U-MELENI: MEDIA SAYS

U-Meleni - a multi-talented Zimbabwean Artist
Written by Roxana Bangura Photography by Ren | Posted Tuesday, September 11, 2007 |

Hama Maoko literally means your hands are your relatives in Shona, the language of Zimbabwean-American activist artist U-Meleni Mhlaba of the television show Ya Ma Afrika. Jamati sat down with U-Meleni to find out more about her as an artist dedicated to the progression of Africa, and Zimbabwe in particular.

Jamati: I would just like to thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.

U-Meleni: You are most welcome.

Jamati: First off what does U-Meleni mean?

U-Meleni: Well U-Meleni means ‘What are we for’ and my last name Mhlaba means world or earth.

Jamati: That is powerful.

U-Meleni: Thanks.

Jamati: I want to know about how you came to be a Zimbabwean-American. How was the transition from the States to Zimbabwe for you.

U-Meleni: I was born here but my parents divorced when I was rather young. My mom decided to go to Zimbabwe, while my dad stayed in America. Subsequently, my mom remarried and we moved to Botswana and South Africa. I spent most of my life in Africa but then I came to America for college.

Jamati: Oh ok so you basically came of age in Africa.

U-Meleni: Yes that is correct. I was basically bred in Africa.

Jamati: That brings me to my next question. I have often heard that South Africans tend to assimilate into Western culture more easily than say West Africans. Do you find this to be true?

U-Meleni: I can only say that it all depends on the age in which you come to the US. For example if you arrive in your 20’s then you are less likely to be swept away by American culture than someone who came here as a teenager. Teens tend to have romantic notions about the US and they assimilate quicker. I don’t think it matters whether you are South or West African. You must look at individual circumstances and situations.

Jamati: You presently call Boston, Massachusetts home right?

U-Meleni: Right I am based in Boston.

Jamati: Are there many Africans in Boston?

U-Meleni: No Boston is 90 percent white.

Jamati: I see. Well there is a large artistic community there that supports your art right.

U-Meleni: Yes I have a lot of support from the whole artistic community here in Boston. I have performed at various colleges and Universities through the African student unions, I have also performed at opera houses and symphony halls. So there are venues and communities in Boston that desire me to see me perform.

Jamati: Please tell our audience a bit about what you do.

U-Meleni: Well I am a writer, poet, singer, dancer, actress and public health educator.

Jamati: Wow. You do many things. How do you utilize these gifts for African progression? In other words what inspires you to create? What do you draw from to share with your fans?

U-Meleni: Well I draw from my passion for African people. I draw from the recognition of African people. I think that when we leave home we [experience] culture shock and we forget our inherent greatness.

Jamati: Amen.

U-Meleni: I have also been blessed by parents who are Pan-Africanists, who believe in creativity. I use my personal life experiences such as pain and injustice to tell stories in my art.

Jamati: Please talk to us about your first album.

U-Meleni: My first album, Birth, Death and the Ressurection, was a labor of love. My family, friends and the Boston artistic community supported me in making the album. I dare say that it was a response to them wanting to have my songs, poems, essays with them. It was not enough for them to hear me perform they wanted something to keep.

Jamati: In performing and sharing your work do you ever have an audience member come up to you and tell you that your words have inspired them? Do they tell you that what you do affects them?

U-Meleni: Yes. In fact, I am personally humbled that God has chosen me to be this way. This work that I do helps me to understand myself.

Jamati: Would you say that your art is about self examination and self discovery?

U-Meleni: Yes, yes I would say that. Let me share with you about a time when I was in South Africa performing in Soweto at a school. I went there with other artist friends of mine like spoken word artist Omokong Dibanga and we wanted to share with the students about how we are artists use art as a vehicle for social change. I focused on girls because women are victims and it was important for me to me reach out to girls to let them know that violence is unacceptable and not an option for their lives. After I performed my poem ‘Love is not supposed to hurt’ a teenaged girl about 13 or 14 walked up to me and said thank you for sharing. She was crying and telling me how she had been abused by a relative and how her teacher was the one who helped to save her from her victimization. While we were talking and crying and having this moment other girls came up to me to share their life stories and it was life changing for me. At another performance in Zimbabwe a 40 year old woman came up to me to say that I said all she needed to hear and that it strengthened her resolve to better her life.

