Ibumba roars into action

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
The Ibumba Arts Festival roared into life yesterday with the five-day annual fete moving all its programming online in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Running under the theme “1 Bulawayo, 1 People, 1 Festival,” the festival will end on Monday.

All its shows which traditionally were held at Stanley Square in Makokoba, will be broadcast live on the Ibumba Festival Facebook page.

All shows start at 7PM.

Kick-starting the festival contemporary musician Nkwali launched her album Themba last night while today Ethno-Soul musician, Thandy Dhlana will launch her debut album Inganekwane in the evening.

Tomorrow theatre group Victory Siyanqoba will perform their play Bhalagwe Is Burning and on Sunday a joint play between Lady Tshawe Nhimbe (Zim) and Sibikwa Players (SA) with the production Amavuso will be shown online. Afro pop group Ngoma Ingoma will close the festival with a performance.

 

“Lady Tshawe” Damasane said the festival is being held under the new normal.

“The festival is on and is celebrating more years of one Bulawayo, one People, one Festival.

Unfortunately, the conventional close contact event will not be happening at the traditional Stanley Hall and Square but will run virtually this year from the 17th to the 21st of December 2020,” said Lady Tshawe.

“We are not limiting ourselves to just the physical audience but we are opening up to virtual audience which has become the ‘new normal’.

Lady Tshawe said although Covid-19 has changed a lot the lives of artistes, the festival must go ahead.

“We are well aware as festival organisers that Covid-19 has changed a lot of what used to be done but we are known to be a festival that defies all odds and seeks to be trendsetters and this year is no different. We will run our festival on our main social media pages,” said Lady Tshawe.

Ibumba Festival has been run in Bulawayo by Siyaya Arts since 1996 and has been held in Makokoba ever since. Normally the festival will have an array of theatre, music, dance, film, workshops and literary arts performances.

The late great Dr Oliver Mtukudzi once performed at the festival. — Follow on Twitter @bonganinkunzi.