Some notable showbiz moments of 2021
2021 was a roller-coaster year in the showbiz industry. NewsDay Life & Style takes a look at some of the major highlights a few days before the curtain comes down on the tumultuous year. Dangarembga breaks new ground Famous local author and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga broke another glass ceiling in her career as she became the first black woman to win the prestigious Peace Prize of the German Book Trade since its inception in 1950.
She received the award, which carries 25 000 Euros as prize money at a ceremony held at St Paul’s Church in Frankfurt, Germany.
The international peace prize is awarded annually by the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, an association of German book publishers and booksellers, which runs the Frankfurt Book Fair. Through her works, Dangarembga is devoted to protecting civil liberties.
Dangarembga is known for her works including the bestselling novel, Nervous Conditions and its sequel, titled This Mournable Body.
Somizi’s blocked from visiting Zim
South African actor and media personality Somizi Buyani Mhlongo-Motaung was barred from coming to Zimbabwe for the reopening of a popular local eatery, Garwe Restaurant located in Eastlea, Harare.
The eatery proprietor Mandy Mvukwe-Chimhini succumbed to pressure and made a eleventh hour somersault on flying in Somizi after his intended visit torched a storm with the Zanu PF youth league leading protests against the visit. A group of indigenous churches under the banner Apostolic Christian Council of Zimbabwe, which was also against Somizi’s visit, wrote to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Home Affairs minister, president of the Chiefs Council Fortune Charumbira, Zinatha and Zanu PF Harare province chairperson expressing their displeasure.
ExQ, Nutty O in court over fake COVID-19 certificates
Popular dancehall artiste Carrington Simbarashe “Nutty O” Chiwadza and urban groover Enock “ExQ” Munhenga were arrested in June for allegedly possessing fake COVID-19 certificates.
The duo was arrested on arrival at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport from a concert in neighbouring South Africa after it allegedly tendered fake COVID-19 certificates to Immigration officials.
The fake documents were detected at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport after the duo successfully used them at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg. The two artistes faced fraud charges.
Mai Titi struck off Tanzanian movie
In May, controversial musician-cum-comedienne Felistas “Mai Titi” Murata was struck off the cast of a Tanzanian movie titled A Life of Regret over alleged unprofessional conduct. Mai Titi had been selected for a lead role by United Kingdom-based production company Billy Jeremiah Brown Films. She was the only Zimbabwean in the film whose theme centred on conflict between a stepmother and her stepdaughter. Congolese Rumba star, Awilo Longomba was also said to be part of the film cast. Soul Jah Love dies, declared hero Popular local award-winning and dancehall artiste Soul Musaka popularly known as Soul Jah Love succumbed to diabetes complications in February at a city hospital and was declared a liberation hero. Aged 31, Soul Jah Love was laid to rest at the Warren Hills Provincial Heroes Acre where he was honoured with a 21-gun salute as he was being buried next to his father, Ephraim. His burial was not short of drama, just like his life as mischief followed him to the grave.
His funeral once again rekindled the rivalry between the country’s leading funeral parlours Doves and Nyaradzo Life Assurance. Reports were that the funeral parlours were again at each other’s throat “fighting” for the singer’s corpse, a fight which Nyaradzo won.
Roki collaborates with Congolese rumba artiste Kofi Olomide
Local urban groover Rockford “Roki” Josphat collaborated with internationally-acclaimed Congolese rumba artiste Kofi Olomidé’s on a song titled Patati Patata, which however, divided public opinion after it was construed to be an endorsement of Mnangagwa’s leadership.
Patati Patata, which has an accompanying video that features raunchy-dancer Beverly Sibanda, was received with applause by Zanu PF supporters, while other people called it a propaganda song for the ruling party.
The song, courtesy of Affirmative Action Group vice-president and controversial prophet Passion Java, was produced by Oskid and also features Tanzanian singer Rayvanny.
