Alliançe Française de Bulawayo delivers on its commitment

Despite January being typically dry, a lively crowd drenched the lawn of Alliançe Française de Bulawayo with sweat on Friday, captivated by the electrifying performances of Charlie Mahlaba, Dinah The Music and Fab G UmshanakaGogo.

During the performances at “An Evening with Mahlaba in Concert”, art practitioners including members of the popular Imbube queens — Nobuntu, MJ Sings, Nkwali, SoxThePoet, Jeys Marabini and Guillaume Ripaud — director of Alliançe Française de Bulawayo joyfully took the stage.

If the gig was anything to go by, then, more of the same will take Bulawayo and Matabeleland art to better shores.

This event aligned with the vision of the director of Alliançe Française de Bulawayo, who aims to empower creative minds from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, and South.

At the beginning of this year, Ripaud pledged increased opportunities for creative minds in Bulawayo and Matabeleland.

True to his commitment, he has already begun delivering on his promise by curating this inaugural show.

In an exclusive interview, Ripaud reaffirmed the commitment to providing artistes with a platform to showcase their craft.

“Last year, we hosted 98 events of different magnitudes and trades here at the Alliançe Française de Bulawayo and this year, we want to continue that trend and this gig is the ice breaker.

“It’s a commitment to what we are trying to achieve, and it’s not only music that we are looking at. Fine artists, dancers, comedians, poets and experts in diverse art forms are welcome and my door is open to them for collaboration.

“The idea is to have eight exhibitions a year and to have a concert every month or two since we can’t do everything because of our limited budget.”

“The next concert will be in March where we’ll be bringing in three Burkina Faso ladies to perform in Zimbabwe,” Ripaud said.

Artistes from the city have recently expressed discontent over the scarcity of paying live performance opportunities. With the director of Alliançe Française de Bulawayo delivering on his promise, audiences can now anticipate these shows, often offered free of charge.

To Ripaud, Alliançe Française de Bulawayo is not just an establishment where people learn the French language, it is rather an all-encompassing home for creatives.

He also emphasised that serving as a conduit for French and Zimbabwean bilateral relations and facilitating cultural exchanges is a top priority for him, especially after assisting Umkhathi Theatre Works and Ezimnyama Dance Ensemble in their travels to Europe. —@MbuleloMpofu