Shoko Festival 2016 to present Gemma Griffiths

By Tinashe Sibanda | Harare Bureau |

Popularly known for her Winky D cover song, Musarova Bigiman piano version that went viral on social media sites, Gemma Griffiths will this year perform on the first day of the Shoko Festival, ushering the revellers into the evening with an explosive music set.

In a bid to live up to this year’s theme ‘Come Alive’, the sixth edition of the Shoko Festival will showcase various acts on different stages in Harare from 23 to 25 September.

The main venue will be the Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences and the show will on the last day move over to Chitungwiza where the festival organisers will put together daytime events, especially for those that may not prefer to stay out for the late evening shows.

Various entities including Tafara 1 High, Mest Foundation and The Oratus (a youth arts group) are expected to also perform during the first 2 days of the festival and such showcases always come with a promise of jovial mbira, marimba, hip hop and dance acts.

In a statement, the festival organisers promised a variety of programmes that include markets, comedy, poetry and dance in the daytime programme.

“For the first time, the popular Hustlers Market will kick off the festivities and is expected to run for the first two days of the Festival at the Zimbabwe Museum of Human Sciences venue.

“This market is Harare’s premier monthly food and design market featuring locally made urban wear, crafts and street food,” says the statement.

The organisers added that Friday, 23 September will see an afternoon filled with comedy, hip hop, and dance theatre where the country’s popular Jibilika Dance Trust will perform a dance theatre piece.

Local poets Aerosol, Aspya, Andrew Shangiwa and Barbra Breeze are also expected to perform.

Another all-Harare people’s favourite, the House of Hunger Poetry slam, will see poets competing for the top title, raising the bar high for poetry acts to follow on Saturday afternoon.

“Simuka Comedy’s Top Comedian returns and is running for the first 2 days of the festival thus providing a rare opportunity for budding comedians to contest to be part of the next festival edition of the comedy category on the opening night with last year’s winner, Mandla Nkosi billed to join other comedy heavy weights at the opening night,” the statement read.

“For the first two days the festival organisers will also be hosting the annual Hub Unconference, which is a new media conference that will host renowned international and local speakers who will speak on journalism and technology at the Harare City Library,” added the organisers.

The Shoko Festival will host another debut Virtual Reality lounge which will give participants an experience of the new technology.

The Shoko Festival 2016 tickets are currently on sale at selected outlets including Moto Republik, Talk City and Alliance Française Harare. Nehanda Radio