Zimbabwe

The contrast between Zimbabwe and Mozambique is night and day. So strange how there is an invisible line on the ground and one side of it is one country with one language and culture, and the other side has another. Zimbabwe has one of the most together infrastructure in the world…the Switzerland of Africa! The buildings are nicely designed, and there are no more straw , stick, or mud huts….at least in the city, as Mugabe forbids this type of building. The people are well dressed: men in suits, and ladies in modern dress. This is of course what people are left in Zimbabwe. Millions have immigrated to neighboring South Africa, Great Britain, or the States as the economy had virtually collapsed here last year. The streets now look like a dried up Midwestern town post great economic times. They have officially adopted the US dollar as there currency in January, and things are starting to improve. However, there is paper dollars here, but no quarters, dimes, etc., so change is given in bubble gum and lollipops…no joke! We spent 4 nights in Harare, at a beautiful old guest house in a area called Eastlai. It was one of many large and beautiful homes built in the 30’sand 40’s here. They are complete with old swimming pools, residual British Gardens, clay tennis courts, the works! Since tourism has vanished from this incredible country (scratching my head why???), we were able to agree on $20.00 a night for our own cabin on the property, and far the nicest we have stayed in so far. It even included Patty, a friendly 11-year old Jack Russel. We went out to ZMC which was and still is Zimbabwe’s largest music recording studio, distribuation, and record label. I wanted to inquire about some old LP’s of musicians that I have researched through the years. So the next thing you know we are in a conference room with six men and a woman dressed in business suits. We talked about everything from music  to politics, and the future of Zimbabwe. I must say that the Zimbas are the most polite, cordial, and intelligent people I have ever come across. They got such a  laugh when I told them that the first time I met my friend Never (a musician/friend of mine whom lives in Harare) and he held my hand when we walked, I thought he was gay ! Many men and boys hold hands here when they walk, as it is a gesture of friendship. We talked about the strange media which has projected this country as a dangerous place: I was half expecting thieves, thugs, and armed robberies. In the streets of Harare, you could walk around with your wallet on a leash, and no one would take it. Silvano, one of the men took me to the archives ,and gave me a small stack of LP’s but the asked that I stop by in the morning, as he said he had some at home he would bring. The next morning there was a huge stack of great old Zimbabwean LP’s recorded right there in their studio. He was an old DJ from the 80’s in Ziimbabwe, and had extra copies of a lot of stuff! He asked for nothing in return, so I made a generous donation to his church. He was a part-time pastor and was more concerned with helping others and his country than himself. There is no begging, and no street children like you would find in other parts of Africa.  No one would dare begin a conversation without first asking how you are with a enormous smile. This is all owed to the country’s quality education system based on Britain’s. And if something is broke, it gets fixed right away. Zimbabwe still has its problems though: corruption, lowest average life expectancy for women (thanks to AIDS), and orphanages packed with parentless children. The biggest thrill for me was visiting the Pakeyre Paye Art Center in the outskirts of Harare. In fact, this was one of the desires that initiated this trip to Africa. I have been avidly following the music of Zimbabwe’s most well known musician Oliver Mtukudzi for many years now. I have befriended the bass player in his band, Never Mpofu after first having my jaw drop at one of their shows years ago in Seattle. Never had mentioned that Oliver was constructing an art center for young musicians, artists, dancers, poets, etc. in Norton. We paid the center a visit, and happened to catch Oliver there that day. We spent sometime under the sun talking about life, the arts, and playing a few songs. (Barry- if you are reading this- he really liked our new “The song with no name”). In the states, someone who becomes successful and “famous” becomes unapproachable, often understandable because people like to fictionalize that person into someone who is beyond normal human functions. They become a celebrity…and everyone wants to befriend them. Here things are a bit different.. It is so refreshing to see Oliver talking with children, and providing a free space for them to create in. As he said, “I am not here to teach them. This is not a school. I can learn from them, they can learn form me.”. No one pays to visit the art center. It is a refuge for those of us tied up in the hectic and confusing system that sidetracks us from creating. There is a stage and a lawn where they host free concerts on the weekends... there were teenagers practicing there dance moves on the lawn…and Oliver was talking with a welder who was building the new lighting structures around the tiki bar. Oliver’s son, Sam came over and played a few songs too. He is a very talented guitarist and songwriter, and has his father’s humble demeanor. He needed some photos for a new recording, so he came over the next night with a few friends who work with him and hired Marianne to shoot some photos. We made a nice dinner, and bid our new friends farewell.