amid pomp and funfair.
Several art groups took to the stage to celebrate the day in dance and song.
For the first time in seven years, it was clear that the Intwasa festival had a lot to celebrate, for a fete that started off a mere township event and gradually turned into a national arts event of repute.
There was no doubt that those heavily involved with the festival since its formation seven years ago, were celebrating its growth, glitz, glamour, fortunes and fame it had brought to Bulawayo.
Intwasa has grown in stature in the last two years from being a mere backyard event to a festival of repute.
Intwasa means “pfumvudza” in Shona or the spring season.
The event started off with an energetic performance by an all male gospel acapella group, Family Voices, which got people into celebratory mood when they sang the national anthem and several other hymns, among them the fusion of the Biblical “Zakeyo Buruka”. Their act was well received by the audience that immediately warmed up to the performance and started singing along.
Several other groups, among them, the Umkathi Theatre Works, hip hop and break dance groups, Break Equation, the Hip Hop Honeys and the Hip Hop Honeys enthralled the crowd with their acts.
It was a free event.
Iyasa, which was part of the act, did not disappoint either when they got the crowd up with their pulsating performamnce throughout their 20-minute act.
But of course, Iyasa could have been warming up the stage for the celebrated jazz band, The Crooners that did not waste anybody’s time when they got on stage to applaue from all dry and sundry.
It is just amazing, how they got everyone up on their feet and dancing when they got on stage to sing their yesteryear songs.



