High number of entries for Harare fest

HIFA executive director Maria Wilson told local publication NewsDay that the high turnout was due to artists acknowledging the significance of the festival.

She also said the festival provided artists with an opportunity to get global recognition. “We have invited several festival directors from other countries for scouting purposes that will see them choosing some local artistes for their festivals. This will therefore provide opportunities for local artists to showcase their talents on international platforms exchanging notes with other international artists,” Wilson said.

According to HIFA’s Facebook page, this year’s edition will run under the theme HIFA 2017 – Staging an Intervention. Oliver Mtukudzi is one of the big names in the line-up and will perform ‘Let Our Song Be Sung’ with Ghana’s Rocky Dawuni and Italy’s Amanda a la Banda during the official opening of the festival.

Wilson said this year’s event would celebrate the power of individuals and collective creative thinking. “HIFA focuses attention on the artistry and excellence that we embrace as an organisation and that has the potential to change the way we engage with the world. Our 2017 identity is all about energy and reinvention,” she said.

Wilson said the festival would feature productions from Kenya, the UK and Zimbabwe “to create an unprecedented opportunity for the HIFA audience”.

HIFA is regarded among the top music festivals in Africa that incorporates theatre, dance, music, circus, applied art and design, fashion and spoken word.