The Zimbabwean

My dancers are always reminded that if they can walk they can dance and if they can talk they can sing. I teach them how to walk our Zimbabwean dances and talk our Zimbabwean songs. When I first met Chido Dhliwayo, our newly crowned Northwest African Queen, I saw a glow in her eyes. From that day, I called her my princess, and although she had not done much traditional dance since working with the Children’s Performing Arts Workshops (CHIPAWO) as a child, she had a spirit that was beautiful inside and out. 

For months she came to my house for rehearsals, arriving from school or work everyday at 7:30pm until late, sometimes past midnight. As I dropped her off at home during these late evenings we laughed about the cracked windshield of my beaten down car being a stepping-stone to better things. We joked that one day we would show pictures of ourselves leaning against the car saying “this was our trusty rehearsal car back in the day!” Now I see she will be the one to drive me around in her Lamborghini soon.

The dedication I saw in Chido from her first day told me of her strength, and I took her under my wing because she deserved the push onstage. Chido’s mother, Letwina Fushayi, taught her well because she arrived at my door with discipline and self-respect. It takes a Queen to produce a Princess who then becomes a Queen. It wasn’t long before others

recognized her beauty and grace. On August 23, 2011, at the Zimbabwe Music Festival, pageant organizers approached me right after the performance and asked me if Chido could run for the Northwest African Queen Pageant. The minute we walk on stage we have a goal – move from where we are to the next level. This was Chido’s chance.

It is an honor to be so close to the Northwest African Queen. To me, it is more than an honor; it is a dream come true, and made possible by all of our music supporters.  Without you, Loveness Wesa and The Bantus Band would be history on the world stage. I have always called myself “The African Queen” because I was tired of waiting for someone else to tell me that I was. When I call my girls princesses I am paving the way for them to believe they can also one day become Queens, and one of them now has. The show must go on for the others, as we continue to move forward, one stepping stone at a time.

When I work with the girls we don’t just get in the studio sing and dance and call it a day. We talk about real issues as well. Discipline is the key to my programs. The first thing every girl that has worked with me will tell you is that.  I care a lot about the girls because I would like them to mirror me or better, through their actions in their communities and on stage. I don’t want their parents and neighbors to say, “she is a singer and dancer with Loveness, that’s why she misbehaves so much.” Instead I want to hear “she is amazing and works with Loveness.” I always tell my artists that respecting yourself and those around you is the key to success in anything you do.

My girls know that school comes first. I would rather have no back-up singers or dancers as long as they are doing well in school. Having not always had access, I value education

very much and am taking classes myself. Sometimes hey help me with math homework! So we really talk about a lot of issues from sad, funny, serious and offering constructive criticism for the betterment of the other person or for all of us. I am the director, mother, sister, friend and mentor at the same time. Watching my girls achieve their dreams is the highlight of my work. One young lady, who came under my direction when she was 11 yrs old, graduated high school and went to Harvard University, moving herself from one level to the next. My artists are also reminded that they are bigger and stronger than their fears; they can conquer them anytime if they believe in themselves. When we wake up every morning we should ask ourselves, “which stone am I stepping to next?” To inspire other young women to do the same, I must live up to the words I speak and the courage I expect. Just a week before my Princess was crowned queen I faced and conquered my greatest fear of heights and went bungee jumping!

On behalf of Kgotso African Cultural Arts and The Bantus Band, I would like to thank the City of Portland, especially The Portland Mutare Sister City and Africa Aids Response for inviting me to be part of the 2011 Rose Parade representing Zimbabwe. It was there that I first met Chido and invited her to come and work with me. Portland feels more like home because of these organizations that sacrifice their time and energy to help my country, Zimbabwe. At Kgotso African Cultural Arts we are proud of our work and the results are always healing.

why do some continental africans love white people so much, i dont understand, this girl added me as i go thru her album, there are two crackkkaz, or three actually dancing with her african music as she and other african girl are dancing. she is coonin g african culture for some portland white hippies, with name like loveness wesa, eye would say,come sister, u can do better than dat, stead of cooning african culture, point being is dat some continental africans like cooning african culture,which is a damn shame

