With a band line-up featuring two beautiful African backing singers and a combination of Zimbabwean and Australian musicians, Australian-based Zimbabwean born artiste, Chris Kayana Gudu is currently making waves on the international music scene.

“Excuse me guys! Do you have invites? We are only allowing in, only people with invitation cards,” said a man by the gate. Peeping through the gate, the legendary musician Zexie Manatsa and his wife could be seen chatting to a group of people. A couple of metres away, Selmor Mtukudzi's mother could be seen. In another corner, a whole lot of local celebrities could be seen. Of course, there was a party going on.

Though the atmosphere was a bit tense owing to the presence of uniformed and un-uniformed state security forces, this did not deter the determined artistes who proceeded to denounce Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe and his government, at the annual event, the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) 2008 opening ceremony.

Zimbabwean protest poet and musician, Samm Farai Monro aka Cde Fatso is performing in a 'protest opening' of the most prestigious annual event, the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) to kick-off on the 29th of April to the 4th of May 2008.

Zimbabwean urban groover, Q.Montana has launched a new nine track album titled Sweet Pain, in which he worked with various established local musicians and instrumentalists.

Zimbabwe’s economic crunch has basically affected each and every industry in the country and the same sentiments have been echoed by the organisers of one of the country’s biggest annual event- HIFA. However, they are upbeat about their resilience which will see them staging yet another superb festival this year.