The Sunday News
Stanford Chiwanga, recently in Victoria Falls
REVELLERS at the year ending Jameson Victoria Falls Carnival, which ran from 29 to 31 December 2015, bemoaned the absence of the popular Colour Party and said they hope that the festival organisers will reintroduce it this year.
A colour party is an offshoot of an ancient Hindu religious festival and it has become popular with non-Hindus all over the world. It is held during the day and participants play, chase and colour each other with dry powder and coloured water. Some will be armed with water guns and coloured water-filled balloons for water fights. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children and elders.
The Colour Party was replaced by night parties that were held at Shoestrings, Rest Camp and Adventure Zone. DJs were shuttled from one venue to another. Revellers, who spoke to Sunday Leisure in separate interviews, expressed displeasure and revealed that they never expected that to happen.
A mother, who came to the carnival, Amber Ndlovu, expressed regret for being unable to colour her children.
“Every December I come here (Victoria Falls) and I never fail to attend the carnival. The highlight for me is the Colour Party so I feel so sad that at a time when I decided to bring my children the Colour Party was not part of the entertainment.
“I don’t like it at all. This is not the way the carnival used to be,” Amber said.
Another reveller, Arnold Ngwenya, who was with his girlfriend, said he will not attend the 2016 edition of the carnival if the Colour Party is not reinstated.
He said: “Man, the Colour Party is the bomb. That Holi powder creates good images that clearly show that you are having a good time. It is like soil that we used to throw on our clothes. The Colour Party takes us back to when we were kids. It brings out the kid in me. My girlfriend and I love it, so you can imagine how disappointed we are that it is not there this year (last year). I don’t think we will come next year (this year) if it is not there.”
A reveller, who refused to be named, said he was not disappointed by the absence of the Colour Party because he was attending the carnival for the first time.
“I was looking forward to the carnival and I must say I was not disappointed by the absence of the Colour Party because I have never been to such a party. I have heard a lot about it and I want to experience it of course, but I was entertained. You don’t miss what you never had,” he said.
