Zimbabwes top artists, superstar Oliver Mtukudzi and Sulumani Chimbetu, were huge crowd-pullers at the festival that has managed to attract huge crowds over the years. Andy Brown also performed.
In an interview with The Zimbabwean, the spokesperson of Chimanimani Arts Festival, Takaitei Muparutsa, said there was an international dimension to this years festival.
“An international dimension has been added to the event, with the participation of Pa lo Qsea, a troupe of artistes from Spain,” he said.
Muparutsa also indicated that the annual arts festival had overcome its problems and was now vying for international acclaim.
Featuring Oliver Tuku Mtukudzi and his late son Samsons Ay Band plus Sulumani Chimbetu and Andy Brown, among many other top artistes, the festival was yet another thriller.
The festival opened with a cultural exposition in celebration of International Day for Cultural Diversity and Development during which Zimbabwean culture took centre stage.
There where performances from artistes like outspoken Makoomba, Junior Bantan and Edgar Langevelt plus groups from the Flame, Bocapa and Music Crossroads talent networks and Mutare and Chimanimani-based groups.
Steve Brown, the festival director, said that it was important to celebrate Zimbabwean culture.
This is the best way of celebrating Zimbabwean culture, which has had to play second fiddle to other cultures, said Brown. The free-entry festival this year welcomed Barcelona-based Spanish street performers Pa lo Q’Sea, who used mythology, tradition, ritual elements and legends to realise a contemporary fiesta. Their act featured recyclable large puppets, stilt-walkers, unicyclists, jugglers, drummers and acrobats on both Saturday and Sunday mornings, added Brown.
Pa lo Q’Sea (For whatever its needed) was founded in 1989.
Their most popular production, Rompe Candela, has been presented at more than 300 venues worldwide including Canada, Colombia, Australia, New Caledonia, and throughout Europe.
The festival was formally established in 1999 by Brown and Bengt Post in a bid to showcase productions of the various mainline arts genres.
It was also meant to provide entertainment for Manicaland province and Chimanimani district in particular. Last years edition saw artists like Nicholas Zakaria, Dudu Manhenga, Dino Mudondo and Steve Makoni thrilling revelers.
Currently the festival is running a programme of workshops parallel to the main stage events in children s poetry, theatre and storytelling, drum-playing and dance.
Adult theatre for the local theatre groups and daily staging of theatre plays and film screenings also spiced up the event.
Post published in: Arts