^ On your wedding day, remember she’s the queen. Then and after. (more…)

The Dance Trust of Zimbabwe (formerly National Ballet) recently featured a week long extravanganza of evening performances in the garden of their Belgravia premises. They call it “Starlight Dancing” and it’s become an annual feature on Harare’s entertainment calendar.

I picked some pics from the evening that I attended, just for you…

^ There is hope in the stars out there (more…)

I think it’s always fantastic when a Zimbabwean does well at international level and whatever support we can give as a nation we should.

Here’s a great opportunity for us to support a talented daughter of Zimbabwe. Rumbi Katedza’s film, Asylum, is up for an award (RCI Migrations People’s Choice Award) and can only win if we vote.

I’ve watched the film- over my dial up connection- and I LOVED it. It’s just under 5 minutes long so it won’t take much of your time. I may be a bit biased but I know where I’m putting my X.

Is this rigging? Stop asking so many questions. Log on to the website, watch it and decide for youself! Danke!

When I walked into the HICC at around 1100hrs on Saturday (4th October 2008) the first sight that caught my eye was a teenage girl sitting on one of the sofas in the foyer, her head buried in her hands, sobbing loudly. I immediately understood.

She had wanted to make it through to the next round of A Academy but had been unsuccessful.

^ The judges Albert Nyathi, Imelda Mahaka, Willis Wa-Taffy (all this time I thought it was Wataffibut someone told me it was spelt that way. Thanks Sharon- I hope you’re right because ka…) and Admire Taderera (more…)

I was taking photos at the Combined Schools Choir concert last week Thursday, when something really cool happened. I made a mistake- and out came a fantastic photograph. (more…)

The Art of Film, Film as Art. So goes the theme for the 11th edition of the Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) which was launched on Friday evening at the 7 Arts Theatre in Harare. The opening film, “The Visitor” was produced in the USA and stars New York based Zimbabwean actress Danai Gurira, who, along with some other people involved with the making of the film is in Zimbabwe for the festival.

^ Danai meets Dudu: Danai Gurira and Dudu Manhenga at a ZIFF 2008 reception.

(more…)

Dear friend

In an effort to break away from the routine performances I have done in the past years, I bring you a new concept that I call SOLO ENCOUNTERS WITH DUDU MANHENGA. This is a series of performances that I will be holding throughout the country at different intimate and semi intimate venues.

I kindly invite you to the very first encounter; (more…)

“The novel STRIFE by Shimmer Chinodya explores the tension between the power of tradition and the forces of modernity. What are the role models for men in today’s society? What do we expect of the good father, husband, citizen, son, …. etc.? What are the tensions that polarise views at this time?” (more…)

Pamberi Trust’s gender project FLAME is still burning strongly, this week for a gifted young woman who has recently emerged onto the music scene, Hope Masike.

^ Hope Masike- a rising star

Born into an artistic musical family where ‘there was always singing’, Hope has been singing all her life, in the last few years performing as backing vocalist for Colour Blu and others.  In 2007 she joined the Zimbabwe College of Music Ethnomusicology programme, in her search for a better understanding and deeper relationship with music.  Her studies in the programme involve focus on ethnic African instruments, and she soon started playing nyunga-nyunga (mbira). (more…)

Finally!!! That is the thought that imprinted the expression on my face when I met Lovemore  Kambudzi. Finally. After seeing his paintings for so many years I met the man who turns daubs of colour- always on large canvases- into realistic depictions of scenes from every day Zimbabwe life.

(more…)