JOINA CITY DATES MADAM BOSS, SHINGAI, JESESI AND PRUDENCE

By NOAH POMO, ZIMBA WAVE MEDIA. HARARE

“Joina City dates Madam Boss, Shingai, Jesesi and Prudence”

“Joina City dates Madam Boss, Shingai, Jesesi and Prudence”At a power breakfast that precedes the premiere of the film “The Color Purple” actress, musician and influencer Tarisai “Tyra” Chikocho spoke of her humble rural beginings. Other participants included Jesesi Mungoshi, Prudence Katomeni Mbofana and Shingai Shoniwa.

  Jesesi Mungoshi, Prudence Katomeni and Shingai Shoniwa.

“Being a maid is a lowly job. Maids are abused. Reversals of life can see a woman resort to find work as a maid. Maids are asked to wash the boss’ underwear. The boss can say: ‘Can you please return your pay as a loan to me?’ You can work the whole year for no pay. Until your fortunes turn you will be stuck. God raised me from the dust. I am now Madam Boss, Founder, an award winner and CEO of Madam Boss entertainment. I thank God. I am so proud of myself and I thank God for where I have come from.”

“I value my brand so much for because it puts bread on the table for me. I don’t play around with my brand. I always keep quiet every time and people wonder: ‘Madam Boss why don’t you answer back to the insults?’ I worry about my brand. I protect my brand even though I see the comments. My brand looks after me. I have a great focused team who know our destination.”

“I am here because I love to support women who faced my past. Women are very strong. We go through hard times at work, at school, in marriages. Bring all women to watch the Color Purple movie on the 26th of December at Joina City to see the power of a woman. I watched it.”

     Samantha Boka

Samantha Boka said: “This woman (Madam Boss) is very well sort after. I remember a time when Tik Tok (the company) was looking for Madam Boss and NOT Madam Boss looking for Tik Tok. As the four stars line the Red-carpet Premiere of ‘The Colour Purple’ on Thursday it is perhaps the beacon Zimbabwe has been waiting for to finally give its girl child her flowers.”

Also speaking at the event was former Noisettes musician, solo artist and trained actor Shingai Shoniwa who most recently acted in Joe Njagu’s “Cook Off.” It is Zimbabwe’s first project on Netflix

  Shingai Shoniwa

She said: “Give it up for Joina City. I come from an infinite line of powerful women. Artists from Marimba. Chioniso Maraire, nina Simone. Miriam Makeba. All of whom harnessed the power of music to unite people of color to fight for freedom together. I also come from a long line of freedom fighters. Mbuya Nehanda, Angela Davis from The Black Panthers. Like many of us in this country family members have fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. These women understood the power that creative content, done well, has to inspire, to shift mindset and to shift the energies of the times.”

“When I first saw The Color Purple I was a little girl growing up in the South of London. Thanks to Amai, a Shumba, I was also proudly aware of my heritage. As a diasporan experiencing what I now know to be the migrational trauma of torn families. My sisters were so moved by the bond shared by the central characters of the first “Color Purple. Sister torn apart by brutal circumstances. They planted a vital seed. Why am I hear at Joina City in my beloved Harare? Film and music are powerful tools to communicate joy. It also reminds us of who we were, who we are who we can be and our infinite rich culture.”

“Joina is a sign that we are actually thriving in Zimbabwe. Many of the businesses are run and owned by women. Purple is a royal color associated with ancient, African royalty of Queendoms and Kingdoms. I stand in solidarity with those affected by the these in this film.”

“I am also a black Female business owner like Madam Boss as CEO of Zimtrone records which is now registered in Zimbabwe to support our growing Art Scene. We can all do our part.”

Event organizer RuvimboZheve of Tavetose, a Management consultant company

Event organizer RuvimboZheve of Tavetose, a Management consultant company said that: “We are partnering Joina City and SterKinekor to highlight sisterhood and how women have overcome many challenges. The film “Color Purple” will premiere on January 26th. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the resilience of women. The film is very triggering. It’s also the international premiere of the historic film.”

Joina City has 4 cinemas available for the red-carpet event. One of these can be booked outright by Corporates with 28 VVIP tickets. Celebrities Madam Boss, Jessessi Mungoshi, Shingai Shoniwa, Prudence Katomeni will be available to watch and mingle with the VVIPs. There will be an after party.

Ruvimbo said: “It’s a date night opportunity with a purple dress code.”

“The Color Purple” movie and the sequel were produced by the world’s leading producer: Steven Spielberg, the world’s leading talk show host: Oprah Winfrey and Michael’s Jackson’s producer for “Thriller” and “Off the Wall” albums: Quincy jones. “Thriller” remains the world’s record holder for sales of all time.

Seasoned actor, Jesesi Mungoshi, spoke from the heart, without the help of any notes. She encouraged corporate involvement in local film projects citing “Cook Off” and “Shaina” which are available on Netflix. Mrs Mungoshi acted in the film “Neria” Zimbabwe’s best export in both film and music. So touching was Mrs Mungoshi’s compelling part it caused changes to inheritance laws to protect widows when a spouse dies. Sadly, attitudes have not changed. Widows remain willing prey to relatives who want to deprive them of their inheritance.

Mrs Mungoshi proved very knowledgeable on issues relating to the rights of actors and monetizing one’s talents and intellectual project. Mrs Mungoshi is the widow of Charles Mungoshi a former leading playwright, mentor and Editor. Mr Mungoshi was a compatriot f Dambudzo Marechera and other writers. He wrote comfortably in both shona and English prose or poetry. The film “Neria” also featured Oliver Mtukudzi as an actor and his best

known composition of the same name as Jessesi’s brother. “Neria”. The song laid the groundwork for a blossoming international career for Mtukudzi. Sadly, Charles Mungoshi and Oliver Mtukudzi died just 3 weeks apart in the first 2 months of 2019.

Mrs Mungoshi bemoaned how films like Neria proved more rewarding than today’s most successful films from Zimbabwe on leading international platforms. Life was definitely different in Zimbabwe before the new millennium. Sadly payments were one off with no future royalties tied to the success of a project.

Both Mrs Mungoshi and Mrs Prudence Katomeni were trailblazing actors in the word of mouth era before social media. It’s been said “form is temporary but class is permanent.” The latter also spoke extemporaneously. People like me who grew up without a TV could afford to watch TV from the neighbors and actively lead and participate in the discourse afterwards. Prudence acted in the film “More Time” which received wide international exposure while still in school. It was at a time when HIV/AIDS were ravaging large swathes of the population. She was a role model with a positive message.

                  Prudence Katomeni

Prudence spoke about how she studied music formally at the feet of the masters using classical music examples. She swore to herself that her own children would learn about Safirio “Mukadota” Madzikatire and other local examples, a promise she has lived up to by writing a book with a curriculum that studies local music. She has students who have been members of Jah Prayzah’s band, Winky D’s band and Feli Nandi’s band. Profit is not her sole motivation.

Prudence acted in one of Zimbabwe’s newest movies “Mirage” which has already won international awards as far as Canada. She also has recorded as a solo artist with one of Zimbabwe’s most recognizable voices in songs like “BP Yanguyakwira” and “Ruva Rangu.”