BY DR JANE BODLEY
Following seven years of production, spearheaded by renowned arts and entertainment editor, Jonathan Mbiriyamveka, who edits all content and covers current affairs and international news, the online news portal, increased its readership in the last quarter of the year by 57% – a record breaking statistic for Zimbabwe’s online news portals.
At the same time, random viewership and hits increased by 48% as the digital platform extended its portfolio to include arts and cultural news from the region and greater African Diaspora, the USA, Europe and Australia.
Whilst Gemnation was primarily an arts and entertainment portal aligned towards the promotion and broader development issues in the arts, music, theatre, film, fashion, design, architecture, archaeology, culture, heritage, lifestyle, sports and entertainment, – the online portal now includes a comprehensive expansion of columns from professional writers covering a broad spectrum of topics on educational, scientific and cultural information, as well as Art and Law, health, economics, industry, real estate, agriculture, mining, ICT, finance and business in Zimbabwe and the African Continent, whilst maintaining strict journalistic integrity.
The year also witnessed the inclusion of a public health, animal health and veterinary news sections.
Gemnation deals comprehensively with the conservation, restitution and promotion of the arts culture and heritage in Zimbabwe from antiquity to the present. It anticipates future cultural trends dealing with Africa and the broader global African Diasporas.
The health and ecological benefits of indigenous botany and its bounty of wild fruits was discussed and analysed by Michelina Andreucci whose name appears in over 120 academic papers, dissertations and contemporary research articles. Nutrition and indigenous foods were also given space as the nation seeks to reclaim its indigenous culinary heritage.
Educational issues pertaining to archaeology and antiquity were examined from an indigenous point of view, returning scholarship and ownership to the people of Zimbabwe.
An in-depth music column by Dr. Tony Monda, covering historic music and instruments from
antiquity such as the mbira, aerophones, chipendani and ideophones, and pre-empting future trends in music was introduced much to the delight and appreciation of unpublished young musicians who have contributed immensely to their respective genres, such as Trevor Dongo, Amara Brown, Tamy Moyo, Anita Jaxson, Peter Moyo, Holy Ten and Saintfloew.
Music genres such as Urban Grooves, Mbira, Afro Pop, and lately AmaPiano were accorded in-depth coverage by Dr. Tony Monda for Gemnation.
These contributions caught the attention of major international music sites that have expressed interest in Zimbabwe’s performers.
An often-omitted chapter in Zimbabwe’s history of contemporary music is the contribution of women musicians. Gemnation’s gender sensitive approach to R&D revealed that the urban grooves genre sparked the introduction of more female pop musicians, in Zimbabwe than ever before – each with their own unique voice and style. Some of these gifted female Urban Groove musicians included: Betty Makaya, Tererai Mugwadi, Amara Brown, Diana Samkange, Pauline Gunduza, Cynthia Mare, Vanessa Sibanda, Sku, Portia ‘Tia’ Njazi, Plaxedes Wenyika, Patience Musa, Sharon Kahvu, Jacquie Madondo, Cindy Munyavi and Jean Masters.
Similarly, the hitherto neglected industries of fashion and modelling that were affected by the hiatus in the public light caused by the COVID-19 pandemic were brought to the fore by Gemnation.
National dance festivals, such as Chibuku Road to Fame that discovers new talent and the Jacaranda Festival were comprehensively covered by Jonathan Mbiriyamveka, as well as major sports events such as the OK Grand Challenge and Natbrew Castle Tankard. Renowned for his live interviews, the founding editor held interviews with several musicians and visual artists throughout the year which can be retrieved and viewed on Gemnation News site.
Plumbing the depths of the visual arts, Gemnation News opened a new promotional vista for
Zimbabwean women artists practicing locally and, in the Diaspora, giving them the much-needed leverage and exposure locally and internationally.
The inclusion of news and development programmes from diplomatic missions and NGOs based in Zimbabwe, gave readers of Gemnation an insight into current and future diplomatic cooperation.
Synergies developed between embassies and Gemnation make it the ideal portal to reach an often excluded a young demographic. Drug abuse, gender-based violence, family counselling and rehabilitation are some of the sensitive subjects tackled by Gemnation News for the benefit of its youthful readership.
Due to its unbiased multi-racial, multi-cultural and gender sensitive approach to news gathering, Gemnation has been hailed as one of the most progressive and democratic sites in the arts, culture and entertainment sectors of Zimbabwe.
Jane Bodley is a Contributing Editor for Gemnation News
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