Jamati: It seems to be that you are called to do this. What do you say about that.

U-Meleni: I know that this is my purpose to share this pain that we sometimes go through. As an artist you must realize that change is possible and people take what they need from what you share. If you have not dealt with the issues you face then you cannot speak it into the universe.

Jamati: That is so true my sister so true. You must be able to share the pain and the joys of life and speak on it to others.

U-Meleni: That is right. You know last summer in August I went home to Zimbabwe and I spent most of my time in Mutari. I did not spend too much time in Harare. When I arrived in Harare I arrived at a new airport that was nice and empty.

Jamati: Please educate us on the situation on the ground in Zimbabwe. What is going on with the infrastructure? Is gas as high as the media reports it to be? What about maize? Is it really astronomically high as they say it is.

U-Meleni: Well let me answer you question like this. I went to Zimbabwe with the intention of learning all I could since my absence. I wanted to know if what the media was reporting was true. Is petrol high yes it is. In fact, most people I saw were walking around and not using cars. Cars are scarce now. In terms of infrastructure, the main roads in Mutari are ok but there are some that are in disrepair. Now there are hotels that are quite lovely and are operating in spite of all the chaos going on.

Jamati: You mentioned that you are also a public health educator. Did you utilize that aspect of your qualifications in Zimbabwe during your visit?

U-Meleni: Yes I did. I wanted to see the state of affairs at an AIDS/HIV clinic. I decided to visit a Red Cross one that I was impressed with because they were making a honest effort to educate and treat their patients. In fact, while I was there, there were presentations given in English, Shona and another Zimbabwean language so that if you could not understand English on you had the opportunity of understanding another language. Which is really important. I am deeply concerned for my country Zimbabwe and I get frustrated because I am only one person who wants to do so much. I am concerned about women’s empowerment, the whole political process, children’s rights, orphans from parents who have died of AIDS.

Jamati: How is your second album affecting change?

U-Meleni: You know I did my first album in 2003 and now its 2007 and its been a while. I have always believe that you can’t rush greatness and that things happen in their own time.

Jamati: So true, so true.

U-Meleni: Right so I have grown on this second album. I now play the guitar which I have been learning for over a year. This has led to growth and an expansion on my music.

Jamati: So how would you categorize your music? Is it neo-soul?

U-Meleni: I don’t think you could call it that. Its rather hard to categorize but I like to say its Roots inspired, afrosoul folk reggaeisc. I presently have written seven songs. The songs have come in dreams and various ways.

Jamati: Dreams, now that is powerful.

U-Meleni: Yes dreams are really something inspiring.

Jamati: How would you sum up your sophomore album?

U-Meleni: This second album is about self determination. Hence the terms Hama Maoko. It’s a saying in Shona my mother’s tongue that my grandmother used to use often. She passed in away but I remember what she said daily. Hama Maoko means your hands are your relatives. In other words we are born with all we need to sustain our selves. We are self equipped. That is what I talk about on this album.

Jamati: Self determination is a concept that takes some of us a life time to understand much more apply. I think that realizing it now through your art is outstanding. Let us hope that it echoes and reverberates in our hearts and minds for years to come. Let us be determined to utilize the God given talents that we all have for positive progression.

To learn more about U-Meleni, visit her website.

THREE ZIMBABWEANS LAND ACTING ROLES IN NEW US TV SERIES
By Our correspondent

NEW YORK, January 10, 2007 - Zimbabwean actress Nomsa L. Mlambo of Everyone's Child fame has landed the leading role in a new TV series in the United States of America.

Three other Zimbabweans play significant roles in the series. Zimbabwean-American poet and actor, U-Meleni Mhlaba and Chaka Ngwenya play supporting roles to Mlambo, while Nick Zemura is the show's production manager and script editor.

The original African-themed TV series entitled "Ya Ma'Afrika" is in the final stages of production and is due to be broadcast on the popular international cable / satellite channel 3A Telesud in Europe, USA, the West Indies and Africa.

"Ya Ma'Afrika" is a fictional drama show that fuses the lives of four African women living in New York City. In the show, Thandi, Kui, Chipo and Welisane are housemates from all corners of Africa with different backgrounds. This mini-series is the first of its kind to show Africans living in the western world confronting real issues such as relationships, immigration, racism and HIV. The show captures the cosmopolitan side of Africans, rarely shown on TV in the West.

