Zim College of Music students bask in festival collaboration

By The Standard | May. 14, 2018

ZIMBABWE College of Music (ZCM) performance director Terence Kwenda has applauded the level of talent exhibited by the students’ brass band when they collaborated with a United States musical group, Slavic Soul Party, for a performance at the just-ended Harare International Festival of the Arts (Hifa).

BY WINSTONE ANTONIO

There is no doubt that it is almost every artiste’s desire to perform at such an arts extravaganza and even more on the main stage of the festival that is mainly reserved for the so-called “big” artistes who are also considered to be crowd pullers.

The ZCM students did not only perform on the opening night of the festival — where they shared the stage with over 100 singers, dancers, acrobats and puppeteers from various parts of the world — they also had their solo acts at the Coke Green stage.

In an interview with The Standard Style, Kwenda said it was more of an interactive exchange moment which benefited both parties.

“We had a great time collaborating with the Slavic Soul Party from the US. We clicked within the first 10 minutes of interaction as we were about to work out the Zimbabwe national anthem, which they were already working on reading from the music score sheets,” Kwenda said.

“We then worked on Street Party pieces, which we taught them and in the same manner they also skilled us on theirs too. It was indeed a moment of fun as we managed to play and presented the pieces on the main stage and first street Hifa stage as well.”

Kwenda hailed Hifa organisers for providing a platform to promote local artistes.

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“Through Hifa, we have somewhere to showcase our talent and have that opportunity to network with various artistes from different countries, an opportunity, which is rare in the arts industry,” he said.

Apart from performing at Hifa, the nine-member Slavic Soul Party band has toured North America, Europe and beyond.