HIFA 2014 - Switch On

Our theme this year is an invitation to seek out the light in darkness, and to explore the capacity of each one of us to illuminate and enlighten through our commitment to the arts. Let’s change our world - one vivid, luminous, transformative arts experience at a time, beginning at HIFA this year….

Chairman of the 2014 HIFA board of trustees, Muchadeyi Masunda, said of the theme:

SWITCH ON invites all of us to see ourselves as patriotic Zimbabweans in a new way.

HIFA Executive Director, Maria Wilson, said of the 2014 HIFA:

If ever there was a year that I felt we were going to have to postpone HIFA, it was this one. The Festival has been struggling to survive and it is only through the passion, compassion and determination of the HIFA Team that it is still alive. The theme SWITCH ON is therefore very appropriate to HIFA’s situation. There is so much apathy around us and a real element of not caring about each other or important initiatives, such as HIFA, that are so obviously struggling to continue. We truly need to SWITCH ON as a people and take a definite interest in our surroundings, our streets, each other, our country and its future.

Programme

You can view or download the 2014 programme lineup here.

Freshly Ground Show cancellation

The main act of the closing show scheduled for 4 May 2014 by a South African Afro-fusion group called "Freshlyground" was cancelled and replaced with an array of artists after the group was denied entry into Zimbabwe by the immigration authorities. The immediate deportation of the group was generally believed to be the result of their 2010 song "Chicken to Change" which was critical of President Robert Mugabe's long stay in power.

HIFA had already sold tickets for the show and insisted even a day before the deportation that everything was on course for the group to perform.^[1] HIFA however announced the cancellation via their Facebook Page 37 minutes before the show was scheduled to take place.^[2]

An opinion piece in government owned press (Sunday Mail) had indicated that HIFA's idea of bringing Freshlyground to the country was not a good one.^[3] This was not the first time for Freshlyground to be denied entry into Zimbabwe, as they had been denied visas 4 years earlier in 2010.^[1]

Freshlyground later posted an official release to their Facebook page expressing disappointment at not being allowed to perform in the country, and said "It would seem the powers that be have yet to find a sense of humour." Freshlyground also said they had not been given any reason for the deportation as the immigration officers had said no "official reason given or required”.^[4]

According to the organisers the 2015 edition had 1,006 Zimbabwean artists and 239 international artists performing at the event.^[5]

Pictures

• 

  HIFA 2014 Opening Show

• 

  HIFA 2014 Opening Show

• 

  The Fortune Tellas - HIFA 2014

• 

  National Ballet at HIFA 2014

• 

  Italian Guita at HIFA 2014

• 

  Vibe Culture at HIFA 2014

References