Take Flight at Zimfest 2022
Zimfest 2022 took place June 24-26 in Mount Vernon, Washington. Camping, music and dance workshops, free afternoon concerts and an outdoor marketplace were held at the Skagit County Fairgrounds. Some workshops were held at the adjacent Mount Vernon Senior Center. Evening concerts were at the classic Lincoln Theatre, a 15 minute walk away. A family-friendly cultural festival, Zimfest has something for everyone: Dynamic concerts, fun educational workshops, African marketplace and more.
Meet the Zimbabweans at Zimfest 2022
We welcomed the following individuals new to Zimfest (and also relatively new to the United States): Mauya Mauya!
Danmore Kusaya
Gifted multi-instrumentalist Dan Kusaya, originally from Rusape, Zimbabwe, spent 7 years performing with the Minanzi Mbira Band in South Africa before making his way to Indianapolis, Indiana in 2021.
Salani Wamkanganise
Mbira player and maker Salani Wamkanganise was mentored by Musekiwa Chingodza at Price Edward High in Harare and has been an artist-in-residence in Victoria Falls and Kobe, Japan. He taught as well as performed at Zimfest as part of Mbira DzaSoko with his wife Kelly Orphan.
Blessing Bled Chimanga
Acclaimed marimba player, composer and music impresario Blessing Bled Chimanga debuted at Zimfest 2022 after previous brief visits to the US. He was very helpful to Zimfest in recording Harare musicians for online and pre-recorded programming this year and last.
Zimbabweans Returning to Zimfest
Helen Masvikeni-Masango
Tsitsi Hantuba
Moyo Rainos Mutamba of Toronto, cultural worker, educator and founder of Ubuntu Learning Village.
Zivanai Masango — guitar virtuoso, creative and leader of ZiMBiRA, coming from Boulder, CO.
Helen Masvikeni-Masango — expanding her role this year from ZiMBiRA “frontwoman” to dance teacher and photographer!
Tapiwa Kapurura — published author from Salem OR now sharing his cultural insights with Zimfest for a decade.
Victoria Kapurura teaching about and sharing her Zimbabwean cooking expertise.
Tsitsi Hantuba — the daughter of beloved gwenyambira Cosmas Magaya and founder of the non-profit Humwe returned to Zimfest with her perspective on traditional culture in Zimbabwe.
Covid Safety
Full vaccination against Covid-19 was required for all Zimfest participants 5 years of age or older. During the day, outdoor spaces at the Fairgrounds were open to the public, with no vaccination or masking requirements. The Lincoln Theatre, where evening concerts were held, had their own Covid safety policy. We expected all Zimfest participants to mask at all times while indoors at the Festival. Please read the complete details and FAQs on the Covid Safety at Zimfest 2022 page.
Land Acknowledgement
We gather for Zimfest 2022 on the ancestral homelands of the Coast Salish and Skagit Peoples who have lived in the Salish Sea basin and the North Cascades watershed for thousands of years. We acknowledge these indigenous communities that originated here or who have journeyed here from other locations via forced displacement. We recognize that, without them, we would not have the opportunity to come to gather at the Skagit Valley Fairgrounds and in the town of Mount Vernon. We extend our deepest respect and gratitude to the Skagit and Coast Salish Peoples.
Zimfest 2022 Save the Date Card
(click to download a printable PDF)
