Home › Zimfest News Blog › Festival News

Zimfest News Blog

Festival News

Zimfest Updates and Events

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Greetings Zimfest family,

Zimfest organizers are taking a break until April when we will know more about the COVID-19 situation and CDC recommendations.  We hope everyone who qualifies is able to get vaccinated soon as we progress towards herd immunity.

Meanwhile, we have heard from Conference Services at the Evergreen State College, where Zimfest was to be hosted July 28-Aug 2. They are remaining on remote learning through the summer and therefore will not have the resources or capability to host us in 2021. This is not a surprise, and do not despair! Many options for this year’s festival are being considered: hosting a varied menu of virtual activities ranging from group lessons to Zoom presentations to streaming performances on the planned Zimfest dates; gathering elsewhere later in the fall?; cooperating with our friends and colleagues in various locales to present a hybrid online-and-live festival featuring many activities. Stay tuned!

Here is news of upcoming events around the country and the globe:

  • From Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, OR: Ratie Dangarembwa performs as “Ratie D” on Thursday, March 25 at 7 PM (PDT) in a livestream event that celebrates the launch of her first solo album, Ink and Melodies. This event kicks off The Hult Center’s 10×10 Series, which “focuses on highlighting incredible rising artists.” Click here for a recent interview and a link to purchase tickets (only $10)! Ticket sales close at 5 PM day of show.
  • From co-organizers Amy Stewart McIntosh/ Kutandara Studios and Blessing Chimanga/Dreams Marimba: Online Zim Independence Festival April 16-17-18, 2021. Come together and celebrate the Zimbabwean people’s struggle and success in casting off their colonialist oppressors, and re-commit to connection, music, hope, and friendship together. You are invited to spend the weekend talking, learning, dancing, singing, and enjoying each other’s company through a series of online forums, workshops, and concerts.
    For more information and to express your interest in being a performer, presenter, instructor, sponsor, and/or tech team volunteer, click here and fill out the form. Please submit your response on or before March 25, 2021.

Happy (belated) St. Patrick’s Day!
Claire and the Online Cohort

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With: , ,
1 Comment

Happy New Era

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest Family,

Following the joyous inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, it feels like the new year actually started on January 20, 2021! The “never-ending shade” of the previous administration mostly behind us, here’s hoping we can all see and be the light ahead (Amanda Gorman).

Zimfest joins Pres. Biden and VP Harris in grieving and honoring the 400,000+ Americans lost to COVID-19. Looking ahead to when it might be possible to gather together safely, the conversation has shifted from “when will we have a vaccine” to “when will we reach herd immunity.” Unfortunately, we will not know for quite a while whether large gatherings will be allowed July 28 to Aug. 2, 2021, the weekend penciled in for Zimfest at the Evergreen State College.

A group of Zimfest volunteer organizers will be meeting next week to brainstorm what form(s) Zimfest might take in 2021. If you would like to join us, please email claire{at}zimfest{dot}org. If you would like to volunteer other services, such accounting, graphics or tech expertise, please write board{at}zimfest{dot}org. 

Peace and Unity
Keep on keeping safe

Zimfest Coordinator Claire Jones
Music Dancing Across Borders

Posted In: Festival News
No Comments

Treasurer volunteer opportunity

Posted on by Alex Weeks Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest Community,

With our current treasurer rotating off of the board, we are seeking community member(s) with relevant experience who would be able to volunteer in this extremely important capacity!

Currently, the duties of the treasurer include:

  • Attending monthly board meetings
  • Preparing the annual budget
  • Accounting/financial reporting
  • Tax filings
  • On-site money management at the festival
  • General financial oversight for the festival

As of right now, these duties are covered by a single board member, but we are open to dividing these roles among multiple people, not all of whom need to be board members; this may help to reduce the workload.

You would also have the support of our current treasurer, Chris Halaska, and other board members, as you transition into this role.

If you are interested, please reach out to .

Thank you,

Alex Weeks
Board President

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

Zimfest Online Viewing Ends Nov 9

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Hello Zimfest community,

Here’s hoping that you, like me, are breathing a huge sigh of relief and looking forward to a rosier 2021!

Monday November 9th is the last day to register for the final set of Zimfest Online presentation recordings. If you haven’t taken advantage of our online offerings, take a break from election news and politics in the next two days to learn a bit more about Zimbabwean music and story-telling! Don’t forget to send us feedback on any  presentations you attend by completing the online evaluation form (write us at online{at}zimfest{dot}org if you need help). 

The Zimfest Online Engagement Task Force will be taking a short break before pondering what form Zimfest might take in 2021 as the COVID pandemic continues. If you have ideas for us, please write to online{at}zimfest{dot}org or the ZA Board at board{at}zimfest{dot}org.

Stay well, stay safe, take it easy!

Zimfest Online 

 

 

(P.S. – have you seen the newest installment of our Zimfest is Family feature? It includes the newest member of the Zimfest community!)

