Sunday News
7 November 2010
Arts Focus with Raisedon Baya
Where do Bulawayo artistes meet? Do they even meet? Once or twice one bumps into fellow artistes on the streets and hellos and goodbyes are hurriedly exchanged from a distance. And can one honestly call these “bump-ins’’ a meeting?
Anyway, I know journalists meet at the Press clubs and other Press gatherings. I have seen them meet and talk about issues affecting their profession over a few glasses of cold beers. I also know journalists have a national union and whenever the need arises they can speak with one voice and be heard.
I also know footballers meet at football matches, especially at social soccer matches and other places of interest. Some social football teams are even burial clubs!
But where do artistes, particularly Bulawayo artistes, meet? I ask this question because I was asked the same question by a colleague and drew blank. My mind just jammed and I thought he was just being funny.
It was only after he had gone that I gave the question some serious thought and the answer that floated onto my mind was shocking, to say the least. Artistes meet at funerals.
Now, I know a lot of artistes might not agree with me here. I had a hard time accepting that answer too. And if there is a better answer, if there is some place somewhere in the city where artistes meet, then I would be happy to get the name of that place.
In Harare if you want to meet artistes all you have to do is wander around the Book Café and you are sure to meet a couple of artistes. I have been to the Book Café several times and seen a number of artistes sipping drinks and discussing art business.
In Johannesburg I hear there are a number of places you can go looking for artistes but I know if you linger around Market Theatre and the restaurants in Newtown near the theatre complex, you will surely bump into several artistes.
I hear in Nigeria there is a place where you can go and meet all the stars we see in “African Movies’’. But again where do artistes in Bulawayo meet?
The sad truth is that most artistes don’t know each other, socially. We don’t even know each other’s families. We see each other on stage, costumed to entertain others, we read about each other in newspapers and on the internet, we talk behind each other’s backs but we never gather together to discuss sector business like professionals from one sector.
I know if there is no workshop or meeting called by other sectors where we go hoping to get some kind of a performance and a couple of dollars, then we don’t meet. Even during shows we don’t meet as we don’t go to watch other artistes’ shows.
Recently, I went to watch a musical show with a friend and he kept looking around in the hope of seeing familiar faces from the arts fraternity. There were only two or three artistes. Kind of disappointing but that is the everyday reality.
Honestly, there is no place in Bulawayo where someone who wants to meet artistes and engage in serious discussions with them, can go and meet them. There is no place for artistes to meet in Bulawayo and as a result artistes don’t meet, unless, of course, it’s during a funeral and one of them has died. How sad.
A couple of months ago Cont Mhlanga said something that touched at the core of my heart. Unfortunately, he said it at a funeral — when we were burying a fellow artiste. He said: “it is high time artistes stopped meeting at funerals. Let us meet to discuss business, to discuss projects — let us meet in happier times and get to know each other better’’.
Sadly; several months after the speech, nothing seems to have changed. There is still no meeting place for artistes away from funerals. There are still no meetings. And no one seems interested in meeting in good and happier times to discuss future projects over a cold beer or soft drink.
Unfortunately, no one from any other sector will come and create the space and time for artistes to meet. The artistes have to create that space and time for themselves.
I yearn to see a place in Bulawayo where artistes will meet and laugh over a beer. I want to see that place, to be part of that place.
Thumbs up!
To the National Art Gallery in Bulawayo for hosting Senator David Coltart last weekend. The senator delivered a beautiful and thought- provoking speech about art and the law. It was just unfortunate that the venue was half-empty. Artistes who were meant to benefit from the talk were nowhere near the venue! It is opportunities like these that should never go to waste.