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Yvonne Ncube, Showbiz Correspondent

Intombi Zomqangala, a Bulawayo-based female dance ensemble founded 13 years ago by multi-talented artist Sandra Ndebele, continues to empower women through song and dance.

Having nurtured today’s well-known artists such as Novuyo Seagirl and Thandi Dlana, the organisation hopes to nurture more women in the future, as it is inclusive to all young women.

Earlier this year the dance crew showcased their great choreographed talent which left the Expo 2020 Dubai visitors asking for more when they delivered a sterling performance.

In an interview with Chronicle Showbiz, Sandra “Sandy” Ndebele said the ensemble’s primary objective is to help transform and capacitate young women into leaders.

“Intombi Zomqangala is not a group, it’s an all-female platform that is open to all young women. The primary aim is to transform and capacitate the young by offering a structured setting in which to develop beneficial group interactions and one-on-one relationships between these young creatives and well-established artists and industry experts. We train young girls to strive in their respective objectives.

“The platforms also seek to remove young girls from the streets and reduce prostitution by empowering women to be able to do different forms of art for capital generation. We believe that what men can do women can also do. The platform has toured and performed internationally in countries such as Russia, England, and Dubai. The platform continues to nurture young women hence it is open for everyone,” said Sandy.

Sandy’s manager Robson Murambiwa said the all-women platform also seeks to the Zimbabwean tradition.

“There is also a focus on preserving Zimbabwean tradition therefore the dances performed by the group are mostly traditional. The name Intombi Zomqangala comes from a traditional Ndebele instrument called umqangala (breast calabash) which was used by young women back in the day. The young women in the group all play this instrument (umqangala).

“Its primary objective is to help transform and capacitate young women into leaders in their own right by offering a structured setting in which to develop beneficial group interactions and one-on-one relationships between these young creatives and well-established artists and industry experts led by Sandra Ndebele,” said Murambiwa.

He said they seek to empower young women through creative industries and performances.

“A major component of our empowerment of young women is through the creative industries and performances. By increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes, we hope to drive innovation and sustainability in our communities at the same time offering a safe environment to explore aligning goals with intentions, balancing self-promotion with authenticity, building a strategic network, and creating greater work-life balance for girls.

“Our programme is a bold, multi-phased leadership training for women that can be broken down into Traditional Dance, contemporary dance, and classic dance.  We help them discover their personal sound, understand how music works, and translate their ideas into music,” said Murambiwa.

@SeehYvonne