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They came, performed, they enchanted

Last year it seemed my life would be empty after Patrice Naiambana returned to the Royal Shakespeare Company and his adoring audiences around the world, while in 2008 I was totally enthralled by the humour and pathos of Tafadzwa Muzondo and John Pfumojena in Loupe.
This year there was no comparable coup de foudre, although the wild and magical cello of South African Peter Martens almost had me contemplating a visit to Stellenbosch, where he manages the International Chamber Music Festival. Anyone attending the performance at the Dutch Reform Church and hearing Beethoven’s Piano Trio No 4 for clarinet, cello and piano would instantly become a fan of classical music.
For six days and nights during HIFA, the Harare CBD surrounding the National Gallery, Monomotapa Crowne Plaza Hotel and Harare Gardens was transformed into an ongoing carnival. Staid Zimbos who are accustomed to going home straight after work and settling down in front of the TV with a pizza or Chinese takeout, instead sallied forth nightly with their picnic baskets and folding chairs to enjoy an extraordinary variety of world class entertainment.
The opening show, entitled Treasure, was a visual delight with song and dance second to none, followed by a stunning display of fireworks. This event is always sold out, and sets the tone for the rest of the festival. The following evening, the Cabs Opera Gala played to a capacity audience. Philip Blake-Jones, baritone and artistic director, delighted the audience when he appeared in full dress kilt as the Barber of Seville.
On Saturday afternoon the sun blazed down on the Main Stage as Winky D delighted hundreds of fans with an energetic performance. A few hours later the clouds burst and HIFA Amigos retreated for cover or put up their umbrellas.
Don Pasta, the poet-cook, ecologist and gastro-philosopher, gave his final performance at Reps Theatre on Sunday morning. In an unusual multi-media show that included music, folk tales, a video  show, recipes and poetry, Don Pasta gave a cooking show, recipes and poetry, Don Pasta gave a cooking demonstration and passed around platters of food for the audience to sample. He made a delicious dish of baked aubergine, tomato and mozzarella cheese, and then mixed up a bowl of flour and eggs to make pasta, which he rolled through a pasta machine. Finally, the pasta was cut into fettuccine, which he simmered in salted water and then served in a rich tomato sauce. Our mouths were watering when he sat down to enjoy the pasta with a glass of red wine.
 
In between displaying his cooking skills and talking about his love for his hometown Naples, Don Pasta recited a love poem in which he wished to be the apple that his beloved buys at the farmers’ market and takes home to eat.
 
The Dutch rock band Moke provided an impressive performance for the closing show on Sunday night, and at the end of the concert the entire audience roared back in agreement to lead singer Felix Maginn that Moke was now their favourite band. Apart from a song by David Bowie, and a brief rendering of Belfast Child (Maginn hails from Northern Ireland) the songs were all Moke originals. Special guest star Chiwoniso interacted with the rock stars, reaching out to the audience with her unique talent.
As Maginn’s voice soared effortlessly above the big guitars of this dynamic rock band, a final flash and explosion of fireworks announced the close of HIFA 2011.