adminMbongeni Msimanga Sunday Leisure Correspondent
THEY strip, they twerk and they gyrate. This phrase is apt in describing the act of a strip dance by Harare-based group Magnito Freakie Barbie Dolls that has taken Bulawayo night spots by storm. Although stripping has never been known to be popular in the country mostly because of the conservative nature of the country’s populace with those trying to popularise it quickly given labels of being dirty, loose and prostitutes, it is slowly being accepted as a “profession”.
It is a dance routine that involves removing one’s clothes usually baring the body and leaving nothing to imagination and is often practiced by females at night drinking spots.
Yes, the negative connotations of stripping or strip tease as it is commonly referred to emanate from the traditional and cultural belief that a woman’s body should be reserved for her husband alone but the spread of global culture has witnessed the importation and flourishing of the stripping industry just like pole dancing.
Although it is not yet widely accepted by some conservatives, night clubbers have embraced this as the new thing in town and night club owners are cashing in on the once shunned activity.
It has evolved from just one of the dirty dances to a “profession” that people are taking up and earning a living out of.
The tags of it being illicit, immoral and dirty have been replaced with whistling and chants of excitement from male patrons who are more fascinated by the act than their female counterparts most of whom merely see it as degrading and devaluing their kind.
Amid all this, the profession is fast spreading in Zimbabwe and leaves many men tongue tied as a group of courageous young women have fast accepted a job that is viewed by many as decadent.
The Magnito Freakie Barbie Dolls, a group of four strippers from Harare are fast becoming popular and showcasing their skills on stage in Bulawayo and are slowly gaining fame within the city’s popular night spots.
The group is led by 22-year-old Shalom Maidei (Magnito, the Queen of the Poll), Reela Maiden (Billonaire Gangster chick), Grace Thwala (Nicki Minaj), Charlie Ndaba (Diamond Girl the Twerking Machine)
Probably the famous group of Bev and the Sexy Angels and Zoey are not as raunchy as the new girls in town and they seem to have shrugged off the negative connotations that are associated with the stripping profession.
“Stripping is just like any other job that you get in this world and for us everything is as normal as ever. We faced a lot of criticism when we started doing our job with some people opposing us while others ridiculed us calling us names but we remained focused and now they are appreciating our act,” said Magnito.
Love them or hate them, the Magnito Freaky Barbie Dolls have ripped the Bulawayo entertainment scene apart with their raunchy dancing skills.
For them, strolling and dancing naked in a club is now a part of their lives and they believe it is time for people to accept a culture that is slowly growing in Zimbabwe.
“It is an international profession. If you look at people from Mozambique, they love the profession. If you go anywhere in Africa, even in America people are making money out of this profession. It’s time people move with the times and accept who we are,” said Magnito.
She was quick to point out that strip dancing as a career was alien to Zimbabwe as it was perceived by many as a foreign culture that chews into the moral fabric of our culture but highlighted that it was time the country moved with the changing times.
For them, walking in the bar donning a G-string (panties) in the midst of guzzlers in their drunken stupor probably drowning their sorrows and miseries is now a common thing.
Magnito said they hire bodyguards so that revellers don’t abuse them and to ensure that night clubbers do not stampede to have a feel of their flesh as they perform, lest they violate the regulations as outlined by the Censorship Board.
“We hire bodyguards so that we are protected from drunk people. We face that in our everyday job and we have come to accept what happens in the bar. For us it’s all about making a living out of our profession and it brings food to the table,” she said.
The Magnito Freakie Barbie Dolls claim that their parents have accepted their profession and have been supporting them.
None of the strippers are married and neither is in a relationship.
“None of us are married or in relationships. We have been fortunate enough to get support from our parents as well. So I believe we are blessed in a way. This has made us dedicate our life to stripping,” said Magnito.
Although the strippers have received widespread condemnation from the public, they have been registered under the Censorship Board.
Their licence according to Magnito stipulates that they are not allowed to strip naked and expose their private parts, strip beyond the stars that they use to cover their nipples and G-strings.
The licence further stipulates that they are not allowed physical contact with the audience and should not get off the stage when performing.
Online Reporter