"Ya Ma'Afrika" celebrates the diversity of talented actors from all over Africa and the Diaspora. The show's dynamic cast includes celebrated Zimbabwean actress Mlambo (Everyone's Child), as Chipo, Kenyan recording artist Miriam Chemmoss, as Kui, Miss Universe 1999 Mpule Kwelagobe from Botswana as Thandi and Cameroonian actress/model Yana Bille, as Welisane. Jamaican born David Heron, an award-winning playwright and a 2006 New York City Council Award recipient for Excellence in the Arts, plays the role of Marcus. Urban Music award winner and poet, Omekongo Dibinga plays the role of Omekongo.

The rest of the supporting cast comprises actors that represent Nigeria, Haiti, USA and Ivory Coast.

Mlambo plays the lead role of Chipo who is a recent immigrant to the US. Mlambo had her first major role at the age of 17 when she appeared as the lead actress in the feature "Everyone's Child" which was directed by Tsitsi Dangarembga and produced by the Media for Development Trust. She trained at the KD Studios Actors' Conservatory and was nominated for an AriZoni Award for Best Supporting Actress in the touring production of "Crumbs from the Table of Joy." She currently resides in New York City.

Award winning Zimbabwean-American poet and actor, U-Meleni Mhlaba plays the role of Asanti, Chipo's sister adopted by a US family. Her previous acting credits include several roles with Our Place Theatre Company in Boston and a feature role in the independent film "In My Mother's House."

"Ya Ma'Afrika" is created, written and directed by Thato Rantao Mwosa from Botswana who won the "Best Emerging Local Filmmaker Award" at the 2005 Roxbury Film Festival in Boston.

The show's Executive Producer is Else Bollanga from Cameroon. She is also the host of a TV show called "La Minute Beauté" broadcast on 3A Telesud.

"Ya Ma'Afrika" is produced by Soundview Africa, which is a full service professional video production company, and is shot on location in New York City.

The producers of the show have taken an innovative approach to getting the global audience give their feedback on the pilot episodes of the show. Utilizing YouTube.com technology, previews of "Ya Ma'Afrika" are available at http://www.yamaafrika.com.

Last Updated ( Thursday, 11 January 2007 )


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U-MELEN"S HIT PERFORMANCRE AT THE BOOK CAFE ( Zimbabwe)
Entertainment Editor
As an Actress, Activist-Educator and Singer/Musician, U-Meleni has been performing her poetry/songs in many venues in Boston and internationally since 1996. U-Meleni was raised in many different parts of the world but she told TalkZimbabwe that she was thrilled to be back in Zim and performing in front of a crowd that is dear to her.

She was performing at the Book Café in Harare last night.

In a telephone conversation U-Meleni, evidently excited, said she was happy at the opportunity of establishing connections in the Southern African region.

She liked the good energy and the good vibes she got from the people of Zimbabwe. This was in line with her “love-life-liberation” theme.

When we asked her about her performance at the Book Café, U-Meleni told us that the people were very brilliant. They were excited and touched by her performance.

Her performance touched on poignant issues relating to women and children – the two groups that are dear to her. She stressed the importance of self-love, perceptions of, and the essence of beauty.

U-Meleni performed with the comedy duo, The Guests- Victor Mavedzenge and Michael Kudakwashe. The comedy duo will be in Edinburgh next week to perform at the Edinburgh French Festival. They will not be doing any comedy acts but will feature their new play called “The Territory”.

U-Meleni plans to start work on her Sophomore Album collaborating with her brother Kudzai known as Tek Neek who is a talented young upcoming producer.

Tek Neek, who is 19 years old and based in Zimbabwe, produces music, raps and sings. U-Meleni tells us Tek Neek will be attending the Academy of Sound Engineering in South Africa.

She reservedly told us to watch this rising new talent.


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TalkZimbabwe

WORDS - TOOLS FOR LIBERATION
JOHANNESBURG - With words ablaze and dropped jaws the grassroots poetry caravan hit Johannesburg last month. The Heart of Africa and Free Your Mind Publishing, with support from the University of Maryland, conducted a week-long poetry tour of Johannesburg, Soweto, Vaal Triangle and many other townships.
The tour featured two of the USA's leading spoken word artists, Omi Kongo and Umeleni, top South African poets and Zimbabwe's own Comrade Fatso. Workshops were lead by the artists, who have all faced obstacles and injustices as youth in the US and Africa. In addition to teaching the prepared curriculum the touring poets shared their own experiences as testament to the fact that the performance arts can serve as a life preserver in even the bleakest of times. The word will be used as a tool for liberation Comrade Fatso (Samm Farai Monro) is one of Zimbabwe's most popular poets, combining poetry with the struggle for freedom. The grassroots poetry caravan included workshops for disadvantaged school children, community performances and outrageous poetry concerts.

