Chronicle EditorTendai Gukutikwa Mutare Bureau
All is set for the Manicaland Food and Music festival to be held on Saturday at Chancellor Junior School in Mutare. The event, which will be the first of its kind in Mutare, is expected to help market the Manyika people’s culture to the world. The event will see different stakeholders in the food industry market their wares and cuisines, while artistes from different genres and languages will be performing.
In an interview, organisers of the event, Black Gold Entertainment founder Mr Clinton Ganyo, said their aim was to have Mutare residents join the rest of the country in celebrating the taste and sound of Zimbabwean music, an event that has only been held in Harare for the past few years.
He said because food and music were the two major elements that created and defined a people’s culture, they saw it imperative that they organised a fair that would bring together people from the various Manicaland cultures and celebrate, as well as share cuisines.
“Food and music define us as a people more than anything, and we can only be identified by what we eat, what music we produce and how we dress,” said Mr Ganyo. “Our local cuisines as the people from across Manicaland bring us closer to each other and the fair will help in marketing them to the world, as well as advancing our unique culture.”
The event is mainly targeting Manicaland residents who would have failed to make it to the Harare International Carnival’s street party, which will also be held on Saturday.
Mr Ganyo said: “It is some sort of a little carnival for the people of Mutare. No one has to be left out.
“While some people are being entertained in Harare at the street party, we will also be at Chancellor Junior School sharing cuisines and marketing our cultures.”
Other than the unique food, there will also be performances from local artistes in different genres, who will perform in various Manicaland dialects like Manyika, Ndau and Jindwi.
Other highlights of the day will be a colour splash and photo shoots.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter