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Courage Musariri Entertainment Reporter
INTWASA Arts Festival was officially opened in Bulawayo at a colourful ceremony held at the Chibuku stage, at Large City Hall on Wednesday night.
Fans had to wait patiently for the festivities to begin and their patience got a befitting reward from the different groups that took to the stage to entertain them.

First on stage was Imbube group, Impumelelo Shinning Stars, who mesmerised the crowd with their melodious voices and nimble dance moves. Another group, Men at Work moved the crowd with their yesteryear jazz feel.

The stage was set ablaze when Bulawayo United Artistes took to the floor showcasing eye catching traditional dance moves mixed with hip hop and contemporary dances.

The Bulawayo United Artistes team comprised of Break Equation, Kwabatsha, Simunye Simunye, Iyasa, Umkhathi Theatre and How Mine Chihoda, as well as Impumelelo Shinning Stars.

The groups took turns to thrill fans with their dance moves with Umkhathi showcasing the Sepeta dance while the Chihoda ladies who won the hearts of fans with their dance routines.

This year’s festival is celebrating its ninth edition and is running under the theme “Culture Diversity – The Common Heritage of Humanity.”

In attendance at the festival were guests from South Africa and Kenya who are in the country to present their cultural works.
In his speech, Intwasa director Raisedon Baya thanked the audience for supporting the festival and encouraged greater participation from them.

“Intwasa is not mine or for the artistes alone, but it is for everyone and we all have a part to play in growing this festival. The festival continues to grow and gets better each year and so should be the participation of fans,” he said.

Baya said Intwasa is a festival formed with a specific vision of spearheading arts development and marketing Bulawayo as a cultural hub in the country.

Over 50 events will take place in the six day festival which started on Tuesday and runs until Sunday at different venues around Bulawayo, among them Bulawayo Theatre, Art Gallery and Amakhosi Culture Centre.

The celebration will feature more than 300 local artistes who will showcase their talent and more than 20 plays are being staged free of charge, to give the general public an opportunity to be part of the show.

“We are not promoting Bulawayo as an entertainment hub alone, but we are endorsing the town as a tourist destination, which is friendly to its visitors. We will be running different shows on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I urge locals as well as those visiting our town to get involved in these shows,” said Baya.

Since its inception in 2005, the festival has managed to celebrate the cultural diversity and humanity through different arts genres it promotes.

The festival is held in collaboration with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe offices in Bulawayo (NACZ), the office of the Minister of State for Bulawayo Province and the Bulawayo Mayor’s office.