The Sunday News
Raisedon Baya Arts Focus
COMPETITIONS and talent search events are popular among artistes, especially with emerging or up-and-coming artistes.
They (competitions) are the quickest way for one to be discovered and go places. Properly organised competitions can open doors for winners, especially those with proper talent and the ambition to get to the top. To be honest I personally didn’t know about Family Voices until they participated at the Intwasa organised Bulawayo’s Most Amazing Talents some three years ago. I remember the group coming on stage and blowing the judges off their feet with their vocal talents and in the process walking away with the first prize. Soon they were performing at bigger stages all over the country. They had arrived and now they are in the mainstream. They are the talk of the city with their new album Time for Breaking Through. Another example is the globe-trotting Mokoomba who were discovered at Music Crossroads many years ago. Now they are Zimbabwe’s band of the moment, spending less than three months in the country. I could give you, dear reader, other examples of gems unearthed by competitions and talent search events.
Today I want to focus more on traditional dance competitions for the simple reason that many of them are well intentioned but need serious clarity in terms of objectives.
Are they there to celebrate traditional dance in all its diversity? Are they just one day events to enable sponsors to sell their products? Are they there to perpetuate the cultural dominance of one or two Zimbabwe tribes over others? At the moment it is not clear and artistes, especially those that make it a point to participate in the competitions every year must start looking for answers to some of the questions I posed above.
If the objectives of these competitions are not straightforward, eyebrows will always be raised when results are announced.
Objectives of the competition should not be explained by adjudicators when the competition has already taken place. Objectives should be explained to potential participants and the general public way before. Participants need to go to these competitions already aware what the event they are taking part in is all about and what is expected of them.
I know of a few traditional dance competitions that take place particularly in Bulawayo. I have attended many editions of these dance competitions. To be honest they are all playing a good role in promoting heritage, especially preserving intangible cultural heritage. I would have loved to also say they are also helping in the development of dance in the region but that would not be true. Dance seems to be at a standstill. You watch the same competition this year and it has the same number of groups and same dancers doing the same dance. Next year it will be the same dancers doing the same dance, the same way. So where are we going dance wise? All these competitions must be unearthing good choreographers. But are they? It all goes back to the objectives of the competitions. We need clarity on what the competitions are all about.
The majority of the competitions claim to be promoting Zimbabwean culture through Zimbabwean traditional dance. But what is Zimbabwean culture? And what is Zimbabwean dance? I believe Zimbabwean traditional dance cannot be found in one group of people and one dance. The true meaning of Zimbabwean traditional dance can only be found in diversity. Zimbabwean traditional dance cannot and must not be restricted to Shona and Ndebele dances only. Are Nyanjas not Zimbabweans? Are Tongas not Zimbabweans? Are Suthos not Zimbabweans? Are Nambya people not Zimbabweans? Are Chewa people not Zimbabweans? Are Kalangas not Zimbabweans? If all these people are Zimbabweans then their dances and cultural expressions should form part of the definition of Zimbabwean Traditional Dance. They should come to any competition that seeks to recognise and celebrate Zimbabwean traditional dance and be welcomed and if they are good enough be able to walk away with the first prize.
I long for a day when we will prioritise the celebration of diversity rather than try and perpetuate the dominance of Shona and Ndebele dances through competitions. Zimbabwe is a multi-cultural society and this should be reflected in our celebrations and even competitions. This is just food for thought for competition organisers.
