Zimbabwean Artists Leave For WOMEX In Lisbon

Bindura Bureau

A Zimbabwean delegation comprising of practitioners from the music sector as well as government representatives has left Harare for Lisbon, Portugal to attend the 2022 World Music Expo (WOMEX), which runs from 19 to 23 October.

The delegation, headed by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) Executive Director, Mr. Nicholas Moyo, comprises of NACZ board member and mbira prodigy Hope Masike, Music Strategy National Team members Melody Zambuko (Music Crossroads Academy), Maxwell Mugaba (music promoter) and musician, dancer and actress Sandra Ndebele (musician).

Zimbabwe, Costa Rica, and Jamaica are three countries that are currently working on their music sectors that have been facilitated by UNESCO to participate in the biggest global music industry event of the year.

Before departure, UNESCO organised a preparatory workshop for the group where virtual tools to help in trip preparations, networking, and inter-cultural communication were shared in order to enhance the participation at the global music fair.

In a statement, NACZ Marketing and Publicity Manager Rodney Ruwende said:

 “The trip is expected to underline the importance of policies to artists as they will get to interact with practitioners from different countries and share experiences about the operations of the music sector in the various participating nations.”

Founded in 1994, WOMEX is the biggest gathering of music industry practitioners bringing together over 2 600 professionals with seven stages, over 700 exhibitions and more than 100 speakers aiming to support and strengthen the role of culture around the globe.

African acts such as Al Bilali Soudan (Mali), Aywa (Morocco/France), Djazia Satour (Algeria/France), Djely Tapa (Mali/Canada), Etuk Ubong & The Etuk Philosophy (Nigeria), Pilani Bubu (South Africa) and The Dizzy Brains (Madagascar) are expected to perform at the fair. Nhau/Indaba