By Tendai Chisiri
Dreamstar and National Dreamstar founder, Founding trustee Steve Ke Zhao
The 8th edition of Dreamstar Zimbabwe Show, the first in the post-Covid 19 era seems to be exciting as it is going to be a television production and more upcoming artists will enter as one needs to have a smartphone to upload videos for the show.
Dreamstar Zimbabwe is a product of collaborative efforts between China and Zimbabwe. The show which was officially launched Friday in the capital is co-organised by China Zimbabwe Exchange Centre (CZEC) and Jacaranda Culture and Media Corporation (JCMC).
Speaking at the launch, Dreamstar and National Dream Foundation founder and 2023 brand ambassador Steve Ke Zhao says Dreamstar is growing by each edition with this edition looking to be pleasing as it will be a television production.
” 2023 is going to be a pleasing edition . We will do an television production . Also as usual Dreamstar will encompass Zimbabwe music heritage like mbira, marimba, hosho to mention but a few”.
“For the next ten years, I believe Zimbabwe will not only be big in China but all over the world”, he said.
Steve Ke Zhao said he is very satisfied with the way Dreamstar Show has groomed big artists in Zimbabwe and abroad”.
Dreamstar was started in 2014 with the philosophy that every one want to be a superstar despite the background one comes from. It is a worldwide initiative,” he revealed.
He said in Zimbabwe it was started by the local Chinese people inviting Zimbabweans at their workplaces to compete against each other.
” We were very few here in 2014 of the Chinese nationality and we would select Zimbabweans interested to compete,” he said.
” We did Harare Got Talent . We even went to the extent of looking for artists in the streets like the ones riding bicycles in First Street,” he added.
The first edition of Dreamstar was at 7 Arts Theatre and an artist fro Chitungwiza walked away with the $US 3 000 first prize.
He also said he does not believe in colour of the skin but the heart of the person.
” In 2015, we did Dreamstar with the Chinese community and got a call from the China government to perform there”.
“After the semi-finals in 2015, I saw that it good for all to travel to China as a team as we were not professionals but amateurs looking for exposure so there was no need to have the best there in the final,” he said.
That was the first time the China government invited artists as they usually invited students on scholarships.
The China government said they wanted fifteen people but Ke Zhao persuaded them to accommodate thirty-two .
However fifteen managed to go as others were a bit late in processing their passport.
“There were fifty countries from around the world showcasing their arts prowess and Zimbabwe was the only country not send by the government or the national arts council but by the Chinese community living in Zimbabwe,” he stated.
The performance in China was awesome with people commenting that the group comprises of hard working artists although they were not professionals.
” Dreamstar is an issue of how to build younger generation. It is not a cultural exchange programmes. I am a very proud to be the founder of Dreamstar as a lot of artists have been groomed by the initiative,” elaborated Ke Zhao.
Steve Ke Zhao who came to Zimbabwe in 1996 said they are going to establish Dreamstar Artists Foundation for Zimbabwe upcoming artists or even upcoming artists who have never graced Dreamstar show. The foundation will raise money internationally and locally.
JCMC managing director Napoleon Nyanhi in his remarks at the launch said Dreamstar which is a talent search competition started as Zimbabwe Got Talent.
“It was initiated by the local Chinese community as a means to promote arts and culture amongst your talent in Zimbabwe to the rest of the world,” he said.
Over the years, the brand has enjoyed its fair share of glamour and challenges but it has emerged to be one of the biggest talent search competition in Zimbabwe to date.
It has given birth to popular artists with the likes of Nyasha David, Fusion 5, Mangwiro a band, Pro Beatz, Novuyo Seagirl, Mwenje Mathole and Sean Mambwere.
To date the talent search Initiative has been to many cities, towns and universities across the country scouting for talent.
In previous editions it has been to Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo, Mutare, Kwekwe, Bindura and Marondera.
In 2015, Dreamstar received honourable acknowledgement by His Excellence President Xi Jumping during his state visit to Zimbabwe in 2015.
The government of China also recognised it as a key Culture exchange programmes under the Belt and Road Initiative.
This year’s theme is “Inspire to inspire” and it is different from the old theme “Dream Higher Fight Higher”.
The 2023 edition aims at bringing to light how the previous editions from 2014 have managed to create influential artists who inspire many young talented artists and audiences to aspire to evolve their own art and their communities.
” We are decentralising it so that it is easier to find as a smartphone makes it more accessible to everyone. It is a television production whereby everything will be filmed as an omnibus with all videos in it”.
“The final will be live although it will be a television programme also”, revealed Nyanhi.
Dreamstar alumni who will also be a judge Sean Mambwere, a multi winning choreographer and dancer with 6 six NAMAs said the talent show is very helpful.
” I have been to Germany, America, Botswana and South Africa and performed at the biggest theatres in Germany and South Africa. He commended the show saying some people whom he competed with are still in China flying the Zimbabwe flag high.
He was part of the the team that helped to draft CALA which is being used in Zimbabwe schools because of his arts expertise through Dreamstar exposure.
Born and bred in Glen-Norah high density suburbs, he has not forgotten to give back to the community he grew up in.
“I hold classes at Glen-Norah Community Centre and Glen-Norah Hall as a way of giving back to the community.”, he revealed.
Dreamstar is versatile. It is open to musicians, dancers, comedians, acrobats and poets. Whatever art that can be performed at stage is allowed.
Four judges have so far been selected who are Sean Mambwere, Nyasha Davis, Hope Masike and Kirk Bad bad.
All outstanding performed stand a chance to fly to China whilst the top winner receives $US 3 000, second pickets $US 1 500 and the third place walks away with $ 500 US.
The roadmap for the show is 1 July – 25 July, contestants data and videos are collected from across all 10 provinces, 31 July – 03 August are the preliminary auction dates with the semi-finals dates 4 August – 5 August.
On the 1 September -7 October, episodes are aired with the finals on the 14 or 21 October.
National Arts Council (NAC)director Nicholas Moyo and other officials from NAC attended the launch. Artists from the age of 14 to 40 are eligible to enter.
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