The Sunday Mail
Chelsea Moyo
A new dawn is beckoning. Schools are increasingly encouraging pupils to showcase and pursue their artistic talents. Musicians are being born in school choirs, jazz bands, drama clubs and dance classes.
And organisations like Chipawo and Let Them Trust who are naturally pleased at the slowly changing social mindset.
Last week, Let Them Trust held the fifth edition of the annual Let Them Trust Festival at Harare’s Exhibition Park.
Let Them Trust acts as a bridge between schools and the arts industry. The organisation targets school children who have obvious artistic talents, groom them, and feed them into industry.
The Sunday Mail Society spoke to Let Them Trust founder and director, Chidochemoyo Musasiwa-Gutu.
“Let Them Trust is an initiative to discover and nurture next generation talent. In as much as we put attention on our current chart-topping artistes, we have to prepare for the next generation so that the industry remains active,” said Musasiwa-Gutu.
She highlighted some of their successes over the last five years and some of the talents that the festival has unearthed and unleashed into the industry.
At the festival, musical performances were exceptional – with pupils taking themselves as seriously as demanded and showing they were ready to fight for their place in the world.
Dancehall chanter Fredrick, popularly known to his peers as Dzobo, was a crowd favourite. His style, an upgrade of those popularised by dancehall gurus like Winky D and Soul Jah Luv, had everyone hooked.The 16-year-old’s charisma and stagea management whipped the crowd into a frenzy. It was no surprise when soon after his performance, MC Abisha Palmer and DJ 2 Bad accosted the young man for an interview and freestyle on radio. There are others like Dzobo.
Tinashe Mashie graced the Let Them stage in 2015 with his unique denim-inspired clothing design and was soon invited to launch his work under the Tinacra Fashions label.
In 2016 he among designers showcasing at Zimbabwe Fashion Week, and he is now now rubbing shoulders with top names like Thembani Mubochwa.
Let Them Trust has discovered dancers, too. Again in 2015, Jevas Moyana danced his way into Afrikera dance group director Marie-Laure Soukaina Edom’s heart, and now is a proud member of that troupe. The group, known for its unique dances, which they have termed edu-dance, aims to educate society on everyday issues. For Moyana, the group has been a platform for him to learn more and strengthen his talent.
Last year, the trust opened a window of opportunity for Chiedza Child Care Centre and Njube High School to be part of the Chimanimani Arts Festival.
These success stories fulfill Let Them Trust’s objective of bridging the gap between students and the arts industry.
“As an organisation we see these recognitions as blessings and feel humbled each time one of our students gets a platform to showcase their talent. I urge parents to support our initiative and you never know one day it could be your son or daughter dominating the arts industry,” said Musasiwa-Gutu.
