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Posts by Claire Jones

Marimbas for the Zimfest Association

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Zimfest Association News

Hello Zimbabwean music enthusiasts,

The Zimfest Association is exploring the possibility of acquiring its own marimbas to be used in workshops during our annual festival. The idea is that we would own one or more full sets guaranteed to be available year after year, which we would keep properly tuned and maintained. To that end, we are seeking donations of individual instruments or groups of instruments. If you, or anyone you might know, has an instrument(s) that you are no longer using, please consider donating or selling it/them at a reduced rate to Zimfest. The Zimfest Association can offer a tax-exempt donation receipt for the donation. If you can’t afford to donate the entire value of the instrument, consider creative ways that you or your group could fund-raise to reimburse you for the donation. Ideas for this could be shared on Dandemutande. Naturally, the instruments we seek would need to be in good condition so that we can build quality ensembles for our workshop participants. Let’s get this ball rolling! Please respond to Margie: nwredwood (at) gmail dot com. THANKS!

Margie Smith

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Zimfest – It Takes a Village

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Hello Zimfest folks,

The Zimfest Association Board and I recently made the announcement that the 2016 Zimbabwean Music Festival will be held at Western Oregon University in Monmouth OR, August 11-14, 2016. I am happy to say that the Tech Committee has already started meeting in preparation for the next festival, and we are targeting mid-January for online applications to open on the festival website at https://zimfest.org. There is much to do before that date, and I am actively recruiting team members to work on the Zimfest Organizing Committee. It really does take a village—we are in desperate need of people who can give up some time to make the next Zimfest a great one! Helping out with the annual Zimfest gathering is a great way to give back for all the joy and enrichment you have experienced through this wonderful music.

What You Can Do to Help

If you have the time and commitment, volunteer for the core organizing committee (OC), members of which meet regularly via skype and take responsibility for major areas of the festival. We still need people to work on the following: Teacher and Workshop Scheduling; Concert planning and Performer Liaison; Zimbabwean Guest Coordinator; and Marketplace Coordination. Some jobs take a fair amount of time leading up to and at the festival, but do not require you to meet regularly with the OC: Instrument Procurer and Coordinator; T-shirt production and sales; Registration (non-tech) lead.

If you have small chunks of time, there are many other tasks that you can do before (as well as at) the festival: publicity and marketing; website content proofing and updating; festival guide proofreading; coordinating Portland shuttles and airport pickups/drop-offs.

If you are a group that would like to work on a project together there are several opportunities: work party to put together registration packets; festival decorations; festival signage; festival site cleanup crew.

Please let us know if and how you can help: e-mail: or , or phone me at 206-328-4011.

Happy Turkey Day,

Claire Jones
Zimfest Coordinator

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Zimfest 2016 Announcement

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest Community,

The Zimfest Board and I are pleased to announce the dates and location for next year’s festival. Zimfest 2016 will return to the campus of Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR. The dates of the festival will be August 11-14, 2016.

The feedback we have received from Zimfest 2015 participants has been positive about this site, and we look forward to focusing our collective energies on improving the festival rather than starting over in a new location. As 2015 participants are aware, the town of Monmouth is in the heart of the beautiful Willamette Valley, wine country, with easy access to the Oregon coast.

I am recruiting volunteers now to form an organizing committee! If you would like to be involved in planning and organizing Zimfest 2016 in any way, shape or form, please e-mail me: claire-at-zimfest-dot-org. Feel free to ask about opportunities large and small to help out before and/or during the festival.

Best regards,

Claire Jones
Zimfest Coordinator

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Transportation to and from Zimfest

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival Details

Dear Zimfest community,

As Zimfest 2015 at Western Oregon University draws near, we on the organizing committee have become painfully aware of the challenges of getting to the Monmouth location via public transport. Portland Airport is some 90 minutes away by car; but there is no direct transport link to Monmouth. As we mentioned on our website (https://zimfest.org/location/getting-to-zimfest/) the recommended route is to travel from the airport to Salem by bus or shuttle. The CARTS bus service Route 40, taken from the Salem Transit Center, then connects to WOU (stopping outside the Werner University Center). Here is the WOU link for the Route 40 bus schedule: https://www.wou.edu/online_catalog/display/transportation.php.

Two difficulties with this route have recently come to light: a) the transfer to the Transit Center in Salem may involve a walk of over one mile. This may not be a viable option for many travelers with luggage. b) It turns out the CARTS Route 40 bus service between Salem and Monmouth does not run on Saturdays and Sundays during the summer. Conference Services people at WOU have acknowledged to me the poor transport situation to their campus and noted that taxis are scarce and prohibitively expensive in Salem.

