By Beverly Bizeki
Masvingo poetry guru Mambo Guramatunhu real name Ngonidzashe Paradza last week shined at the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) held in Bulawayo after bagging the Outstanding Poet of the Year Award.
Speaking to TellZim News, Mambo Guramatunhu said he was excited about bringing the award home saying it shows that people are happy with his work.
“I am happy with this new achievement; it shows that people recognize the work I am doing and are appreciating it which motivates me to be a healer as well as a unifier to my audiences. It also gives me a responsibility that the nation is watching which is every poet’s dream to be awarded for their work.
“The award means growth, this means you have graduated from being a mere poet to a national project, if there are other people doing poet it means they will be looking up to you which requires one to self-introspect their character to live up to the standard of a leader, because the award is not mine alone but the whole poetry community,” said Mambo Guramatunhu.
Mambo Guramatunhu also thanked his fans for their unwavering support including member’s media that have supported him from the onset of his career.
“I am grateful to my fans for their support because without them I have no work to do, neither do I have anyone to appreciate and award what I do. I am also grateful to local media houses who have always ensured I am on the limelight from the onset of my career and my wish is for other artists to get such coverage and uplift their talents. To other artists I say nothing is impossible they must perfect their art and be patient enough to reach out to the media and businesses to get their work out there,” he said.
Recollecting his childhood, Mambo Guramatunhu said he has always been an artist from primary school through to university and has received various awards before the NAMA.
“I have always been a poet from a tender age, I was among the top artists at Great Zimbabwe University. This is not my first award; I have been awarded for this talent starting from speech and prize-giving day and went up from the district to national levels and that is not the last bus stop.
“So far, I have performed in most parts of the country and my talent has enabled me to work with various high-profile people including ministers, I have even performed for the president more than three times. The Arts have been a key for me to unlock doors that I could not open alone,” he said.
Mambo Guramatunhu who is a graduate of GZU with a Bachelor of Education Degree and intends to further his education said he works on various themes which include service delivery to put to task elected officials.
“I do various poems some depending on the event I am performing but I often focus on themes such as service delivery putting to task elected officials. After voting people into office, we expect them to do the work they have been entrusted with. I also do poems norms and culture to urge communities to live together in harmony,” said Mambo Guramatunhu.
Mambo Guramatunhu is a full-time artist and Master of Ceremonies and works with other brands as an ambassador.
