100 artists to perform at Tumaini Festival
After failing to take place last year due to Covid, Tumaini Festival, returns with its seventh edition kicking off tomorrow through to Sunday at Dzaleka Refugee Camp in Dowa District.
The free-of-charge annual festival will this year attract performances from 100 artists.
Some of the artists set to perform this year include Faith Mussa, Eli Njuchi, Amahoro Drummers, Zain from South Africa, Blaze, VJ Ice, Kelvin Sings, Tudulous from Mozambique, Forus Crew, Lazarus, Ritaa, Agorosso, Lusubilo Band, Wikise, Find Codi, Erik Paliani, Tamba Africa from Zimbabwe, Soul Raiders and Blasto.
The festival’s founder Menes la Plume, real name Tresor Mpauni, who is also a poet, said yesterday all was set for the event, which this year will have in total six stages.
The six stages are main, youth, theatre corner, poetry corner, art exhibition space and cultural ground.
“We had a successful crowdfunding campaign and we managed to raise 10,000 Euros. Coming from a break due to Covid, things are difficult financially but we have managed to put everything together and we are looking forward to a great festival this coming weekend,” Menes said.
With support from stakeholders such as Tumaini Letu, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, MyBucks, Ferment. Al and Sunny Money, Tumaini has underlined itself as one of the top festivals in the country and it is unique in that it is the only one that takes place at a refugee camp.
“We just want to call upon people to come and experience a weekend full of different artistic disciplines; we have music, poetry, theatre, dance, visual art, traditional dances as well as workshops,” Menes said.
He said that the festival, which has over the years attracted huge audiences, offers a platform for intercultural exchange between refugees, the host community and international visitors.
“People have a chance to experience the life of refugees at Dzaleka. The space also gives a chance to refugees to showcase their talent to the world. We have over the years seen artists from Dzaleka doing well in different artistic disciplines,” he said.
Dzaleka Refugee Camp has excelled in arts and some of the groups which have shown exceptional talent and have been utilised by the corporate world include Salama Dance Crew, which made itself known after participating in Times Group’s Ka Jive Dance competition.
The refugee camp this year also saw some of its filmmakers premiering movies, showing the world that there was immense talent.
Tumaini in Swahili means hope and the festival seeks to give hope to refugees despite being confined in camps.
The festival, which has remained faithful, running in the month of November, is taking place the same weekend with Hangout, which is taking place at Kabumba Hotel in Salima District.
