Shoko Festival is Magamba Network's annual festival celebrating international urban culture.
Magamba is the country’s leading spoken word and hip hop organization and has been pioneering in its involvement in the spoken word movement in Zimbabwe. Comrade Fatso, co-founder of Magamba, started the House of Hunger Poetry Slam, Zimbabwe’s first poetry slam that continues to this day.
THE 2012 SHOKO FESTIVAL
THE SHOKO FESTIVAL is back and taking over the town! Running from the 18th to the 23rd of September Shoko will feature artists from the USA, UK, Germany, Botswana, Kenya, South Africa and Malawi. Shoko is embracing even more art forms this year as it becomes a celebration of urban culture. The festival will feature live music, comedy, hip hop, neo-soul, dance music, house, spoken word, dub-step, reggae and much more.
Shoko this year is about taking over the town with laughter, spray cans and turntables. It’s about reclaiming our joy and turning our dreams into reality. Shoko 2012 is a living experiment in urban culture, expression and positive social change.
The theme this year is “Take Over The Town” as Shoko spreads across the city into the townships. The festival week will see performances in different venues across town including the festival hub, Alliance Francaise which will be transformed into a vibrant festive venue with a main stage, a youth stage as well as bars, urban clothing stalls, food stalls and more. Live events will also be happening at the Book Café, Gallery Delta, Red Bar and a Main Stage in the township of Glen Norah.
Running over 6 days Shoko will feature live concerts, a comedy night, DJ parties, an international poetry slam, photo exhibitions, workshops, debates and much more. There will be something for everyone. For those who wanna laugh: A world class comedy night with top local and international comedians. For those who wanna dance: A fantastic line up of local and international artists and DJs. For those who wanna learn: A diverse array of creative workshops. For those who are poetic: A vibrant international poetry slam. For the young and the restless: Day time youth events including fun shows and workshops. For the deep thinking: Debates on urban culture and social change. For the not-so camera shy: Zimbabwe’s first spoken word and hip hop photo exhibition. Join us in taking over the town.
Last year running in Harare from the 21st – 24th September, the inaugural Shoko Festival included live concerts, artists’ debates, an international poetry slam, film screenings, live recordings, live graffiti and a conference. The festival succeeded to bring in acts from 8 different countries including headline acts such as Akala (UK), Tumi & the Volume (SA), Hired Gun (USA) and Andreattah Chuma (Botswana). 1,200 people visited Shoko over its four day duration. Meanwhile there were over 50 performances and 15 workshops that took place.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For queries: info@magambanetwork.com
Website: http://shokofestival.com/
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