The Streets
Walkin' the streets everyday
No job, no pay
From City to Msasa
Zvikanzi 'Hapana basa'
How would you feel
If you got a raw deal
No school, no university
No job, no opportunity
Let them come down here
See what it's like year after year
They put on their cocoa butter
While we spread out in the gutter
Ivovo vane dzimba
Isusu tine Chapomba
Ivovo vanoenda ku Stars
Isusu tinoatengesa
We try to hustle
They call us criminal
We sell drugs
They call us thugs
Asi we struggling to get by
While they sit high in the sky
These Borrowdale crooks, High class tsotsis
Give us dirty looks but they real thieves
They live in comfort 'cause of our sweat
They live in credit 'cause of our debt
They drive pajeros and live in luxury
Thanks to the povo thanks to the misery
Asi inzwa ka shamwari
They are few, we are many
Vari madhara, Tiri ma youth
'Cause the rot can never stop the truth!




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© 2006 The Zimbabwean

INTERNATIONAL POETESS TO PERFORM WITH THE GUESTS. (Zimbabwe)


On the 17th of August, the Book Café will host an evening of comedy and poetry featuring world renowned poetess/song writer, U- Meleni and the comedy duo, The Guests- Victor Mavedzenge and Michael Kudakwashe. Adding more sugar to the night will be Victor Mavedzenge, who will also let his lyrical side flow as he performs as the thought provoking rhymester, Lucius.
So who is U-Meleni?

U-Meleni , is a multi-talented Zimbabwean Artist born in America, raised in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. She is an Actress, Activist-Educator and Singer/Songwriter/Musician, who she has been performing in Boston, MA and abroad since 1996. Her mission as an Artist is to inspire, motivate, educate and elevate.Her lyrics and poems address issues from World problems like child soldiers to very personal issues of women's empowerment. Her Art truly offers something for everybody. U-Meleni is also a self-taught guitarist, budding photographer and filmmaker. Since picking up the microphone in College in the US, she has graced many stages with her powerful performances, soothing voice and profound lyrics.

In August 2006, she will be travelling on an Empowerment Tour to Johannesburg, South Africa. The tour is collaboration between "Free Your Mind Publishing" and a non-profit organization called "The Heart of Africa." The travelling artists will be conducting workshops on spoken word and creative writing in the Johannesburg public education system, and showing how it can be used to empower and create change. U-Meleni has been writing poetry since the "old days" of living in Borrowdale and going to the Dominican Convent School and Arundel High School aka " Pink Prison" in Harare, Zimbabwe, though at the time did not share her work publicly. U-Meleni will then be traveling to Zimbabwe to spend time with family and friends.

She also plans to start work on her Sophomore Album collaborating with her brother Kudzai known as Tek Neek who is a talented young upcoming producer, and meeting other local Artists. She also plans on collecting family stories which she plans to use in multi-media documentary later this year. She also plans on visiting schools and universities, perhaps visiting her alma maters!!! U-Meleni holds a Masters in Education with a concentration in Drama and Multicultural Learning, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Social Psychology from Lesley University and the University of Massachusetts respectively. She has written and produced her debut CD of poetry & music (in English and Shona) entitled "Soul Psalms, Birth, Death, and Resurrection". "Talk about atoms in a cyclotron. We became a magnetic field taking in her images.." Kay Bourne, Bay state Banner.

Most recently, she was an honored writer for her poem" Feelings are only temporary" featured in the University of Maine The Binnacle Literary Arts Magazine in the fall of 2005. In March 2006, her song/poem" Love is Not Supposed to Hurt" won the Inaugural Spoken Word Competition on American Idol undergound.com and has been in rotation being among the top 50 Spoken word tracks. For the past six years, U-Meleni has also been a full-time Health & Wellness teacher in the Boston Public Schools through the Boston Public Health Commission. Her focus is to empower youth and community members to lead healthy lifestyles via poetry, drama and media. Deeply committed to leading a whole life, her Art is a reflection of what she sees and wants to change in the world.

