Wednesday 27 July 2011

U.S. Embassy welcomes the Black Poet to celebrate World Poetry


Harare Poet of Hope /MbizotheBlackPoet


Harares Poet of Hope written by Stephen Tsoroti /The Zimbabwean NewsPaper

HARARE - Take a charming black prince, add decadence and straight face, and you have an unforgettable time and twisted stories of a country. Mbizo Chirasha is an iconic performance poet who has earned himself the title The Black Poet. <


Born in 1978 in Zvishavane District in Zimbabwe, Mbizo was inspired by his social surroundings at a young age. As a young man, Mbizo quickly gained prominence as a performing poet and writer both in Zimbabwe and internationally.

The themes of his poetry include children's rights, politics, social lives, gender issues, praise and protest, culture and African pride. Mbizo's poems can be read in print, but are even more powerful when performed by the dynamic poet himself. With a vision of using his poetry to promote peace, healing, stability, and cultural freedom, Mbizo is a poet with commitment, talent, and a desire to perform whenever and wherever he can.
On March 22, 2011 The United States Embassy hosted Mbizo Chirasha for a discussion of the metaphor of voices and rhythm of words featuring a scintillating recital of his works to mark World Poetry Day.
The Embassy is pleased to mark this important day. Poetry calls forth those voices in society that would otherwise go unheard and gives them a powerful tool for expressing their deepest feelings, thoughts and beliefs. Poets have the power to influence hearts and change minds, said Michael Brooke, Public Diplomacy Officer at the US Embassy in Harare.
In typical poetic form, Chirasha told his audience, which included students from Westridge High School in Harare, that, metaphors are the lotion drying political syphilis from the manhood of the state, my pen is a broom sweeping vendetta pebbles from talk tables, and my ink is a detergent cleansing political stains from parliament overalls.
Chirasha, whose work is featured in over 40 journals and anthologies around the world, says the common theme in most of his poems has been respect for women and recognizing their suffering and endurance.
Chirasha read some of his published works, including Identity Apples, Anthem of the Black Poet, Decade of Bullets, Haiti My Generation, and the popular African Names.
Asked why he preferred publishing outside the country, Chirasha bemoaned the lack of structures to support writers in Zimbabwe, saying, We lack that administrative connection in terms of writing. We lack consensus as writers, and publishing houses are closing shop. Contributing to the discussion, another poet, Thando Sibanda, said the study of literature should be made compulsory at all levels of education in Zimbabwe so as to promote an environment that supports writers and poets.

MbizotheBlackPoet motivating creativity in girls


South Africa: Empowerment Organization Girlchildcreativity Grows

Published on: Monday, July 25th, 2011
By Martin Chemhere – Johannesburg: The young but vibrant creative empowerment project is realizing huge growth with  local media buzz leading to unprecedented awareness around Harare city and many parts of the country.
 
Mbizo Chirasha - The Black Poet
Form today until the first week of August, Girlchildcreativity (www.girlchildcreativity.blogspot.com) will host a collaboration young females talent showcase and dinner in conjunction with the New Ambassador Hotel at the new hotel in Harare.
Coming together are artists and students from 3 schools to participate in a performance for schools such as Hopely Farm, Premier College (Hatcliffe) and Chiedza Childcare centre from Mbare. Taking part are artists Elsa Kamsoda, Vasadza, Mutumwa Pavi, Amanandos Dance Group, Trybe Africa, Petina and Friends,  Victor Moyo, Ruvimbo Mtasa, Doc Vikela.
Another major promising event lined up is the Mind Blast Discussion at the Book Café , and a collaboration between the Book Café, Pamberi Trust and Girlchildcreativity. Speakers include Mbizo Chirasha, Masimba Biriwasha, Flow Child and Patience Gamu Tavengwa.
Since its launch in June this year support has also been rolling from organizations like the US Embassy’s Public Affairs department as well the New Ambassador Hotel, Harare.
The idea kicked off with an activity supported by The US Embassy and in the form of a seminar, motivating creativity in girls.  It drew participants from schools  around the city that send girls to brainstorm on issues pertaining to talent realization and self worth.  Slum Cinema was the other collaborators in the event.
During the day of the African Child this year, Girlchildcreativity was hosted by Chiedza Childcare centre in Ardbenie, near Mbare for a workshop on creative motivation. Female students from Seke and Mbare participated in events facilitated by young female poets including Black Heat Deshanti, Breezy, Flow Child, Rutendo Tapiwa, and Eve Nyemba among others. The workshops touched on how to identify talent, self belief; self worth, writing skills and poets also gave a brief of their experiences as female artists.  A writers competition was included in the programming with young girls wining books , meals, cash and writing books as well as certificates to honor their writing and creative skills.
 “We will keep working with all our current stakeholders – international governmental institutions, local NGOs, creative institutions, private business, media, artists of all genres , the government and other players,” said Mbizo Chirasha, producer and creative director of Girlchildcreativity.

