Zimbabwe’s contemporary musicians Jah Prayzah and Nutty O are expected to put icing on the cake when they appear at Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance finals set for 29 July 2023 in the Harare Gardens.
The two musicians have been lined up to perform different sets to mark the 60th edition of the Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance competition. For Jah Prayzah and his Third Generation backing group, this will be their second appearance at the competitions. Last year, the group put up a show stopping act with a well-choreographed set from start to finish. Since this is a traditional competition, Jah Prayzah fits the bill in more ways than one.
And Afro-dancehall act Nutty O will debut at the competition this year putting a different flair to the finals. The Handipere Power singer dominated the past year with his debut album — Mustard Seed — produced by DJ Tamuka. The album drew fans from across genres into his orbit and he won several numerous awards. Nutty 0 real name Carrington Simbarashe Chiwadzwa recently featured on Bob Marley tribute album aptly called Africa Unite alongside Winky D.
To spice up the line-up Selmor Mtukudzi is also part of the headliners and she knows how to rock the crowd. As for Selmor she really has plenty up her sleeves with a rich discography that also includes hits by her superstar father Tuku. Her inclusion will no doubt delight both young and the old.
The Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival is a culmination of various performing groups from Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces. Each group will perform a traditional dance uniquely from its province. Some of the dances set to be showcased at the national finals include Muchongoyo, Chihoda Tonga, Umzansi, Beni Arinoti, Chinyambera and Mbende, among others.
Chibuku Neshamwari Festival is celebrating its 60th anniversary running under the theme BIRA REMADHZI, 60 years Sithokozisa Ngezomgido!’. The group that will win the national finals is set to pocket US$15 000, second placed US$10 000 and US$7 500 for the third-placed group.
For the competition, Chibuku works closely with its partners, the National Arts Council Zimbabwe (NACZ) and Zimbabwe National Traditional Dance Association (ZNTDA) in promoting and developing the arts in the community.
Participants are required to register their groups with the NACZ and ZNTDA to be able to participate.
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