Mangoma to share passion for cultural preservation at a nine-day boot camp

OTHNELL ‘Mangoma’ Moyo, a former student of Amakhosi Cultural Centre, is ready to share his expertise and passion for Zimbabwean culture with other art practitioners. He has teamed up with Tanaka Moyo, the director of Chenhaka Arts Trust, Edwin Marwizi, a mbira teacher, and Celso Durao, a Mozambican timbila xylophone teacher, to host a nine-day boot camp in April.

The boot camp, dubbed “Mavhurachando Folklore Music and Dance Camp”, will take place at Ngoma iNgungu Cultural Arts Centre in Domboshava, a place that Mangoma built himself.

Mangoma is a versatile and accomplished artiste, who has travelled the world as a performer, educator, and ethnomusicologist. He has a deep appreciation and respect for the ancient Zimbabwean music and dance traditions, which he wants to pass on to the next generation. He told Chronicle Showbiz that the boot camp’s mission is to ensure cultural continuity and posterity.

“This boot camp is meant to pass down ancient Zimbabwean music and dance, its aesthetics, origins, uses, math, and also ensuring an in-depth exploration of our culture. This year, we concentrate on three mbira types namely nhare, njari, and the karimba while for drumming, emphasis will be on the Korekore and Kalanga rhythms and dances. The idea is to align certain traditional music instruments, ethnic groups and associate them with the appropriate dances,” he said.

Mangoma said he was aware of the challenges and obstacles that Zimbabwean culture faced in the past and present. He said that colonialism, religion, capitalism, and other factors had suppressed the people’s freedom and desire to explore their own culture. He said that many people were ashamed of their culture because of the way they were conditioned. He said that he had observed and imitated the cultural guardians who had secretly preserved the culture through museums, archives, books, and other media.

He revealed that he wanted to create a space where local art practitioners could learn and grow from their own culture, without depending on foreign opportunities and influences. He said that the boot camp was also a celebration of Mavhurachando, a historical and cultural period that marked the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the music-making season. He said that the boot camp would offer a variety of activities, such as rehearsals, residencies, camps, workshops, and exhibitions, across different genres of art.

@MbuleloMpofu