Zim Artistes denied EU Visas

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By SARAH NCUBE
Published: June 15, 2009

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ZIMBABWE-VICTORIA FALLS – An arts group based in the resort town of Victoria Falls called Mokoomba has bee denied Visas’ to travel around the European Union The Zimbabwe Telegraph reports.

“After insurmountable VISA hassles and around-the-clock efforts to obtain these precious documents – only one week before the first concert – we have had,  for the first time in Music Crossroads’ history, to realise that visas will not be ready on time and, finally forced to succumb to European countries’ immigration offices ignorance, indifference and formalism, the 2009 European summer tour of ‘Mokoomba’ had to be cancelled,” said Dag Franzén, Executive Director of Music Crossroads International.

Mokoomba hails from the Victoria Falls and shot to prominence after winning the 1st prize at the Music Crossroads InterRegional Festival in Lilongwe, August 2008.

Since then, they have been working to expand their repertoire and have been doing intense sessions with Music Crossroads International’s Band Manager Poney Gross.

They have recorded and produced a CD made other preparations for the six member band’s tour which would have seen them performing in Spain, Holland, Belgium, UK, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Slovenia and Croatia.

Mokoomba gave a thrilling performance at this year’s Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA).

The VISA campaign includes an online petition and a Facebook group. The campaigners hope to get the attention of José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission.

In 2006, the European Community signed the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity, committing Europe to develop “measures in developed countries with a view to facilitating access to their territory for cultural activities from developing countries,” yet administrative procedures have yet to reflect these good intentions.

Mokoomba band leader Abundance Mutori, whose songs speak of social ills, the HIV pandemic, love and a Zimbabwean nation determined never to give up hope said:

“We believe the potential for Tonga music is still to be explored and will one day reach the world at large.”

All successful artistes in Zimbabwe survive by going on overseas tours.

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