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Zimfest 2015 Registration Is Open

Posted on by Zimfest Organizing Committee Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest Community,

Registration is now live for the 24th Annual Zimbabwean Music Festival in Monmouth, OR, August 13-16, 2015.

The festival offers three days of workshops on diverse aspects of Zimbabwean culture, free afternoon concerts, an African Marketplace and ticketed evening concerts.

Go to zimfest.org for the festival program and register for workshops, housing, meals and concert tickets. Performance schedules, still being determined, will be available soon.

Valuing education as well as performance, Zimfest attracts Zimbabwean music and culture experts from around the world to teach festival participants. Workshops are available on everything from basic Shona drumming to traditional dance to the ancient sounds of mbira and the irresistible, effervescent marimba.

Featured Zimbabweans: Master mbira players Patience Munjeri and Vitalis Botsa; marimba specialists Patience Musandirire and Paul Mataruse; multi-instrumentalist Kurai Blessings Mubaiwa; the electric duo Mbira Spirit; dancer Rujeko Dumbutshena and guitarist extraordinaire Zivanai Masango.

North American Performers: Anzanga Marimba Ensemble; Erica Azim; Chris Berry; Boka Marimba; Mahonyera Mbira Ensemble; Pachi Pamwe (mbira and guitar); Ruzivo; ZiMBira and many more.

Zimfest 2015 celebrates the theme “Enduring Rhythms ~ Gathering in Harmony.” Experience the power of African music and dance to bring people together in a full three and a half days of Zimbabwean-inflected music, dance, song, culture and fun!

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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 2015 Theme and Call for Artwork Submissions

Posted on by Zimfest Organizing Committee Posted in Festival News

Greetings Zimfest Community,

Zimfest 2015 will celebrate the theme “Enduring Rhythms ~ Gathering in Harmony.” In choosing this theme, the 2015 organizing committee has been inspired by the power of Zimbabwean music and dance to bring people together and build community. We are inviting you to submit designs and artwork related to this theme for use on the Zimfest 2015 poster, Festival Guide, t-shirts and other promotional material. Your design should also reference Zimbabwean performing art in one or more of its many manifestations (marimba, mbira, dance, etc.).

Please submit your designs electronically to by March 1, 2015. The organizing committee will make its selections by March 15, 2015. Send your artwork via e-mail as a high-resolution image in digital format (JPG preferred); do not embed the image into a Power Point or PDF. Please include your full name and telephone number with your submission. If your image is chosen as the principal design for this year’s festival, you will receive an honorarium of $100 and a Zimfest 2015 t-shirt. The winning artist will be featured in the Festival guide. In addition, full credit will be given to other artists whose submissions are used elsewhere.

The artwork will be judged on the following criteria:

  1. It meets all specifications in this call for artwork
  2. It is considered the best representation of the theme “Enduring Rhythms ~ Gathering in Harmony”

Legal Considerations:
By submitting your work to the 2015 Organizing Committee, you grant the Zimfest Association an irrevocable, perpetual license to reproduce the submitted work in whole or in part in any medium, electronic, physical or otherwise. You must be willing to modify or allow a graphic artist to alter the winning entry for use on our printed materials. The original work will become the property of Zimfest Association, who will assume all rights to future reproduction of the work for promotional and fundraising purposes.

See you in Monmouth, OR in August!
Zimfest 2015 Organizing Committee

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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.

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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
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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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Zimfest 2014 Survey Summary

Posted on by Zimfest Association Board Posted in Festival News

Zimfest 2014 Survey Comments Synopsis has been posted on the ZA Blog.

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Zimfest Update

Posted on by Zimfest Organizing Committee Posted in Festival News

Hello Zimfest community,

The 2014 Zimfest Concert Schedule has been posted on the website! An innovation this year is the introduction of featured lunchtime performances Friday through Sunday from 11:45 to 12:45 AM, scheduled so that there are no conflicts with workshops. Eat your lunch outside while enjoying some of your favorite groups: Yeukai Marimba from Boulder launches on Friday, Nhapitapi Mbira rocks out on Saturday and Kurai Mubaiwa and Friends entertains on Sunday. As always, the concert schedule is subject to change, so do not be surprised to see some adjustments in the lineups.

