BULAWAYO is considered the melting pot of culture in Zimbabwe. The city has produced many celebrities of note since independence but they are rarely celebrated at home.
Staff reporter
A number have found fame abroad and below is a list of 10 Southern Eye Lifestyle considers to be trailblasers:
- Dorothy Masuku
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Masuku was born in Bulawayo’s Makokoba suburb, but went to school in South Africa and remained there after graduating to pursue a career in music. Her career started with African Jazz and Variety where she teamed up with the likes of Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela among others.
- Oscar Mdlongwa
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Oskido as Mdlongwa is popularly known, is one of the most popular club and radio DJs in South Africa today. He is a music producer, whose success in the South African music industry is simply unparalleled. Oskido, a son of MDC politician Esaph Mdlongwa, was born in South Africa in 1967, but went to school in Bulawayo. He is the brains behind Kalawa Jazmee, which has produced some of South Africa’s most loved pop stars in the last decade.
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- NoViolet Bulawayo
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NoViolet Bulawayo’s debut novel, We Need No Names, also follows the trajectory of her own migration. It tells the story of a family who travel to the United States to escape the poverty of Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. She explains why, she named herself after the town in which she grew up, even though she no longer lives in the country. This year she won the 2014 Hemingway Foundation/PEN award for We Need New Names and bagged the inaugural Etisalat Prize for Literature for debut fiction. Last year she became the first Zimbabwean and black African woman to be nominated for the coveted British literary Booker Prize. — The Guardian
- Berita Khumalo
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Berita was born in Bulawayo on June 27 and grew up in Nketa. She left Zimbabwe in 2007 to live with her parents in New Zealand. She was catapulted into stardon by her debut album Conquering Spirit that earned her a metro award.
- Iyasa
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Award-winning performing arts school for youths established in 2001 to support and promote the best interests of young musicians, dancers, actors and poets. It has since expanded to be a resource Centre for most established and upcoming artistes, especially actors, poets, musicians, singers and dancers. Iyasa has a talented and committed team of skilled and highly trained artistes in music, dance, drama and poetry, film and other genrés. The group has been to the US, Austria, Germany, Serbia, Czech Republic, South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Zambia, Malawi, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, Japan, Mexico, Montenegro, Italy, Lichtenstein and Croatia among others. —Iyasa.net
- Black Umfolosi
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The arts and culture of Africa are preserved through the a cappella harmonies, authentic costuming, and traditional dancing of multi-discipline performing arts group Black Umfolosi. Formed by students of the George Slundika School near Bulawayao, Black Umfolosi took its name from 19th-Century Zulu revolutionaries the Black Umfolosi Regiment. — All Music
- Angela Thuli Sibanda She is a common feature on South Africa’s television screens as an actress on the popular eTV soapie Scandal. Angela made the breakthrough in 2012.
- Saimon Mambazo-Phiri
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Mambazo-Phiri — choreographer, theatre practitioner, entrepreneur and multi-talented artiste is the founder of Siyaya Arts and Sabela Music Projects.
- Busi Ncube
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Ncube was a member of the legendary Afro-fusion band Ilanga that released three chart topping albums in the 1980s. She now spends most of her time in Oslo, Norway where she teaches music.
- Vusa Mkhaya Ndlovu Vusa Mkhaya Ndlovu was born on October 19 1974 in Bulawayo. It is from here that he was introduced to imbube early and fell in love with it. At nine years Ndlovu was already singing in the school choir. His school, Mahlabezulu Primary was within walking distance from his home in Tshabalala. He is part of three that makes up Insingizi who offer uplifting performances filled with harmonious a cappella singing, traditional chants, hand percussion, and superb choreography. — Insingizi
