ZimFest 2009 is Here!

For over 18 years the Zimbabwean Music Festival has brought a weekend of African song and dance, workshops, art, film and much much more to Boulder! Over 500 people of all ages and skill levels will register for lessons and workshops on marimba, mbira, singing, dance, drum, hosho and more. Many others will attend the over 50 hours of concerts held at Boulder Theater, Boulder County Farmer's Market and Boulder's Central Park.

The evening concerts kick-off tonight at the Boulder Theater with youth talent featuring Kutandara Youth Ensembles, Shumba Youth Marimba and more. On Friday Aivani Masango's Pachedu and Julia Chigamba's Chinyakare Dance and Drum are headlining. Check out a video of Pachedu and Chinyakare. The evening concerts will wrap up on Saturday with Panjea and The Bongo Boys of Zimbabwe. For a full list of all performances at Boulder Theater click here.

That is certainly not all for ZimFest concerts however! Outdoor concerts will be held Today through Saturday in Boulder's Central Park from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

No tickets are necessary for the afternoon concerts, but you can get your evening tickets at www.bouldertheater.com or a 3-Day pass at www.2009.zimfest.org. For a payment of $15 at registration you can sign up for countless instrument, dancing and singing workshops. Also, if you're interested in African music and culture and have some extra time on your hands, click here to help out and volunteer.

For a complete list of the various and numerous activities including not only concerts but soccer games, art fairs and film screenings, see the festival guide. Don't miss the 2009 ZimFest hitting town TODAY!

-Claire Little