POPULAR sungura musician Nicholas Zakaria and gospel musician Mathias Mhere are set to headline this year’s edition of the Mashonaland East Cultural Festival (Mecaf) that will start today until Sunday in Murehwa.
Report by Entertainment Reporter
Other musicians expected at the event include dancehall artist Sniper Storm, Mutoko-based sungura outfit Hambakwe Stars, Wedza Stars and Rungano Crew from Marondera. Festival co-ordinator Cuthbert Maziwa said this year’s event would be bigger than before.
Mecaf used to run as Murehwa-Uzumba Cultural Festival before it was transformed into a provincial festival this year.
“The festival will kick-start on Wednesday (tomorrow) and the five-day event will have upcoming and established artistes form various artistic disciplines.
“Now that the event is now a provincial thing, we are expecting a number of exhibitors from different areas in the province.
“A traditional ceremony will be held tomorrow evening when one of the local chiefs is expected to lead proceedings at Murehwa Caves. There will be traditional opaque beer and people will be doing the dandanda, a dance of the spirit mediums. A beast will be killed and mbira group Mawungira Enharira will be the main act.
“But the main event will be on Friday where Mhere will perform in the afternoon before leaving it to Zakaria,” said Maziwa.
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Mecaf was founded in 2009 to fulfil Chief Jonathan Mangwende’s desire to have unification, promotion and celebration of the rich artistic and cultural heritage in his area of Murehwa.
However, the event was recently transformed into a provincial thing following an outcry from other stakeholders in Mashonaland East.
