By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
At least 27 artists from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Algeria, Palestine, India and the Unites States will feature at the International Poetry and Music Virtual Celebration scheduled Friday starting at 8pm to 9:30 pm.
Dubbed as “Long Night of the Poets”, the exciting international poetry and music event will be streamed on Facebook Pages: African Women Writers Network, Joburg Theatre, Current State of Poetry and on websites: afroarts.co.za, joburglive.tv
The programme is part of the extended Africa Month colloquia with a focus on the youth, featuring several renowned and emerging voices including the likes of Makhafula Vilakazi from Soweto, Diana Ferrus, Michael Weeder – the Dean of St Georges Cathedral in Cape Town, Vangile Gantsho, Sibulelo Manamatela, Siya Shezi from Kwazulu Natal, Tade Ipadeola from Nigeria, Mutabaruka from Jamaica, Meena Kandasamy from India to Tony Award winning poet and actor Beau Sia from the USA.
Long Night of the Poets will also feature collaborations with musicians, including Kamva – the string quartet, Pops Mohammed on the kora with friends, Siya Mthembu from The Brother Moves On, soulful singer Hope Masike from Zimbabwe on the mbira, Kanyi Mavi and Easvesdrop – young women making their mark on the Cape Flats local hip hop scene. Afrikaans poet Piet Odendaal will also feature among the many other poets and musicians.
Zimbabwe’s mbira player Hope Masike will be among the performing artists. Hope is a vocalist, mbira player, percussionist, songwriter, fashion designer, painter and dancer.
Hope started performing professionally in 2008 while she was still studying music in Zimbabwe. In the same year she founded her band.
She fused Zimbabwean traditional instruments (mbira, marimba, ngoma nehosho) with bass, drums, recorder and guitar. Hope is known as “The Princess of Mbira” and her music has its roots both in traditional and modern African culture. She is also the lead singer for transnational band Monoswezi.
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