My story has no title so I would rather call it the ’Untitled Story’.
She walked on stage after 10.30 pm amid cheers from the crowd that gathered at Theatre in the Park on Friday and she was dressed in a short multi-coloured traditional skirt.
And yes she was dressed!
However her bums were left exposed suggesting that a string on her undergarments might have been swallowed by the orifice located on her behind.
She had a band of close to 10 instrumentalists and she greeted the crowd before bellowing her first track which left the audience feeling indifferent judging by the lukewarm response
It was probably because it was the first time for most of the constituents of the crowd to see her on stage, dressed (or is it half dressed).
Her stage confidence drew the crowd to flow with her and the hype increased as people were now exhibiting their nimble feet on the dancefloor.
She brought the house down when she did a rendition of the late Dorothy Masuka’s song Nhingirikini, it was easy for her do deliver a flawless version of the track since she has been influenced by traditional music since primary school .
The crowd got in an ecstatic frenzy but the sexual innuendos in her choreography would make Aunty Dot Masuka turn in her grave.
She performed sexually suggestive dances that left little to imagination and she ‘corrupted’ the word ‘Nhingirikini’ to suit her sexually suggestive narrative.
Her vocal ability is undoubted, its perfect but the question which need answers will be ‘is the local market ready for such sexual innuendos in her art.
Sex sells, yes, but we have our own beliefs and social parameters in our culture as Africans or rather Zimbabweans to be precise.
However, Vimbai always argued that we not be enslaved by some so called cultural norms since culture is dynamic and we are living in a global village.
She is well travelled and can easily pass for a ‘world citizen’ so she could have adopted a fusion of cultures , in vernacular we could say mutakura (a mixture of groundnuts, beans) and the local market is not yet ready to consume that.
After an energetic set, well coordinated choreography and excellent stage communication, Vimbai left thee stage and rushed for a video shoot on the same night.
Let me digress.
Vimbai was born on October 19 1983 and grew up in the dormitory town of Chitungwiza.
When Vimbai finished school she worked in programmes such as UMOJA Cultural Flying Carpet from 2005 to 2006 before she participated in Music Crossroads Zimbabwe where she reached the finals.
She is a member of the Pamberi Trust, Women in Performing Arts. In 2007 and 2009, Vimbai joined the late Oliver Mtukudzi’s Black Spirits and she has been a member of the Daughters of Africa since 2010.
She is now training children in Groede, Netherlands, on African percussion,dance and African songs.
That is Vimbai Zimuto the talented singer, dancer and African traditional and modern dance choreographer not the nudist!