We are advising Zimfest participants who are traveling by public transport and need help with rides to post on Dandemutande. We hope those in Portland and the surrounding communities, aware of the difficulties, can step up with offers to pick people up, either in Portland or Salem. This is best coordinated through Dandemutande. At the festival we will have a ride board for transportation at the end of the festival. If there are any festival-goers who will have cars at Zimfest and can offer to make a run up to Salem (30-40 minutes) or even Portland, please write the organizing committee directly at .

Let’s all work together to make Zimfest 2015 a positive experience from start to finish!
Thank you,

Claire Jones
Zimfest 2015 Coordinator

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Vendor Information and Applications

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival Details

A new Zimfest 2015 web site is online at https://2015.zimfest.org. Marketplace vendor information and applications are now available there.

The 2015 Zimbabwean Music Festival will take place August 13-16 on the campus of Western Oregon University in Monmouth. The full festival schedule and online registration will be available in May.

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Zimfest 2015 Applications Close Soon

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival Details

Online applications to perform and teach at Zimfest 2015 close Sunday March 15. If you have been thinking about applying, now is the time for action! Log in at 2015.zimfest.org and do it – tell us what you’d like to teach, or who your band is. We are especially looking for dance, drumming, language, karimba (nyunga nyunga) and cultural presentation workshops.

Zimfest 2015: Enduring Rhythms ~ Gathering in Harmony
The Zimfest 2015 Organizing Committee

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Zimfest Applications due March 15

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival Details

Beware, the Ides of March cometh! Online applications to perform and teach at Zimfest 2015 are due March 15! This year’s festival runs from August 13 to 16 and will take place at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, just west of Salem. We are hoping to see lots of performing groups from Portland and Eugene this year, and teachers from all over. Submit your applications now, don’t wait until the last minute! Please address any questions to or .

Apply Online at https://2015.zimfest.org

On behalf of the Zimfest Association,
—Zimfest Coordinator Claire Jones

(P.S. — Don’t forget Zimfest Association is now registered to receive donations when people shop at AmazonSmile. You can support the festival by choosing Zimfest Association as the organization you would like to receive 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases at AmazonSmile.)

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Zimfest 2015 Teacher and Performer Applications

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest Community,

It’s time to submit your Zimfest 2015 applications online! Teacher and performer applications are available now at https://2015.zimfest.org. The due date for applications is March 15, 2015.

Please be advised that we are using Google accounts for login this year; When you log in, you will be prompted to sign in using a Google account, and we recommend that you use a Gmail account if you already have one.  Alternatively, you may register a Google account for an email address of your choice (including third-party providers such as Yahoo) by following these directions: https://accounts.google.com/SignUp.

Be sure to mark your calendars for the 2015 Zimbabwean Music Festival August 13-16th at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR. The theme for this year’s festival is “Enduring Rhythms ~ Gathering in Harmony.”

If you are artistically inclined, there is still time to submit designs and artwork to be used on Zimfest promotional material. For more info, see our previous blog post Zimfest 2015 Theme and Call for Artwork Submissions.

Please remember that the festival needs your volunteer help! If you are interested in volunteering, please write

Best regards on behalf of the 2015 Organizing Committee,
Claire Jones
2015 Zimfest Coordinator

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ZIMFEST – It Takes a Village

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

The Zimfest Association Board and I recently made the announcement that the 2015 Zimbabwean Music Festival will be held at Western Oregon University in Monmouth OR, August 13-16, 2015. I am happy to say that the Tech Committee has been working hard to improve the website and online registration system; we are targeting mid-January for online applications to open on the festival website at https://2015.zimfest.org. There is much to do before that date, and I have been recruiting team members to work on the Zimfest Organizing Committee for the past month. It really does take a village—we are in desperate need of people who can give up some time and energy to make the next Zimfest a great one! Helping out with the annual festival is a great way to give back for all the joy and enrichment you have experienced through this wonderful music.

What You Can Do To Help

If you have the time and commitment, volunteer for the core organizing committee, members of which meet regularly via skype and take responsibility for major areas of the festival: Teacher and Workshop Scheduling, Concert planning and production, Marketplace and Vendors Coordination, Volunteer Coordinator.

If you have small chunks of time, there are many other tasks that you can do leading up to (as well as at) the festival: publicity and marketing; festival guide article and ad solicitation, proofreading, editing and production; website content proofing and updating; T-shirt production and sales; airport pickups/drop-offs.

DSC06921c

If you are a group that would like to work on a project together, I envision several opportunities: work party to put together registration packets; festival decorations; festival signage; festival site cleanup crew.

