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Posts Tagged "Zimbabwean guests"

Zimfest 2014 Updates

Posted on by Zimfest Organizing Committee Posted in Festival Details

We have had a tremendous response since Zimfest registration went live May 17! Some of our workshops are already filling up, and we are pleased to announce that Patience Musandirire has agreed to teach a second session of one of his marimba workshops; see announcements of this and all future changes at https://2014.zimfest.org/news/. The good news from Zimbabwe is that Patience has been granted his US visa, as has Sheasby Matiure.

Unfortunately, Bulawayo dancer Caroline Mangwiro will not be joining us for Zimfest 2014 as her visa application has been denied. We have cancelled Caroline’s dance workshops, and will let you know in the coming weeks if we add any additional dance classes.

Our new Zimfest PASS is proving to be popular. We apologize for any registration quirks regarding the PASS – thanks for your patience! If you would like to purchase the all-inclusive Zimfest PASS, our advice is to register for it first, as soon as you add yourself as a participant. You do not need to sign up for concert tickets as they are included, but you do need to sign up for your chosen workshops.

Pamberi neChinyakare! Forward with the Past!
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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Call for Help – Zimfest 2014 Zimbabwean Guest Sponsorship

Posted on by Zimfest Association Board Posted in Festival News, Zimfest Association News

Dear Zimfest Community,

We have received great news from the 2014 Zimbabwean Music Festival organizing committee! The festival has received applications to teach and perform from 26 Zimbabweans based in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe. Some of these visiting artists are first time participants at the festival, but have dozens of years of experience in Zimbabwean music and dance, both internationally and in Zimbabwe. This increased number of Zimbabwean guests presents significant cost challenges to the festival itself. We would like to host as many of these talented individuals at the festival as possible. Unfortunately, without additional assistance it is impossible for us to host all 26 applicants and have a balanced budget. Therefore, we are asking for your help in offsetting the cost of their attendance at Zimfest 2014.

Between now and March 21st, we will be accepting pledges to help support Zimbabwean teachers and performers at this year’s festival. Based on the pledge amounts that we receive between now and then, we will determine how many Zimbabweans that we can invite to the festival. If you’d like to help, please send an email to with the amount of your pledge. There will be an online mechanism for you to donate for this purpose shortly. If you’d like to donate immediately, you can do so at http://www.zimfest.org/membership/. However, please also send an email with your pledge amount so that we can ensure that the funds go to the right place.

This year’s festival will be July 24-27 at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Below are the costs associated with Zimbabwean teacher / performer attendance at the festival:

  • Full festival room and board – $300
  • Full festival room and board + travel – $575

We are hoping to raise enough funds to cover all expenses for as many of the Zimbabweans as possible. Please kindly donate at whatever level you feel comfortable, and feel free to pass this letter to your friends, colleagues, and other community members. All donations to Zimfest Association are tax-deductible.

We look forward to seeing you, and all the Zimbabwean guests who have applied to come to the festival, at Zimfest in July.

Sincerely,
The Zimfest Board

Posted In: Festival News, Zimfest Association News
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