As promised, we have some new workshop titles for you to choose from: by popular demand, Dr. Sheasby Matiure will be teaching Zimbabwean and Southern African choral and makwayera singing; new Zimfest teacher Jimu Makurumbandi offers muchongoyo dance and mbira singing techniques; and MyLinda King and Jesse Larson offer tasty new marimba tidbits! Check the News and Updates page for all workshop changes.

Don’t delay registering for Zimfest: July 9 is the last day to purchase housing and meals, and we will start to cancel workshops with low enrollment on July 11.
See you at the festival!

Zimfest 2014 Organizing Committee

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Zimfest 2014 Registration Open

Posted on by Zimfest Organizing Committee Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest community,

We are pleased to announce that online registration for the 2014 Zimbabwean Music Festival is now open at https://2014.zimfest.org. We apologize for the delay, but think you will find it worth the wait! This year we are introducing the all-inclusive Zimfest PASS, which covers all festival costs including room, meals, concerts and workshops. Read about the PASS and other exciting new features at Zimfest 2014 at https://2014.zimfest.org/whats-new/.

Thanks for your patience,
Zimfest 2014 Organizing Committee

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Note to Teachers Bringing Student Groups

Posted on by Zimfest Organizing Committee Posted in Festival News

Visiting groups of children are welcome at Zimfest! If you are a classroom teacher, or summer school or camp leader wanting instruction in Zimbabwean music or dance and a fun time for your class, bring them to the festival to enjoy the music and marketplace and take a workshop or two. We offer a one-time Teacher Membership ($60) that allows a waiver on registration fees ($12 each) for groups of up to 20, ages K-12. The Teacher Membership is intended to encourage newcomers to the festival, so at least 50% of your group should be first-time Zimfest attendees to qualify for the registration fee waiver; specific workshop fees will still apply. Email teachers (at) zimfest {dot} org for information and assistance. Festival staff can also help with group enrollments and setting up private workshop sessions.

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Zimfest 2014 Registration Coming Soon

Posted on by Zimfest Organizing Committee Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest community,

We had hoped to have the Zimfest 2014 online registration website live by May 1 but are experiencing delays. We look forward to making the announcement very soon that https://2014.zimfest.org is ready to accept registrations. In the meantime we appreciate your patience as we are working hard to get the system operational.

Thank you,
Zimfest 2014 Organizing Committee

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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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Zimbabwean Guests and Vendor Information for Zimfest 2014

Posted on by Zimfest Association Board Posted in Festival News

The performer and teacher application deadline was February 28, and this year we received a record number of applications from Zimbabweans. With the help of donations pledged by many of you in the Zimfest community, we will be able to host most, but regretfully not all, of the applicants at Zimfest 2014. You should know that the time period following the application deadline is an extremely busy one for the Organizing Committee, and we are hard at work finalizing invitations and acceptances and working out schedules.

We are thrilled to welcome to Zimfest for the first time (pending visa approvals): dancer Caroline Mangwiro from Bulawayo and marimba specialist Patience Musandirire, who is currently teaching in Botswana. Some of our returning Zimbabwean friends who will be attending this year (also pending visa approvals) are: Cosmas Magaya, Musekiwa Chingodza and Sheasby Matiure, all coming from Zimbabwe; Lucky Moyo, England; Nhapitapi Mbira, Toronto; Julia Chigamba and Chinyakare, Oakland; and Loveness Wesa from Portland. We hope to be able to announce more exciting news about this year’s lineup in the very near future. For further details, see the Zimfest 2014 web site.

Also, Zimfest 2014 marketplace vendor information and applications are now available. We anticipate a variety of vendors selling marimbas, mbiras, hosho, CDs, clothing, accessories and art. Crafts sold at the Marketplace should be of Zimbabwean or related African origin, and in keeping with the spirit and intent of Zimfest.

—Zimfest 2014 Organizing Committee

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