Educational and Workshop Tour 2014.
This year we launched something new in our calendar –theZimboita Educational and Workshop tour 2014. The purely teaching and workshops tour saw us working with 10 schools around Italy where we mainly taught African culture, music, dances and songs.
Our Zimbo partner-passionate Drummer Blessing ‘Bled’ Chimanga flew in from Zimbabwe for the tour. Alongside Theresa Muteta - an International acclaimed mbira, vocalist and dancer from Zimbabwe too, they brought in high qualitycomponents and passionate expertise in African music. The Zim duo together with Italian Max Covini and Matteo Boldini saw Zimboita delivering a whole month of highly energised andexciting workshops for the young Italian students.
It was a great joy to see the Italian students having their first experience holding a mbira instrument in their hands. Mbira is a special Zimbabwean instrument which celebrates the culture of Zimbabweans and Africa as a whole. Marimba, another Zimbabwean instrument, was also a highlight on this trip as many students from the schools showed interest in learning how to play Marimba. The energy and passion by the Zimboita coaches rubbed onto the are generally shy and holding back Italian children who slowly opened up and had such fun in the workshops belting out shona songs such as "Hondo", "Nhemamusasa" and "Mawere Kongonya". Theresa Muteta taught them dances named Dinhe and Mhande. It was also interesting as the children asked touching questions which showed their rather amusing perspective of Africa.
At the end of the month the children proudly exhibited the results of their hard work for the month in a concert for their parents. It was a great pay off watching the children display the music, dances and sounds of the African music and culture. The tour was a success because the children learnt Zimabwean and African music and acquired a better understanding of Zimbabwe and Africa as a place, a people and a culture. A lot of them expressed interest in actually visiting the country and other parts of Africa, now that they have a more beautiful understanding. Some of the schools that participated have shown interest in adding African Music lessons to their curriculum and several schools have already made bookings to be included in the 2015 edition of the tour.
Zimboita believes the success of the group is in teaching and empowering the next generation with the culture and values of the 2 countries. We believe we are just an example to the rest of the world that people can come together and bring out one sound and educate one another on their different cultures and at the end of the day be proud to be who they are yet appreciate other cultures and their values. We are already excited and looking forward to the 2015 Zimboita Educational and workshop tour.
ZIMBOITA INOITA!
