By Sindiso Dube in Bulawayo
A new art platform, dubbed Wingz Cyphers which is in its fourth edition in Bulawayo, has been described as a “gateway” to a brighter arts industry by musicians and fans alike.
A cypher is an informal gathering of singers, rappers, beatboxers, dancers in a circle, in order to jam musically together. The term has also in recent years come to mean the crowd which forms around freestyle battles, consisting of spectators and onlookers.
The cypher is held every Friday at 6pm at Wingz — a fast-food outlet — located in Bulawayo city centre.
One of the organisers and owner of Wingz, Shane Manjelo, said they had seen growth in the number of performers and patrons over the last few weeks.
“We started with a small number, but every Friday we have seen a rise in the numbers of fans and performers. We have hosted the likes of MC Chita, Cal_Vin, Murphy Cubic, Mzoe 7 and many other artistes,” Manjelo said.
“We hope the cyphers will give birth to other platforms that will help in unearthing talent and also growing the already heralded talents.
“Bulawayo is a hub of art talent and as artists we should not wait for an outsider to give us a platform to express ourselves, let’s take it up to ourselves and own our craft, that’s the whole reason for starting the Wingz cyphers.”
