I’ve been wondering why there have been so few reviews of HIFA’s opening show. Even the official HIFA web site is bereft of photographs, video footage or reviews – its as if it didn’t happen. Three Men On a Boat published a short piece that described the show as a catalogue of 60 years of American pop culture and that it was “OK”. On the plus side it was visually appealing. Three Men On a Boat were pleased that the opening show had been depoliticised. Meanwhile Zimbo Jam got to grips with what seems to be a central reflection: where was the story, what was the message of the opening show? But do we have to have one? Many would say yes because its a chance to tell a story, or stories of national significance; a chance to provoke conversation and draw on the experience of Zimbabweans; what are we seeing, doing, dreaming about … It seems like the HIFA organisers don’t believe that it’s possible to do this without being POLITICAL. That awful P word that will either get you into trouble, or prompt you to create art that that doesn’t fall on the side of safety. Tafadzwa Simba, the Festival spokesman said that the “arts indaba simply tried to capture the aspirations of the people, in an apolitical way, as well as to stimulate debate and dialogue.” Usually adopting a protected stand does little to stimulate meaningful debate. Nomalanga Moyo on SW Radio Africa reflected that with Workers Day falling in the middle of the Festival, and in a country with 90% unemployment, HIFA’s theme of progress and optimism could be regarded as being a little far-fetched. And maybe the bottom line: “HIFA should be more than just about singing and dancing, we can see that anywhere else. We come to HIFA because it always has that something special and different,” says Tawanda on Zimbo Jam, otherwise you can just turn on VH1.