Zimfest ‘08 at Pacific Lutheran U - Parkland
by GeeseChild on 07/14/08 at 1:14 pm
A few nights ago I was at Northwest Coffee House on Garfield Street in Parkland shooting the breeze, watching local artists cycle on and off stage during the open mic event. A couple girls approached me, which is always a good start to a story, and wondered if their friends could borrow my guitar and play a couple songs. Of course.
The men I was about to meet were from Zimbabwe. They came here to participate in a music festival to raise money for their families back in Africa.
The 3 brightly clad African men immediately rushed over to shake my hand. One wore a wide-brim white hat, a brown and white tanktop, his tightly wound dreadlocks tumbling down his back. Another had a strangely sized shirt colored like Joseph’s robe and looking nearly like a poncho. They had wide eyes and kind faces. Taking my seat again, the girls began thanking me all over again so that I couldn’t help but be charmed by all my new friends.
The excited men took my guitar and the stage effortlessly, playfully, singing songs they must have sung a thousand times before. While I was watching, one of the girls I earlier mentioned leaned over and told me they are from Zimbabwe and will be part of the Zimbawean Music Festival on Friday; she and her band too will perform.
On the morning of July 4th I attended the festival in the PLU quad, two blocks west of Pacific Ave in Parkland down Garfield St. A dozen or so booths selling various bracelets, rings, necklaces, traditional dresses and robes were set up in the commons beside the stage. Some booths were selling CDs from ZimFests of years past and DVDs promoting the organization the touring musical groups support. A few booths were selling some sort of percussion instrument that appeared to be made from a hollowed-out gourd with seeds inside.
Anna, one of the girls from the coffee shop, saw me right away and told me her band was about to perform. A couple of her friends introduced themselves and sat beside me while I watched Anna’s band complete final preparations. From them I found out there are many bands touring worldwide which play songs traditional and newly written on Marimba. A marimba is an instrument Anna described to me best as “a wooden xylophone.” A band consists of 6 differently tuned Marimbas ranging from bass to tenor in pitch. Two or more people play the gourd shakers for percussion along with the Marimbas.
Anna’s band, Chenjera has been playing for over 3 years, started with youth group kids in Whidbey Island. When they took the stage I was surprised by the power and color of the music they produced. The music was as colorful as the traditional Zimbabwe dresses they were selling at the booths. Between songs the members of the band would switch places to play different octaves. They played with high energy and smiles, loving the music and the crowd. For a few songs a Zimbabwean man with eye-level dreads added vocals and dancing on the side of the stage, encouraging the instrumentalists and the crowd to dance, clap, and just have a good time. By the end of the concert, a large group from the crowd had formed in front of the stage; they danced out the last couple songs.
All proceeds of the annual ZimFest go to help the poor families of Zimbabwe and to help fund the international tours of Marimba bands, spreading the joy of their unique music. Next year’s festival will be in Colorado. For more information, visit Zimfest.org
