Minutes from the May 8th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Zimfest News Blog
Announcing Zimfest 2016
Registration is now open for the 25th Zimbabwean Music Festival in North America.
The festival is an annual celebration of Zimbabwean music and culture. A fun-filled four-day weekend of concerts, workshops, community conversations, a marketplace, late night mbira & jamming parties, and more; Zimfest is the largest annual gathering in North America of students, teachers, performers, and fans of Zimbabwean music.
Zimfest 2016 will be held August 11-14 at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon. Just west of Salem, the WOU campus provides an attractive and comfortable site. Housing, camping, and meals are available on-campus.
How to Register
Register for festival workshops, concert tickets, housing and meals at https://register.zimfest.org. Workshops can be viewed by teacher, type of workshop, or day and time.
Detailed information about the festival is available at https://zimfest.org. The volunteer signup can also be found there.
Volunteerism is at the heart of every Zimfest. All festival attendees can help by volunteering for a task or two. Volunteers help organize and run the entire festival!
Zimbabwean Guests
Zimbabweans joining us at Zimfest to teach and/or perform for the first time include:
- Edmonton-based group Mbira Renaissance led by Chakanaka Zinyemba
- Marimba specialist Simba Kamuriwo
- Dancer/mbira/hosho player Clayton Master
- Cultural educators Victoria and Tapiwa Kapurura
Traveling from abroad to be with us are:
- Popular mbira virtuoso and teacher Musekiwa Chingodza (coming from Zimbabwe)
- Kwanongoma graduate and marimba expert Michael Sibanda (based in South Africa)
- Multi-talented vocalist and dancer Lucky Moyo (travelling from England)
(As always at this point in time, visas or travel plans are still pending for several of these artists.)
We extend a hearty welcome to the following North American-based Zimbabwean teachers and performers:
- Clayton Pasi Gunguwo
- Mandla Kaunda
- Zivanai Masango
- Paul Mataruse
- Chakaipa Mhembere
- Kurai Blessing Mubaiwa
- Muchineripi family band Chihera
- Samuel Mukwedeya
- Moyo Rainos Mutamba
After an absence of several years, we are ecstatic to welcome back to the Zimfest fold:
- Chinyakare Ensemble, led by the incomparable Julia Chigamba. Say hello again to Chigamba family members Augusten Basa, Gerald Basa, Kanukai Chigamba and Ronnie Daliyo; and the equally talented non-Zimbabwean Chinyakare members Cathy Crystal, Casey Daliyo, Moeketsi Gibe, Russell Landers, DeLisa Nealy, and Sarah Noll.
Concerts
Zimfest concerts occur from Thursday evening through Sunday night.
Opening Ceremony & Free Concert on the Outdoor Stage:
Thursday 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Following the opening ceremony, Nyemwerero will set the tone of the festival with the dynamic sound of Musekiwa Chingodza on mbira, joined by Zivanai Masango and other members of ZiMBiRA!
Free Afternoon Concerts on the Outdoor Stage:
Friday Noon to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday Noon to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday Noon to 5:30 p.m.
Evening Concerts (Ticketed, Indoors):
Friday 7:30 to Midnight
Saturday 7:30 to Midnight
Sunday 7:30 to Midnight
African Marketplace
Come visit the Zimfest 2016 Marketplace and explore the wonderful assortment of African art, clothing, crafts, musical instruments, CDs, and DVDs available for purchase. Relax on the broad grassy lawn and enjoy the music from the afternoon concert stage as you shop for special treasures. The Marketplace also provides an opportunity to learn about and support nonprofit organizations that are working with the people of Zimbabwe. Your purchases from these nonprofits will benefit many lives in Zimbabwe. The Marketplace will be open Friday 10:00-5:00, Saturday 10:00-5:30, and Sunday noon-5:30.
Workshops
Valuing education as well as performance, Zimfest attracts Zimbabwean music and culture experts from around the world to teach festival participants. Zimfest offers a large selection of workshops at all skill levels in marimba, mbira, hosho, singing, dance, drumming, guitar, chipendani, and makwa (clapping), as well as a variety of cultural presentations. Details and registration are available at https://register.zimfest.org.
Sing-Dance-Play! Tambai Tambai! Dlala-Dlala!
Zimfest 2016 will celebrate the theme “Sing-Dance-Play! Tambai Tambai! Dlala-Dlala!” In Zimbabwe you only need one word to say “Play (music)” or “Dance” or “Play (have fun)”: Tambai if you speak chiShona, or Dlala in isiNdebele. What could be more appropriate to describe the three-and-a-half days of Zimbabwean-inflected music, dance, song, culture and fun that is the Zimbabwean Music Festival? Come sing-dance-play with us August 11-14. Tambai! Dlala!
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April Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the April 10th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
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Zimfest Vendor Info and Applications
Greetings Zimfest community,
Just a quick note to let you know that Zimfest 2016 Marketplace Vendor information and applications are now available on our website here. Booth fees are due in advance; you may choose to pay by check or PayPal. The deadline for Vendor Applications is July 18, 2016.
