Harare arts festival attracts thousands of arts lovers

THALEFANG CHARLES | Friday May 6, 2011 00:00

 

HIFA is a six-day annual event that showcases Zimbabwean, regional and international arts and culture in a comprehensive festival programme of theatre, dance, music, circus, street performance, spoken-word and visual arts.

Even Zimbabwe's political and economic situation was not a hindrance to the arts lovers across the world, including this writer, who joined the pilgrimage to Harare Gardens for the 2011 festival themed, The Engagement Party.

Tens of thousands of festinos (festival tourists) who descended on Harare resembled one huge community of mixed races - black and white.  They arrived mostly in colourful attires of red, gold green and black, bearing the occasional Che Guevara portrait and five-leafed plant pattern as well as berets and turbans. Flat shoes - mostly Converse - dreadlocked unshaven rugged-looking males, and women in long African print skirts, various hats and colourful beads.  A united nation of arts lovers ready to 'engage' with a comprehensive line-up of artists from across the globe.

Every year the organisers come up with a different theme for the event, which serves as an 'inspirational tool for the creative community, a message to engender excitement and anticipation about the upcoming festival in the festival-goers, a useful marketing hook for the festival's investors who via financial injections, provision of goods and services, or a combination of both, help to make the festival possible'.  According to the festival press release, the 2011 theme, Engagement Party, 'carries a message of becoming engaged across all sectors of society, all belief systems, viewpoints, of coming together, setting aside differences, and engaging fully and completely with one another'.  The theme also describes the carnival celebration of art and life that HIFA brings to Harare.

Tens of artists performed one after the other for six days of inspiring spectacles of art. From over 15 platforms revellers were treated to a week-long rousing display of art forms.  Art being art, it was therefore not surprising that some of the performances were reported to have 'ruffled the feathers of the powers that be'.  The Standard newspaper reported that the opening show of the festival on Telecel Main Stage carried some powerful political undertones that led to the 'arrest and release of the HIFA organising team without any charges'.  The play titled Treasure was a tale of political, social and economic factors that shaped interactions in various Zimbabwean communities in the recent years. It explored in a lighter form, the issues of looting by respected public officials, their greed as well as police brutality.  In a country that such tales are only told in whispers behind closed doors it was therefore, not a surprise when festival managers were reportedly 'arrested'.  The HIFA founder and artistic director, Manuel Bagorro was, however, quick to deny the 'arrest' saying their 'meeting at the Harare Provincial Police Headquarters was a regular liaison with law enforcement authorities where check-box reviewing was done in terms of the various types of paperwork that has to be submitted by any promoter when holding a show.'

One of the headline acts, Nneka, Nigerian-German born young female artist, performing on Day Five at Telecel Main Stage also touched a raw nerve with her satirical VIP (Vagabounds In Power) song, which generally mocks the corrupt officers and multinational companies.  The talented singer and guitarist gave an inspiring oration preceding her song, on how most revered leaders are corrupt and are failing the ordinary man.  The crowd was stunned when she loudly stated, 'even here they are corrupt' (referring to Harare). With her beautiful Nigerian-Jamaican accent and an excellent way of playing with words she later talked herself out of being seen as pushing any political agenda.

The other ruffling of the feathers was at Hivos Poetry Cafe where a number of talented poets used the word to voice their discontent with the 'grease' authorities 'that drive big black executive cars on dirt potholed streets'.

Hivos Poetry Cafe featured spoken word practitioners from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana (TJ Dema), South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and guest artist, Morten Sondergaard from Denmark. At Global Quarter Craft and Design Centre artists showcased and sold a wide range of homemade gifts, toys, home dcor, accessories and fashion items that provided festinos with perfect souvenirs.

Since most of the acts were performed in an outdoor area, the festival was nearly spoiled by showers that poured over Harare on Friday and Saturday. The lovers of art were nonetheless still undeterred by the downpour as they patiently waited for the rain to stop and continue with their indulgence in the arts spectacle.