By Matšeliso Phulane
Local poet Simphiwe-Nzima Ts’ekhe has been invited to participate at the 30th Havanna International Poetry Festival which will take place in Cuba from May 27 to June 1,2024.
Nzima-Ntšekhe’s visit follows a call by the Cuba Poetry Cultural Centre to poets around the world to perform at the 30th Havana International Poetry Festival (Havana Virtual Poetry Rally). The invitation was dedicated to the poetry of Africa, on the 90th anniversary of poet, anthropologist and Africanist Natalia Bolívar.
Artists invited to the festival had to send their video recordings, which were received (in English or Spanish), on a given website by April 21, 2024. The videos had to be 10 minutes long for poetry readings and 20 minutes for interventions in reflection forums.
Nzima-Ntšekhe who is a poet, actress, performance artist, freelance translator, and member of the World Poetry Movement was born in Zimbabwe, but is now a naturalised Mosotho who has lived in Lesotho for over 20 years.
She is an activist who uses her poetry and songs to promote change. Her work is an infusion of the spoken word, African melodies, and traditional drumbeats and is inspired by contemporary Afro-pop artists. Her passion for protecting African children has led her to perform poems about human rights, gender-based violence, and child abuse.
She told theReporter in an interview that this would be her first time to participating at the Cuban festival. However, she has performed in Columbia, India, South Africa, and other countries.
The festival will be in three parts: virtually, locally and internationally.
“It is also going to involve teaching poetry in schools and in different villages, readings and displays of poetry books and meetings lectures and many other activities.
“As a member of the World Poetry Movement, I had the honour to be invited to the 33rd International Poetry Festival of Medellin, Colombia to represent Lesotho.
“I was also invited to attend the First Congress of the World Poetry Movement (WPM) in Caracas, Venezuela as a national coordinator for Lesotho – and continental coordinating team member –Africa, a year and half ago.
“It was through all this interaction that I got to meet other poets and writers from different parts of the world. It is through these friendships and networking that the organisers and other people got to know and love my work,” she said.
Nzima-Ntšekhe said the Havana invitation means a lot to her and shows that her poetry has touched different people in their own countries and they relate to it.
It also means that reading her poetry is not enough: they want to see the person behind it, the inspiration and the energy she brings to her performance.
“So, in terms of my growth, it is truly a humbling experience to be able to tap and link in all these different perspectives from all over the world, to have met all these people from different backgrounds who bring different perspectives and different ideologies to my own growth,” she mused.
She further noted that due to financial constraints, she has to participate virtually because the organisers do not pay for her flight but only cover her accommodation.
The talented artist has also run out of time to apply for visas, even if she was to get sponsorship to attend the event.
However, she has prepared her recordings since she cannot perform live after realising that the best way is to have the pre-recorded poems to avoid internet connections challenges.
Nzima-Ntšekhe said in the last decade poetry in Lesotho has grown and made massive strides, and the fact that she keeps getting invitations to participate on international platforms should really mean something.
Apart from that, the significance of the fact that this year is a bicentennial year for Basotho is important because it has come to the fore that the preservation of the culture and tradition of Basotho, their story telling as well as their poems are now the focus of the preservation of the Basotho culture. Poetry also plays a huge role in this conservation.
“With the emergence of the importance of poetry, and the expansion of its platform globally, Lesotho is definitely up and coming in the world of poetry.
“There is plenty more initiatives that push poetry to the forefront, and that to me shows the level of growth we have maintained and continue to sustain throughout the years and I am very proud,” she added.
