I watched this with my ‘other’ yesterday… I don’t think we’re deep art people. Part of the show was spent wondering if he was in a trance, since as the programme says the choreography is based on the whirling rituals of Sufi dervishes.  The skirt the dancers wear during the performance had a magical way of growing longer all by itself, which delighted me no end. The ‘other’ being a supremely logical being was unimpressed and killed it by explaining the physics. The show provided great material for my camera on the other hand, such beautiful visuals.

Thanks HIFA!

Two minutes with…Aubrey Stanley

Aubrey Stanley has performed at HIFA since 2006. This year he was performed in the Opening Show as a backing vocalist.

How did you get involved with HIFA?
I’ve been a part of HIFA since about 2006, performing every year. I started when I was 16, and I was part of the Prince Edward School Jazz Band. My last year to perform with them was in 2009 I was captain of the band. This year Vimbai Mukarati was directing, we had worked together before, so he called me and asked me to perform.

What has been the best part of the festival so far for you?
I enjoyed everyone on stage for the Opening; we’re all friends. We just have a good time. At the end of it we were a bit depressed because we knew that it was the end.  The bonding is the best part for me, we get closer as friends. After rehearsals we didn’t want to go home!

What keeps you coming back every year?
It’s the atmosphere. I think it’s the greatest event that we have in this country especially since they bring in artists from all over the world. There’s so much going on, and it’s so well coordinated over so many venues. I haven’t seen anything run so well that’s this big in Zimbabwe.

Two minutes with … Maria Wilson

Describe yourself in five Words
Bloody minded, tenacious determined, stubborn courageous.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
If you believe in something fight for it to happen.

What is your greatest extravagance?
My greatest extravagance…erm…Clarins face products.

What were you like at school?
Quite quiet, shy and reserved. I loved school. I’m not sure I liked the people I went to school with.
Are you friends with them now?
No.

What are you doing next?
The next HIFA.

I was really pleased to see the Parliamentary Monitoring Trust (Zimbabwe) telling it like it is … their focus in their recently published Parliamentary Monitor is on Members of Parliament who don’t attend Parliamentary sittings.

According to the PMTZ, Heneri Dzinotyiwei, MDC-T, Budiriro hasn’t shown his face at 26 sittings. Whilst Jonathan Moyo, Zanu PF, Tsholotsho North has been missing for 31 and Jameson Timba, MDC-T, Mount Pleasant has been absent for 29 sittings.

Are there legitimate reasons for this high level of non-attendance? Where do ordinary Zimbabweans access information like this which will help them make informed decisions when an election comes around? It’s important that we vote according to performance. When ordinary people don’t do their jobs properly they get fired. Let’s fire MPs that renege on their duties.

Here’s an excerpt from the PMTZ’s bulletin:

Then as chance would have it, my mom attended a wedding in Harare and she came back complaining that she had seen very big houses. “And why would people build such big houses, covering this whole yard,” she said waving across our big rural yard. She then said that she had been told that politicians lived there. “This has made me realise that we vote them so that they become rich. As such, I will not vote again. I will get into the ballot box to spoil my vote. I will mark 3 times, I know how to do it as we were taught to vote.” The reasoning in my mom’s argument was an eye opener. The intellectuals may continue to argue it is going to be difficult to get that vote out. Maybe the two intellectuals were wrong. They may have been arguing in the abstract. But for my mother, it was a resolution she could have made. We may have apathy. Or more spoiled ballots. The two may be a result of lack of voter education. But using my mom’s argument, the spoilt papers are not out of ignorance but a protest.

Subscribe to the electronic version of the Parliamentary Monitor by emailing: pmtzimbabwe [at] gmail [dot] com

If you haven’t already seen it, get down to the Standard Theatre tonight to be entertained and charmed by the very quirky Third Person: Bonnie & Clyde (Redux). This show is completely refreshing both in terms of content and performance style. HIFA – more of this kind of theatre next year please! And if the gorgeous actress Gillian Lees is single, please get hold of me.

Later on I went to see Icons: Ziya Azazi. This was a provocative and challenging dance experience. Perhaps a bit too avant-garde for Zimbabwe judging from how many people left the performance. The changes in choreography were very subtle but beautiful and the music (or sound) was very ragged in places. I was completely thrilled to have had the opportunity to see this show.

Note: The only downside to today’s performances was the fact that women in this country seem to use toilet air freshener as perfume.