Chirikure Chirikure Biography
Chirikure Chirikure (born 1962 in Gutu, Zimbabwe) is a Zimbabwean poet, songwriter, and writer. He is a graduate of the University of Zimbabwe and an Honorary Fellow of University of Iowa, USA. He worked with one of Zimbabwe’s leading publishing houses as an editor/publisher for 17 years, until 2002. He now runs a literary agency and also works as a performance poet, cultural consultant and translator.
Literary career
He has contributed some pieces in a Shona poetry anthology, Zviri Muchinokoro (2005, ZPH Publishers).
He has written and translated a number of children’s stories and published some educational textbooks, and has also been an occasional contributor to the print media and ran a radio programme for young Shona writers. Chirikure performs his poetry solo and/or with his mbira music ensemble. He has recorded an album of poetry and music, Napukeni (2002), with his colleagues, DeteMbira Group. He has also written lyrics for a number of leading Zimbabwean musicians and he occasionally performs with some of these musicians.
Prizes
All of Chirikure’s poetry books received first prizes in the annual Zimbabwe writer of the year awards. His first volume, Rukuvhute, also received an Honorable Mention in the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa, in 1990.
His other book, Hakurarwi – We Shall not Sleep, was selected as one of the 75 Best Zimbabwean Books of the 20th Century in a competition run by the Zimbabwe International Book Fair in 2004. In that competition the same book got a prize as one of the best five Shona publications of the 20th century. Chirikure has participated in several local and international festivals and symposia over the years. He is married and has three children.
Gore rino hakuvatwi
tisina kuzvigadzira
Rino gore hakurarwi
tisina kuzvipedza
Hatingaregi uchiwondonga, takangotarisa
Hatingaregi uchibvoronga, takangonyarara
Hatingaregi uchiwondomora, takangodzvondora
Hatingaregi uchibvonyonga, takangoduka
Zuva riya wakatuka mbuya, tikazvinyarara
Riya zuva wakatengesa pfuma, tikangonyarara
Nezuro wakapisa dura, tikazvinyarara
Nhasi woisa tsvina mutsime?
tsvina mutsime?
tsvina mutsime?
...
Ndakarinzwa shoko raMacmillan wekuBritain
Hanzi kwava nemhepo itsva inovhuvhuta muAfrika
Mhepo yotsvaira Afrika ichishandura zvose
Mhepo inofanirwa kucherechedzwa nepasi rose
Ndakaiona mhepo ichitsvaira nyika yeAfrika
Ichisvinudza meso evaya vari parumananzombe
Ichizunza mbambo dzeusvetasimba, kuti zu zu zu
Ichidokerwa yopeperetsa mureza weruzhinji rwevanhu
Ndotarisa uko nekoko nhasi ndoona imwe ngoma
Mhepo iya yasanduka ruvara, yava chamupupuri
Chamupupuri chodzura mbariro dzemisoro yevanhu
Choshezheudzira pfumo kune wamai, richisiya mhandu
Chodzimaidza meso, kufamba yangova fembera fembera
Chonyemudza mari, mari yosandura vamwe kuita zvigeven'a
Chobvuta nhembe dzezvigaro zvemagweta, chichikanda muchoto
Chobvarura mureza weruzhinji, chichiturika ura hwesvava
Ndikatarisisa ndinoona chamupupuri chine shavi
Chamupupuri chodambura-dambura rukuvhute -
Uku mhuru haisati yatombodongorera kuti ibude munhumbu
Kana mihacha, pokupirira, midzi yayo chaiturika mudenga!
...
I heard the word from Macmillan of Britain
There is a new wind blowing in Africa
A wind of change sweeping across Africa
A wind the whole world is warned to take heed of
I saw the wind sweeping out the land of Africa
Opening the eyes of those under oppression
Shaking the bastions of colonialism to the root
Leaving a new flag of the people flying in the air
Today, I look here and there, I hear another sound
The wind has changed tone; this, now, is a dust-storm
A dust-storm that is ripping out the wiring from people's minds
Turning the spear from the enemy to point at one's own brother
Blinding the eyes so people can't see where they are going
Dangling money in people's faces, changing many into devils
It rips off the adornments from the legal thrones and throws them into the fire
It tramples on the flag of the people and hoists up the insides of little babies
When I look closely, I see a demonic dust-storm
A dust-storm that is shredding the umbilical cord
Even before the calf is ready to leave the womb
It has pulled out the ancestral prayer-tree, muhacha
And turned it upside down
With its roots to the sun!
...
Sitting in the white wintry sun
Watching birds winging in total peace
The mind switches to one's bare feet:
Two feet
Lucky to still have them both
Ten toes
Blessed to still have them all.
Who made that stupendous blunder?
The feet, straying in the wrong area?
The mouth, blurting the wrong party slogan?
Wrong area?
Who decides that?
Party slogan?
Who designs that?
Two feet
For perfect mobility
Ten toes
For total balance
Time to move on
Where the feet's heart desires.
...
Sitting in the white wintry sun
Watching birds winging in total peace
The mind switches to one's bare feet:
...
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