LikeUnlike · · Share · Friday at 1:26pm · Shared with: Public

• 7 people like this.
• • Wifiyah EmpreZion Hakim shit most of them come here and use whites for green cards is all …in reality they mimic them to get on easy street “easy but I hate fake ass africans with their kissing whites ass…and many of the white wombmen get pregnant on purpose cause the name african is priceless!Friday at 1:31pm · LikeUnlike · 3 peopleLoading…
  • Kweku Omowale eye hear u wifyah, dats so true,dis girls from zimbabwe added me, as i went thru her album there are some white chics from portalnd, dancing with her such a shame,cooning africans smdhFriday at 1:33pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…
  •  ..Kweku Omowale witha name like loveness wesa, when i looked at her pics wifyah, i saw the white chics, her name should be loveness conning wesa,dats for damn fucking sure, she is coonifiric coonalicious african from the continennt :Friday at 1:36pm · LikeUnlike
  • Emily Robertson years in African dance have taught me too much and not enough about this. It look like so many white kids go over thier in college and the girls grab that good Black husband who wants to come to America to make money…bu tits ni that simple..many Africans have told me they are warned away from us…but as a woman I was baffled..do they really feel more comfy with aawhite woman than aBlack one?Friday at 1:37pm · LikeUnlike
  • Tanicka Booth Many continental Africans look at Western with the same distain as some whites.Friday at 1:39pm · LikeUnlike
  • Kweku Omowale tanicka and emily my humble thanks for the much needed comment, this is sad that africans allowe the culture to be like dat and white people is gonna capitalize off their cooning behaviour making us diasporan look ridiclous, because of their cooning behaviourFriday at 1:40pm · LikeUnlike
  • Emily Robertson Tanicka that is true..but i sometimes think inthe heart it is a fake (adopted)disdain…some of them are jealus of us and truly want our life…they stay distant and disdainful but I donthink thats intheir heart…I say all this in peace, i have been workin with West African dancers and people for years and I finally realized some of them think we are crazy for idolizing them…they idolize the experience of being born here and all that it is to be Universal African American. The white friends just help create the gap that should not be there..often it is $$ thing for addressing poverty at home, the word we use is sell out or sold out…Friday at 1:46pm · LikeUnlike · 2 peopleLoading…
  • Kweku Omowale dats si true, they want to make money off african culture, emily, it is so sad, and seen those white people lobe when we make ourselves look foolish, and misrepresent our culture like dat, then,they go and write about our culture and make money offmit, because those contineantl african who does cooning for the slave masters, they sell the culture for wholesale price,if they want to have the experienjce that afrikans in the amerikans have, is because of western media, but they dont understand, rape, torture, slavery, black people being sodomized, etc you know, it really pisses me off, sisters, all they do is make it hasrder for us,dats allFriday at 1:58pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…
  • Jah Queen in defvense of those african we must remeber opression of africans is world wide and they are not taught(on purpose) about the afflictions of us africans born in bondage when they learn u wind up with people lke fela kuti who learned from an african wombman here in america about the struggle yes i see that alot but those who dont know can we hold itagainst dem? im african regardless dem dont haffe like it neither do people here it is what it is we got to go back and teach and prepare dem of whats 2 come otherwise we r all doomedFriday at 2:21pm · LikeUnlike
  • Kweku Omowale jah queen check dis african girl from zimbabwe, sister, go thru her album, andf u will se her cooning afrikan culutre with white hippies from portaland oregon, white liberals, dat is, eye mean southern afrucans,specially zinbabweans sis, come on now, we all know about apartheid and stuff, you know what eye mean, they cant expect to make mockery out of experience, off our backs, because they are cursing our ancestorsFriday at 2:27pm · LikeUnlike
  • Jah Queen i dont need 2 see her page cuz i have debated with plenty of african men over dis same thing i already know most of dem will uphold whites over us africans born her but i also know why dem need 2 be taught dem not taught about what we go thru white supremist stick closely 2 the “willie lynch ” doctorine but then again i will say how many of us are willing to go home “knowing we r african” and teach dem da truth about what is really going on? If we r not going 2 be proactive then im not interested in being reactive straight upFriday at 2:33pm · LikeUnlike
  • Troy Carayol these africans don’t even know what happened to them especially the educated ones they bring ignorance to a whole new level.Friday at 2:47pm · LikeUnlike · 1 personLoading…
  • Jah Queen BUMBACLOTFriday at 3:19pm · LikeUnlike

Come on people BITCH is a very strong and beautiful word, I respect it. I can go on and on with this word, every directions with it, I still come back to who I am. A B.I.T.C.H

