Oh to be in Harare. Every year at this time, I long to be home so that I can attend the phenomenal Harare International Festival of the Arts. As my friend Roger will agree, there really is only one word to describe it: awesome. From opera and classical music to ragga and museve, HIFA offers something to all music lovers, and from ballet to street dance, it offers something to dance lovers too, then there are the theatre and the spoken word events, and the workshops, all creating a really buzzy and happy atmosphere. I mean, look at that picture! This year, the opening act was Orff's Camina Burana, produced by La Fura dels Baus, the Spanish company that also produced the opening ceremony of the Barcelona Olympics, in Harare, they worked with more than a hundred local singers and dancers. I am also really sorry I missed Kupenga KwaHamlet (The Madness of Hamlet), a Shona Hamlet in which two actors play all the principal parts. It sounds awesome! And, and, and, oh and ... oh, this is awesome! Salif Keita is there! Right now! In Harare! Salif Keita! Probably playing one of my favourite songs of all time, Africa. I love this song so much that I once leapt onto the stage at the Montreaux Jazz festival and danced along with his dancers, a most hilarious spectacle, I assure you, because I cannot dance to save my son's life. If you are not in Harare, treat yourself by clicking below, and enjoy one of the best songs ever written and performed by one of the greatest musicians of all time. Awesome!
1 comments:
one of my favorite African musicians - Salif Keita
Post a Comment