Mbende/Jerusarema Techno

Mbende/Jerusarema Techno

Masimba Hwati (Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design)

Mbende/Jerusarema Techno is a twenty-five minute performance art piece combining elements of Mbende/Jerusarema (a traditional Zimbabwean dance) and Detroit techno. This happens on a 29′ x 15′ stage alongside five 13′ vertical sphere sculptures. A television screen playing specific videos will be mounted to each spear. Amongst these, five dancers will perform to synthesized Mbende/Jerusarema and techno sounds. On this project I will collaborate with Spencer Haney from “Performing Arts Technology: School of Music Theater and Dance”, and his area of focus is “Media Art, Engineering”. Spencer is a Multi-talented creative whose abilities span from sculpture dance sound design and engineering. On this Project Spencer will focus on working with the Arduino system to make the sculptures touch sensitive. Together we will work on creating ambient hybrid soundscapes from Mbende/Jerusarema and 1980’s techno from Detroit. Mbende/Jerusarema and techno are both cultural art forms created as counter-narratives.