BY SHARON SIBINDI
Award-winning musician Sandra Ndebele-Sibindi and lntombi Zomqangala are in Dubai to take part in the 2020 Dubai Expo and they are scheduled for their debut performance tomorrow .
The group will perform on the Sea Stage on March 7, the Sun Stage March 8, the Earth Stage on March 9, the Bowl March 10 and they perform a re-imagined version of their show Umfazi – The woman.
The group will spend the month of March in Dubai and will also participate in various cultural exchange programmes during their stay.
“It’s a great opportunity that we are participating at the expo and I also thank everyone who has supported us and made the trip possible. We are going to perform a re-imagined version of their show Umfazi – The woman,” Sandy told Standard Style.
“The show addresses issues that affect women through song and dance and is meant to be an advocacy tool encouraging women to stand up to abuse, oppression and marginalisation. All the girls will also be playing the djembes on stage.”
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She said during their month-stay in Dubai, they have lined up a number of cultural activities.
“During our stay, we will engage in some cultural exchange programmes with some of the schools in Dubai,” Sandy said.
“Intombi Zomqangala is a platform that was created by Sandra Ndebele in 2009.
“Its primary objective is to help transform and capacitate young women into leaders in their own right by offering a structured setting in which to develop beneficial group interactions and one-on-one relationships between these young creatives and well-established artists and industry experts.
“A major component of the programme is the empowerment of young women through the creative industries and performances.
“This includes the incorporation of Instrument training, song and dance.
“There is also a focus on preserving Zimbabwean traditions, therefore, the dances performed by the group are mostly traditional.”
She said the name Intombi Zomqangala comes from a traditional Ndebele instrument called Umqangala (breast calabash), which was used by young women back in the days.
“The young women in the group all play this instrument (Umqangala),” she said.
“By increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes, we hope to drive innovation.
“Sustainability in our communities at the same time offering a safe environment to explore aligning goals with intentions, balancing self-promotion with authenticity, building a strategic network, and creating greater work-life balance for girls.”