daniel chigunwe
Trust Khosa
Organisers of the 2025 Bira Rembira Festival will launch provincial outreach programmes next month to connect with various artistes.
This musical extravaganza, conceived by Partson “Chipaz” Chimbodza, Diana “Mangwenya” Samkange, and Benjamin “Nyamasvisva” Nyandoro, was inaugurated last year at Gwanzura Stadium in Highfield, Harare.
Due to its success, the Bira Rembira Festival is now recognised as an official annual event celebrating the Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity in Zimbabwe (ICH). Last year’s edition was held after the mbira instrument was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2020.
To ensure that the celebrations receive the attention they deserve, mbira players from all age groups are now playing a critical role in commemorating this milestone.
Zimbabwe and Malawi have also struck a partnership to celebrate the thumb piano, which is intended to honour our African culture. In an interview, Chimbodza, who works closely with Nyandoro and Samkange, said they will start scouting for young talent next month after receiving the blessing of the Ministry of Sports, Art, and Recreation.
“We are glad that last year’s edition was a huge success for us, as we managed to attract large numbers.
“Of course, it was organised on short notice, but we were surprised by the number of attendees and groups that registered with us.
“We had over 30 groups expressing their willingness to participate in last year’s edition, but we had to limit the number. At one point, we considered making it a two-day event to accommodate the other mbira players, but we had other plans,” he said.
The award-winning promoter indicated their intentions to engage mbira groups from Malawi, where the instrument is also appreciated.
“It’s also our wish to ensure that we include mbira outfits from regions where the mbira instrument is recognised on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
“It is quite an honour for the two countries — Zimbabwe and Malawi — to receive this recognition, which means a lot for our culture.
“By engaging mbira outfits from Malawi, we are also doing ourselves a big favour because we are collaborating with the best groups in the region. It also enhances cultural exchange, where we share notes with our neighbours.”
In another interview, Samkange outlined their vision for the 2025 edition, which will be held in September at Glamis Stadium in Harare. She also revealed that a series of workshops will be held starting next month as they seek to reach out to many people and empower them.
“We have decided to start early so that we have ample time to engage more people before the main event.
“We are going to ensure that we involve a large number of the younger generation to understand the mbira and take pride in being among the African countries that own this instrument.
“Last year was a great launch, and we appreciate the fact that we received government support to advance this initiative. Our expectations, apart from hosting a bigger event than last year, are that we hope the corporate world will join us this year in making this festival a success,” she said.
Samkange, who will be wearing two hats as an event organiser and performer, is also expected to add variety to the event.
“I cannot wait for the 2025 Bira Rembira Festival’s outreach programmes to start. We are visiting every corner of Zimbabwe to tap into raw talent to ensure that we expose new talent to the world.
“We want the mbira instrument to be promoted from grassroots to tertiary levels,” she stressed.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Nyandoro, whose dream is to see the mbira instrument recognised from grassroots levels. “In our quest to promote the mbira instrument, we are going to see most schools participating in this year’s edition.
“Last year, we had schools around Harare, which left a mark, and it was quite encouraging to see young people playing the mbira. The mbira instrument means a lot to us as Africans since it defines us. Culturally, it holds significant importance for our identity, self-pride, and well-being,” he said.
Nyandoro, who has vast experience in arts consultancy services, stated it was high time people stopped associating the mbira with evil spirits.
“It’s very sad that some people still associate the mbira with demons and other spirits. “We must demystify that belief and give the instrument the recognition it deserves in our culture. We should not be misled by those who don’t value their cultural heritage,” he said.
Nyandoro mentioned that they are open to new partnerships following last year’s event.
“Last year’s edition was a success by all measures. We are going to build on that success, and this time around we are moving to Glamis Stadium for centrality and convenience.
“One of the organisers, Samkange, will also assist us in scouting for talent while Chipaz and I will handle most of the logistics to ensure that we reach out to many people. We can’t afford to disappoint fans, and we are glad that we have started the logistics a bit earlier,” he added.
With eight months to go, Nyandoro hopes all the provinces will be covered starting next month.
“Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage activities will be held countrywide, where we are going to engage traditional leaders, school heads, and, of course, marginalised people. We want new talent to emerge to ensure that artists receive the exposure they are yearning for,” he said.
