dyton mupawaenda
Valerie Mpundu-Arts Reporter
National Art Merit Awards 2023 Outstanding Poet of the Year, Ngonidzashe Paradza, famed as Mambo Guramatunhu in the poetic circles, has urged fellow poets to be interactive and engaging.
In an interview with The Herald Arts, Guramatunhu encouraged poets to take charge of their passion and remain relevant.
“There are enough poets who are not doing enough to market their brand and not really carrying the genre and maximising it to full capacity. This is an open call to all poets,” he said. “It seems poetry is long forgotten. No sponsors, no promoters, no airplay, no support from brands. Only a few of us are enjoying the few poetry fruits. It begins with us, we need to repackage ourselves.”
Guramatunhu, who comes from Masvingo, says his name is from his totem “Ngara” originating from the Zimuto area.
“I wanted to identify myself with where I come from hence the title Mambo Guramatunhu. I am representing Masvingo and my totem at large locally and internationally,” he said.
Guramatunhu wants his works to speak universally to the multitudes, giving them a feeling and sense of belonging.
“I am one of those artists whose work is universal. I can relate to the young and old, educated and none, locals and foreigners, the rich and the poor.”
Guramatunhu highlighted poetry as not merely for entertainment purposes, but also an educational tool which can be used to address ongoing issues.
“Poetry requires one to be informative and is often based on education rather than the entertainment aspect of it,” he said.
Guramatunhu, who is a Great Zimbabwe University alumnus, emphasised the need for poets to be educated.
“We support Government projects and address societal issues which we complement through poetry. Therefore, poets must go to school for them to be able to articulate issues. Age should not really be an excuse.
“I discovered not everyone can love poetry one must be able to digest metaphors, word plays, rhymes, idioms, proverbs and hyperbolic expressions. Naturally, people who are intellectually smart are common poetry fans.”
With innovation being the hub of communication, Guramatunhu urged fellow artists to emulate and move with times to attract more audiences.
“Change has to come from within us as poets,” he said. “Let us record professional audios and videos that are competitive enough to be on radio and television stations. We can rejuvenate broadcasts as in the olden days. It starts with us, let us revive and rebrand ourselves so as to retain and maintain the legacy of our works. We need to believe in our art despite the circumstances.”
Guramatunhu supports the effort the Government is putting in encouraging artists to work hard.
“I think we are getting attention that is at par with the work we are putting into the arts sector,” he said. “We are not special in any way, for us as poets to get more we need to put more competitive work.”
Online Reporter