The Standard
12 July 2009
A life-size statue of the late Safirio Madzikatire has been erected in Harare by the Culture Fund in a befitting tribute to the legendary comedian.
The statue was by Daniel Karavina, a sculptor from Harare who specialises in life-size statues.
Harare Mayor, Muchadeyi Masunda unveiled the statue at an event held at the newly opened Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust offices in Milton Park, Harare.
Madzikatire’s widow, Ntongasi and his eldest son, Elijah were among the guests who attended the event.
The statue is part of a project called Great Musicians of my Time which aims at documenting and archiving great artists who have left an indelible mark on the arts industry.
The statue, according to Culture Fund executive director Farai Mpfunya will be “mounted in various strategic venues in and around Harareâ€.
“It’s an honour to have my husband’s work remembered this way,†Ntongasi said.
“He loved people, he lived for them and this is a seal of approval from those who loved him.â€
Karavina said he felt encouraged to undertake the mammoth task of “bringing back†the life of Madzikatire popularly known as Mukadota, because of the immense contribution he made to the music and arts industry.
“When I approached Culture Fund for support on this, the idea was to keep the memories of our legends intact,†Karavina said. “I look forward to continue doing this work.
This medium I used is not only entertaining to the fans but also quite intriguing and most of all it keeps Safirio alive.â€
The launch was attended by top personalities such as sculptor Dominic Benhura, Sweden’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Sten Rylander, poet-cum-musician Albert Nyathi and the Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart.