The Chronicle
Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Reporter
EXCITEMENT is mounting as the inaugural Nyanga Arts Festival is slowly approaching with the rolling hills of Nyanga in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands set to light up.
On the cards are music performances, environmental theatre, visual arts, a Ixhiba/Gota/Nhanga workshop, and a music business workshop. Alongside that will be Nyanga Cultural Heritage Tours, birdwatching, and Trout Fishing Tours – a cultural and environmental display with something for everyone.
The main festival venue will be the Montclair Hotel and Casino with traditional events set to take place at the traditional homestead of the festival’s patron, Chief Saunyama at Nyatate.
The festival will kick off on October 27 with a music business workshop facilitated by industry experts that include Melody Zambuko, Sam Mataure and Lisa Sidambe. On October 28, a bira will be held at Chief Saunyama’s homestead.
It will feature the Music According to Percussion ensemble led by Othnell Mangoma Moyo, Mystery, Sarungano & The Storytellers Band with a celebration of Nyanga Jekunje Dance and Nyonganyonga/Malimba.
On the same day, there will be a performance of the one-man play “An act of Man” which was directed by Memory Kumbota and features Zenzo Nyathi.
Jah PrayzahThe following day will see Jah Prayzah, Feli Nandi and MC Abisha Palmer take to the stage.
The festival is being produced by Nhimbe Trust whose executive director Josh Nyapimbi said heritage preservation will be at the core with the theme being: “Cultural Heritage Tourism and Climate Change”.
“Nyanga Arts Festival is highly inclusive to uplift Zimbabwean cultural and art practices while promoting and showcasing Nyanga as a tourist destination of choice,” said Nyapimbi.
Montclair general manager Brian Nyakutombwa said they are looking forward to hosting guests from all over.
“We’re very excited at the opportunity to be hosting the inaugural Nyanga Arts Festival. It’ll be the first time for the people of Nyanga to witness such an event and play host to a lot of visitors from other parts of the country.
“Everyone is excited that Nyanga is going to be a hive of activity and this augurs well with our efforts to promote domestic tourism as well as having tourists from other countries visit our resort,” Nyakutombwa said.
Mr Godfrey KotiZimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) Head of Corporate Affairs Godfrey Koti who is in Bulawayo for the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo said it is good to see Nyanga awakening as far as tourism is concerned.
“As ZTA, we are absolutely excited, elated, and quite delighted that the Nyanga Arts Festival has come alive and that our partners Nhimbe Trust, who are leading the production element of this one, have left no stone unturned in terms of making sure that we cover all the bases as we prepare for this event.
“It’s something that will assist us in showcasing our domestic tourism, especially the Eastern Highlands. Recently, Nyanga played host to the President of Botswana, HE Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi and his family who were quite delighted with the activities and things they saw, so we are seeing Nyanga as a giant which is awakening as far as tourism is concerned,” Koti said. – @mthabisi_mthire
Article Source: The Chronicle