Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Trust Khosa
22 November 2007
Harare — A Star-Studded line-up of female performers will grace this year's Harare Divas Against Violence concert pencilled in at the Book Café and Mannenberg Jazz Club on November 24.
HDAV, an initiative of the Book Café's Pamberi Trust's gender programme, Female Literary Arts and Music Enterprise, is part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women - a global campaign to say no to violence against women.
The commemorations begin on November 25 and end on December 10. Chiwoniso Maraire, Sibusisiwe Ncube and Prudence Katomeni-Mbofana are the major drawcards at the musical bash. Rute Mbangwa, Duduzile Manhenga, Sister Flame, Edith Katiji, Patience Musa and Selmor Mtukudzi will be part of the line-up while Bernie Bismark, Vimbai Zimuto, Yulith Ndlovu and poet Linda Gabriel have been slotted in as supporting acts.
Penny Yon, the co-ordinator of the concert, yesterday said the 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women would not go unnoticed hence the idea of putting together HDAV. "In a dazzling 12-hour music programme, participating artistes join the world in standing up against violence at a star-studded concert from 2pm to 2am.
"Featuring top women artistes of Zimbabwe who are widely acclaimed household names, alongside up-and-coming young performers of note, the concert will celebrate womanhood, and relay a strong message against violence against women," she said. She added: "This amazing line-up offers great entertainment across the genre board, from traditional mbira to jazz, rhythm & blues to afro pop and reggae, poetry and theatre.
"The concert will take pleasure in advertising activities and events of other organisations celebrating the 16 Days in Harare, of which there are many." The artistes performing at The Book Café & Mannenberg Jazz Club will dedicate a song against violence while advocating for peace -- a message that can never be spread too widely in our world. Some of the major highlights of the 16 Days campaign include the International Day Against Violence Against Women on November 25, International Women Human Rights Defenders Day on November 29, World Aids Day December 1, the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre on December 6 and International Human Rights Day December 10.
Pamberi Trust's gender programme is being supported by Norwegian agency HIVOS and is designed to help bring female performing artists into the mainstream arts. The campaign was launched in 1991 to raise society's awareness on gender-based violence.
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