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Members of Christ Embassy church at the street carnival

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
INTWASA Festival koBulawayo this year has brought back some shows and some newish concepts in order to add flavour to the annual festival that began yesterday.

Apart from the Bulawayo Street Carnival that saw hundreds parading in the city, there are concepts of interest that have been introduced and brought back by the Intwasa team this year.

The Urban Music concert and the Cover’s night are two of the newest on the programme this year, with a return of book launches and visual art.

The shows will be concentrated at the Large City Hall Car Park and National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

Kicking off the festivities is the Urban Music Concert today bringing together young and hip entertainers namely DJ Prince Nigel, Mzoe 7, Tribal House trio Djembe Monks, rapper Floppy X, Hwabaraty, dancehall chanter Senko, Samza, DJ Yugoe, Tsibi, Real Simz. The event will be for free and the energetic entertainers are expected to give their all while on Large City Hall Car park stage.

Veteran writer Erica Gwetai who has penned intriguing books in the past will tomorrow evening launch her much anticipated anthology The Other side.

This will mark the return for the literary arts that had taken a back seat for the past editions.

Tomorrow a Cover’s Night is on the cards also at the Large City Hall car park from 5PM. Ramsy K who is Bulawayo’s defacto king of covers, as he sings wonderful renditions of yester year hits from Lovemore Majaivana and the like. He will be joined on stage by Delukes who also impressed with a Matonto rendition during the highly successful Bulawayo Arts Awards earlier on this year.

On Saturday Amabooks, a local publishing house, will launch an anthology – Moving On and Other Zimbabwean Stories at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe.

The same day has something for visual art enthusiasts as the BUYA Visual Artiste Exhibition is on at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. Four visual artistes, Omega Masuku Lawrence Ndlovu, Lattymore Moyo and Ndimenhle Sibanda will, through their various artefacts, highlight the stories of emerging artists practising in challenging times in the country.

Another interesting act to look forward to is new gospel choir — Gospel Unplugged who will launch their debut album, Sounds of Africa, also on Saturday.

Gospel music is a genre that is popular and appreciated by many people and it is good that it is part of the Intwasa Festival this year.

Sadly though this year there is no fashion show again which had gained popularity over the past editions and was one of the major highlights of the festival.