The Sunday News
THE AFRICAN Union Sports Council Under-20 Youth Games were officially opened last Sunday at the new look Babourfields Stadium in a great artistic grandeur which left thousands of fans in attendance begging for more.
The music, dance choreography, poetry and co-ordination of the entertainment programme after the official details of the grandiose event were simply splendid.
They did manage to boldly proclaim Bulawayo as the hub from where the culture and artistic disciplines in the country revolve.
Over 50 groups of local artistes performed at the event and they did not disappoint. Coupled with that was a prolific display of wushu by Godlwayo Wushu Club boys who displayed their martial arts skills to the roaring of the thousands that graced the occasion.
Speaking to Sunday Leisure after the event, attendees said the ceremony was indeed a show of how Bulawayo is seeded with greatness and why it is the undisputed City of Kings.
The theme song of the games was composed and performed by Jeys Marabini, Sandra Ndebele and POZee with the help of Simba in beat-making. Capturing a youthful sound and chant-like tang, the song was inarguably enjoyed by both the youth (the owners of the competitions) and the adult patrons who flooded the games venues for a slice of the action.
In interviews on the sidelines of the Youth Games this past week, Jeys Marabini was ecstatic and thanked the organisers for such a splendid opening ceremony and the opportunity to make the theme song.
“You don’t know how honoured I am to have been made a part of this — and I am so grateful for the opportunity. It wasn’t easy coming up with the theme song and it took us about a year to have the one that was used to be passed as the final theme jam for the games by the relevant authorities. I mean, this is a regional tournament and it’s a big deal when as an artiste your works are recognised at that level.
“The opening ceremony was also just a magnum opus for local artistes. It’s just a show of how Bulawayo is really the epicentre of entertainment in our country. We want to honour and recognise the work done by (Simon) Mambazo and his team in directing and choreographing the whole thing,” said Jeys, whose real name is Majahawodwa Ndlovu.
Dance queen and songstress, Sandra Ndebele, could not also hide her joy and excitement.
“Everyone who watched that opening ceremony says they would have never imagined that kind of creativity, those aesthetics and the performances to be from Bulawayo. It was really such a blast and we are happy that as artistes from this region our capabilities were realised and recognised.
“It’s an honour for your works to be realised while you are still alive and I am privileged to have that honour. I just want to let the people of Bulawayo know that we love them and they should continue supporting national events like they did at these games — we have really all come out and supported these youth in sport,” she said.
“I just felt so proud to see the whole display, especially the one that was done after the teams walked onto the pitch. I was just thinking that these are our young men and women who are so talented and are showing off our prominence through arts. Although this is a sports event, we really knocked it out of the park with our entertainment here,” said 34-year-old Likhwa Sibanda from Nkulumane.
As the games come to an end today, it would be interesting to see how the closing ceremony will be conducted in light of the high standards which the opening ceremony has set out not only for these games but also for all other extravaganzas where art will be used to entertain or communicate.
