Shingai wins Harare Chibuku Neshamwari finals with Mbakumba dance

Shingai wins Harare Chibuku Neshamwari finals with Mbakumba dance

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Werrus Park in Glen View 1 hosted the Harare provincial finals of the Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival on Saturday, drawing crowds for a day of competition and performances centred on Zimbabwean traditional dance.

The event, sponsored by Delta Beverages through its Chibuku brand, featured groups presenting a range of dances associated with different communities, accompanied by drumming and choreography aimed at showcasing cultural heritage and identity.

Shingai Dance Troupe won the provincial title after performing the Mbakumba dance, taking first prize and US$2,500. Pasichigare Performing Arts placed second with a Muchongoyo performance and received US$1,500, while Karingezuva Dance Group came third with the Chinyambera dance and earned US$1,000.

Zimbabwe National Traditional Dance Association (ZNTDA) president Kennedy Kachuruka said the festival plays a role in cultural preservation and community cohesion.

“This festival is important to the people of Zimbabwe because it helps us uphold our cultures, regardless of where we come from,” Kachuruka said. “It also allows cultures from across our borders to showcase their traditional dances, as we witnessed with the Nyau dances, which originated in Malawi and Zambia.”

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Pasichigare Performing Arts leader Charles Mpembe said the platform helps groups maintain links with their heritage while performing for wider audiences.

“We thank Delta for bringing us this festival because it allows us to showcase our culture through dance,” Mpembe said. “I am Ndau, and although I live in Harare, I have not forgotten my culture. We sometimes eat mbeva as a family as a way of remembering and celebrating our heritage.”

For Shingai Dance Troupe, the latest win adds to a strong record at provincial level. The group’s assistant director, Musa, said the title was their sixth in Harare and credited continued support for traditional arts.

“This is the sixth time we have won the Harare Province Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival, and we are very happy,” he said. “We would like to thank Delta Beverages, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe National Traditional Dance Association for promoting our culture through traditional dance.”

Organisers said provincial winners will proceed to the national finals, as the Chibuku Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival continues its annual programme of competitions aimed at supporting traditional dance and cultural exchange.

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