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With: , ,
2 Comments

Upcoming Zimbabwean Music Online

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Hello Zimfest community,

Our friends have notified us of a couple of upcoming online events featuring Zimbabwean musicians:

  • Zambezi Marimba Band – livestream tonight Fri, October 23, 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm Eastern Time (4:30 PDT). Featuring Tendai Muparutsa and the Zambezi Marimba Band of Williams College. For information and the livelink, see: https://events.williams.edu/event/zambezi-marimba-band-livestream/

  • Wamkanganise & Friends! Mbira Concert Sunday, November 1, 2020 at 5 pm PST – 6 pm PST (8 pm EST), hosted on Facebook by Wamkanganise naGaadza (aka Salani) and Kelly Takunda Orphan with musician friends Moeketsi Gibe (South Africa) and Augustine Basa (Zimbabwe). For information see the FB Event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/673018663351571/ and check back for a link to the Youtube stream on the day of the show. This event is part of the Eastman School of Music’s Barbara B. Smith World Music Concert Series. 

Don’t forget we are in the final three weeks of registration for Zimfest Online presentation recordings.

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

Magaya Memorial Invitation

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Posted on behalf of Kutsinhira Cultural Arts Center

Dear Friends,

We at Kutsinhira Cultural Arts Center deeply mourn the passing of the great mbira player Sekuru Cosmas Magaya, our long-time teacher and friend, who died on July 10, 2020, after contracting COVID-19. 

We are planning an International Zoom Memorial to honor Sekuru Magaya on October 10 and invite you to join us. As we are able to accommodate only 250 connections in addition to our presenters, we are asking that you RSVP to let us know that you would like to join (please see instructions below).

The approximately 2.5-hour memorial will take place on Saturday, October 10, 2020, beginning at 10:30 am PDT and at 7:30 pm Harare time. 

Our presenters will include many family members, close friends, hosts, and mbira students who consider Sekuru Magaya to be a major inspiration in their lives.

Program

10:30 am/7:30 pm: Begin slide show accompanied by recordings of Sekuru Magaya, while people connect. We highly recommend joining early to enjoy the beautiful slide show created by Mark Cohen, featuring Sekuru Magaya’s US visits 1998-2018 and accompanied by his solo mbira recording, Anoyimba.

11:00 am/8:00 pm: Brief greeting, introduction. State intention to record.

Opening Prayer by Fradreck Mujuru, live from Zimbabwe

11:15 am/8:15 pm: Musical and spoken tributes, 3-5 minutes each.  Most or all of these will be pre-recorded, and in a pre-set order. We will begin with Magaya family and friends contributing from Zimbabwe.

12:30 pm/9:30pm: (or whenever planned program finishes) – invite other attendees to contribute spontaneously (by request via the Zoom chat box)

Approximately 1:00 pm PDT (10:00 pm Harare time): Closing

If you would like to join us for this event, please fill out the brief registration form at:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdlJQIM7O2jWcQWRi5H5ZsPccJopZsMCGvHr4LiYjucJKD-Kw/viewform

If you have any problem accessing the form, you can instead write an email to mkolo{at}kutsinhira{dot}org with your name, email address, brief description of your connection with Cosmas (e.g., “mbira student,” “university host,” “longtime friend,” etc.).  It will be helpful if you can use the form though.

Please do not register again if you have already received an invitation and registered.

We will send you the Zoom link and some helpful Zoom hints 2-3 days before the event.

When you click on that link any time between 10:25am PDT and the end of the Memorial Zoom, you will join in a Waiting Room and soon after admitted to the event by our tech people.

Please do NOT publish this link on social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).  If you know of others who would like to attend, please ask them to send us an email requesting the link.

Kutsinhira Cultural Arts Center and the Magaya family retain all rights to the recording of this event, and we plan to share it with those who are unable to attend the live session.

We look forward to sharing this time with you.

Best regards,

Marilyn Kolodziejczyk and Memorial Committee (Tsitsi Hantuba, Lynne Swift, Janis Weeks)

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With:
No Comments

Zimfest Online 2nd Viewing Period

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest community,

Reminding you that Monday, Sept 28, is the last day you can register for and view the first three Zimfest Online recordings. Tuesday Sept 29 is the beginning of the three-week viewing period for the next four Zimfest Online sessions, ending October 19.  

  • Linos Wengara Magaya with Tim Lloyd – The Role of the Mbira Within Shona Spiritual Culture

  • Jeff Brahe – Fundamentals of African Rhythm: Triplet (12/8) Version

  • Tanga Pasi (Sinini and Pamela Ngwenya) – Tanga Pasi from Zimbabwe to Germany

  • Zivanai Masango – Mvenge Mvenge Dance Party with Zi

The first two are presentations, and registrants this month have let us know they have appreciated being able to view and the study the material at their leisure. The final two, Tanga Pasi and Zi’s Mvenge Mvenge dance party, are concert sessions – enjoy dancing with Zi and Helen! 

Check out complete descriptions of all the sessions along with presenter biographies on the Zimfest Online page. Once you register for a recording (donation requested), you will be able to view it at any time you wish during the three-week period it is available.

