Zimbabwean Artists to Re-Unite in South Africa for an Explosive Show

Impumelelo Shining Stars (I.S.S) and the outspoken Gwanda based praise poet Lerato Ndlovu-known in arts circles as 'uNqindi oMnyama' will be travelling to South Africa where there will share stage with other Zimbabwean artists in diaspora in what promises to be thrilling show organised by Tsampani Events Management. The show will take place on 18 July from 7Pm-11Pm at Hilbrow Theatre in Johannesburg.

 For I.S.S it will be a marathon show as on the other side there will be engaged in Ihlombe! Choral Festival where they will be participating alongside world acclaimed groups in the mainstream International Choral Classic movements' South African editions, the festival runs from 17 to 19 July in Johannesburg. Meanwhile Nqindi will perform with the group on 18 July and thereafter stage a number of shows in South Africa and then seal the tour by recording his debut album in more than three Decades  of practice.

 Apparently Nqindi was almost deleted in the history books of Arts as he was once reported dead in 2013 in what was told to  be a leopard attack at his home. However others were surprised to see him staging a staring performance during the Rainbow Province Arts Festival in 2014 where he also collaborated with the 2014 Chibuku Road To Fame Provincial winners ZondaMthakathi live band. Apparently he had previously visited Felabusi and almost put the whole of Insiza district to a standstill through his explosive praises. Rough and raw as they are ,Nqindi's recitations took the audiences down the memory lane to record the times of Mzilikazi and his famous Godlwayo troops. The praises which remain unpacked from their original cultural comic expressions cracked the dignitaries ribs during the Godlwayo Cultural Centre opening officiated by the Minister of Sport Arts and Culture Honourable Andrew Langa.

Last Nqindi also lamented I the media that arts industry is no longer paying and jokingly said he was even thinking of retiring to rather focus on farming. However his word did not end within the halls of Joshua Mqabuko Polytechnic where he had supper with dignitaries but rather it leaped across borders to reach the ears of Tsampane Events Management  whose underlining phrase 'arts across borders' felt challenged to compel them to swiftly respond and  revive Nqindi and also preserve his legacy. Hence he was called into action in a gesture he will never forget .

Speaking to the Tsampane Events Management manager  Mr. Christian-Kore Sibanda said: " the main aim of bringing I.S.S to SA was to help them open up new markets, share some experiences with other successful artists abroad, also remind the foreign based artists of their roots in form of Imbube/ Isicathamiya musical and also promote arts  collaborations hence they come with Nqindi."
 
Sibanda continued to elaborate on the cultural connotation of the tour as he said 'We have noted with concern how our heritage decay as we travel across borders hence bringing a group fresh from home will help to refresh our cultural cycle, preserve our valuable cultural assets, remind us of our values, infact we want to be proud of being Zimbabweans even away from the physical country. When we planned this show with my team Nqindi was picked because he is one of the most valuable artist who have been overlooked for long despite the fact that he has all what it takes to be an role model poet'.

Indeed measured by the yardstick of what an artist gives on stage and road to fame Nqindi remains   like a cultural flag and Impumelelo Shining Stars Imbube music remains the cultural anthem especially in Matabeleland South.  Therefore such a gesture will close the wide gap between the participants and promoters and recording companies hence the trip will brew more positives especially for Nqindi who will at  last record his debut album and earn a living from his own works.

Despite the fact that Nqindi and Impumelelo Shining Stars are all males the show will not turn out to be  a father's day show as it will accommodate other female artists yet to be announced  as soon as the auditions have been completed in the first week of June.

Meanwhile Impumelelo Shining Stars have seven albums under their belt, with the latest being a 14 track hit album 'Amaqhinga Aphelile' recorder in 2013 in which it featured their role model and  leading Imbube musicians  Joseph Shabalala (leader of a South African multi-award winning group- Ladysmith Black Mambazo , who composed one of the tracks and also featured on track number 12.The group led by Oscar khutshwekhaya Siziba with an average age of 30 years was born on 7 May 2001 in Mapane village under Gwanda district, an area situated in Matabeleland South Province of Zimbabwe. It has a captivating chemistry of traditional music and dances cutting across different tribes via its multilingual thematic aspects expressed in form of Imbube (Zulu- non instrumental high tempo musical with vigorous dance movements) and Isicathamiya (Zulu-non instrumental low tempo musical with crouching dance movements) type of music. ISS is affiliated with the Masibemunye Artists Association and the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) and works with different cultural and development agents drawn from government, non-governmental, companies and even individuals. The group has performed across almost every festival in Zimbabwe including HIFA, Intwasa, and Ibumba festivals and has also toured eight countries in Africa to countries like: Mozambique, Zambia, Swaziland, Malawi, DRC, Botswana and South Africa.

Those who know Izinkanyezi Zezulu they are also  well versed with the aesthetic and acoustic taste of I.S.S and they will see the re-union of Zimbabwean  artists in Johannesburg when the likes of Imbizo Messengers , Izinkanyezi Zezulu , Monica gospel, Zinjaziyamluma, and many more artists from other districts will converge.

Fans must keep following on the news feeds on social networks and for more information the group and the organisers can be contacted on the following links:

South Africa
Manager –Christian Sibanda
(+27) 74 321 4014 / (+27) 11 029 473 Email: chrissibanda3@gmail.com 
Facebook page: Tsampani Events Management
Email: chriss86@gmail.com
Zimbabwe
Phone Oscar Siziba: +263 733 324 215/4