Monday, 25 July 2011
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
THE PLANNING LOOKS GOOD... THE FESTIVAL IS ON 12-14 AUGUST 2011
Steve Sparx July 20 at 7:08pm
The program is shaping up for theChimanimani festival, the grass at the main stage has been slashed and pretty soon the sound of hammer on nail will reverberate around the village green as preparations go into overdrive.
The program kicks off on Friday 12 August at noon – Chimanimani groups will stage a talent show and there will be various cultural groups from the district. The chiefs blessing will begin at sunset, under the guidance of Chief Ngorima, with the main stage program thereafter.
Groups to look forward to throughout the weekend include Club Shanga, Chiwoniso, Kapfupi, Xvybes, Chikwata 263 plus more signing up; Mutare groups include Sunrise Band, Paprikaz and Juice Maposteri, whilst there will be performances from groups based throughout Chimanimani district, including Ngangu Band who recently had their first show in Harare.
This year we welcome Spanish dancehall, hip-hop group Swan Fyahbwoy, comprising Swan, 2 dancers and a DJ – we also welcome graffiti artist “el nino de los pinturas” Raul Ruiz who will paint a mural in Chimanimani.
Theatre shows from the HIFA Direct program, street performers, comedy, clowns, films, craft and workshops will be threaded throughout the venue and program; poet Ishmael Penyai will launch his latest Ndau and Manyika poetry book “Nhekwe Dziri Kanyi”.
Accommodation is limited in Chimanimani – for those planning to visit you can probably best look at either staying in a local home or camping options at Heaven Lodge, as well as at the hotel and Bridal Veil Falls.
There are available spaces for craft and merchandise stalls…food and drink available at the venue...welcome to Chimanimani...”Zimbabwe’s BIGGEST free entry festival…It’s Great for the Soul”
The program is shaping up for theChimanimani festival, the grass at the main stage has been slashed and pretty soon the sound of hammer on nail will reverberate around the village green as preparations go into overdrive.
The program kicks off on Friday 12 August at noon – Chimanimani groups will stage a talent show and there will be various cultural groups from the district. The chiefs blessing will begin at sunset, under the guidance of Chief Ngorima, with the main stage program thereafter.
Groups to look forward to throughout the weekend include Club Shanga, Chiwoniso, Kapfupi, Xvybes, Chikwata 263 plus more signing up; Mutare groups include Sunrise Band, Paprikaz and Juice Maposteri, whilst there will be performances from groups based throughout Chimanimani district, including Ngangu Band who recently had their first show in Harare.
This year we welcome Spanish dancehall, hip-hop group Swan Fyahbwoy, comprising Swan, 2 dancers and a DJ – we also welcome graffiti artist “el nino de los pinturas” Raul Ruiz who will paint a mural in Chimanimani.
Theatre shows from the HIFA Direct program, street performers, comedy, clowns, films, craft and workshops will be threaded throughout the venue and program; poet Ishmael Penyai will launch his latest Ndau and Manyika poetry book “Nhekwe Dziri Kanyi”.
Accommodation is limited in Chimanimani – for those planning to visit you can probably best look at either staying in a local home or camping options at Heaven Lodge, as well as at the hotel and Bridal Veil Falls.
There are available spaces for craft and merchandise stalls…food and drink available at the venue...welcome to Chimanimani...”Zimbabwe’s BIGGEST free entry festival…It’s Great for the Soul”
Thursday, 7 July 2011
Chimanimani Arts Festival postponed due to rain fears
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| Friday, 03 June 2011 07:59 |
Jairos Saunyama (The Mail) The annual Chimanimani Arts Festival has been postponed to August 12 due to unfavourable weather.
The popular event, which attracts scores of people mainly from the mountainous area of the border town, is traditionally held between May and June. Hector Mugani one of the organisers, said the event was postponed due to rain fears. "Last year the crowd was soaked by the rain and it can also happen this year because the Chimanimani climate is unpredictable. "This year's Chimanimani Arts Festival takes place on August 12-14 and while it may prove cool in the evenings we remain hopeful of avoiding the rain as happened in 2010," he said. Mugani dismissed accusations that the postponement was a result of a funding shortfall. "That is not true, funds are available but we just want the best for the audience as well as participants. This means therefore that this year's event will be the best ever to happen on Chimanimani soil. The principal reason is the weather and it was a pity to see an old woman braving the intense rain and coldness just to be part of the festival," he said. However the event promises to be a great one as superstar Oliver Mtukudzi who was the guest singer last year is expected to grace the occasion again this year. "Proposed artists include Oliver Mtukudzi who last year was our special guest with the AY Band as a tribute to his late son Sam. This year Tuku will return with his full backing band The Black Spirits. "Also proposed to perform are Botswana Afro pop queen Slizer, Alexio Kawara, hip-hop poet Cde Fatso and his Chabvondoka crew, Chikwata 263 and Music Crossroads winners, Club Shanga among others. "As usual we are going to bring a Spanish artist but for the mean time we don't have their names," he said. Chimanimani Arts Festival, which was formed in 1998, has proven to be the best event ever to happen in the province of Manicaland. Apart from music by well known Zimbabwean artists the people of Chimanimani will take the opportunity to participate in every artistic discipline such as traditional dance, sculpture and poetry and others. Dubbed as the "biggest free entry festival in Zimbabwe," the event has done a lot in improving the lives of the people of Chimanimani artistically and socially. The festival has also attracted a lot of tourists attracted to the area by several resorts. It is sponsored by Culture Fund, Spanish Embassy, US Embassy, British Embassy and Embassy of the Netherlands. |
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
Poet to launch book at Chimanimani Arts Festival TINASHE SIBANDA, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER | HARARE - Jul 05 2011 15:42
Renowned poet Ishmael Penyai will launch his latest Ndau and Manyika poetry book titled Nhekwe Dziri Kanyi at the upcoming Chimanimani Arts Festival.
The annual arts showcase will run from August 12 to 14. Penyai’s poetry collection will help readers of all ages discover words, accents, tones and nuggets of ethnic expression currently alienated by the Shona language’s so-called “standard Shona”. “I have composed joint poems of Ndau and Manyika genres with an idea of reviving and finding a way forward for the less-publicised languages,” said Penyai. He said he had composed about 57 poems which touched on day-to-day aspects of people’s lives like death, politics, age and many more themes.Penyai said the book was only one of many which he would be writing in form of short stories and folktales to promote the two languages. “I have been a writer for 25 years and publishing such poems for the past four years because I strongly feel the need to revive the dying languages before it is too late,” said Penyai. He said his poems were targeted at both children and adults and also meant to inspire people of all ages to write as well so libraries could be beefed up with diverse literature. Penyai said he was also working on a film which would also be in Ndau and Manyika as it was his way of reaching out to as many people as possible. “During the festival, together with two other writers, Nyaradzo Charama and Tinashe Muchuri, I will be doing storytelling and poetry performances with young children,” he said. Penyai said they were set to identify talent, revisit and develop it after the festival, taking necessary steps to eventually have the works published. “I also wrote an English book titled Scarlet Memories which is an anthology of poems,” he said.
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