Zimbabwe festival to host hip hop summit

The summit has been initiated by Germany-based Zimbabwean journalist and music critic Plot Mhako, South African rapper and journalist Darryl Nyamutsamba and Germany-based Zimbabwean rapper and spoken word artist Awakhiwe Sibanda. It will feature curated panel discussions focusing on key areas of the hip hop industry.

Panellists include Slikour (South African), Dughettu (Brazil), Keisha Thompson (UK), Ashley Yates (US), Rafael Tudesco (Brazil) as well Zimbabwe’s Stunner, Munetsi, Probeatz, Zandile Ndlovu and Karizma, among others.

“The aim of the summit is to be an avenue of access,” a Zim Hip Hop Summit press statement reads. “By sharing knowledge and information that individuals can take away from the summit, we hope that people can proactively work at bettering their art and the industry in which they operate.”

Mhako said the summit would address the challenges faced by hip hop artists and the genre as a whole.

“It is our conviction that the summit will create a foundation for the growth of a viable hip hop industry,” he told Music In Africa. “By having a multi-sectoral stakeholder approach on our panels, we hope that will give an opportunity for players on the scene to be honest to each other, collaborate and push in one direction.

Asked to comment about Zimbabwean hip hop artists being labelled as copycats by critics, Mhako said: “I think the struggles for hip hop in Zimbabwe is a culmination of a myriad of factors and not solely owing to poor artists or merely a lack of originality. It’s these factors that the dialogue seeks to interrogate and address.”

Mhako, who was the director of Jibilika Dance Trust until earlier this year, said the South African hip hop industry had to be used as an example of success.

“The success of the South African music scene can be attributed to a number of factors, namely support from the state, a viable creative industry supported by radio and TV and a people with a penchant to consume and support their own art,” he said.

Meanwhile, South African hip hop artist Emtee has been named as the headliner of Shoko Festival, which runs from 29 September to 1 October. Other confirmed artists include Souljah Love, Simba Tagz, ExQ, Takura, Cal_vin, DJ Yoda, Taro Cooper and Julian Sommerfeld.