By JOWIT SALUSEKI –
THE week-long Barefeet Festival reached its zenith last weekend with music and a revolution carnival in Lusaka’s Showgrounds and at Manda Hill shopping centre.
International actors from Nigerian Grammy nominee Femi Kuti, Princess Mhoon (USA), Kalantura (Holland), Dance Africa (United Kingdom), Burundi Drummer (Burundi), Hiwot (Ethiopia) and Artscape (South Africa) headlined the event, while local artistes such as Maureen Lupo Lilanda, Mampi, JK, Chef and others also performed at the Gymkhana Club in the Showgrounds.
The festivities first started with a’ Miss Mathematics’ play at Pestalozzi Children’s Village in Twin Palm area of Lusaka.
The ‘Miss Mathematics’ tells about a story of six young lads who grew up in a troubled country in Central Africa.
Despite the challenges the children still had to find time to sing, play and dance. One of the children had a fascination with Michael Jackson and dreamt of one day going to America to visit the Neverland Ranch.
An unfortunate event separated the children from their families and forced them to escape. Once separated from everything they knew, the children embarked upon an adventure to find Neverland.
Throughout ‘Miss Mathematics’ used her mathematical skills to guide and rescue the children from a series of desperations.
The Barefeet Festival also offloaded ‘Treasure in Chibolya’ which is a story about four young acrobatics from Chibolya Township who uses their skills beyond the common stereotypes associated with the area.
From their humble beginnings, the acrobatics proved to the attendees as to why they had in the past travelled the world headlining at the UNICEF headquarters in New York as well as other festivities in Poland, Ireland, Holland, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
This year’s Barefeet Festival was the 9th edition and Irish-born Adam McGuigan is the co-founder and artistic director of the Ngoma Award-winning theatre group.