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Courage Musariri Entertainment Reporter
REPRESENTATIVES to Chibuku Road to Fame from the three Matabeleland provinces seem to be finding it tough as they have failed to bring back the crown for seven years now. This year the best the three provinces achieved was position five won by Sounds of Universe from Bulawayo.
The Way, the group from Mashonaland Central province, are this year’s winners. Since the Chibuku Road to Fame competition started in 2001, only one group from this region has won it.

The group Blackface from Bulawayo won the first prize in 2006 and since then the provincial winners from the region have failed to win the first prize at national level.

Groups from the region have however, been doing well in other competitions such as Chibuku NeShamwari and Jikinya Dance Festival.
This year the Chibuku NeShamwari competition first prize at national level was won by Umkhathi Theatre Works from Bulawayo. The same group were the first runners up in 2011.

In 2011 and last year, Matjinge Primary School from Matabeleland South were the winners of the Jikinya Dance Festival competition.
The Way for winning this year’s Chibuku Road to Fame pocketed $5 000 and also won a fully paid recording contract while second placed Mashonaland West group Human Life, took home $4 000. Harare province’s Afro fusion group, Were who came third received $3 000.

The Chibuku Road to Fame competition is a joint project between National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and Delta through its Chibuku brand and it seeks to identify and promote untapped talent.

Competition starts at provincial level and winners from the 10 provinces then compete at national level for the first prize which includes a fully paid recording contract.