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With: , ,
No Comments

Zimfest Live recordings access

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Greetings Zimfest community,

Our first series of live Zimfest Online educational and performance sessions has concluded. For those of you who missed one or more, we are providing on-demand access to the video recordings on a donation basis. There will be 3 viewing periods with a different set of videos available during each three-week period. Registration is open now for the first three videos available to view from September 8 – 28:

  • Tapiwa Kapurura – Culture as Social Glue in a Challenged Community

  • Claire Jones – Mbira in Zimbabwean Popular Music: An Historical Perspective

  • Tendai Muparutsa – World Music Ensemble: Directing a College Marimba Band – A Williams College Experience

Check out complete descriptions of all the sessions along with presenter biographies on the Zimfest Online page. Once you register for a recording, you will be able to view it at any time you wish during the three-week period it is available.

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

Good Vibes Concert Sept 5 and more

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Hello  Zimfesters,

We are pleased to call your attention to Taffie Matiure’s GoodVibes Concert, a fundraiser to establish a mbira school for children in the Ruwa Community in Zimbabwe. The live broadcast will be held on September 5, 2020 on Taffie’s Youtube page starting at 12pm PT/ 3pm EST/ 20 CAT. The event is co-sponsored by Zimbuya.com, and during the broadcast a link to their website donations page will be shared. 

 

The Zimfest Online live presentations are over for now, but for those of you who missed one or more, we will be providing online access to the video recordings. Be on the lookout for Zimfest Online Registration to open by September 8 for recordings of the first three presentations in June. 

Enjoy the summer days! 

Zimfest Online crew

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

August Zimfest Online

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest community,

Two final live presentations wrap up our Zimfest Online festival season this month! Both take place on Saturdays at 5 p.m. PDT. 

  • Aug 22: (Dr.) Claire Jones presents A Social and Acoustic History of the Kwanongoma Marimba in Zimbabwe. Claire’s dynamic look at 50 years of marimbas in Zimbabwe invites your participation. Can you name these tunes?
  • Aug 29: (Dr.) Tedd Judd presents Wrapping the Western Mind, Body, Soul, and Community Around Zimbabwean Music. Ever wondered how we make melodic sense of streams of notes coming from players’ thumbs and hands? – there is a scientific basis to this (follow the science)!  Tedd gets into reasons why many Americans have a difficult time hearing the complex rhythms of marimba and mbira music, but how approaching it like Zimbabweans do is so enriching. 

Please be aware that if you sign up for a session and cannot attend, you can be given access to view the recording. Write to online{at}zimfest{dot}org for assistance.

Continue staying safe and finding ways to connect musically and otherwise!

Zimfest Online Engagement Crew

 

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With: , ,
No Comments

Zimfest Online August 9 – 29, 2020

Posted on by Claire Jones Posted in Festival News

Hello Zimfest Folks,

Our Zimfest weekend concert sessions with Sinini and Pamela Ngwenya (July 31), and Zivanai Masango and Helen Masvikeni (August 1) were wonderful, and Dr. Jennifer Kyker continues her teaching of Musekiwa’s mbira version of “Kari Mugomba” with a singing lesson August 9 (today, at 5 PM!). We have registration ready with three more original Zimfest Online presentations for this month. They will take place on Saturday afternoons at 5 PM PDT.

  • Aug 15: Reed College student Anesu Ndoro on “Animality & Humanity: Zimbabwe’s Folktales As Avenues For Social Reflection”
  • Aug 22: Dr. Claire Jones on “A Social and Acoustic History of the Kwanongoma Marimba in Zimbabwe”
  • Aug 29: Dr. Tedd Judd on “Wrapping the Western Mind, Body, Soul, and Community Around Zimbabwean Music”

Register now, we hope to see you online! In September we will advertise opportunities to view the recordings of our most popular Zimfest Online presentations on a donation basis.

Zimfest Online Task Force

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With: ,
No Comments

Volunteer Needed: Digital Media Curator

Posted on by Alex Weeks Posted in Festival News

Dear Zimfest community,

This year, as the Festival has transitioned to an online-only format, the value of digital media to our community has become more evident than ever. Zimfest has a large catalog of existing media, which we would love to make available to our community with proper curation. Additionally, we need to improve our processes for handing these media into the future.

To this end the Board and Zimfest Tech Committee are putting out a call for interested volunteers who can help us lead in this area.

These digitally-minded volunteers would lead Zimfest’s media presence (video, audio, image, etc.) by:

  • Cataloging Zimfest’s existing collection of digital assets
  • Working with the Board and Tech Committee to edit, curate, and make these assets available to the public
  • Establishing processes for collecting, organizing, editing, and presenting these assets into the future

Helping here is a terrific way to put your skills and interests to use for a great cause. We also welcome volunteers who may wish to shadow a lead Media Coordinator! On top of the incredible music, this an opportunity to learn more about digital rights and music licensing, so that artists receive credit for their creations.

If you’re interested or would like more information, please reach out to us at !

Thank you,
Alex Weeks
Zimfest Board President

Posted In: Festival News
Tagged With:
No Comments