A press release just received; get their music Now!

Mann Friday have been holed up most of this year recording their fifth studio album in the UK – Trainrides and Radio Play – and as it launches this weekend on iTunes and other download portals, the Zim-linked rockers have thought of a Christmas treat for their fans back home. Up until Christmas Day, the entire album will be downloadable, for free, from http://mannfriday.com/zimbo – a distinct address that will only let you access the album if you are browsing from a Zimbabwean IP Address.

Catching up with frontman Rob Burrell on the giveaway – “We’ve been working pretty hard on this record and are so excited for people to hear it. As we gear up for releases online and in retail stores in Europe and South Africa in 2013 we felt it would be really great to let Zimbabweans have easy access to these new tracks. Zim has poured a huge amount of inspiration into all our songs, and we’d love to give something back this Christmas.”

Download the full album now: http://www.mannfriday.com/zimbo

An eight-track poetry album entitled All Protocols Observed was unpacked yesterday by Zimbabwe Poetry for Human Rights at a Food for Thought session hosted by US Embassy Public Affairs section.

Though you can dance to it the tracks on the album address some of the serious challenges affecting our country. From the accumulating dirty debt, to ravaging HIV/AIDS as well as politicians abusing their mandate to represent the people. The messages on the album are straight to the point as no one can dispute the fact that every problem in the country so far has been addressed with an “Operation” or a “Commission” of some sort as highlighted in track 5 of the album “Ma Opareshoni nema Komishoni”. Since Independence a lot commissions and operations have been set up to respond to something or other. From Operation Murambatsvina that demolished people’s houses because they were deemed illegal structures to Operation Zuva Rabuda/Sunrise, which resulted in the slashing of many zeroes on our local currency.

The album can be accessed from Zimbabwe Poetry for Human Rights free of charge and the group is encouraging people to share it so that it reaches a wide audience. Poetry is a powerful tool to provoke thought.

Many artists have been silenced in Zimbabwe for speaking out too loudly about the injustices faced by ordinary people. The work of Zimbabwe Poetry for Human Rights has not been easy as their recent performance in Kadoma was met with resistance when youths from ZANU-PF shut down the event and accused the group of spreading regime change messages.

Toindepi – Where are we headed? is a short sixteen minutes documentary directed by Tenford Chitanana. The film won the Documentary Short Film Award at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival held in California, USA. The documentary focuses on the day to day hardships faced by young people in Zimbabwe after Operation Murambatsvina left them homeless and jobless. The film is a reflection of the shattered dreams of many young people in Zimbabwe who are struggling to make their presence felt in a society where decision-making is done by the elite and powerful. Operation Murambatsvina took place in 2005 leaving many young people wallowing in poverty as their sources of income were destroyed resulting in many resorting to crime and prostitution for survival.

The pleasure of your company is requested at

‘I S O L A T I O N’

An exhibition of graphics by

Virginia Chihota

To be opened by

Cosmas Shiridzinomwa
Artist Painter, Lecturer and Dean of the Students at
Harare Polytechnic

on Tuesday, 16th October, 2012 at 5.30.p.m.

Previewing from noon the same day

Exhibition duration until 5th November, 2012

at
gallery delta
‘Robert Paul’s Old House’
110 Livingstone Avenue/Ninth Street
Greenwood Park, Harare
Telephone/Fax 792135

Take Over The Town!
8 countries – concerts – comedy night – DJ parties – poetry slam – workshops  – debates –live graffiti – social media – conference – exhibition

The Take Over!
The Shoko Festival is back and taking over the town! Running from the 18th to the 23rd of September Shoko will feature artists from the USA, UK, Germany, Botswana, Kenya, South Africa and Malawi. Shoko is embracing even more art forms this year as it becomes a celebration of urban culture. The festival will feature live music, comedy, hip hop, neo-soul, dance music, house, spoken word, dub-step, reggae and much more.

Venues
King Pinn Main Stage, Chingono Stage & The Hub  – Alliance Francaise, 328 Herbert Chitepo
Vera Amphitheatre – Gallery Delta, 110 Livingstone Ave
Book Café 139 S. Machel Avenue
Glen Norah B Shop and Bus Terminus

Over the five years since inception Sistaz Open Mic has witnessed many success stories of Zimbabwean women artists who have come out of their shell to share their art with the world.  It has largely become a scouting ground for corporate and civic organisations who seek to engage young and upcoming women artists in their programming.  Pictured above is Nancy ‘Blackheat’ Mkondyo on trumpet, a spoken word artist who now fronts the band Blackheat, they play a fusion of poetry with mbira and other traditional sounds.

Sistaz Open Mic happening this Sat 8 Sept, Book Cafe from 2-5pm.