adminTawanda Matanhire Arts Reporter
Hope Masike’s initiative to empower female musicians through organising their own shows started on a positive note. The show held at Reps Upstairs Theatre on Saturday night was dubbed SWAY and featured Dudu Manhenga, Ruth Mbangwa and Prudence Katomeni. Hope Masike seems to have done her marketing well and strategically and a respectable audience of about 200 filled about two thirds of the auditorium. The show started promptly at 8pm as promised with a superbly attired Dudu Manhenga taking the first spot.
The afro jazz singer presented a well-polished act with her three-set band. When the glamorous looking Manhenga took to the stage the audience cheered in anticipation. She delivered a soothing performance in which many of her Ndebele songs dominated the act.
“I was brought up in Matabeleland and so it influences the way I compose and deliver my pieces. Clap hands for me after I sing an English song so perfect because I come from a place where they have difficulties in pronouncing English words,”Manhenga said. Ruth Mbangwa, popularly known as Rute, also displayed her prowess as she gave an awesome delivery with the song “Kurikutonhora” becoming an instant favourite with the fans .
The “Harare” township jazz singer swayed all the way through her list of presentation which included “Summer time”, “Kumanginde” and “Harare” among the list.
“It’s a whole new dimension to have a female promoter. Most promoters turn to favour male artistes but Hope seeks to empower female artistes of which am happy as a woman in the music industry,”Mbangwa said.
Journalist Ray Mawerera kept it all together with his smooth compering of the event.
Elegant jazz sensation Prudence Katomeni did justice to the audience when she came on stage. She gave an inspiring act among the three artistes that left a lot to be desired.
“Am so happy to be associated with such an event. It is a good experience as a woman who has been in the industry for such a long time, I really do appreciate what our sister Hope has organised,”Katomeni said. SWAY was organised by Hope Masike and it is aimed at promoting women in jazz. Many who are in music are finding it hard to make it in life because of the lack of proper platforms to expose their talent.
“It is a brand new baby and we intend to have this programme annually because women in jazz need such a platform to grow as artistes,” Masike said. “Firstly why not, because for years we haven’t had such a programme. Secondly it’s for shedding more light on what is happening to the women of Zimbabwe and lastly we need Jazz in the country apart from other music genres,” she added.
“Women in music need recognition and such an initiative was long overdue and am glad to be part of this programme and hope it goes a long way in enlightening the importance of women in our music industry,” she added.
But there are lessons to be learnt if the women would like to take the initiative to the next level. First of all, the crowd appeared to have mostly come to support rather than out of true wish to see the performances. This does not augur well for the sustainability of the programme.
The other thing is that the women have to come up with impressive repertoires of their own. It is ironic that the highlight of Rute’s performance was when she did a rendition of an Oliver Mtukudzi song while the highlight of the night was when Dudu Manhenga wowed
the audience with a rap at the end. It is also worth noting that all the three women relied on male session musicians seeming to point out at female reluctance to master instruments.
Online Reporter