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Pamberi Trust Gender Mainstreaming Project
Pamberi Trust
October 13, 2006

With new support from Dutch donor agency HIVOS, Harare-based arts organisation PAMBERI TRUST have launched into exciting project activities to help ensure that women artists remain securely in the mainstream of the arts in Zimbabwe.

After consulting with established women artists including Busi Ncube, Dudu Manhenga, Patience Musa, Anjii Greenland, Bernie Bismarck and Penny Yon, a programme of training and events to groom and promote female musicians was established, to kick off in this last quarter of 2006, in conjunction with The Book Café and Mannenberg Jazz Club.

The Fife Avenue venues are set host a series of workshops, music and literary events featuring Zimbabwe's women artists and writers, starting with introduction and advertising of the project on Wed 18 Oct with Anjii Greenland and four women backing singers with experience ranging 1-20 years - a regular mid-week celebration at the Book Cafe (short profile below). "Sistas Be Tru" on 21 Oct is a special early Saturday opportunity for young women to join the youth HIV/Aids awareness event, which is held regularly among young artists of Pamberi's BOCAPA Open Mic programme. Saturday afternoon events enable young women to come out and participate in the arts in safety.

The first literary event focusing on women writers is set for Wed 25 Oct, entitled "Women Provide the Back Bone of Zimbabwean Society" discussing two books in collaboration with Zimbabwe Women Writers and Weaver Press. On 26 Oct Patience Musa & The Other Four, popular young jazz outfit, will host a guest female artist in their Thursday programme.

Workshops
On the recommendation of all artists consulted, two short workshops have been planned for women at different levels in the industry:

The first on 24-25 Oct is dubbed "Divas Deliberate" - a 2-day pow-wow for established artists covering topics like music rights, registration of performers, benefits to the artist; contracts, taxes and other legal issues; studio/recording advice; PR and management, and "Working with the sound man". All of these topics were put forward by the sisters themselves.

The second workshop planned for 7-9 Nov is "A workshop for Women Artists by Women Artists", and will be presented by established artists from the first workshop, and targetted at up&coming performing artists in the industry. Topics here will include stage performance and grooming, discipline and roles in the band, PR, dealing with audiences & HIV/Aids awareness, publicity and the internet, and ‘understanding the PA. Known and currently performing backing singers will be invited, and young women artists targeted with the cooperation of a local talent search which is currently being televised.

Into November, on through December and into 2007, the project will support women to the ongoing Poetry Slam, Jazz Appreciation, Open Mic for young artists and the Paw Paw Jam celebration of cultural diversity. Another exciting development in the new year will be a workshop with conjunction with Zimbabwe Women Writers, for women playwrights.

In the coming months Pamberi's Gender Mainstreaming project will continue to work for the education and promotion of Zimbabwe's women artists who play such an important role in the building of the nation.

Penny Yon
Pamberi Trust

Short profile : Anjii Greenland & fife
Anjii Greenland is a Zimbabwean songbird of long experience, growing up in the coloured communities of Zimbabwe with rich mixed cultural background and special gifts for music and the arts. After some 20 years of powerful delivery as lead singer with renowned r&b/soul/pop groups such as Sabuku, ZBrass and --- Anjii now works with backtracks and four lively backing singers to produce a great repertoire of covers for their mid-week party and other occasions - "old music new music black music white music blue music sweet soul music!", with emphasis on vocal harmonies.

Named 'Fife' since they came together at the Fife Ave venue, Anjii's backing singers are Ingrid Petersen (tenor), sisters Taryn and Lindsay Yon (sopr) and Penny Yon (alto), who range in age from twenties to fifties. With a similarly diverse repertoire, the group attracts and enjoys the support of a wide cross-section of Harare's singing-loving community.

While backtracks are very useful and the new technology definitely serves a purpose, the group are also working on a live repertoire with guitars and bass, working on some of Anjii's own compositions.

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