DAMBUDZO

“The street comes into the house and the house is the street.” This is how choreographer nora chipaumire describes “shebeens”, informal bars housed in the private residences of Zimbabwe’s Black population during the British colonial period. These were places where African workers, teachers, students, and families congregated to spend time together and chat in their native language while listening to Jit, a popular local genre of music. Accompanied by eight performers, audience members will have the opportunity to explore a shebeen-inspired installation made of wood and cardboard, subdivided by transparent, large-format paintings that alternately create intimate spaces for retreat or provide communal spots in which to gather. Blending music, painting, and dance, the performance transforms into an exuberant concert experience. In tribute to revolutionary thinkers such as Dambudzo Marechera (1952 – 1987) and drawing upon the Shona word “dambudzo” [eng. „trouble“], the result is an atmosphere of tumult and resistance, but also of hope and awakening.