Sistaz Open Mic @ Intwasa in Pictures

Sistaz Open Mic Goes to Bulawayo

Nancy ‘Blackheat’ Mkondyo on trumpet, a spoken word artist who took her first steps at Sistaz Open Mic and now fronts the band Blackheat, they play a fusion of poetry with mbira and other traditional sounds. 

It’s been over five years now since the first monthly event bringing female artists together was held at the Book Café in Harare. Half a decade and a full complement of talented artists who have been bred on this platform later, the mic is still open and the fire of creativity is still burning.

It’s known as the Sistaz Open Mic and its invitation to female artists is simple; “Music, dance, poetry, theatre, mime, comedy, wateva, come do your thang.”

The event which takes place place on the second Saturday of every month at the Book Cafe will this weekend, 22 Sept take the bus to Bulawayo where FLAME is partnering with Intwasa Arts Festival.  Sistaz Open Mic will be held at the Bulawayo City Hall car park from 3-5pm.  It's FREE and all women artists in Bulawayo are invited to take part.


Many artists have found their feet, or should I say voice, on this platform.  These include singers Clare Nyakujara and uZanele Manhenga and poets Aura Kawanzaruwa and Linda Gabriel, among many others.
Sistaz Open Mic is a free space were women come together in the safety of daytime and do their thing  and one of the few artistic venues where mothers are encouraged to bring their kiddies to have fun too while they bask in the light of new Zimbabwean creativity.

The monthly event was established under FLAME (Female Literary Arts and Music Enterprise), a Pamberi Trust project.

Children welcome! Toddlers dance at a recent Sistaz Open Mic event at the Book Café BATSIRAI CHIGAMA.

This is not the first time FLAME has partnered with Intwasa Arts Festival.  Last year FLAME took the Sistaz Open Mic Workshop to Bulawayo.  Along with performance and promotional opportunities, FLAME runs a series of Workshops for established and emerging women artists, collectively entitled “Workshops For Women Artists By Women Artists", in which experienced professional women artists tackle key issues in the industry with emerging women artists. Topics usually include Stagecraft, Professionalism/Discipline, Roles in the Band, Understanding PA Systems, Copyright issues, Publicity and the Internet, and open discussion on HIV/Aids focusing on the social responsibility of the song-writer or performer.

Book Café celebrates female mbira players

The Book Café will on Wednesday night collaborate with Mbiravolution in hosting an “artistic voices” discussion where the main theme at the event will be “Celebrating Female Mbira Players”.

Mbiravolution is an initiative to bring together a community of mbira players, researchers, makers, academics and lovers to discuss, share and engage each other for the development of the mbira instrument and music.

Pamberi Trust communications projects officer Blessings Kuchera said the event would look at the emergence and contribution of female mbira players in developing music in Zimbabwe and abroad.

He said: “The discussion will highlight the significance of the mbira instrument and music in Zimbabwe and beyond. It will mainly focus on the emergence of female mbira players and their immense contribution to the development of the mbira instrument and music, the music industry and the Zimbabwean community.”

The main questions to be addressed during the discussion will be: Who are the players? What significant contribution has been made? How are other female mbira players being encouraged? What does the future hold for female mbira players?

Legendary mbira songbird and icon Chiwoniso Maraire will be one of the main speakers at the discussion, along with Theresa Muteta, a young female mbira player who is also a music educator and researcher.


The other speaker will be Hector Mugani, an ethnomusicologist, and Chikwata 263 mbira player, while many others are lined up as well.

Female mbira players like Hope Masike and Onai Mtizva will not be present at the event, but will send their presentations on their experiences as female mbira players.

Masike is currently on a world tour, while Mtizva is in Namibia.

“Many people have misconceptions about the emergence of female mbira players and, therefore, their importance is diminished. One thing for sure is that women were denied the opportunity to play the mbira even if they had a passion for it,” said Kuchera.

“This also applies to other traditional instruments which were mainly male domains. Many women now play the mbira on local, regional and international platforms where they showcase their works.”

Names such as Stella Chiweshe, Beular Dyoko, Patience Chaitezvi, Maraire and Masike, among others, have made significant strides with the mbira instrument. The discussion comes when many Zimbabweans are celebrating September as the mbira month, an initiative by the Mbira Centre to celebrate and raise appreciation of the mbira.

Female musicians shine at Book Café

Upcoming female artists shook Book Café with their exceptional talents during the monthly “Sistas Open Mic” jam session.

The event, which has groomed several celebrated artists, saw performers from different sectors including dance, poetry and music, among others.

Fast-rising mbira songstress, who is part of Savannah Afros, Rutendo Machiridza, gave a remarkable performance that saw the crowd on their feet throughout her playing time.

Different male artists also joined in on stage at different times in support of the sisters of open mic, among them Baba Shupi, who performed the 1980s hit track Mumwe Wangu.

Mbizo Chirasha, who is better known as the Black Poet, also delivered a spectacular performance which featured three poems.

Though the gentlemen did justice to the stage, the sisters were not to be outdone as Moreblessing Size, whose stage name is Ms Bluez, recited her three poetry pieces.

Coming in as the guest poet, her piece If I Was Your Lover, had the crowd drawn deep in emotion with her melodious voice creating a great musical chant that went above all performances of the afternoon.

Rudo Chasi performed at the Café too.

To put the lid on the show was Tariro “Wildfire” Ruzvidzo, who delivered a spirited performance, arguably the best musicians had to offer

Newsday Entertainment Reporter