NORTON – It’s nearly time again for the December 22nd annual Solo Festival here and preparations are already underway for what promises to be a much bigger, much better and entirely fabulous day.

Pakare Paye Arts Centre has hosted the solo festival, covering the whole diversity of the performing arts, since 2006 - the event evolving yearly and growing in stature and splendour as many young artists and the more established ones too came aboard.

^ Munya Mataruse solo at the 2009 Solo Fest.

Fans have keenly followed the solo fest, all the reason why we are putting up a multiplicity of genres again to savour and provide fun on a fine festive day 48 hours before Christmas.

As the fest grows its thrust has not changed remaining fundamentally driven by Oliver Mtukudzi’s desire to expose more widely, promote and help artists build confidence individually when they perform solo.

Impromptu comedy...a guest comedian at the 2009 Solo Fest.	Vimbai Zimuto mbira soloist at the Solo Fest 2009.

The fest is Mtukudzi’s brainchild and offers gifted men and women, boys and girls the platform to develop the solo side to the performing arts.

Says Mtukudzi: “The idea for the solo fest came about when fans sought to listen to what really the individual artist played by themselves. When we tried it at Pakare Paye we discovered that some of our local artists were not comfortable performing on their own. It meant the artists were not even confidant to be who they are.”

^ Traditional instrumentalists like Jackie Nyamutumbu are coming to the Solo Fest.

This year we have rationalised the festival programme and flow creating the necessary environment for artists to be as creative, powerful and wild on their own, just as they can be in a band.

^ Tuku joined Bob Nyabinde (and vice versa) at the 2009 Solo Fest.

The performances are based on music, traditional and contemporary dance, poetry, storytelling and comedy. But should anyone feel their faculty is omitted and they want to showcase – please contact us immediately at Pakare Paye Arts Centre, 238 Galloway Road Norton, alternatively write our operations director: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We will soon be unveiling the performers at the Solo Fest 2010. – Shepherd Mutamba / tukumusik.com