The annual Dream Star talent show tour, which takes former winners and finalists to perform at cultural exchange festivals in China, has been hailed as a platform to develop skills and impart professionalism among young artists.
A total of 15 young artistes including musicians Nyasha David and Fusion 5 Mangwiro landed in the city of Nanjing on Sunday night for what promises to be a showcase of diversity encompassing different cultures drawn from various countries.
Speaking in preparation of their first show later today, Dream Star artistic director Leonard Mapfumo said the program is meant to enhance the growth of the artistes’ fledgling careers.
“The cultural exchange program is important in terms of artistes’ growth because our cultures are very different in terms of performances so when we come here we are coming to impart a different understanding of the arts to our young artistes,” said Mapfumo.
“We are developing the arts, not just the performing arts but the skill or technical part of dancing and singing as well the professional side that includes principles of being a professional artiste.”
Dream Star boss Steve Zhao also said that since inception in 2014, the talent show, hosted by Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporation (JCMC) in partnership with the Embassy of China in Zimbabwe, as well as the China Africa Economic and Culture Exchange Research Centre, has assisted dozens of artistes break onto the international scene while also refining their work.
“Everything that Dream Star tries to do is for the future of the country and its culture because we believe that culture is working with people and a nation without a culture cannot move forward,” he said, adding that they wanted to record more achievements,” said Zhao.
Meanwhile, Mapfumo added that said they would take the tour as a chance to market Zimbabwe through art.
“We want them (the audience) to want to come and experience our country because we would have given them just a small slice of what Zimbabwe has to offer,” he said.
