Iyasa spruces up team…calls for dancers, musicians, actors

By Mthabisi Tshuma

One of the most celebrated performing arts schools in Zimbabwe, Inkululeko Yabatsha School of Arts (Iyasa) is on a drive to spruce up their team and are calling for dancers, musicians and actors to join the group.

Having been in the creative sector for over 20 years, Iyasa started off as a drama club. As it grew, the group expanded to be a resource centre for most established and up-and-coming artistes, especially musicians, singers and dancers.

It is now one of the most sought-after entertainment groups in the country.

Some of the success stories from the group include Sandra Ndebele-Sibindi, Roben Mlauzi aka Momiza, Nkwali and Tsungi Tsikirai.

The arts school director Nkululeko Dube said they are calling on young talented artistes between the age of 19 and 25 to join their camp that is eyeing resuming foreign tours.

He said Iyasa has received requests from Harare and Swaziland.

“We are accepting applications on email or physically and started enrolment and it’s on until the end of June. At the moment were are signing contracts with those identified, like with parents of minors and those who are over 18.

“The scope is so wide we are receiving requests from as far as Harare, Swaziland, which has got us thinking of going national and regional,” said Dube.

He said training will start on July 6 with the chosen ones to help replace others who left the group.

“As a group we’ve lost a number of artistes over the years, either through death or after being nurtured to go solo, thus we are calling on young musicians, dancers and actors to come join the group that currently has 26 people of which 12 are male and 14 are females.

“Our artistes are versatile as we train them in all round genres and then allow them to specialise in some according to their liking and strengths,” said Dube.

Iyasa has lost talented dancers in the past that include Sonia “Soso” Mbaya and Sibonisiwe Sithole who died in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

The group has started to train at Entumbane Hall where it is preparing to be ready when the arts sector reopens. The Chronicle