HIFA (Harare International Festival of the Arts) kicked off today. This year was particularly difficult, not only due to the dire financial situation of the country and a lack of sponsors/partners, but also due to government interference. Anyway, I resumed my usual role of a photographer for the daily news-sheet and was given carte blanche today to get on
with it. I started with Big Boys Don’t Dance written and performed by Bradley and Ash Searle.
Big Boys Don’t Dance
The South African brothers play brothers whose bachelor party goes wrong with hilarious results. The upset a few stereotypes of male dancers along the way too.
But they certainly can dance!
I stayed at the same venue for Live Vibe, a mix of various hip-hop dance crews. Some were OK, others not. I don’t mind hip-hop at top level but this was not that good.
Live Vibe – one of the better dances
Live Vibe – a local dance crew
Between the Lines was a collaboration between Tumbuka, a local dance company and Belgian based director Harold George.
Between the Lines
Between the Lines
I was a bit late getting to the recital hall where Nicky Crow and Kymia Kermani were playing contemporary classical music so had to go for the “atmosphere” type of photograph. Contemporary classical is not my forte, I suspect one has to be a bit musical to appreciate it but the audience seemed to enjoy it.
Nicola Crowe – the atmospheric shot!
Ricardo Coelho and Cristina Castro of Pe na Terra
Portuguese group Pe na Terra were sold out at the Global Stage and with good reason. Vibrant was the key word and they really put on a show of “jazzed up” Portuguese music.
Pe na Terra – all but the drummer
Lead singer Cristina Castro was extraordinarily charismatic and very photogenic to boot!
Pe na Terra
It is going to take a while for my ears to recover but I was very pleased to see that the lighting has been vastly improved from last year – I used to dread taking photos at this venue.
