The Sunday Mail
Andrew Moyo
The Harare International Festival of the Arts has established itself as the pinnacle of arts festivities in the country.
But the traditional six-day extravaganza will not be taking place this year.
Instead, organisers have opted for mini-festivals spread throughout the year running under the theme “Next Level”.
With the plan of coming up with a bigger and better festival next year, Hifa has taken an experimental route to cultivate a new audience in preparation for the 2017 edition.
The team should be commended for keeping the spirit of the festival alive, but it still remains to be seen if the vibe that usually unites lovers of different art forms in a single festival will be present this year.
The traditional format of the event ensured that there was a bit of everything for everyone, with showcases that ranged from musical performances, to visual art exhibitions, which meant the atmosphere was welcoming for all and sundry.
This time around, with isolated mini events that have a thrust on certain art genres during a particular month, it means they will only manage to cater for a particular audience at any given period. Kick-starting this year’s Hifa calendar is The Cabs Classical Music Celebration, which will be running from April 29 to May 1 at St Georges College.
The two South African outfits headlining this classical music fete, CODA Africa and Urban Strings, have both mastered their craft and are known to mesmerise music fans with their versatility on stage.
CODA Africa, which is fronted by vocalist Zami Mdingi, combines electric strings with saxophone and a DJ, traversing different genres from classically-inspired ballads to electro-swing, dub step, reggae and hip-hop.
Urban Strings, made up of twelve musicians, have a distinctive sound that combines an electric and acoustic string section, a pianist and guitarist. For those who are not enthusiastic about classical music, they might have to wait for the next event on the calendar, the Theatre Season, which is set for May.
The Theatre season will feature performances that will include comedy, plays and spoken word, among other theatrical genres. Harare has always been a party crazy city, as has been evidenced during last year’s edition of the Harare International Carnival where street parties proved to be a hit. Hifa have also decided to introduce a party concept that will have various parties taking place in the numerous platforms of the parkade along Julius Nyerere.
The Parkade Party will be happening in June and during the same month there is also going to be a Music Concert Weekend that has been set for the Glamis Arena. Hifa has taken a totally different path as they have also thrown in sport into the mix with a rugby exhibition match that will take place in July. The same month will also feature the Classical Ballet Celebration and the following month there will be an Equestrian Exhibition, complemented by an art auction and wine show.
September brings with it a historic event that will have petro heads witnessing Formula One Racing Demonstrations for the first time ever in Zimbabwe. In November the fashion world will be in for a treat with Hifa’s fashion, hair and beauty show. The calendar will conclude with an Anti-Poaching and Environmental Conservation Conference that will be held in December.
This format definitely takes a new twist and tries to cater for a broader audience, but taking a look at it from another angle, it also splits the Hifa audience which had become accustomed to mixing and mingling across the racial and cultural divide for six consecutive days. Speaking to The Sunday Mail Leisure, Hifa associate executive director Tafadzwa Simba said they wanted to do something new for the 2017 edition but had decided not to sit back while they prepare for that edition.
“As we have become a teenager, 16-years-old, we wanted to do something new for 2017 and in that process we are not just going to sit back. We are still going to do certain things that people can consume leading into 2017,” said Simba. “Basically, we have taken elements of the festival and spread them throughout the year in different places.”
Simba said they would go beyond the usual to explore new areas to grow new audiences.
“We are going out to new places, going out to new audiences, presenting art in a noble way and we have even engaged in different activities that are not the usual.”
They have also introduced the travelling academy, which will have art workshops being held in different parts of the country, unlike in previous years when these educational workshops have been centred in Harare.