Please let me know if and how you can help: e-mail claire [at] zimfest {dot} org
Claire Jones
Zimfest Coordinator
IMG_2142E

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Announcing Zimfest 2015 Location and Dates

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest Community,

The Zimfest Board and I are pleased to announce the dates and location for next year’s festival. Zimfest 2015 will be held August 13-16, 2015 at Western Oregon University. WOU is a campus of about 6,000 located in Monmouth, OR, 20 minutes west of the capital, Salem. We are happy to return the festival to Oregon, in a location that is nearly equidistant from Portland and Eugene—an easy 75 minute drive from either city. Monmouth is in the heart of the beautiful Willamette Valley, wine country, with easy access to the Oregon coast.

The Grove at WOU, Potential Zimfest Marketplace Site

The Grove at WOU, Potential Zimfest Marketplace Site

We realize that we are somewhat late in announcing these dates to you, and want to let you know that we have been researching potential Zimfest sites not only for 2015 but for future festivals as well. It has become more and more difficult to find the facilities we require for a full festival at affordable rates and desirable dates. For this reason the need to settle on one or more semi-permanent sites has become more urgent. We are hoping Western Oregon University might work for our community as a home. As always, we ask for your feedback.

I am also late to form an organizing committee! If you would like to be involved in planning and organizing Zimfest 2015 in any way or form, please e-mail me: claire-at-zimfest-dot-org.

Best regards,
Claire Jones
Zimfest Coordinator

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Announcing Zimfest Opening Night with MOKOOMBA

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Opening Night JULY 24 with MOKOOMBA
Zimfest 2014 breaks new ground with an opening night concert featuring Zimbabwe’s hottest band on the international “world music” circuit, Mokoomba! The Zimfest Organizing Committee is proud to present this terrific new Afro-fusion group who have been making a name for themselves worldwide. The band of six young men hails from Victoria Falls, home to the Tonga people, and combines traditional and modern instruments with a rich blend of rhythms. Their vibrant sound, largely originating from spectacular lead vocalist Mathias Muzaza, draws on traditional Tonga music, while also embracing the diverse music cultures of southern Africa.

MOKOOMBA

MOKOOMBA

Mokoomba will perform at 9 PM on Thursday night, July 24th, following the free Zimfest Opening Ceremony in Schneebeck Hall in the University of Puget Sound Music Building. Unlike the Thursday evening outdoor concerts of previous years, Opening Night with Mokoomba will be a ticketed indoor concert, with an advance purchase price of $20 for adults. Tickets will go on sale on the 2014 Zimfest website (2014.zimfest.org) when online registration opens on May 1. Mark your calendars now – we think you will find the $20 ticket a bargain price to pay for one of the premier African dance bands on the global stage!

mokoomba-rising-tide-webReviews of MOKOOMBA’S latest CD, Rising Tide:
“Mokoomba is quite simply the most impressive band Zimbabwe has produced in recent memory. The sheer density of ideas in this session is impressive, but it never feels like the musicians are merely checking off stylistic boxes. This is an A+ international debut… In all, Mokoomba, riding their own rising tide, are the best news we have heard out of Zimbabwe in years.” (Banning Eyre, Afropop Worldwide, USA, August 2012)
“I’ve seen the future of Afrosound and it is called Mokoomba.” (Thorsten Bednarz, Deutschlandradio Kultur, Germany, October 2012)

Enjoy this video clip of Mokoomba in performance in Belgium
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivakk2MPw0U&feature=relmf.
– Claire Jones, 2014 Zimfest Coordinator

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Zimfest Applications – Continuing Education Workshops for Teachers

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Greetings Zimfest community,

Applications to teach and perform at Zimfest 2014 in Tacoma close on February 28. Please don’t wait until the last minute to get your application in online! Workshop teacher applicants, please note that we are bringing back the Continuing Education workshops to allow Washington State classroom teachers to earn clock hours at Zimfest. We’re looking for exciting workshops geared towards classroom teachers. If you haven’t seen it, here is the description that appears in the Zimfest teacher application:

Music Educator Workshops

Zimfest recognizes the growing popularity of Zimbabwean-style marimbas in schools, and in 2014 will offer continuing education clock hours for Washington State classroom teachers. We are requesting experienced Zimfest instructors to propose workshops that will help provide schoolteachers with background on Zimbabwean culture and/or enrich their knowledge of the great diversity of Zimbabwean music and dance. Possibilities include songs and choral pieces appropriate for school marimba groups and choirs; workshops on Zimbabwean children’s games, drumming, and dancing; and cultural presentations.

Go to http://2014.zimfest.org/applications/ to apply.

Thanks,
Claire
2014 Zimfest Coordinator

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