News / National
From Miss Biggy Matofotofo to Miss True African Queen
02 Mar 2011 at 06:04hrs | Views
THE Miss Biggy-Matofotofo modelling contest is set to rebrand to Miss True African Queen in a development that will see the pageant covering beautiful big women from the Sadc region.
As part of marking the rebranding, a fundraising dinner will be held at the Rainbow Towers in the capital on March 26.
The event will see music groups like Seasons Band, Black Spears and Mbira Vibes among others performing to raise the targeted
US$50 000 needed to transform the pageant.
Organiser Lwazi Mbowa said they decided to rebrand Miss Biggy-Matofotofo to Miss True African Queen after it emerged that the name Matofotofo was in a way derogatory of the models with big bodies.
"We never knew the name would sound provoking because we thought it was just a way of describing our big bodies.
"Another reason is that, when we started the pageant, we were looking at Zimbabwe only and never dreamt that we would grow big to cover the Sadc region," said Mbowa.
Mbowa said the funds to be raised from the event would go a long way in supporting the preliminaries of the Miss True African Queen set for May as well as the national finals to be held in October.
"This will then culminate in the Miss Sadc to be held next year since we are covering the region. We expect people to come and support this initiative because this is a Zimbabwean thing going all over Africa," she said.
Reigning Miss-Biggy Matofotofo Malawi, Florence Banda, is also expected to grace the event.
Miss Biggy-Matofotofo started in 2005 while the national finals were held the following year, with Mbowa being the inaugural winner of the contest.
Popular sele dancer Monica Chikasha is also a product of the same pageant.
Early this week, Mbowa was making preparations for the fundraising dinner and took the opportunity to appeal to the public to support the new-look pageant.
"People often support the modelling shows that are of Western orientation and that look at slim and slender models as ideal beauties while scoffing at women with big bodies. We are therefore urging people and sponsors to come and support this truly Zimbabwean and African contest for real African women," she said.
As part of marking the rebranding, a fundraising dinner will be held at the Rainbow Towers in the capital on March 26.
The event will see music groups like Seasons Band, Black Spears and Mbira Vibes among others performing to raise the targeted
US$50 000 needed to transform the pageant.
Organiser Lwazi Mbowa said they decided to rebrand Miss Biggy-Matofotofo to Miss True African Queen after it emerged that the name Matofotofo was in a way derogatory of the models with big bodies.
"We never knew the name would sound provoking because we thought it was just a way of describing our big bodies.
"Another reason is that, when we started the pageant, we were looking at Zimbabwe only and never dreamt that we would grow big to cover the Sadc region," said Mbowa.
Mbowa said the funds to be raised from the event would go a long way in supporting the preliminaries of the Miss True African Queen set for May as well as the national finals to be held in October.
"This will then culminate in the Miss Sadc to be held next year since we are covering the region. We expect people to come and support this initiative because this is a Zimbabwean thing going all over Africa," she said.
Reigning Miss-Biggy Matofotofo Malawi, Florence Banda, is also expected to grace the event.
Miss Biggy-Matofotofo started in 2005 while the national finals were held the following year, with Mbowa being the inaugural winner of the contest.
Popular sele dancer Monica Chikasha is also a product of the same pageant.
Early this week, Mbowa was making preparations for the fundraising dinner and took the opportunity to appeal to the public to support the new-look pageant.
"People often support the modelling shows that are of Western orientation and that look at slim and slender models as ideal beauties while scoffing at women with big bodies. We are therefore urging people and sponsors to come and support this truly Zimbabwean and African contest for real African women," she said.
Source - Byo24News
