SO winter has officially arrived and yes, it is freezing.
But before you reach for that blanket and talk yourself into a full weekend of doing absolutely nothing, hear me out.
Harare has put together one of the best weekends in recent memory and missing it will be a shame.
Fear the FOMO [fear of missing out] more than you fear the cold.
If you are anywhere near Alliance Française on Herbert Chitepo Avenue this afternoon, you’re luck because Strictly Breaking, the two-day dance event organised by Break Nation, is in your area.
Today is the more cerebral side of things, with documentary screening, a panel discussion and an Each One Teach One session.
Keep Reading
- Sylent Nqo explains ‘weird’ fashion sense
- The Tinaye Wayne Family captures life amidst economic hardships
- Tinaye Wayne to embark on ‘Nothing to Hide’ solo tour
- Tinaye Wayne has ‘nothing to hide’ except maybe a few jokes
Saturday is when it will get exciting, with breaking battles, DJing, MCing, graffiti and skating happening from 2pm to 5pm.
It is free to watch, it is at one of the city’s best cultural spaces and it is the kind of thing you wouldn’t want to skip.
Breaking has been having a serious global moment since its Olympic debut in Paris last year and this is your chance to see some of the best local talent go head to head.
If you fancy competing, dancer registration is on +263 718 869 821.
Also tomorrow, pop into Fabrik Party Lab and Store on 12 Maasdorp Avenue in Belgravia between 1pm and 5pm.
Harare designer Decide Mupeseni is showing The Homeless Kids Collection there, and entry is completely free.
Fabrik is one of those spaces that always has something interesting going on and a fashion showcase on a winter Saturday afternoon is a very good reason to leave the house.
And while you are out on Saturday, Tinaye Wayne’s Nothing to Hide is happening at Reps Theatre from 7pm and it is the comedy show you really do not want to miss.
Wayne has been a familiar face on screens through Gazaland Police Station, The Bachelors and Magamba TV’s The Week, but stand-up is where he started and this debut solo tour is him going all in.
He described it as being as vulnerable as a comedian can be, which, for a man whose job is to make strangers laugh, is actually a bold thing to say.
The tour moves to Bulawayo, Pakare Paye and eventually Birmingham and Manchester, so Saturday night at Reps is your first and best chance to catch it.
Tickets start from US$10 and are available at tinayewayne.com. Do not sleep on this one.
Sunday, though. Sunday is the day.
The Sunday Service is bringing Winter Solstice: Picnic and Sundowners to the ART Farm on June 7th and the lineup is genuinely something else.
Amanda Black is headlining, yes THE AMANDA BLACK, which alone is reason enough to sort out a ticket immediately.
The South African Afro-soul singer has been one of the continent's most compelling voices since she stepped onto the scene after Idols South Africa and signed with Sony Music, and seeing her in an outdoor picnic setting as the sun goes down sounds like a very good idea.
But the local artistes sharing the bill are no afterthought either.
Tanga Wekwa Sando, the township jazz legend who grew up in Highfield and has been making music since before most of the audiences were born, brings a warmth and depth to any stage he stands on.
He released his debut album Wake back in 2000 and has not slowed down since, with more than 16 albums to his name.
Then there is Sylent Nqo, the Guitar Sangoma, who in 2016 became the first African to win the Senior Solo Instrumental Grand Champion of the World at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Hollywood.
He has since played alongside Hugh Masekela and Oliver Mtukudzi and Chiwoniso Maraire (all late), and his live performances have a reputation for being truly moving.
Completing the line-up is Tina Watyoka, classically trained singer, saxophonist, University of Zimbabwe lecturer and one of the more quietly remarkable artistes the city.
She picked the saxophone partly because there were so few women playing it in Zimbabwe, which tells you quite a bit about her.
DJ Andile and Royal DJs are handling the music between sets, the dress code is All Shades of chocolate and you can bring a cooler box before 4pm for US$5.
General admission gate tickets are US$30, with early bird and phase two options available at www.sahwigate.com.
VIP goes up to US$100 at the gate. Call +263 789 787 672 for enquiries.
So there you have it.
Breaking battles, a free fashion showcase, a sold-out comedy tour and an outdoor concert with one of South Africa’s best voices surrounded by some of Zimbabwe’s finest.
The cold will still be there on Monday.
This weekend we’re shaking it off.