Online Reporter
Langalakhe Mabena, [email protected]
PREPARATIONS for the Bulawayo Arts Festival (BAF) are at an advanced stage, with organisers unveiling a strong line-up for the Imbube Night scheduled for June 5 at the Large City Hall.
This year’s edition of BAF will run from June 2 to 6 under the theme “Building Bridges, Preserving Connections”, with the City of Bulawayo curating five days of arts, culture and community celebration.
The imbube showcase will feature leading groups including Black Umfolosi, Amaqaqa, Indosakusa The Morning Star, Udonsi LwabaPostoli and Great Stars Ijongosi, while popular entertainer Brighton Mlilo, affectionately known as MC Mozeh, will host the event.
Black Umfolosi leader Sotja Moyo said their participation at BAF continues to reaffirm the importance of preserving the genre while embracing new voices.
“BAF is a celebratory platform that brings people together. It’s always a delight for us to be part of it. Sharing the stage with upcoming artistes and legends of imbube music fosters unity within the genre, especially considering that Bulawayo is the home of imbube music.
“Performing alongside young creatives is always refreshing because it reminds us of the journey we’ve travelled in music, a journey that has taken us to different parts of the world. Seeing young people embrace imbube means a lot to us as Black Umfolosi, because it shows that our dream of reviving and promoting our culture through music is becoming a reality,” said Moyo.
For Amaqaqa, this year’s appearance carries added significance as the group steps into a headline slot.
“We have consistently performed at the BAF platform, and being among the headline acts this year feels great. We’ll be coming fresh from the release of our album Inkemba, and we promise to maintain the momentum,” said
Amaqaqa publicist and member Mohau Dube.
Veteran group Indosakusa The Morning Star, who released their album uNembeza in April, said the festival offers a
valuable opportunity to reconnect with wider audiences while sharing the stage with both established and emerging acts.
“We’d like to appreciate the recognition from the BAF organisers for inviting us to be part of one of the biggest imbube events in Bulawayo. Sharing the stage with established legends and young creatives creates a perfect blend that allows audiences to witness both the present and future of imbube music. To our fans and supporters, we promise a performance inspired by our newly released album uNembeza. We’re looking forward to a great show and an unforgettable experience,” said Thembelani Ndlovu.
Founded in 2020 to mark the declaration of June 1 as Bulawayo Day, BAF has since grown into one of the city’s flagship cultural festivals. This year also marks 132 years since Bulawayo was declared a town on June 1, 1894.
Held annually during the first week of June, the festival continues to position itself as a platform for heritage celebration, growth of the creative industries and cultural tourism, while strengthening community identity through the arts.
Apart from Imbube Night, festival-goers can also look forward to the Kings and Queens of Bulawayo Live show on June 4 at the Large City Hall, featuring performances by Mzoe7, Bhila, Mandie Mae, Macala Macala, Matojeni
Melo-Maniacs, MJ Sings and Phathi Ncube. On June 6, Vuyo Brown will headline the Vuyo Brown Live in Concert show at the City Hall Car Park. A full programme for this year’s edition is expected to be released soon.
