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Book Café celebrates Women’s Day in style

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THE Book Café’s Sistaz Open Mic will on Saturday celebrate International Women’s Day with a star-studded line-up of performers.

THE Book Café’s Sistaz Open Mic will on Saturday celebrate International Women’s Day with a star-studded line-up of performers.

Report by Silence Charumbira

The programme will start in the afternoon with performances from musicians who include Hope Masike, Rute Mbangwa, Clare Nyakujara, Rudo Chasi, M’Afriq, Dudu Manhenga and Uzanele.

On the other hand, spoken word will be delivered by Roxy “Xapa” Mathazia, Batsirai Chigama, Charity Hutete and RuTendo DeNise. Popular poet Wadzanai Chiuriri will be part of the programme as the host of the event.

The Sistaz Open Mic “after-party” follows up from 5:30pm with Plaxedes Wenyika who plays until 7pm.

The International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8. “The Women’s Day commemoration event at Book Café is run by Pamberi Trust and supported in part by the Embassy of Canada,” said Penny Yon of Pamberi Trust.

“The event is in its second year and aims at giving vital support to initiatives for freedom of expression by female artistes and gender advancement in general.”

Yon said they dedicated a number of events during the week to the celebration of female artistic talent.

“Other events to mark the week at Book Cafe include a free screening, presented by Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe, of the film Cut — a confrontation with the brutal practice of female genital mutilation.

“There will be an evening performance on Thursday (tonight) by three of Zimbabwe’s popular women artists known as 3Generations.” The 2013 Theme for celebrations of the day around the world is “The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum”.

“In Zimbabwe, there is much to be celebrated, and the Sistaz Open Mic on Saturday will honour some of the women in the arts in Zimbabwe,” said Yon.

Sistaz Open Mic falls under the gender project Female Literary Arts and Music Enterprise, which has worked with hundreds of women artists over the years.

The organisers also support female talent through commemorating the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence. Every December, since 2007, women artists gather at the venue to speak and perform in protest against violence.