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Blooming Intwasa celebrates spring

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Audiences can expect a plateful of events across seven arts genres during the Intwasa Arts Festival week, organisers of the arts fête have said.

Audiences can expect a plateful of events across seven arts genres during the Intwasa Arts Festival week, organisers of the arts fête have said.

Sheryleen Masuku Own Correspondent The director of the festival, Raisedon Baya, told NewsDay  that this year’s programme will run under the theme “Blooming” and emphasised that it will be a celebration of the spring season. “This year’s annual festival will be held in various parts of the City of Kings starting Tuesday next week,” said Baya. “The entertainment line-up for the event is finally available. We are promising a series of exciting events. “This year we will be presenting seven arts disciples — mainly theatre, music, dance, visual art, film, spoken word, fashion and literary arts from different parts of the world.” Baya said the official opening of the festival will be held at the City Hall car park on September 19 and will be a free event. “The title of the opening show is called ‘Blooming’ which is also the theme for this year’s Intwasa Arts Festival,” he said. The normal theatre programme will start off with the staging of Nigerian top playwright, Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel. “The Lion and the Jewel is a hilarious comic play about a young man who falls helplessly in love with a village girl who is also greatly admired by the village polygamist chief,” Baya said. A comic battle for the girl’s heart then develops between the two suitors.” Theatre lovers will also see Cont Mhlanga’s classic Stitsha produced by Qhube Productions. Music lovers will be treated to a jazz concert at a local hotel on Thursday. “Dudu Manhenga, Alexio Kawara and the Cool Crooners are some of the artists that will perform at this year’s spring jazz show,” Baya said. Otis Ngwabi and Mokoomba will perform at the Chibuku stage on Thursday evening and Black Umfolosi, Iyasa and Chase Skhuza will perform at the same stage on Saturday, the last day of the festival. “On the last day, Miller will host the official closing party that will feature a number of popular DJs,” he said. Bembera, Kwabatsha, Ingwenyama and Simunye Simunye are some of the dance groups that will be performing at the festival this year. There will be a packed literary programme. “We will launch two books at the festival. The first book is a magazine that will be launched at the National Art Gallery by Chayah Media Services at 6.30pm on September 20. On September 21, Naison Tfwala and Zimbabwe Academic Non-Fiction Authors Association will launch a book titled Umfukula Wenhlathu.”