Harare — IT'S official, the Harare International Festival of the Arts will be graced by Malian crooner Habib Koite.

The festival, running under the theme, Enligh10ment begins on April 28.

This year Hifa celebrates 10 years of being the premier arts festival in Sub-Saharan Africa, hence the deliberate number 10 in the 2009 theme.

"We are happy to have reached the milestone of being 10 years old and we expect this year's show to be the best show ever, but is that not what we always cautiously say every year and achieve," the executive director of Hifa, Maria Wilson said in an exclusive interview last week.

What is set to get Hifa arts connoisseurs elated is the inclusion, by public demand of the Malian with the magical moody voice, Koite.

The artiste is set to choose Zimbabwe over the majestic international capitals of Europe.

"We are in fruitful negotiations with (Habib) Koite and he is very happy to come to Zimbabwe for this year's Hifa.

"As you know he proved to be very magical and have great rapport with the crowd when he came two years ago and we will have great joy having him come aboard to help us celebrate 10 years of Hifa," said Wilson.

The 51 year-old from Bamako is a well known Blues and Flamenco music guitarist, but has appealed to legions of fans across the planet.

He has also had many of his pieces immortalised as sample music on millions of laptops by key brands, a feather in the cap by any measure.

"We have made sure we have the cream of the crop regarding the musical section as we make sure that the artistes that are coming tie in well with both our theme and celebratory mood that comes with cooking up a storm for any birthday party let alone our own anniversary," said Wilson.