Iyasa celebrate 15yrs

By Bongani Ndlovu

Celebrated and well travelled dance group, Iyasa will this month mark 15 years of being in the entertainment industry with its director Nkululeko Dube saying it was a time for the group to reflect.

Sandra Ndebele, Nkwali and Tsungi Tsikirai are some of the names that have been at the award-winning dance academy and the trio will take the stage at Hartsfield Tshisanyama on December 23.

Entrance will be pegged at $3. Dube said the 15-year anniversary celebration would bring together past and present Iyasa members under one roof.

“We’re celebrating Iyasa’s legacy by bringing together the founding members with the present members at the celebration. The likes of Sandra, Nkwali, Tsungai and some other founding members now based in South Africa are expected to perform. They’ll be joined by Ghetto Voices, an Iyasa project, that are set to perform on the day,” said Dube.

Artistes that will be supporting on the night include DJs Prince, Mzoe, Jay-B, Wallace, Emitty Smooth, Bongs Deeper and Passe. Before the main celebrations Dube said there would be a dinner for the group at a local hotel where they would receive an award.

“Iyasa won an award in Austria for the Best Music in the production Mein Bauenhof (My Farm House) at the Stella awards. We shall be holding a dinner to celebrate the award to top off a great year for Iyasa,” said Dube.

Iyasa is Zimbabwe’s multi-award winning performing arts school for youths established in 2001 to support and promote the best interests of young musicians, dancers, actors and poets.

Iyasa was born out of a successful Mpopoma High School drama club in Bulawayo.

It has since expanded to be a resource centre for most established and up-and-coming artistes, especially musicians, singers and dancers.

Iyasa is an abbreviation for Inkululeko Yabatsha School of Arts which translates to Freedom for Young People School of Arts. Chronicle