On Saturday 18 June 2011, I attended the monthly Mashoko! Spoken Word Event at the Book Café in Harare. The event was started in 2007 by MAGAMBA! Cultural Activist Network, an organisation which aims to counteract social and political injustice through avenues, such as those of self-expression through its spoken word events. Mashoko, which features some of the most inspirational performers in Zimbabwe, is one branch of Magamba! which emphasises more on performance and the need to connect with society. That natural connection is the reason why it has received such a warm following.
What made the event so exciting is that there was a whole mixed bag of creative performances – from standup comedy, hip-hop performances such as that of Upmost and poetry, which were all fused with live music and amusing commentary from the host, Comrade Fatso. The most sensational and memorable performance was by the beautiful poet, Batsirai Chigama. She recited Maya Angelou’s “And Still I Rise", a poem which she contextualised to fit in with her Zimbabwean roots, some of the lines getting ovations and a few male members of the audience rushing in front of the stage to bow down to this African Queen.
One has to look deeper than its powerful performances to understand the significance of Mashoko. In the budding Creative Arts Industry in Zimbabwe, it provides a ray of light for people to use self-expression as a way of freedom and defining their hopes for themselves, the country and the future, within an environment that is safe and supportive. It is also one of the events that is breaking the stigma attached to being in the Creative Arts industry, reflected for example, in the minimal occurrence of paid or highly-paid work in our industry. This is saddening when you look at the high talent of Zimbabweans and this is arguably why we find many of our talent, becoming more successful (perhaps even just financially) outside of Zimbabwe. But like many others, I have hope for a bright future for our talented creatives.
*SUPPORT MASHOKO! Spoken word event by joining the group on Facebook: click here!
*To learn more about the writer, Teurai, see www.teurai.com and www.elizabethchanakira.org. Support ‘Teurai Chanakira Model’ on Facebook by clicking here.
What made the event so exciting is that there was a whole mixed bag of creative performances – from standup comedy, hip-hop performances such as that of Upmost and poetry, which were all fused with live music and amusing commentary from the host, Comrade Fatso. The most sensational and memorable performance was by the beautiful poet, Batsirai Chigama. She recited Maya Angelou’s “And Still I Rise", a poem which she contextualised to fit in with her Zimbabwean roots, some of the lines getting ovations and a few male members of the audience rushing in front of the stage to bow down to this African Queen.
One has to look deeper than its powerful performances to understand the significance of Mashoko. In the budding Creative Arts Industry in Zimbabwe, it provides a ray of light for people to use self-expression as a way of freedom and defining their hopes for themselves, the country and the future, within an environment that is safe and supportive. It is also one of the events that is breaking the stigma attached to being in the Creative Arts industry, reflected for example, in the minimal occurrence of paid or highly-paid work in our industry. This is saddening when you look at the high talent of Zimbabweans and this is arguably why we find many of our talent, becoming more successful (perhaps even just financially) outside of Zimbabwe. But like many others, I have hope for a bright future for our talented creatives.
*SUPPORT MASHOKO! Spoken word event by joining the group on Facebook: click here!
*To learn more about the writer, Teurai, see www.teurai.com and www.elizabethchanakira.org. Support ‘Teurai Chanakira Model’ on Facebook by clicking here.
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