1. Brave Intelligent Talented Creative Hardworking

2. Beautiful Interesting Talented Caring Hot

3. Bold Inquisitive Theatrical Creative Honest….

OOOPSY! My keypad just jammed…talk to you later about it when we meet in person, on stage or offstage, it’s all good I will answer you

Mother and Daughter

A Pacific Northwest Thriller

by Tapiwa Kapurura

The Zimbabwean Music Festival (ZIMFEST) celebrated its 20th anniversary in the USA as it opened with spine-tingling shockwaves last Friday August the 12th at the Oregon State University in Corvallis. I got wind of this distinctive event on Thursday through my Dallas based friend Ivan Harrison. Over the weekend countless attendants enjoyed the summer sunshine as they celebrated the open air traditional marimba and mbira music in the park where a dozen vendors sold various arts and crafts from Zimbabwe. Musicians’ evening performances in the LaSells Stewart Auditorium (facing the Beavers’ Reser stadium) were similarly packed as crowds jostled for the best seats to enjoy live music.

Various mbira and marimba groups from Zimbabwe and America took turns to deliver sweet melodies that rocked the Friday night audience from start to finish. Notably, there was stirring synergy in the auditorium as Zimbabwean artists shared the stage with American artists who played and danced immaculately to the traditional music. Given the seamless coordination and sterling performance among the musicians and stage dancers, a stranger to the show could easily be confused with the origins of such jaw-dropping lyrical beats. Many songs kept the crowds on their feet as the busy floor dancers ecstatically sang along in the Shona language. Smiles and laughter were inevitable especially when some words were mispronounced by the overjoyed audience as they followed the lyrics. Probably due to limited publicity or tight work schedules, a few Zimbabweans attended. Many in attendance were either ZIMFEST artists or volunteers.

Among the prominent dancers from the audience was Petra Siemion, a Seattle-based lady who got exposed to the Zimbabwean music, culture and dance in the late sixties/ early seventies. As she unmistakably danced like an original village mbira lady, many dancers were easily distracted as they turned their heads to stare while attempting to imitate a few tricks from her authentic moves that she delivered with indescribable enthusiasm. Altruistic values of the Zimbabwean culture were palpably demonstrated as diverse racial groups fanatically responded in unison to the tuneful unique sounds. At the peak of any song, random cheers of applause, ululations and loud hand claps coated the hardly-suppressible exhilaration in the house.

When my family and I showed up for the Friday event, we had planned to hang around for just a few hours.  Surprisingly, we ended up attending shows for the entire weekend as we kept returning for more. My wife Victoria and the kids had an exciting experience all the way.  Our kids were animated through a chance to listen to the music, dance and play marimba at the open air event. Tendai Muparutsa, an Alberta graduate student and also a high-flying player was quick to promise us “great evening performances.”  We were glad we stayed. My aunt Letty Fushai was volunteering for the Zimbabwe Arts Project and we were so excited to meet her.  That Friday night, we were also delighted and surprised to see her college teenage daughter, Chido also a CHIPAWO product in Harare, perform in the Bantus group. TJ, our 12 year old son was excited to meet Trymore  Jombo whom he now calls Sekuru Murewa. The dreadlocked artist initially quizzed and teased him with Harare slang as he tested his knowledge and wisdom about Zimbabwe events. At end of the Friday performance, my family went aflame to meet New York based musician/filmmaker FAFI  a.k.a  3% in person. Besides his nearly-completed busy PhD research in music, he has still been able to release a new CD “Afrolicious”, now on sale.

Basically, this project sells the face of Zimbabwe which in turn represents the face of Africa to the world. The theme behind most of the songs and handicrafts predicates on peace, love, hope and the spirit of sharing,” said Paul Mataruse, one of the event staff volunteers. Loveness  Wesa of the Bantuz Band also reiterated the same message as she stole the Friday night show through her song “Marengenya”. “As we grew up, torn clothes and hand me downs were no big deal. We actually turned that squalor into positive energy and hope. No one ever got depressed since hope and laughter was our life. Please let’s have fun!” She said the words amidst countless cheers just before she wowed the diverse crowd with her dances. Just before winding up the show, Godfrey  Mpho Mambira joined Loveness as they dramatized an opaque beer song that sent all in attendance into stitches of laughter before getting them to dance for their pleasure.

