Monday 25 February - Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi
Zimbabwes finest son - legendary ‘Tuku’ has enjoyed tremendous success over many years and he personifies the Zimbabwe music scene with his distinctive and popular style. Most recently he has diverged to a more ‘acoustic’ vibe and has incorporated mbira and marimba within his music to produce a wonderful languid groove that flows with the Tuku style and charisma.
Monday 3 March - Chris Lynam returns
Zimbabwean born, UK based Comedian Chris Lynam will feature at the Chimanimani Festival. Chris was the founder of the festival in ‘98 but has never had a show at the festival - his wild antics are sure to thrill, shock and perhaps even explode.
Monday 10 March - Andy Brown and the Storm
Andy Brown makes a welcome return to Chimanimani - widely regarded as one of Zimbabwes finest musical talents, often maligned but resilient in his dedication, Andy was one of the first exponents of the Afrofusion vibe created by Ilanga in the ’80’s before setting off on his own with the Storm. His rough guitar style and distinctive lyrics make him a popular favorite. Andy will also perform with local Chimanimani favorite Josh Sacco and Radiation band during this years festival.
Monday 10 March - Albert Nyathi
Albert Nyathi stands out as a modern day icon of the ndebele speaking performers - distinctive posture, powerful lyrics and a strong cultural influence have forged his career to the point where he now regularly tours Europe with his 8 piece support group. Albert is a forceful and intuitive poet and his poems have been well documented locally and internationally.
Sun 6 April - Victor Kunonga
Coming from the dusty alleyways of Hwedza, Victor is a typical example of someone who was raised in Zimbabwe. His music off his debut album is proof that the man has almost seen it all in a lifetime that to others would seem a mere infancy and listening to the musical lyrics of his first album, one would be convinced that this man was born strumming guitar strings.
“I love making music for it is an interesting art form to draw and paint my ideas as well as conveying the message.”
Sun 6 April - Bongo Love
Bongo Love was formed in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe by John Mambira, who still heads up the band and Nhlanhla Ngwenya who has now moved to the UK to work on a drumming project. With John playing drums and providing lead vocals, Themba Mawoko was recruited for the lead marimba, Trymore Jombo for mbira and Mpho Mambira for the baritone marimba. “Afro-coustics”, as they call their genre, is a unique combination of styles delivered on these traditional instruments with lyrics in English, Shona and Ndebele.
Some more information on what you can expect to find in Chimanimani - besides the festival and the stunning views.
Chimanimani town has a few other options to explore - there is a local golf course (well maintained), horseriding and excellent walking options to take in the scenery from a number of angles. Bridal Veil falls is 5 km’s from town centre - the Falls also have on site camping facilities and ablutions, all in good order.
At Outward Bound you can enjoy the beautiful Tessas Pools - a great venue for an afternoon swim and relax in a tropical paradise.
The Chimanimani Mountains offer some wonderful day-walking and overnight camping options - access to the mountains are through the National Parks office located approx 20 km’s from Chimanimani town. Access to the entrance is via dirt road and a vehcle with decent clearance is recommended. Local guides are available to take you to some of the more scenic places and I highly recommend spending a night in one of the many inhabitable caves dotted throughout the inner park area.
Accomodation in Chimanimani is limited to the hotel (35 rooms) and a couple of lodges and private residences. There are excellent camping facilities at the hotel and at Heaven Lodge and Bridal Veil Falls - all have good ablution facilities.
So, take your time to have a good look around Chimanimani - its worth the effort and “good for the soul” - see you there.
Images above are from the 2002 & 2003 Festival
First organised in 1998 by local residents as an enjoyable celebration of Zimbabwean performing arts. Volunteers built a big wooden stage at the apex of the village green and invited musicians and performers from all over Zimbabwe. And a new tradition was born…. Today the Festival, true to its roots, remains free-to-audience, joyful and harmonious. But it now also involves the community in year-round cultural development through the Festival Trust.
Chimanimani…It’s Good for the Soul
It is hard to imaging a better location for a festival anywhere in the world - with its scenic mountain backdrop, warm, friendly atmosphere and cool vibes Chimanimani Festival is “good for the soul’.
This year sees the revival of the Chimanimani Arts Festival, scheduled to take place April 18-20.
Set in the scenic town of Chimanimani, this years event will see a full program of music/arts related performances and exhibitions, scheduled performers include Oliver ‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi, Nicholas ‘Madzibaba’ Zacharias, Willom Tight, Albert Nyathi, Andy Brown , Victor Kunonga, groups from Crossroads and Bocapa will complement the developmental initiatives, whilst there will be a return for Black Roots, and Adam Chisvo will be launching his new album at the festival.
Local groups, dancers, drama and poetry recitals will provide the opportunity for the Chimanimani, and surrounding district folk to show their talents; whilst the ‘kiddies’ program will include a performance from Ingo the Clown with her mix of magic, juggling, uni-cycling and clowning.
The full program is being coordinated by Thulani Promotions (with the support of Africalia, British Embassy, Hivos, Culture Fund of Zimbabwe, U.S. Embassy and MWeb) - more acts are in the offing and we will keep you updated on breaking news.
The festival is “free entry” and attracts many of the local, and district folk looking for entertainment , the main stage is located in the village green with the Chimanimani Mountains forging a stunning backdrop.
This year the festival will run 2 stages - with the second stage located at Blue Moon where we will feature poetry, theatre. dance and music on the program. We will also be having an ‘open mike’ session at the festival office and many informal gatherings of musicians will take place around the venue throughout the festival. Programs will be distributed free of charge at the festival office.
Remember, spring is in the air and it can get nippy at night - so bring a blanket, warm coat or jersey - enjoy the entertainment - “it’s good for the soul”.
Bongo Love was formed in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe by John Mambira, who still heads up the band and Nhlanhla Ngwenya who has now moved to the UK to work on a drumming project. With John playing drums and providing lead vocals, Themba Mawoko was recruited for the lead marimba, Trymore Jombo for mbira and Mpho Mambira for the baritone marimba. “Afro-coustics”, as they call their genre, is a unique combination of styles delivered on these traditional instruments with lyrics in English, Shona and Ndebele.
