VERSATILE Zimbabwean artiste Caroline “Nyaka-Chana” Nyaka will be part of performers at the Black History Month Expo 2022 to be held tonight at St George’s Market in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Nyaka-Chana, who took part in the recently premiered movie The School of Good and Evil, will be the final act at the inaugural event which will be attended by government, non-governmental organisations, security forces and politicians.
Entering its 35th year of celebration, Black History Month United Kingdom runs throughout the month of October to promote and celebrate the contributions of those with African and Caribbean heritage to British society and to foster an understanding of black history in general.
This year the commemorations are running under the theme: Time for Change: Action Not Words, focusing on the double burden black people carry as they experience racism and discrimination and are expected to fix the problem themselves.
“I am looking forward to sharing my Zimbabwean heritage with Ireland on Wednesday (tonight) at the Black History Month Expo. Thanks to ACSONI and Join Her Network for organising this event and I am excited to be part of those taking part,” Nyaka-Chana told NewsDay Life & Style.
“Yes, I am the main act at the event so I will be the one closing the show and I have put in place a mighty eight-piece band. That is where the white Irish drummer called Splinter, who hosted and played with Ambuya Stella Chiweshe, joins me.
“There has never been a Black History Expo in Ireland before and it is the first of its kind where we will have all the big organisations attending including the police commissioner and Cabinet ministers who are part of the main speakers.”
The former Avondale Primary School student said a Greek instrumentalist, who has been a professional music tutor since 1999, Nikos Petsakos, would be part of her eight-member backing team.
- Zim artiste headlines Irish Black History Month expo
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One of the organisers of the expo — Join Her Network, a Northern Ireland-based non-governmental organisation that champions diversity, inclusion, equity and equality, confirmed that Nyaka-Chana will be part of the performers at the Black History Month Expo.
Meanwhile, Nyaka-Chana said she was hoping to visit and pay tribute to Ambuya Stella Chiweshe when she performs in Germany in the near future.
“I feel closer to meeting her now, just the thought excites me, and I start belting Chachimurenga,” Nyaka-Chana said.
Apart from being a musician, Nyaka-Chana is an actress and at one time she had the honour to be featured in children’s television network, Disney, as it celebrated its golden jubilee.
The 38-year-old dedicated the honour to Zimbabwe.
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