By Pamberi Trust with Ogova Ondego
Published August 16, 2014
Some of Zimbabwe’s best-loved artists led by Oliver Tuku Mtukudzi are in the evening of August 19, 2014 set to perform at a major concert in Harare in solidarity with saxaphonist and arts activist Paul Brickhill who is ailing in a local hospital.
Among the performing artists lined up are ambassador for peace Victor Kunonga, the feisty young Ammara Brown, afropop artist Edith Katiji weUtonga, mbira-punk rockers Chikwata 263 with Tomas Brickhill and mbira princess Hope Masike.
Drummer Sam Mataure who also doubles up as Mtukudzi’s manager says that in hosting the concert, “Tuku wants to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of Paul Brickhill and the Book Cafe for artists of Zimbabwe, many of who have risen to wide acclaim thanks to the platform provided for us here. Many consider Book Cafe to be their musical home.
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Paul Brickhill, founder and creative director of Book Cafe, is a self-taught saxophone player with a long love affair with the arts in southern Africa since his youth. This exposure has given him the special gift of understanding the unique needs of artists and complexities of the industry in Zimbabwe. Brickhill’s passion and understanding of the needs of artists needs has seen the growth of the Book Café from a humble cafe with a few music acts in 1997 to one of the most popular performing arts platforms in the country.
The performers participating in the August 19 show that promises to be an outpouring of great music and creative family solidarity, are just a few of the many hundreds of artists who have enjoyed the support of Book Cafe over its 17 years of existence led, pushed and promoted by musician, writer, bookseller and arts activist and promoter Paul Brickhill.
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The Book Cafe won the 2011 Prince Claus Award for ‘its exemplary support of culture and development in Zimbabwe, for the diversity, quality and wide reaching impact of its activities, for stimulating creativity and fostering aspiring young talent, and for its tenacity and commitment in upholding freedom of expression in a difficult context’ in 2012 and the National Arts Merit Award (NAMA) for Outstanding Achievement in Arts Service by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe in 2013.