The Organizing Committee is working hard to get the website ready for online registration for workshops, concerts, housing and dining by the end of May. Zimfest 2016 will again be held at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR. Join us from August 11th to 14th to sing, dance and play.
Sing-Dance-Play! Tambai Tambai! Dlala-Dlala!
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March Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the March 13th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
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Project Kudzana — Fundraising for Zimfest 2016
Have you or your group decided on a fundraising event or idea to help support Zimbabwean teachers expenses? Share what you are planning on Facebook, or add a comment on this blog. We have had 20 Zimbabwean teachers/performers apply and we cannot support all of them unless we have your help. At this point we can probably only support about 8 Zimbabwean teachers.
The Zimfest Board has come up with a few exciting fundraising ideas to help raise some much needed funds for Zimfest 2016, with an emphasis on Zimbabwean teacher expenses. We ask you and your music community to pitch in and help support the heartbeat of our organization. Our Zimbabwean teachers bring the spirit of the music with them to share with us. Year-round this spirit holds our communities together throughout North America.
Organizing committees are hard at work in the winter months preparing for our festival, as are individuals who are applying for visas for our guest teachers. We can support them and encourage their work by helping raise funds. The approximate cost of room, board and (max) travel for each Zimbabwean guest is $760. Our goal is to provide 10 Zimbabwean’s, transportation, room, and board with the help of these fund raising efforts.
We encourage your participation to help make this successful, and let’s have some fun with the following ideas. Share your event on the Zimfest blog (post a comment) and on facebook so that we can see all the exciting events that are being planned to support Zimbabwean teachers at Zimfest. After your fundraiser event, please make checks out to Zimfest Association and mail them to Janis Weeks, 1960 University St., Eugene, OR 97403.
Project Kudzana
Kudzana means to dance! Imagine all the dance, drumming, hosho, marimba, mbira, and singing communities coming together to celebrate Zimbabwean Independence Day for the benefit of Zimbabwean musicians at our festival, an interactive celebration of Shona music. During the month of April we encourage your community to host a benefit concert for Zimfest. You can choose any time in April to host your event, focusing on the April 18 Independence date.
One Million Pennies for Zimfest
Each group could create a donation canister to have at practice and/or performances advertising the ‘One Million Penny’ goal for Zimfest. Drop in change from your wallet to go towards Zimbabwean musicians. Encourage other groups that don’t normally attend Zimfest to participate. Post pictures on the Zimfest Facebook page to show progress/competition between groups or regions.
Bite of Africa Dinner / Zimbabwe Auction
In combination with a benefit dance, offer some auction items:
- Dance, Drumming, Hosho, Marimba, Mbira, or Singing Lesson with a Zimbabwean Guest Musician
- Sadza dinner with Zimbabwean Guest Artist
- Local art, restaurant, and business donations
These are just a few of our ideas. Customize it to your community.
Amazon Smile
The Zimfest Association is registered to receive donations when people shop at AmazonSmile. You can support Zimfest by choosing Zimfest Association as the organization you would like to receive 0.5% of the price of your eligible Amazon purchases. Amazon will make a donation to: Zimfest Association https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1951506
EBay
Also, for anyone who sells items on EBay, you can choose to donate a percentage of the final sales price to the Zimfest Association. See http://charity.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/zimfest-association/72685/
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
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February Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the February 21st meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
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Zimfest 2016 Theme and Applications Reminder
Dear Zimfest Community,
Zimfest celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, come celebrate with us! We thank Musekiwa Chingodza and Lucky Moyo (yes, both are planning to come this year!) for help in choosing the theme for this year’s festival.
Sing-Dance-Play! Tambai Tambai! Dlala-Dlala!
In Zimbabwe you only need one word to say “Play (music)” or “Dance” or “Play (have fun)”: Tambai if you speak chiShona, or Dlala in isiNdebele. What could be more appropriate to describe the three and a half days of Zimbabwean-inflected music, dance, song, culture and fun that is the Zimbabwean Music Festival? Come sing-dance-play with us at the 25th annual Zimfest at Western Oregon University, Monmouth OR, August 11-14, 2016. Tambai! Dlala!
Applications Closing Soon
The deadline for submitting your online applications to perform and/or teach at Zimfest 2016 is this weekend, March 12, 2016. We want your ideas! Don’t forget that this year’s emphasis is on Cultural Presentations. We encourage you (especially Zimbabwean instructors!) to propose workshops on a variety of cultural topics of interest to American students and fans of Zimbabwean music. Teachers of workshops with 20 or more participants will receive a higher pay rate. We’d love to see Presentation topics that attract large groups! All performer and teacher applications are available online at https://apply.zimfest.org.
As always, keep in mind that the festival can’t happen without your help! If you are interested in volunteering, please write volunteers {at} zimfest (dot) org.
