Sundaymail Editor
Online Reporter
POPULAR artists Hope Masike, Dudu Manhenga and Batsirai Chigama combined forces to deliver a pre-Valentine’s Day poetry show at Alliance Française de Harare on Thursday.
Titled “Pre-Valentine Poetry”, the event was meant to promote poetry and a poetry reading culture in Zimbabwe.
Speaking to The Sunday Mail Online on the sidelines of the show on Thursday evening, the trio said they are also advocating for women’s empowerment through art.
“We like being the change we want to see. So, when fans complain that women are not half as visible as men in the industry, we reply by creating platforms for our art to be visible,” said Masike.
“All three of us are serious poetry lovers, with several books to our names. We thought there were a lot of Valentine’s shows every year, but seldom something as unique as a poetry party.
“So, we thought why not share some of our best poems on love this Valentine’s. Our audience should expect the very best of Zimbabwean poetry to spruce up their love with their other halves in a unique fashion.”
Masike paid tribute to her colleagues Manhenga and Chigama, saying they had raised the bar for women in the arts sector.
“These are luminaries in the music and poetry space in Zimbabwe. Both women are exceptional artists, whose work I enjoy indulging.
“Working with them has been an absolute honour, and I look forward to more of it.”
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter