By Staff Reporter
A Shurugwi based young poetess Delight Ndlovu (11) became the darling among poetry lovers at SAYWHAT Midlands province chase competition in Gweru after staging an electric performance.
The grade five rural girl, who is a member of the High Voltage Poets junior team, an affiliate of Hodzeko Arts and Culture Association (HACA) battled it out for the coveted ticket to national competition in poetry genre. Dillah D’ Poet as she is affectionately known was competing with mainly students from Midlands State University during the inaugural SAYWHAT talent search competition where she performed with highest degree of poetic prowess.
Lives in the Dorset resettlement area, Delight was born in a family of professional artists on 2 May 2011.Together with her brother, Lesson Ndlovu they attend High Voltage Poets rehearsals after hours and on weekends, which seems to have had immense influence on her past time. When he first noticed traces of a poetic talent in her, her father Siphosami Ndlovu who is also one of the founder members of renowned High-Voltage Poets and Dorset Performing Arts Group said he started buying other internationally acclaimed poet’s audio and visual material for her daughter to listen and watch.
Speaking to Hodzeko Multimedia Production SAYWHAT information and Advocacy officer, Coaster Nkomo said their Chase competition program was supported by Swedish Embassy.
“Yes we are extremely happy, the Swedish Embassy has been supporting us through our various programs before even this program came. The major objectives of this first of its own kind program is to amplify young people’s voices as they raise awareness on sexual reproductive health and rights as well as gender based violence through arts,” he said.
Nkomo recognized Midlands as a province with a strong creative and artistic flair. He said, he much-admired the young poet Delight, whom he said left the audience mesmerized and asking for more.
“I appreciate the vibe, there was so much, precisely from the MSU Zvishavane Campus students. But I must say that we have also seen an amazing performance from the youngest girl called Dillah, from Shurugwi that was amazing, that was outstanding and am just hoping that she will qualify to go to the national competition in Harare.
That is my hope but basically I liked the vibe, I liked the lively, that what we expect from the young people,” Nkomo said, adding that the results will be announced on television after the judges had finished evaluating the performances in the next who weeks.
Delight is bold and does not balk from the sight of huge crowds when she belt a chain of multi lingual praise and critic poetry that audiences are compelled to get up on their feet, tape their feet and cheer him on while she even live them clamoring for more.
Last year Dellah together will her fellow trainee poets gave a stirling performance at the Bulawayo Arts Festival, state functions and social gatherings.
The competition was a culmination of various auditions that were done throughout the country. The chase outreach program identified raw but talented artists in various towns and cities of the country.