VICTORIA FALLS–based poet and National Arts Merit Award winner, Obert Dube, put up a scintillating performance over the weekend, while representing Zimbabwe at Swaziland Arts and Music Festival Association — SMP Ubumbani Festival held at Tambankulu Stadium, Swaziland.
The festival hosted 15 groups and the award-winning Dube got the chance to share the stage, mix and mingle with both renowned and upcoming Swaziland and South African artistes among them Soul Friends, Rasrichie, Mcwayizeni Ntshangase and Kangaroo.
Dube staged his debut performance by reciting some of his poems like Isithandwa sami, 41 and Ulova.
In an interview with NewsDay, he said he took the platform as an opportunity to market himself attributing being part of the star-studied line-up of performers to God’s grace. “I felt appreciated by all African countries and it was an honour to be invited to such an event in Swaziland. I got an opportunity to showcase my talent to the outside world and showed what we as Zimbabweans are capable of,” he said.
“I felt at home in Swaziland and the invitation to me showed that local poetry is growing. Zimbabwean art is also appreciated in there (Swaziland) as some of the music from Zimbabwe was played at the event.”
Dube said in June he will be recording a duet in South Africa with a Maskandi musician whom he met at the festival.
Born in Dandanda, Mthenjwa village in Lupane, Dube started poetry recitation at the local school, Siyagomoza Secondary and has never looked back.
