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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
MUSIC lovers in Hwange were given a rare musical treat when Benzuma Arts, a local based group organised the inaugural Jazz Jam and Jive Festival in the coal mining town.
Scores of fun lovers and stakeholders from Hwange and Victoria Falls thronged Insomnia Pub and Grill where the event was held recently.
Individual and group performers were drawn from Hwange and Victoria Falls.
The organisers of the event said the idea came after a realisation that Hwange and Victoria Falls have talent that is rarely given exposure despite the district being a cultural melting pot.
The festival seeks to promote the local arts industry in Hwange district.
The district boasts of artists that can easily switch from one language to the other especially using Nambya, Tonga, Nyanja, Lozi, Lubale, Dombe, Ndebele and Shona making Hwange district a cultural fusion of ethnic diversity.
Festival director Joshua Sibanda said the event was organised in just a month but everything went smoothly.
He said it started with an artists’ workshop facilitated by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) and members of the clergy from Hwange.
“Hwange is a cultural melting pot with so much untapped talent and we are trying to give local artists an opportunity to showcase their talent and grow like their counterparts from other towns,” said Sibanda.
He said the festival will become an annual event.
Groups that performed are traditional dance groups Shantani, Pezhuba Pachena and AfroBongo, as well as hip hop outfits Jay Skeleton, Thriller and Zulu 99, while Spirit Worshippers added a gospel flavour. DJs JVan and Miles added the flavour.
The organisers funded the event and are currently engaging potential sponsors for the second edition next year.
“The idea is to grow the festival to host artists from across the region and the world. Our target is to make it the biggest festival in the region in the next five years and so we expect to host a bigger expo next year as we expect to bring in artists from other parts of the country,” said Sibanda.
“It was not easy financing the event as we had to dig deep into our own pockets but we are elated by the fact that some local companies are showing interest and we hope by next year they will help with sponsorship,” he said.
-@ncubeleon
Online Reporter