Oliver Mtukudzi International Festival Review
The Oliver Mtukudzi International Festival of the Arts (OMIFA) is certainly a welcome addition to the Zimbabwean festival scene.
The event which took place last weekend at Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton has been met with mixed reviews.
Besides the Selmor drama that sort of put a dent on the proceedings of the fete, there is a lot that organisers should be commended for.
While I was not able to attend the first day (which I don’t regret considering that particular incident), I ensured that I was an early bird for the final day of the festival.
I will just share my views on some of the elements that I picked picked on from the moment I got there, right up to the time I left.
Oliver Mtukudzi International Festival Review
Smooth Access
The advantage of getting to an event early is that you are always going to find a good parking spot.
Like with many other events, the parking martials were not officially part of the festival team, just some random guys with green vests offering to protect your car for the duration of the event for a couple bucks. Maybe this is an area that should be looked into going forward, because besides being a revenue stream, I would feel better if the organiser had their own parking security.
Getting into the venue was as smooth as can ever be, with those who did not have advance tickets easily buying them by the entrance.
The closest thing to commotion I noted was probably a few individuals negotiating with security to get in with their own beverages (apparently those who came a bit earlier than us jumped in with their cooler boxes).
Vibrant Atmosphere
There weren’t too many people earlier on, with it being a more chilled and laid back afternoon vibe where there were pockets of people camped at various spots of the arena.
A perfect picnic setup, with people enjoying their food and drinks as they listened to live music from the talented acts on stage.
However, as the day progressed the venue started filling up and by the time the sun went down there was a sizable crowd with more people still trickling in.
The bar service was efficient and I did not see anyone struggling to grab drinks each time I went for a refill.
Foodies were also in for a treat, with various stalls offering a variety of delicacies (the grilled chicken I bought was divine).
For those in the arts world, one would think there was a seminar of some sort as various stakeholders including promoters, visual artists, artist managers, curators and musicians who were not performing on the day came in their numbers.
Simply put, it was a great turnout with hundreds of people braving the cold weather to come and honor the legendary Oliver Mtukudzi.
Oliver Mtukudzi International Festival of the Arts Performances
The lineup on the final day of the festival was staked and everyone who took to the stage (from the time I arrived that is) did not put a foot wrong.
When I was still settling, I managed to catch Hope Masike’s set, and as always she showcased why she is among the best mbira artists in the country.
While some have previously highlighted that local music fans are not familiar with Mokoomba’s work, that seems to have changed as a significant part of the crowd were singing along to some of the songs during their set.
I was also curious to see what the US artist, Aaaron Myers had to offer and personally I was not that impressed. Maybe because his type of jazz is not my cup of tea.
Then came The Black Spirits featuring Mbeu, Donald Kanyuchi and Sarungano. This part of the show was significant as everyone in the crowd got to sing along and dance to some of the late Tuku‘s popular songs.
Feli Nandi has been one of the most sought after artists on the local entertainment scene for good reason. She did justice to her set and managed to deliver a great performance.
In my opinion Tamy Moyo was the best act of the night, with the artist coming through with enough energy to power the whole of Norton. From the well executed choreography to the vocal delivery, she had the place jumping throughout her performance.
Tasked with shutting down the party, Jah Prayzah came and did what he does best, belting out some of his hits much to the delight of the fans.
From the music side of things, I can categorically state the Oliver Mtukudzi International Festival of the Arts performances were worth every penny.
Fun was had.
Andrew Moyo is a veteran entertainment journalist with over a decade of experience. He has worked for some of the biggest publications in Zimbabwe including The Sunday Mail.