BLACKpoet worked with female poets Like Blackheat deshanti

No stopping poetess Blackheat

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By Editor   
Sunday, 22 May 2011 16:52
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HARARE - Blackheat deShanti is a poetess who was born in 1986 in a small mining town of Zvishavane, which is almost 400km from Harare.

Growing up, she excelled in academia, sport and art. She went on to pursue a career in the sciences, graduating in 2009 with Honours in Food Science and Technology and a major in Analytical Biochemistry.

She started writing poetry when she was eight and then started performing in June 2006 after she met renowned Zimbabwean poet, Chirikure Chirikure, who introduced her to the rudiments of slam poetry at The Book Café, in Harare.

After that, there was no stopping her.

Speaking passionately on consciousness, love, revolution, culture and the delicate, balance of the mind and soul, individuality and freedom, she was soon on the biggest poetry platform at The Harare International Festival of the Arts (Hifa) in May 2007.

From there came the poetry show, X-rated, with DJ Munya Milimo, who was then at Power FM in June 2007 through To August 2008.

This live show, fused instruments such as the djembe, mbira and acoustic guitar and  generated quite a lot of interest in southern Africa.

It also explored the poetics of hip-hop by showcasing underground rappers and conscious hip-hop artists.

During the same year, she took her place in the Southern African Artists Against Aids Festival (SAAF), which brought together artists from all over Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Lesotho.

Several other high-profile shows followed, with performances at The Alliance Francaise, Gallery Delta, 7 Arts Theatre, The Mannenberg, CUT Theatre Club Poetry Nights amongst venues in and out of Harare.

She has performed together, most recently at Hifa  once more in 2011, with Pitika Ntuli (South Africa), Qabaniso Malewezi (Malawi), Morten Sondergaard (Denmark), Ngwatilo Mawiyoo (Kenya), TJ Dema (Botswana), Quaye Kojo (Ghana) and Mbizo Chirasha (Zimbabwe).

Locally she has done extensive work with Mashoko/ Magamba (Comrade Fatso, Outspoken, Upmost), and The Toyi-Toyi Arts Collective ( G.O.D., Zaza, Cush, 45) as well as The Zimbabwe Poets for Human Rights, (ZPHR: Mabwe Mwnakomana, Shoes Lambada, Ronald Jongwe).

She also took part in The African Drums Book and Poetry Tour which was curated by controversial Zimbabwean poet, Mbizo Chirasha.

She is also an actress, having done her last major theatre production at the 7 Arts Theatre in June 2007, titled June, the Stone Cold Season.

Apart from all this, she is also a designer and musician who plays the piano, keyboard, mbira and the recorder.

She also writes short stories and plays although the bulk of her work is unpublished.

The artist  has secured a recording deal with Crossline Music for her first poetry album, which should be out next year.
Asked what inspires her writing she says, “tragedy, tragedy, tragedy…the tragedy of disillusionment…that of not knowing and understanding the self… in turn, not understanding creation and consequently, the Creator. Pain, death and just the drudgery of life…with a few rays of sunlight streaming through.”

She also draws her inspiration from the music and culture of the Mande/Malinke jelis(griots) and her band is composed of the acoustic guitar, balafon, djembe and mbira.

Wednesday 13 July 2011

Meeet MbizotheBlackPoet

Mbizo Chirasha



Mbizo the BlackPoet is an internationally acclaimed perfomances poet/writer/live literature producer/creative projects consultant , he works as a poetry festival manager , creative interventions consultant , perfomances poet, public /media relations facilitator,poetry writer, poet/writer in residence,publications coordinator and compiler.The Poet is published in more than 62 journals , literary magazines, poetry  anthologies , creative reviews and cultural research anthologies and thesis , in the States , Britain,Germany,India,South Africa,Norway ,Turkey ,Finland ,Iceland,Zimbabwe ,Namibia and also Ghana. He  has CO-authored  a poetry Anthology  /Whispering Woes of Ganges and Zambezi with Sweta Vikram, indian bornpoet based inNew York,USA.Mbizo is the founder of  Girl Child creativity project , a project that seek to mitigate the underrepresentation of younggirls in areas of creative enterprise , creative writing , perfomances art ,literacy development and readership culture , the project seek to develop girls mentally and creatively for them to realise their talent , creative identity and self worth ,on this project , check , http://www.girlchildcreativity.blogspot.com/.
He is also the founder of Young Writers Caravan ,Africa Drums Poetry Festival,This is Africa Poetry  Night between 2003- 2011
all programs   had everything to with creativity.


Mbizo  has perfomed in various  media , political, writers ,book ,diplomatic , non-govermental and international platform , and worked with such organizations on  different levels as a writer,poet , poet inresdence , consultant , facilitator , manager and producer.
follow ,mbizo poetry on this blog , on google , on facebook notes and on the other blog, http://www.poetrychatroom.blogspot.com/