Winky D gets Africa’s 2021 Accountability Music Award
Dancehall president Winky D bagged Africa’s 2021 Accountability Music Award through his song Njema off his 2019 album of the same title. The ONE, Accountability Labs, and Trace Africa sponsored gong celebrates artistes who fight corruption through music. The Kambuzuma-bred singer battled for honours against Nigerian’s Femi Kuti’s Pa pa pa, Kenya’s King Kaka (Wajinga Nyinyi), Tanzanian Ney Wa Mitego (Raisi Wa Kitaa) and Nigerian Angelique Kidgo and Yemi Alade (Dignity).
DJ Fantan, Levels escape jail
Popular dancehall producers Arnold “DJ Fantan” Kamudyariwa, Tafadzwa “Levels” Kadzimwe and rising music promoter Simbarashe “Dhama” Chanachimwe of David House Promotions escaped jail after the High Court reduced their 12-month jail term to three months with the option of a $2 000 fine. The trio was convicted in January this year on its own plea by Harare provincial magistrate, Vongai Muchuchuti after they organised a New Year’s eve bash in violation of national COVID-19 lockdown regulations barring public gatherings.
Thousands of music enthusiasts attended the bash at the populous Matapi Flats in Mbare which authorities described as a potential COVID-19 super spreader.
Mai Titi weds again
Recently Mai Titi left social media buzzing over her wedding photos when she tied the note with her United States-based lover, Tinashe Maphosa. Reports are that a whopping US$15k was paid by Maphosa as part of lobola to Mai Titi’s parents in Budiriro, Harare.
Also clothes valued at US$1 500 and groceries worth more than US$1 000 were said to be part of the bride price. Before settling for Maphosa, the controversial socialite, in a few months, had dated a string of men, who include Zizoe Pamyke, and Charles “Obina” Ugwa from Nigeria.
Benjamin Dube graces Mlalazi’s album launch
Rising songwriter and gospel singer Everton Mlalazi fulfilled his dream as he launched his much-awaited debut album In the Presence 1 at 7 Arts Theatre in Harare. Since breaking onto the showbiz scene in June last year, Mlalazi has been releasing singles as appetisers ahead of the 10-track album release.
The launch was graced by celebrated award-winning singer, preacher and music producer Benjamin Dube and top singer Xolly Mncwango who both featured on the album.
Zim hosts International Conference on African Cultures
Zimbabwe hosted the three-day third edition of the International Conference of African Cultures (ICAC)2021 at Theatre in the Park and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) in Harare.
The conference pursued issues around restitution, return and repatriation of African cultural property held outside the continent.
The conference incorporated aspirations of Africa’s Agenda 2063, the Charter for African Cultural Renaissance as well as the 2021 African Union theme Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want.
Local and international speakers drawn from across Africa took turns to make presentations at the conference, which ran concurrently with an exhibition on some objects and artefacts that need repatriation.
While the conference was held under the theme Africa Speaks: Confronting Restitution and Repatriation of Artefacts, Human Remains, Objects and Archives from African Countries, the exhibitions ran under the theme Looking Back and Looking Towards the Future: Celebrating Africa in Africa.
Madam Boss scoops the African social star award
Local comedienne and actress Tarisai Tyra “Madam Boss” Chikocho’s star continued to shine as she scoped the E! People’s Choice Awards African Social Star.
The award is for African social media stars who entertained, outraged and got people talking and laughing in 2021.
In her category, Madam Boss was up against some of the best South African socialites such as television personality, rapper and actress Boity Thulo, television personality, comedian, actor and YouTuber Lasizwe Dambuza, make-up artist and vlogger Mihlali Ndamase and TikTok star Witney Ramabulana.
Other African stars who were also eying this award are Kenyan actress, content creator and media host Azziad Nasenya, Falz, an actor and rapper from Nigeria, alongside compatriot, real name Sofiyat “The Oddity” Ibrahim.
Nasenya and South Africa’s Witney Ramabulana came in second and third, respectively.
Zim film fest returned
The Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) returned after a two-year hiatus due to funding constraints and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ZIFF is the flagship of the Zimbabwe International Film and Festival Trust (ZIFFT) whose mission is the discovery and development of local filmmakers, artists, and audiences, thereby contributing to vibrant, socially and politically relevant African storytelling through film.
The festival was a hybrid (online and inperson) mix of film screenings, discussions and workshops, with over 25 productions having been screened and streamed over the four days.