U-Meleni has participated in many fundraising and awareness raising events, most recently a celebration of Substance Abuse Survivors with the Massachusetts Organization of Addiction and Recovery, and an event held to increase the number of AIDS Orphans that can be cared for at Selula Sandla Orphanage in Mbabane, Swaziland with Prince Cedza Dlamini and SoulAfrica.com. U-Meleni is also a member of the Girls Coalition for Greater Boston. The coalition brings people and resources together, to educate, advocate and network on behalf of girls. She has spoken on behalf of the girls she teaches at the Girls Hearing sponsored by the Massachusetts Status of Women, and uses her art in Violence Prevention and Public Health forums. U-Meleni has performed in conjunction with the African Students Union of Harvard, Tufts, Simmons, Northeastern and other universities.

U-Meleni has acted, written the narration and performed her poetry in the independent film "In My Mother's House", directed by Andrew Millington, Independent Film-maker and Assistant Professor at Howard University John H. Johnson School of Communication, shown at the Roxbury Film Festival in Boston, Massachusetts. U-Meleni also served as a consultant for the award-winning feature film, "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" directed by Thato Mwosa, an independent film-maker from Botswana.Fashion-wise- she served as a model and opening Act for the Haitian Brothers Networking Nationwide (HBNN). Theatre performances include acting in several plays, and working with Our Place Theatre Company performing in The African-American Theatre Festival held annually at the Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts.

U-Meleni was one of a select few artists to perform for 2 000 people for the re-opening performance of the Boston Opera House with the Our Place Theatre Company in September 2004, after thirty years of closed doors. She also performed at the Africana Woman Series for the Boston Pan-African Forum and regularly features at jazz, soul and R & B clubs. She has been featured in Boston-area newspapers and radio, many times.In January 2005, she started her own performance & consulting company MOSI-OA-TUNYA. For more information about her visit www.u-meleni.com and for more information on The Guests who will at the Edinburgh Festival log on to www.theguests.8m.com

Soul Psalms: Birth, Death, Resurrexion is a wonderfully crafted excursion into the world where spoken word poetry meets jazz, reggae, hip-hop, world music and funk. Prepare yourself to be touched, moved, angered, relaxed, challenged, soothed and renewed all at once. This CD is a joy to listen to, in that it is so wonderfully crafted. It draws you into an intimate place where U-Meleni spins artfully told tales from her experience; I almost felt the warmth of campfire. Truly, this CD is one of the best local productions by an individual artist, particularly a poet - who tend to bore with droll routines. It seems that throughout the 19 tracks, U-Meleni is speaking directly to the listener, giving very personal insight into the developmental process of her artistry and womanhood. The only downside of the CD is the fact that some of the material that she presents is quite deep, heavy to digest and sometimes depressing. Overall though, the obvious vision of self-expression and self-awareness far outweighs the loss of any “shake your booty” quality. The CD has an honest and open healing vibe, and, hell, it's cheaper than therapy.

“ Many excited listeners called in wanting to know where they could hear more of her….She sings in English and her native tongue …..the style reminds me of Meshell Ndegeocello. In Resurrexion the song “kana ndinenyota” has got to be my favorite. U-Meleni;’s sweet voice..speaks of self discovery and also gives respect in ‘Remembrance’

Title: What Are We Waiting For? The Unveiling of U-Meleni


…..” U-Meleni is a Zimbabwean multi-dimensional Artist who has sizzled New England….(the artist) ability to marry jazz and African beats together with her poignant voice establishes her as a versatile international Artist.
U-Meleni speaks from deep within her heart….takes women of the Diaspora on a journey many of us have traveled. ( the Artist) celebrates her feminity, her roots, her beauty and her passion. Listeners will be touched by the serenity of her piece ‘Remembrance” which is an elegy to the world suffering from AIDS and poverty. Her ending track “ Toita Sei” showcases the power of her voice: with this track, U-Meleni becomes not just a poet, but also a bona fide singer!”

Black Actors, Directors Take Center Stage


“ A talented poet, U-Meleni, provides graceful segues……”

”. “Talk about atoms in a cyclotron. We became a magnetic field taking in her images…."