Sean Mambwere eyes second NAMA gong after a decade

SEAN Mambwere, a dancer who won the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) gong in 2014, is hoping to repeat his feat a decade later. He is nominated for the Outstanding Male Dancer category for his role in The Chronicles, a dance production that showcases his talent and versatility.

Sean, who is popularly known by his first name, will face stiff competition from Tichaona Chikara and Terence Kapesa, who are also nominated for their roles in The Hero and A man from Bulawayo, respectively. Sean said it would be a dream come true to walk to the stage and lift the gong, this time on home soil.

“Words evade me. It’s an absolute honour. Being considered among the best in the country is no small feat. It’s a testament to all the work put in behind the scenes to grow and become better at my craft every single day,” he said.

He attributed his nomination to his pursuit of excellence, which he said inspires people and glorifies God. He recalled winning his first NAMA gong in Bulawayo in 2014, when the awards were held at Rainbow Hotel.

“Winning this year in 2024, a decade later, will be a huge testament to nothing else but consistency and hard work being the hallmarks of my career as a creative in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Sean, who was born in Harare and started doing dance in 2006 when he was staying in Bulawayo, has won multiple awards in dance both locally and internationally. He has also helped in shaping policy and culture concerning youth related reforms that will help communities and societies engage with the youth more using the arts.

He said the past year was a fruitful one as he managed to make an impact in his overseas travel and hopes for a year with also positive results. He highlighted his involvement in a film called See Me, which he produced with his fellow creatives in the arts, as his major achievement in 2023.

“2023 was a major highlight. I did quite a lot of things that are too many to put down. But I will say that outside of traveling to Germany and America, headlining shows, performances and doing dance workshops, my major highlight was coming together with my fellow creatives in the arts and producing a film called See Me that was screened in a lot of different countries all over the world including Germany, India, America, Switzerland and Brazil seeing the impact it had and to me that was my major highlight for 2023 that I found myself reflecting on,” he said.

He added that his projections this year will stay the same as they always have been in years past, which is to represent the art form well, whether on stage or behind the scenes, to create platforms for those who are coming after him to shine, and to stay obedient to what God called him to do when he started in 2006, with one goal in mind, to ultimately bring glory to his Father.

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