MBABANE – The Ntjilo-Ntjilo Arts Festival and the Tiro Mpane Foundation have not engaged in a musical collaboration this year due to a dispute in the rules of the competition.
Ntjilo-Ntjilo Arts Festival founded by Mathokoza Sibiya is known for unveiling and promoting local talent. It strictly includes emaSwati only in the competition. A recent competition on August 24, at Kwaluseni Emporium, saw only emaSwati competing for first positions, from Gospel, poetry, Zion choirs, fine art, traditional dances, Soprano and Bass duet, quartets, standard and large choirs. The choirs included His Majesty’s Correctional Services Choir, champions of this year’s competition, Manzini Choir, Sweet Sounds, Pure Voices and other choirs.
Meanwhile, the Tiro Mpane Foundation from South Africa has been heavily invested in its core mission of promoting Choral music excellence. The foundation has dedicated its resources to the inaugural year of the Tiro Mpane Foundation National Choral Eisteddfod (TMF-NCE), a major event that brought together choirs from across southern Africa. Tiro Mpane allows even non-South Africans to compete in the competition, yet Ntjilo-Ntjilo strictly allows emaSwati. During last year’s Ntjilo-Ntjilo festival a choir, African Philharmonic Chorus was denied entry to one segment of the competition, the Girls-Choir because they failed to give forth their national identity cards yet the rules of Ntjilo-Ntjilo had outlined that choristers must carry their national identity cards. Rumours say that the choir had some non-emaSwati choristers.
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