Kuru dance festival returns

GOTHATAONE MOENG
Staff Writer | Friday April 27, 2012 00:00

'It was the first time in my life I had been to an event organised entirely by the Basarwa.  I felt very, very proud.

I was happy to see all the Basarwa dances and that is why I was motivated to be part of the festival,' he told Arts & Culture on Tuesday.  He said for him, this perfectly encapsulated the 'Do It' spirit; the word Kuru is Naro for 'Do It.'  Kiema is now the chairperson of the annual dance festival's organising committee.

The festival, one of the highlights of Botswana's cultural calendar, has been an annual event since 1997, but was unable to take place in 2011 due to lack of funding.  The dance festival makes a triumphant return to its home at the Dqae Qare game farm on August 3rd and 4th this year, with a P284,500 partnership deal from the Debswana Jwaneng Mine.  The partnership, launched in Jwaneng early this week, will run for the next three years, with the mine supporting the cultural event with the same amount each year.

Ahead of the handover of the cheque to executive director of Letloa Trust Kaelo Molomo, the general manager of Jwaneng mine Balisi Manyongo said that Debswana has always prided itself in producing diamonds that turn dreams into reality, and that they want to assist the people of the communities they operate in.  Kiema noted that the 2010 festival drew between 400 and 600 visitors, including dancers.

Nobody is happier to see the return of the festival than Wynard Morris, a resident of D'Kar and a member of the festival organising committee. 'People were really upset last year [at the absence of the festival].  Not just people in D'Kar, but internationally as well; people, media, everybody was calling to find out what had happened,' Morris said.  He said the festival gives Basarwa the confidence to be able to stand up for themselves.  The festival was initiated with the objective of preserving the Basarwa dance culture, as well as handing down the traditions to the youth.

More than that, Kiema said that the organising committee hopes that the event will show the communities in the area that they can benefit economically from their cultural activities.  During the two days of the festival, villagers set up stalls selling crafts and food.  However, once again this year, there will be no alcohol allowed within the game farm during the festival.

'We are all aware of the challenge of alcohol abuse and what it has done to our communities; we feel it is better to maintain as alcohol free event, in order to promote sobriety and responsibility among the youth,' one of the organisers said.

The festival draws dance groups from Basarwa settlements in the Gantsi, Kgalagadi and Okavango, as well as San groups from Namibia and South Africa. Other cultural groups that showcase dances from their tribes include the Bahambukushu and the Bayei.  Some of the groups who have previously performed there include West Hanahai Dance Group, New Xade Arts Commune, Khwe Dance Group, Giraffe Dance Group and Etsha 6 Dance Group.