The Sunday News
Peter Matika Senior Leisure Reporter
ILLUSTRIOUS and prolific drummer – Bulawayo’s own Lewis Ndlovu, who is also the co–founder and director of the group Drums of Peace Resonance is back in Dubai following a successful three-month tour of that country. He told Sunday Leisure before his departure that he felt flattered and happy with the way Dubai was appreciating his talent.
“This is amazing, I gave my best while I was on tour there and I was even nominated to curtain raise for a multi-award-winning American musician Carlos Santana, during the Dubai Jazz Fest in February. I am overwhelmed and excited to be raising Zimbabwe’s flag high,” he said.
Ndlovu, among many other world renowned artistes curtain raised for Carlos Santana in February this year at the Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival.
He will be in Dubai for the next month attending workshops and participating at different events and concerts dotted around Dubai.
“I will be in Dubai for a month, where I will be participating at various events around the country. We will be showing people how to craft a drum using even some of the ordinary materials. There are many talented drummers there too and I am excited to be working with them. These people are interested in learning new cultures and are always ready to take a challenge,” he said.
Ndlovu noted that he was not touring the country just to make money but to forge international relations, nurture future drummers and promote the culture of drumming using the djembe.
“This is a major task that I am proud to be undertaking. I want our culture to be known throughout the world and also get the country’s arts flag appreciated worldwide,” he said.
Ndlovu, a talented artiste, recently revealed to Sunday Leisure that he was working on a TV production, — Umfanawenkomo based on real life issues affecting Zimbabweans, which he would soon release.
“The story is about a boy – umfanawenkomo – who comes from an underprivileged family and was raised by an abusive mother. Life is unbearable for him emakhaya but he somehow manages to strike a fortune, which changes his life forever,” said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu said he was also venturing into TV because he found it as a far much better means of imparting information and reaching a wide audience across the world.
“Because the culture of attending live shows has dwindled across the world, we thus have a role to play in society and as such we need to teach our children how to take care of themselves.
“I have written several theatre productions such as Chakwatu and Dingane, which were showcased at Amakhosi Cultural Centre in 1999. I also wrote Drums, which was showcased at the Intwasa Arts Festival in 2011.”
In the TV production, Ndlovu is working with renowned artiste, Memory Kumbota, who will be working on the screenplay.
“I am still working on the script, however, when I sent a proposal to ZBC with the synopsis of the story, they seemed to like the idea. Granting the production airplay would only be determined after I submit to them three episodes of the production,” he said.
