A twist at Shoko Festival 2023
2 min read
CHITUNGWIZA, Zimbabwe’s longest-running festival of urban culture, Shoko Festival closed with a bang! The Festival traditionally closes with Peace in the Hood concert which was held on Saturday, September 30th at Unit L Community Hall, Chitungwiza.
The lineup of artists included Gemma Griffiths, Nutty O, Hwinza Menternah, Bling4, Chikk’oz, Bagga, Mycole Biller, Tha Nu Vyb, and DJ Tashman.
The 2023 Peace in the Hood had a surprise performance from Chipo Muchengwa and Terry Gee, unlike past urban culture festivals. The crowd in Chitungwiza sang along to every song the two performers sang as they performed side by side.
Unlike the other young upcoming artists that got booed on stage, Chipo Muchengwa and Terry Gee received warm love from their fans. They performed their hit song, Ndezvemoyo with the crowd going wild singing along.
“Terry and Chipo’s performance was on point, with the crowd chanting to all of the songs that they performed,”
The inclusion of Terry and Chipo as part of performing acts shows Shoko organizers inclusivity of all.
Although it is clear that there is still much work to be done to promote inclusion of people in the arts sector living with disabilities in Zimbabwe’s music industry.
However, initiatives such as RAMPD and Arts Hub Zimbabwe are helping to raise awareness about this issue and provide opportunities for disabled musicians. With continued efforts from all stakeholders, we can create a more inclusive and vibrant music industry that benefits everyone.
The Zimbabwean government has also taken steps to promote inclusion of all in the music industry. In 2019, Arts Hub Zimbabwe held a workshop at Music Crossroads Academy in Harare aimed at mentoring art players in the industry living with disabilities. The workshop aimed at promoting increased access of people living with disabilities to the arts and embedding them into mainstream avenues, festivals and other cultural institutions
Watch one of their performances here
