The Austrian NGO “Society for Threatened Peoples” has been publishing a calendar every year. It is featuring different indigenous peoples and minorities around the globe who face harsh living conditions and marginalisation. Their cultural diversity and resilience is highlighted by impressive images and some background information.
The new calendar 2004 "Cultures on the Move" also covers the Tonga people
and the TONGA.ONLINE project.
It is out for sale now throughout Austria in all SÜDWIND & BUCHWELT / WELTLADEN shops:
LEBENSZEICHEN / SIGNS OF LIFE 2004
Calendar with colour photographs of the Austria
Impressive Images + Critical Texts + Authentic Voices
Format: A3, 14 colour photographs and texts on the theme
With some background information and black-&-white photos on the backs
Price Euro 18.60 + mailing costs
Send your order to: Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker - Society for Threatened Peoples, Untere Viaduktgasse 53/7A, A1030 Vienna; Tel./ Fax: +43/1/503 1336
e-mail: gfbv.austria@chello.at, homepage: www.gfbv.at
The "Cultures on the Move" 2004 calendar which includes a beautiful photo of 4 Tonga women from the music group Simonga, was received in Binga with surprise and delight!
Malia Mweembe, one of the four women, who is usually very talkative, was completely speechless when presented with her very own copy by Peter Kuthan after a performance of ngoma buntibe on Wed 17 September in Siachilaba. She fully understands the honour she has been given.
A very special and warm thanks to Melissa Coleman, the photographer, who waived royalties in favour of the Tonga.Online project at Siachilaba. Twalumba loko, Melissa! Please come and visit us at any time - we will invite you for the opening!
From Penny and all the ladies.
"KONJILA” – “come in" ( Tonga )
INVITATION to the presentation of the calendar "Signs of Life 2004"
with a performance of Windhund :
Otto Lechner + João de Bruçó + Karl Ritter
Introduction by Davis O. Nejo
tonga_online_networking : visuals by v_bay
Thursday, 6th November, 7 p.m.
at:
New Media Art Gallery
Vienna 1, Eßlinggasse 17
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read more:
wwww.gfbv.at + www.windhundrecords.com
Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker
AZFA
Windhundrecords
Many thanks to Melisa Coleman for the royalties you waived for the Tonga Online Project in Siachilaba,Binga.This shows that your heart is with the BaTonga.We wellcome anyone with such ideas. Leza akulongezye Melisa(God bless you Melisa)Kunembo a Project
Twaalumba ! Thanks for the Invitation;
Konjila, keep the faith with you and
never loose hope for l am interested in culture (Tonga).
Valentine Nkomo
The presentation of the calendar “Signs of Life 2004” last week saw the New Media Art Gallery in Vienna crowded with people and friends who were listening to the performance of five musicians from Windhundrecords Otto Lechner, Joao de Bruco, Karl Ritter, Peter Rosmanith und Achim Tang. Not only the Windhund music but also the visuals projected to the background wall by Thomas Schneider connected the venue with the atmosphere of Ngoma Buntibe performance by Simonga group in Siachilaba. This is exactly the scenery from where the calendar picture for January 2004 is taken which is portraying four female members of Simonga singing and dancing. Later on an impressive video was shown by Davis O. Nejo which follows the last minutes in life of Marcus Omofuma, an asylumseeker, who suffocated while being deported from Austria.
Thanks again to the “Society for Threatened Peoples” for this opportunity to promote the Tonga people and Tonga.Online project.
Twalumba !
Dear Peter
It was really an enjoyable evening with a difference. I learnt quite a lot about a tribe that is here but which I never new anything more than just knowing that they exist in the Zambezi valley. You are doing a good job, keep it up.
Regards
W Zhakata
Harare
Dear Otto, Karl and Joao,
Greetings from Binga where it must be in the lower forties today, in the depths of our summer and thirsty for rain. Very shortly the heavy storm clouds will gather and break in a dramatic fury over our heads, and we will all run outside and play in it like little children or crazy people. Wish you were here, relaxing and soaking up some sun!
Thanks once again from the Tonga.Online project, for your support and commitment to the BaTonga people. I believe the recent performance for the calendar was wonderful, and we do appreciate your work and talents on our behalf. Thank you for that. Please thank Peter and Achim, and all others who were involved. We look forward to meeting Peter and Achim at some time in the future, and welcome them to visit and experience Tonga music with us.
You will be interested to know that the studio at the Binga ITC is busy, busy, busy, and who ever thought that there were so many budding musicians in Binga? Sengamo Ndlovu is having the time of his life, and handling the musicians and singers very well. The mini disk recorder and computer are really being well utilised, and it is truly appreciated. These young people would never have 'a hope in hell' of getting their music recorded in any form, so far from the city. Another aspect which we must now address is the recording of other BaTonga music styles such as Chilimba and others which are dying out. We will be working closely with Sengamo on this.
Thanks again for everything, and remember that you have a place here in Binga anytime you want to come back and visit, relax, play music, fish - whatever. Welcome! Twamutambula!
All the best,
Penny Yon
The TONGA.ONLINE project
Tel/fax 015 - 573
kunzwana@mweb.co.zw
SIGNS OF LIFE Calendar: "January means a new start, and new hope for a good year".
January 2004 opened the first page of the Signs of Life calendar, which features four women - Janet, Salia, Ndinde and Monga - of the group Simonga from Siachilaba, Binga. This beautiful photo brings to the forefront of our minds the rich and exciting culture of our Batonga people of the Zambezi Valley. The vivid traditional beadwork reflects the colourful richness of our heritage, and reminds us that the art must be supported and passed on, if it is to survive. The dancing and singing Banenes (grandmothers) remind us that we are strong people, full of song and laughter. Being on the calendar and the internet means that we are recognised in the world. Our cultural pride is growing and we will be ready to take our place in development and tourism in Zimbabwe in the future. January means a new start, and new hope for a good year. Thanks to the photographer Melissa Coleman and the Banenes of Simonga and the Austrian publishers.
Theo Sianyuka, Tonga.Online project