APRIL 1 is Fools’ Day, an unofficial “holiday” when people can get away with pranking others, and Zimbabweans really like doing that a lot.
By TAPIWA ZIVIRA
But this year’s April Fools’ Day comes with a different, but exciting twist in Harare, something far from being a prank.
Bodyslam Entertainment, whose face is the ghetto-raised businessman and socialite, Simbarashe Chakare, hosts what has now become an urbanised, and rather modernised version of a Madiririrano festival.
Madirirano, according to this writer’s interaction with oral tradition, is an old time concept, where people within and outside a community gathered for drinks and got to interrelate with each other while swimming in the “holy waters”.
The origin of this kind of a festival is borrowed from the meaning of madirirano (confluence), which means a point where two rivers meet, with one river passing its water to the other.
A Madirirano party is essentially about sharing not just the alcohol, but ideas too, as music plays.
What differentiates Madirirano from other traditional festivals like ndari and nhimbe is the deep belief in sharing and the mingling and mixing of people from various social classes and likewise, this year’s festival is bringing people from various communities to the humble Highfield suburb.
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This urbanised Madirirano festival, just like the one Chakare hosted last year, is bringing together musicians, public figures and many Zimbabweans for a party at Takashinga Cricket Club in Highfield, Harare this Sunday.
Socialite Pokello Nare (pictured), a former Big Brother Africa contestant, a controversial, but widely revered character, will ateend this year’s party, and for many, who admire this queen of swag, it is going to be a rare opportunity to interact with her on a one-on-one basis.
Besides, she does her fashion stuff very well and always looks good in any outfit such that just having her in the open Takashinga grounds will be worth it for many of her admirers.
Actually, Pokello in the humble Highfield, is likely going to make this April Fools’ Day event a bomb that she may overshadow the great musical acts that will take place on the day.
Besides Pokello, this time the Madirirano event is bringing in Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure, a businessperson with a huge following on and offline.
To make the event exciting, there is a line-up of various musical acts that include Seh Calaz and Hwindi President, Gary Tight, Alfred Nenguwo, and many others, entertainers such as South African-based Bashmouth, Judgement Yard, Garry B and Templeman, BodySlam Family, DJ Butler among many others.
The event which has free entry begins at 2pm.If the previews are anything to go by, then this modernised concept of Madirirano festival looks set to be one of greatest ever events in the entertainment industry.
Interesting is the fusion of musicians and DJ’s and how these are exposed to a huge crowd, thanks to the free entry.
In more ways than one, this promotes musicians and DJs as in the line up, there are those that are still trying to make their names and having them perform before huge crowds is a way of promoting them.
In addition, the young artistes will get a chance to mix and mingle with bigger artistes.
What remains to be seen is whether the concept spreads to all towns, cities, growth points, farms, mines and all other communities.
