By Tonderai Ndemera
The Zimbabwe College of Music has been invited to attend this year’s edition of the African Descent Festival running from July 16 to August 12 in Vancouver, Canada.
The college last week on Saturday hosted a dinner at the Food Nest at Long Cheng Plaza as part of a fund-raising drive to finance the month-long visit to the North American country.
The African Descent Festival is an annual event revived in 2014, to celebrate the cultural diversity of people of African descent within Vancouver, while recognising and promoting attitudes of oneness among all ethnic groups and communities.
Zimbabwe College of Music director Rachel Chigwanda confirmed the trip to Standard Style.
“The school has been honoured with a 25-personnel invitation to attend this year’s African Descent Festival in Vancouver. This includes a combined share of expenses upon arrival for a four-week stay in the country as we tour and perform around the country,” Chigwanda said.
She expressed optimism that the college delegation would fare well in Vancouver.
“I have a feeling that we will steal the show in Canada this year. We aim to impress them so much and hope that one of these years they would let us host the festival here in Zimbabwe,” she said.
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Chigwanda said the international invitation came after the Canadian organisers saw the college perform on social media platform YouTube. The Zimbabwe College of Music is a popular entertainer at embassies’ functions and cultural exchange programmes. The college is part and parcel of the Cuban jazz outings at 7Arts Theatre in Harare.
A student at the college, Simbarashe Tinago, believes the college is doing everything possible to develop students musically.
“We are looking to encompass various genres in our performances, including, among many others, Afro-contemporary, jazz, Afro-beat and Afro-jazz,” Tinago said.
The Zimbabwe College of Music has produced some of the country’s top artistes in the mould of Hope Masike, Baba Charles Charamba, Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana, Duduzile Manhenga, Victor Kanonga, and Harare International Festival of the Arts founder and artistic director Manuel Bagorro.
“Many names have made their way through our institution and those artistes are still part of this family. Our exploits have already been acknowledged in China, Germany, Norway and South Africa, where we have won awards and trophies,” Chigwanda said.
“We are replete with courses. These range from part-time courses, national certificate, to full-time, advanced and the Bachelor of Music degree among many others.”
The Zimbabwe College of Music is affiliated to Africa University.
Chigwanda said they would do a series of fund-raising activities, including hosting another dinner at the end of this month.
Apart from dinner, the college will host Jazz Friday jams ahead of the Canada trip and they are inviting anyone who wishes to participate or assist in any way.