ZIMFEST is a direct product of a small group that used to hold annual get together celebrations at Dr. Dumisani Maraire’s house in Seattle, WA. In those seventies, he studied ethnomusicology at Washington University. Maraire’s acquaintances joined him for the overnight parties where the traditional music was played over music, drink, stories and laughter. He eventually introduced the traditional music and culture to the entire Pacific Northwest region after some time.  The threshold introduction gradually morphed into a worldwide annual event that we experience today. Now the event is held annually in Harare, Bulawayo, Cape Town, London, Toronto, Perth, Brisbane and the USA.

Officially, ZIMFEST was launched as a nonprofit organization in Seattle in 1991 after its pacesetter, Dr. Maraire passed away.  That’s the basic reason the music has mainly followed the Interstate 5 Highway corridor as its main home. Of course the East coast and other few states like California and Colorado have been touched once in a while. The establishment is run by a board of Directors and the 2011 Director is Gretel Baumgartner. After Dr. Maraire passed away, some of his students decided to form this outfit as a way to continue the promotion of Zimbabwean music and culture abroad.

As a philanthropic concern, all proceeds raised through ZIMFEST activities are donated and distributed by the board on a needs-assessment basis to Zimbabwean organizations that demonstrate genuine need. Beneficiaries apply for assistance and such is granted on a first come first served basis as well as according to resources at hand. The board aims to work harder and solicit for more funding so that it can expand its assistance programs in Zimbabwe. Among many projects accomplished to date, there have been funds sent to Zimbabwe to build water wells in villages and buy food and clothes.  ZIMFEST works with various Zimbabwean team members to accomplish its objectives. Through working together, Patience Chaitezvi, a high school teacher who is also a mbira and hosho artist serves as a cultural exchange teacher during ZIMFEST activities and is raising funds to buy music instruments for her school girls in Chinhoyi.

What we see right now is an amazing challenge for us Zimbabweans to go an extra mile and be proud of our own values. Zimfest is great in that it opens eyes of many as it also sells Zimbabwe in a positive way,” said Mr. Mechanic Manyeruke, a celebrated Zimbabwean musician who opened the Sunday show that he finished with the song “Moses murenje.”  Marsha Mambokadzi- Mutisi also concurred, “We need more of our own children to come, listen and learn to play this music. I am sure they could be proud on some day.”

Groups and individuals that performed include: Anzanga, Boka Marimba, Bongo Love, Boulder Bike Underpass Choir, Chigwaya, Chikwata, Chiroto Marimba Ensemble, Four Deze, Hokoyo Marimba, Kudana, Kutandara, Loveness Wesa and the Bantus, The Maharimbas, Mahonyera Mbira Ensemble, Mechanic Manyeruke, Mbira dzeMuninga, Mhofu Marimba, Lucky Moyo, Kurai Blessing Mubayiwa, Mudzidzi, Mukana, Musha Marimba, Mutswi Wambuya, Njuzu Mbira, Pachi Pamwe, Pungwe, Ruvara, Ruzivo, Shamwari, Shumba Youth marimba, Singing Wood, Tamba, Vakasara, West Avenue Crew,  Zambuko, ZiMbira, Zvakanaka, Mylinda King, Erica Azim, Jennifer Bangoura, Jaiaen Beck, Nathan Back, Jeff Brahe, James Buzuzi, Patience Chaitezvi, Chiroto Marimba Ensemble, Kite Kite Giedraitis, Hokoyo Marimba, Trymore “sekuru” Jombo, Claire Jones, Forward Kwenda, Jacob Mafuleni, Godfrey Mambira, Zivanai Masango, Randy McIntosh, Eric Miller, Maria Minnaar-Bailey, Lucky Moyo, Kurai Blessing Mubaiwa, James “Marley” Mujuru, Tendai Muparutsa, Tonderai Ndava, Peacheson Ngoshi, Jeremy Phillips, Piwai, Val Rogers, Ruzivo, Sheree Seretse, Caution Shonhai, The Sissons, Army Stewart-McIntosh, Peter Swing, Karin Tauscher, Martha Thom, Wanda Walker, Mandy Walker-LaFollette, West Avenue Crew, Ted Wright.

Special thanks go to all the artists, vendors and volunteers who showed up at the 2011 event. The 2012 ZIMFEST event will be held at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho USA from the 2nd to the 5th of August 2012. More information is available through the email: 2012@zimfest.org See you!

Tapiwa Kapurura is a free-lance writer and can be contacted at: tapiwa2002@yahoo.com

Loveness and Richard with The Bantus band @ the Aladdin Theater

Mother and daughter

the mamas killing it

ready for work