"We are 60 years old this year and we are having many functions including this one," said Charles Houdart, the Alliance Francaise Director at the function.
"We are kicking off our celebrations with poet Albert Nyathi and Imbongi and The Bulawayo Kwela Calabash Group who will entertain you tonight."
The event was attended by the "Who is Who" in the diplomatic community including various directors from Non Governmental Organisations operating in Zimbabwe.
The Bulawayo-based Kwela Calabash Group featured music from the 1950s and 1960s which dominated the Kwela music genre which mainly characterised by the pennywhistle.
Albert Nyathi, the Artistic Director of the show said he believed the old gentlemen playing in the group took to conquer the world in terms of music.
"I have travelled around the world and I know what I am talking about," Nyathi told the invited guests and customers.
"We cannot waste such skill by not exposing it to the public, hence I an now preparing them for the international market. However, before they can be enjoyed by the international market/community, I offer this opportunity to Zimbabweans to see the wealth we have, musically."
Some of the songs played by the Group included Skokiana, Goloza, Bosco, Gwebi Gwabi, Durban Line, and the very popular Mango Groove which took virtually everyone to the dance floor despite the rather cold evening weather in Harare on Monday night.
Some of the poetry that Nyathi read included My Daughter, Once Upon A Time, Resilience, Revenge, Mzilikazi, Welcome To Zimbabwe – a land of contradictions, and I Will Not Speak originally done by Zimbabwean author, Chenjerai Hove.
Houdart said in an interview that more shows would be held at various places until the end of November during the 60th anniversary celebrations of Alliance Francaise.
Post published in: Arts