Dancehall artiste works on talk show

CLIVE Robin Change, a Nambya reggae dancehall artiste says he is working on a cultural talk show which seeks to provide a platform where cultural norms and values will be discussed at a broader level.

He said the platform will offer citizens a different platform that will allow them to share their views on cultural issues.

“This production will be unlike others which we’ve seen in the past whereby we’re just fed with information without exhaustive discussions where we can establish the basis and fundamentals of certain cultural practices.

“There’s a dire need to demystify the dos and don’ts from an African perspective so as to make way for cultural integration among different tribes,” said Change.

Topics that will be covered include the relevance of totems in the African context, the importance of language in restoring and safeguarding our cultural heritage, and the impact of cultural exchange programmes in enabling cultural integration.

“Some cultural practices, for instance marriage rites, funeral rites, and initiation rites – we still don’t have a proper understanding of the consequences that led to those practices being done the way they were done. So because of that misconception and misinterpretation, we’re found taking those things as a duty rather than actually going down to the real cause and the effect of those practices. These are some of the issues that the show will tackle and uncover,” he said.

Change said the aim of the talk show is to awaken the young people.

“Our desire is to create curiosity among the young generation so as to enable them to seek knowledge of their ancestral roots,” he said.

Sadly, Change said the talk show is still on hold because of financial issues.

“So far, we don’t have funding from any organisation. Therefore, it’s a self-funded project which is why it’s not moving as fast as it needs to move to realise our vision,” he said. — @TashaMutsiba