Zim ensemble launches virtual charity festival

The ZimFace Virtual Arts Festival is running under the theme, Stay Home, Stay Alive, Save Lives, and will run until December. It aims to digitally connect friends, fans and families across the globe via Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Proceeds will be channelled to Pamuzinda Trust.

The festival kicked off with a performances by Netherlands-based Gambian singer and kora player Jalli Lamin Kuyateh and Namibia-based Zimbabwean act The Train Gang. Samba Cissokho (Senegal) perfomed on 21 April and was followed by Kanute Dembele (Mali) on the same day.

Zimbabwe's Andy Muridzo will perform on 25 April at 3pm. Other confirmed artists include Robert Kandi (Zambia), Mikey Stevens (Australia) and Fábio Simões (Brazil). More artists from Germany, Sweden, the UK, US, Ghana and Nigeria will be announced in due course.

“This year we celebrate 30 years of existence and performing around the globe,” Pamuzinda Traditional Music Ensemble member Shelton Shollah told Music In Africa. “We launched an orphanage programme 10 years ago and we have been paying school fees and buying uniforms for these children based in Highfield, Harare. It was funded by our funds from shows and partly sponsored by an organisation based in Germany.

“This year we registered Pamuzinda Trust and we had plans to host a festival as a way of giving back to the community, but all our plans were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have decided to raise awareness for people to stay home by running an event online. All musicians are performing for free and all funds will be channelled towards the projects we have.”