Hello everybody and anybody out there!

Just a short note to say that we are discontinuing this blog so you won’t see any new posts on it. This isn’t because we’ve fallen asleep over our keyboards, it’s because we are hopefully going to be launching another platform soon that will keep some elements of this blog as well as adding some spice!

Change starts with us. Right?

Bye for now.

At the Environment Africa Recycling centre by Avondale Stream
a group of men make a whimsical array of things
out of aluminium cans
everything from sheets of brightly coloured flatted cans for roofing,
to lampshades, baobabs, geckos, giraffes, spiders and Christmas trees

Zimbabweans are never short of a plan

This year Robert has been making a range of imaginative Christmas tree decorations

There is something touchingly beautiful
about his recycled angels
the curse of our consumerism
reappearing as the messengers, warriors, guardians
a re-visitation of the wise ones
kitted out in the latest colours

Robert asked me to invite you to drop by
if any of you in Harare are on a hunt for Christmas tree decorations…

Imagine if our Cde President and First Lady got funky, like this.

Here’s our Inside/Out with Mokoomba, who, as kids couldn’t wait for the school bell to ring so they could get out of class and go play music!

Read a 2009 Kubatana interview with Mokoomba

*Note: we answered these questions generally as a band

Describe yourselves in five words?
Fun, energetic, flexible, humble, persevering.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Never stop working hard.

What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done?
On our first trip to Europe, we got “lost” by accident in the red-light district in Amsterdam and we were a bit surprised by what we saw in the windows! We were on our way to a concert and we arrived a bit late understandably . . .

What is your most treasured possession?
Our music instruments.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
The sorrow of losing loved ones.

Do you have any strange hobbies?
Not really, coming from Victoria Falls we are used to seeing people jump off the bridge with ropes attached to their ankles. Nothing is strange after that!

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
Nothing at all, we are very confident young men.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Free time.

What have you got in your fridge?
ZLG water, fish from Norton, Lyons Maid ice cream, vegetables from Mbare musika and some really smelly cheese.

What is your greatest fear?
It has to be death and snakes.

What have you got in your pockets right now?
Phone, keys, wallet and some “sweets for change” from our favorite supermarket.

What is your favourite journey?
Our favourite journey is coming back home to meet our friends and families after a long tour.

Who are your heroes in real life?
Our parents and families are our everyday heroes but we also admire musicians from Africa who have made it, like Youssour Ndour, Salif Keita, Baba Maal, Oliver Mtukudzi.

When and where were you happiest?
On stage, doing what we love.

What’s your biggest vice?
Rehearsals.

What were you like at school?
We were generally good students at school and some of us had OK academic grades but to be honest we always could not wait for the bell to get out the door and go to play music.

What are you doing next?
We are preparing for 4 different concerts which we will do in December in Harare, London and Victoria Falls.

Under the theme “Getting To Zero: Zero new infections. Zero deaths. Zero Discrimination” schools in Zimbabwe kicked off the World AIDS Day School Arts Festival commemorations in Harare last Friday at Allan Wilson High School.

Various schools drawn from several provinces across the nation converged in Harare to raise and strengthen HIV and AIDS awareness through debate, drama, poetry, song and dance. Art is a powerful tool to fight stigma associated with HIV and AIDS especially among children and youths. This year’s commemorations hosted by Let Them Trust saw schools battling it out for top honors in drama and poetry. Students urged society to fight AIDS through seeking early treatment, practicing safe sex, getting tested and abandoning cultural norms like spousal inheritance.

According to the National Aids Council, around 1,242,768 as people are living with HIV of which 941,0241 are AIDS orphans.

AIDS has left many children in Zimbabwe vulnerable. The effect of AIDS has resulted in many children dropping out school to become parents at a tender age. Left with no coping strategies most of these children end up on the streets begging and exposed to sexual abuse, especially young girls. The economic situation in the country has seen an increase in spousal separation as people cross borders to neighbouring countries in search for jobs. As highlighted in one of the plays, the battle to reduce the HIV prevalence rate takes the collective effort of the whole community.

Recently it was reported in the press that the HIV prevalence rate in Zimbabwe is on the up and this has been attributed to the economic challenges we are facing. In addition, the delay by men to visit health institutions, and inconsistent treatment uptake has also been one of the major setbacks in the fight against AIDS in Zimbabwe.

You are cordially invited to

“100 HUNDRED”

Exhibition Launch

at Alliance Française

Thursday, 28 November at 5.30pm

Old Mutual Theatre at Alliance Française, 328 Herbert Chitepo Ave, Harare

Village Unhu & Alliance francaise are again pleased to present another exhibition titled ’100 hundred’ of paintings, graphics and multi media sculptures.

’100 Hundred’ simply meaning ten times ten, for the exhibition simply meaning a hundred works for a hundred each.

We are glad to feature works by, to only mention a few, Gareth Nyandoro, Wallen Mapondera, Shannon Murphy, Thandazani Dhlakama, James Jali, Moffat Takadiwa, Mattheus Nyaungwa, Misheck Masamvu and many others.