Return of Book Cafe Excites Zimbabwe Artists
The book café, a hub that has and continues to play a crucial role in promoting arts and culture in Zimbabwe, will next month begin pop up shows to cater for local artists.
WASHINGTON — Zimbabwe's artists are excited about the return of the Book Café, a hub that has and continues to play a crucial role in promoting arts and culture in the country. In an announcement on their Facebook page, the organisation said it will host the first show at the Ambassador Hotel next week Saturday. Baba Shupi, an artist who was discovered at the Book Café, welcomed the new mobile outreach saying it will benefit untapped young talent in the country. Baba Shupi, born Peace Ndlovu, in Bulawayo said he used to go to the Book Cafe when it was still located at Fife Avenue weekly to perform at open mic nights even though he had to travel from Masvingo where he was staying at the time. "I was staying in Masvingo and had not been discovered yet until I got identified by the late Chiwoniso Maraire who assisted me and helped me and encouraged me to continue performing until I got to the stage when I became a household name," said Baba Shupi. He credits the Book Cafe for providing a lot of instruments and marketing needed for upcoming artists to get them off the ground. "I found my current band members at Book Cafe as it was a hub of talented artists including instrument players and others looking for bands to join," he said. The Book Cafe closed its doors at its iconic location at Fife Avenue Shopping Center at the beginning of January 2012 and reopened a few months later at a new location, at the Samora Machel Avenue on the corner of the Sixth Street closing again in June this year due to financial constraints. " I hope that more artists will be discovered at the pop up shows but sincerely pray that donors and sponsors can team up with the Book Cafe brand owners and open-up like before so that artists have a hub to go without fearing expenses," said Baba Shupi. As the public and artists await to see the how the "pop up shows", will be run Baba Shupi and others are heaving a sigh of relief saying half a loaf is better than none