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This year’s festival is running under the theme “A show of Spirit”.

A number of Bulawayo artistes who include up-and-coming playwright Nonhlalo Dube who is making her debut appearance at the international showcase, hip-hop dance group Break Equation and the crème de la crème in the music industry who will be premiering the potential hit Gri…Eshe.

It Never Rains, Dube’s debut play at the international fiesta, made it through the Hifa direct workshop together with the play I Have Sinned by Harare-based Patrick Miller.

Then there is Gri . . . Eshe!, which features some of Matabeleland’s finest performers, including Black Umfolosi, Siyaya, Jeys Marabini, Willis Watafi, Family Voices, Umdumo Wesizwe, and Simon Banda.

The artistic jamboree has everything for everyone from music, poetry, theatre and art to workshops.

Each year Hifa brings together wholesome families to six full days of visual and performing arts.

Hifa director Manuel Bagorro said this year’s theme, “A Show of Spirit” calls on audiences to boldly embrace the creative force within artistes.

“The opening night is a collaborative music, spoken word and dance performance featuring a large cast of Zimbabwean and visiting artistes under the direction of Neville Campbell and Vee Mukarati.

“Local artistes should take opportunities brought by Hifa to network and initiate dialogue with visiting artistes,” said Bagorro. Music highlights include performances by the superstar Oliver Mtukudzi and West African artiste Ismaël Lô.

The closing night celebrates the 60th birthday of Mtukudzi and on the day Lô will join him at the special fireworks concert. To add flavour to the glamorous event will be international artistes that include A Bhangra Banquet, an internationally popular type of Indian music associated with Punjabi culture.

Bhangra was developed in Britain in the early ’80s by first and second-generation immigrants drawing from music and song from the Punjab region as well as various Western musical styles.

From the US presenting tap dancing and live jazz music to Zimbabwe will be the Jazz Tap Ensemble.

Hailed as leaders in the renaissance of tap, the group brings together its extraordinary dancers and musicians in a spirited repertoire of virtuosity. World-famous Turkish dancer Ziya Azazi will also be part of Hifa. He is highly acclaimed for his pioneering choreography based on the whirling rituals of Sufi dervishes.