others how we can we defend our culture by having suits, clothes and designs that defend our pride as Zimbabweans,” she said.

Dancers spiced up the fete with Brian Geza choreographed production “Brocken Pavements” lighting up the event.

Geza said they had only few weeks to put up the story they showcased. Other productions included the Heather Walrond Company act, The Rising.

Other highlighting events included the high note performance of Cameroonian songbird Kareyce Fotso at ZOL mainstage on Thursday. One of the best shows on main stage came from Winky D and Tuku thrilled a massive crowd with their sizzling performance on Friday.

First, Tuku hit the stage his wife Daisy Mtukudzi for their collaboration “Haasi Masanga” joined by Tariro neGitare who was backing vocalist.

He was joined by some Japanese singers that did the song “Neria” and Tuku performed his old songs, “Madiro” amongst them to which the crowd danced and sang along. After a series of his songs, Tuku called the energetic Winky D on stage who blew the crowd with his hits “Disappear” and Gafa party “Toi Toi”.

Mono Mukundu came on stage and went down memory lane with his guitar skills that he used to exhibit when he worked with Tuku. Tuku and Winky D then performed their collaboration “Panorwadza Moyo” and the crowd went crazy.

Friday was definitely one of HIFA’s big nights graced by the two Zimbabwe’s talented artists.

The festival that ended yesterday had many performances and lasting memories.