MAKE SOME NOISE! - A Concert For Freedom In Zimbabwe

southern africa | culture | non-anarchist press Tuesday March 24, 2009 14:49 by MAGAMBA! The Cultural Activist Network farai.magamba at gmail dot com 012 327 6163

Once Africa’s most educated population Zimbabwe has seen school attendance drop to 20% of those of school-going age while thousands
have died from a resurgence of the archaic, curable disease of cholera. Opposition activists are abducted by state agents while SADC sits by complicit in the collapse and death. The people of Zimbabwe are crying out for a new constitution, freedom of expression and for their social, economic and human rights. Zimbabwe is in real need of regional solidarity at a time when a shaky unity government is ill-equipped and lacking will to address these issues. Magamba, the Cultural Activist Network, in partnership with the Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum and LNM Entertainment will hold a festival to build people-to-people solidarity in the region and to maintain a spotlight on the Zimbabwean crisis. MAKE SOME NOISE aims to make Jozi move to regional rhythms of change!

MAKE SOME NOISE! - A Concert For Freedom In Zimbabwe
3pm Sunday 29th March @ The Bassline, Jozi
PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

Once Africa’s most educated population Zimbabwe has seen school attendance drop to 20% of those of school-going age while thousands have died from a resurgence of the archaic, curable disease of cholera. Opposition activists are abducted by state agents while SADC sits by complicit in the collapse and death. The people of Zimbabwe are crying out for a new constitution, freedom of expression and for their social, economic and human rights. Zimbabwe is in real need of regional solidarity at a time when a shaky unity government is ill-equipped and lacking will to address these issues. Magamba, the Cultural Activist Network, in partnership with the Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum and LNM Entertainment will hold a festival to build people-to-people solidarity in the region and to maintain a spotlight on the Zimbabwean crisis. MAKE SOME NOISE aims to make Jozi move to regional rhythms of change!

The concert will kick off in front of hundreds of people at the Bassline from 3pm on Sunday 29th March. This date is symbolically exactly one year on from the elections rigged and stolen by ZANU PF. The concert will feature leading Southern African artists who preach change and make people move at the same time! From South Africa there will be: Thandiswa, Napo Masheane, Kwani Experience with Pops Mohamed, Tumi and the Volume featuring Zubz. Lebo Mashile will host the event and the industrious DJ Kenzhero will supply the tunes.

From Botswana, TJ Dema (Tjawangwa Dema) will represent. TJ Dema is a performance poet, creative writer, columnist and voice over artist. She is a founding member of Botswana's acclaimed Exoduslivepoetry! collective, 2002 International Poet of Merit award holder, 2007 International Society of Poets Poetry Ambassador and 2007 Bessie Head Literature award first runner up.

Representing Mozambique will be the meticulous dub/reggae outfit, 340ml. 340ml is part of the exciting, new alternative music movement growing in popularity amongst young people of all backgrounds. “Anyone who knows anything about 340ml, the Mozambican dub-jazz foursome which has been based in Jozi for about the last 8 years, will know two things: (a) they never hurry, and (b) the wait is usually worth it.“

Zimbabwe will be represented by an inspiring blend of renowned artists and a new generation of riotous voices. Of the two veteran artists
Chirikure Chirikure is a respected, outspoken Zimbabwean poet who has performed often in South Africa and further afield while Steve Makoni is Zimbabwe’s premier solo guitarist whose lyrics dig deep into society. Representing the new generation is the explosive, freedom
fighter band Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka. Despite their heavily political debut album being banned in their own country Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka have toured extensively and Jozi will be their first leg in a month long tour encompassing South Africa, the USA and West Africa. Also symbolising the new voices of Zimbabwe are Outspoken and The Essence - Harare’s fresh, politically-charged afro-soul hip hop band - alongside Upmost and Stan - a soulful spoken word and solo guitar duo.

The event is expected to have big media reach and a tangible effect in developing real solidarity. Major media organisations will be invited
to film the event and a press conference will be held in advance. Buses will be provided to transport hundreds of Zimbabwean asylum seekers and diaspora from their neighbourhoods. Meanwhile Zimbabwean civic society organisations and South African social movements will attend in their numbers.

The inaugural MAKE SOME NOISE concert held in Johannesburg in December 2007 was successful, attended by 200 people and covered by various mainstream South African media. The second in the MAKE SOME NOISE series saw nearly 300 people attend with the event covered by media from seven different countries. 300 letters addressed to Thabo Mbeki demanding action on Zimbabwe were signed by participants and sent to the president’s office. The third in the series saw over a hundred attending and over a hundred more letters sent to the office of the president.