“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” Mark Twain

Day 1, Monday 11 July 2011

I arrive at Pemba airport and realize my luggage is missing my heart misses a beat…my luggage carries just one valuable…my poetry, the poetry that I have travelled all the way from Zimbabwe to share with the people of Pemba…Comforting thing is I realize Rumbidzai Tapfuma and Eunice Tava from Zimbabwe where on the same flight and I don’t feel so alone anymore. It’s almost three in the morning when we finally arrive at Tambo Tambulani…for several reasons sleep does not come easy.

Day 2, 3,4 Tuesday 12-14 July 2011

The art camp begins with several workshops; theatre, gender and music workshops are held at Tambo while the literature workshop was held at the plush Pemba Beach Hotel. I am amazed at how the community of Tambo is so involved especially the women – catering for the festival as well as performing the Inkissa dance to the delight of the festival goers. Now Inkissa is not a dance for two-left footed beings like myself so I don’t even try to lift my feet…the vigour with which it is performed would leave me breathless. Spontaneity lives here. I witnessed the most interesting jam session ever when Yasu held the music workshop on the 15^th. The percussion improvised instruments: empty bottles, spoons and sticks then add Warila’s traditional Khanakari guitar, pure magic.

An informal general discussion on gender issues initiated by Angela and moderated by Eunice Tava highlighted universal issues I realized, not only peculiar to the women of Tambo but issues that are a concern even in Zimbabwe. There are no opportunities for the women to expose their talent, many of them with hopes to travel the world and share their culture with the world.
If the world can come to us why can’t we also go to the world? Even though culture is what these women are trying to preserve it is the same culture that is a barrier standing between them and their full potential. The women are limited to playing ngoma and cannot play any other instrument as it is mostly done by men. It was encouraging however to hear some of the men at Tambo encourage the women to be bold and follow their dreams.

DAY 4,15-16 July 2011

The festival begins.
On the afternoon of the 15^th participants of the festival are taken to the oldest part of town, the baixa, centred around the port and adjacent to Paquitequete. I’ts however sad to note the state on this historic place in such neglect. It’s a Friday so like any other Friday people are looking for the place where the party is at, Tambo Tambulani Tambo. Opening the show were the admirable women of Nanhimbe, leaving behind their daily chores they took to the stage with such overwhelming presence – Inkissa, the signature dance. Moticomo(Maputo), Warila(Nampula), Motlepele ‘Mo’ Morule & Eze-lap(South Africa), Rumba group(Pemba), Yasu(Pemba) were some of the groups that took part in the festival. I was the only poet representing at the whole festival, a challenge to compete with music but I must say the translation by my new found friend Lithos resulted in an amazing response from the audience.

How we view the world and what we choose to see is determined by the kind of lens we lend to our eyes, I chose to see that little
ray.

Thanks to Carl Joshua Ncube, Clare Nyakujara, Inkanyezi & Wocalling for the t-shirts & music prizes that I gave away at the festival.