Best regards on behalf of the 2016 Organizing Committee,
Claire Jones, Zimfest Coordinator
Posted In: Festival News
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Project Kudzana — Fundraising for Zimfest 2016
Let’s get a jump on what it takes to make a great Zimfest!
The Zimfest Board has come up with a few exciting fundraising ideas to help raise some much needed funds for Zimfest 2016, with an emphasis on Zimbabwean teacher expenses. We ask you and your music community to pitch in and help support the heartbeat of our organization. Our Zimbabwean teachers bring the spirit of the music with them to share with us. Year-round this spirit holds our communities together throughout North America.
Organizing committees are hard at work in the winter months preparing for our festival, as are individuals who are applying for visas for our guest teachers. We can support them and encourage their work by helping raise funds. Make checks out to Zimfest Association and mail them to Janis Weeks, 1960 University St., Eugene, OR 97403. The approximate cost of room, board and (max) travel for each Zimbabwean guest is $760. Our goal is to provide 10 Zimbabwean’s, transportation, room, and board with the help of these fund raising efforts.
We encourage your participation to help make this successful, and let’s have some fun with the following ideas. Share your event on the Zimfest blog (post a comment) and on facebook so that we can see all the exciting events that are being planned to support Zimbabwean teachers at Zimfest.
Project Kudzana
Kudzana means to dance! Imagine all the dance, drumming, hosho, marimba, mbira, and singing communities coming together to celebrate Zimbabwean Independence Day for the benefit of Zimbabwean musicians at our festival, an interactive celebration of Shona music. During the month of April we encourage your community to host a benefit concert for Zimfest. You can choose any time in April to host your event, focusing on the April 18 Independence date.
One Million Pennies for Zimfest
Each group could create a donation canister to have at practice and/or performances advertising the ‘One Million Penny’ goal for Zimfest. Drop in change from your wallet to go towards Zimbabwean musicians. Encourage other groups that don’t normally attend Zimfest to participate. Post pictures on the Zimfest Facebook page to show progress/competition between groups or regions.
Bite of Africa Dinner / Zimbabwe Auction
In combination with a benefit dance, offer some auction items:
- Dance, Drumming, Hosho, Marimba, Mbira, or Singing Lesson with a Zimbabwean Guest Musician
- Sadza dinner with Zimbabwean Guest Artist
- Local art, restaurant, and business donations
These are just a few of our ideas. Customize it to your community.
Amazon Smile
The Zimfest Association is registered to receive donations when people shop at AmazonSmile. You can support Zimfest by choosing Zimfest Association as the organization you would like to receive 0.5% of the price of your eligible Amazon purchases. Amazon will make a donation to: Zimfest Association https://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1951506
EBay
Also, for anyone who sells items on EBay, you can choose to donate a percentage of the final sales price to the Zimfest Association. See http://charity.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/zimfest-association/72685/
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
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January Board Meeting Minutes
Minutes from the January 10th meeting of the Zimfest Association board of directors have been posted.
Posted In: Zimfest Association News
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ZIMFEST Applications Reminder
Greetings! Kwaziwai! Salibonani!
We have received very few applications for teaching and performing at Zimfest 2016 thus far. The deadline of March 12, 2016 for submitting applications is fast approaching, and we’d love to hear from you! Take a bit of your time this weekend and enter your applications online at https://apply.zimfest.org – more info is available on our previous blog post at https://zimfest.org/blog/.
Groovin’ at the Grove, WOU
Mark your calendars for Zimfest 2016 at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR, August 11-14, 2016. E-mail us with any questions at 2016 (at) zimfest (dot) org.
Hope to see you there!
Zimfest 2016 Organizing Committee
Claire Jones, Festival Coordinator
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Zimfest Online Applications Are Open
Dear Zimfest Community,
Applications are now open for Zimfest 2016. All performer and teacher applications are available online at https://apply.zimfest.org. As introduced last year, you will need a Google account (gmail will work) in order to log in. The deadline for submitting applications is March 12, 2016; don’t delay!
Each year we seek to offer a balanced number of workshops, including singing, dancing, drumming and the instruments performed in traditional and modern Zimbabwean music. This year’s emphasis is on Cultural Presentations. We encourage you (especially Zimbabwean instructors!) to propose workshops on a variety of cultural topics of interest to American students and fans of Zimbabwean music. Personal discussions of your own experiences in the music and growing up are welcome! Students: please take note that these presentations are half-price! Teachers: please take note that the Zimfest Association Board has approved an increase in pay rate (to $70 per teaching hour) for teachers of workshops with 20 or more participants. We would love to see Presentation topics that attract large groups!
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the 2016 Zimbabwean Music Festival, August 11-14 at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR. Please remember that the festival needs your volunteer help! If you are interested in volunteering, please write volunteers {at} zimfest (dot) org.
Best regards on behalf of the 2016 Organizing Committee,
Claire Jones, Zimfest Coordinator
Posted In: Festival News
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