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High Voltage Poets perform at the Heroes’ Day commemorations in Gweru on Monday

Midlands Bureau
HIGH-Voltage Poets from Shurugwi gave a scintillating performance that left the bumper crowd that attended the Heroes’ and Defence Forces’ Day commemorations at the Midlands Provincial Heroes’ Acre in Gweru on Monday mesmerised.

The poems entitled, Gwatakwata Renhamo and Nhai Iwe Mudzivisi, which were narrated with a high degree of professionalism, dexterity and devotion, kept the audience on the edge of their seats and with their mouth agape as the group stunned revellers with well-choreographed scenes and gestures.

The energetic poets were Dumisani Ndlovu and Lesson Dumoluhle Ndlovu, a 12-year-old boy who rose to fame at the age of 10 through his heart-touching multi-lingual poetry. The poetry show, which was entitled “High-voltage poetry”, featuring Lesson and his father, could be best described as a fresh, out-of-the box, revolutionary, mind-twisting juggle of words supplemented by similes and metaphors that were simply mesmerising, to say the least, leaving one to wonder why local big shows like Star Brite have not yet harvested this vast mine of artistic talent.

Hailing from one of the oldest resettlement areas of Shurugwi South in Dorset, Lesson, a grade 6 Dorset Primary school pupil is bold and does not balk at the sight of huge crowds.

His father, Ndlovu, who is a published author and artistic director of the Dorset Performing Arts and High-Voltage Poets, said: “I’m far more impressed by the poetic zeal in this kid. I keep on improving his poetry performance with the changing times.

“Rather than relying on metaphors and allegorical images, these new poems rely on literal, visceral descriptions, with a newfound emphasis on a united Zimbabwean identity instead of pious symbols.

“For instance, Nhai Mudzivisi which was rehearsed and performed by Lesson this year made waves at this year’s Midlands provincial Heroes’ Day Commemoration.”

National Arts Council of Zimbabwe Provincial Arts Manager, Abigail Sibanda, said: “I foresee big heart-touching talent rising up from the ashes of the remote Dorset Community. In all my years of work, I never encountered a sharp-minded young poet such as the one emerging from the depths of Dorset, in the throes of one of the poorest rural schools.”