Raisedon Baya
THE National Culture Week was launched last Saturday. The launch was very low key. On Monday Bulawayo launched its provincial Culture Week at Inyathi Youth Centre again on a very low key.
Voti Thebe was the guest of honour at the ceremony graced mostly by local artistes. Judging by the people who were at the ceremony I believe Culture Week is not being properly sold to our people. There is a serious misconception out there that Culture Week is merely an arts thing, but it is not. The week is not just for artistes. I think our people should embrace Culture Week the way they have embraced Africa Day. Culture Week should be embraced by every Zimbabwean and the spirit of celebration should permeate every sector, not just the arts.
During the week everyone, from private to public institutions should do something, say something to promote Zimbabwean culture and its diversity. During the provincial launch Mrs Charity Nyathi, the provincial arts manager with the National Arts Council, said the week was an appropriate time to promote, celebrate and showcase the diversity of Zimbabwean cultures. But as a nation did we do this? Save for a few activities here and there organised by the National Arts Council what else are we doing to mark or commemorate this important week?
Culture is not a few speeches and a few artistic performances in some secluded places. Culture Week should not be defined by a few speeches on ZBCtv. Culture is our identity. It is us. The fact that there were a pocket of activities sprinkled around the country to mark this important week speaks volumes on how lost we are. Indeed we are a lost generation. We don’t know who we are and can’t even spare a day or two to celebrate that which makes us Zimbabweans.
In all honesty there was no “bling bling” at the Inyathi Youth Centre launch, perhaps so because our culture has no place for show offs. But more so because there was no budget for celebrating this week that is set aside for the nation to acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of our cultures. However, even without the “bling bling” the Bulawayo launch served some interesting performance and a special exhibition where the likes of National Art Gallery in Bulawayo, Amagugu International Heritage Centre, uMthakwazi Cultural Association and many others put up some interesting displays around culture and cultural artefacts. The Member of Parliament for Mpopoma was there to grace the occasion.
Every artiste that went on stage gave a great performance. However, the best act of the day surely went to the young public speaker from SOS school. The young boy had done a good research on culture, its meaning and importance and why it was important to celebrate the week. He was also articulate and showed great talent in public speaking. There was also the young team of dancers from Amabhukudwane Primary school. They gave the audience a feast for the eyes.
Voti Thebe, when called upon to make his speech, broke in song and dance, taking the audience’s way back in time. In his short speech he spoke about the need for the current generation to re-invent itself and start projecting our identity as imbedded in our culture. The theme for this year’s celebration is “consolidating cultural diversity and heritage”. The theme is a clarion call for communities to come together and cement their respect for cultural practices while strengthening the national diversified cultural traits that make our country the melting pot it is today.
After the national and provincial launch of Culture Week it is expected that the celebrations will then move into the different communities across the country. Unfortunately, the only places where it looks like there will be some cultural activities are schools. So far I have several invitations from different schools in Bulawayo. But there is a worrying silence from other communities. Of course we will all blame it on the state of the economy. No money to celebrate. Good people, if you have time and space then it’s still possible to celebrate culture week.