Background
The Embassy of Italy in partnership with National Arts Council of Zimbabwe holds a Musica Festival every year in October.
The Festival is designed to give Italian international and Zimbabwean artists an opportunity to work and perform
together. Many fruitful forms of association have ensued, greatly boosting opportunities for musical growth and
commercial development in Zimbabwe. Normally a series of concerts, workshops and seminars are organised during the
festival.
One of the highlight of the festival over the years has been the “Battle for the School Bands Programme.”This is a schools
programme component through which school bands compete for honours. The winning bands attend a workshop facilitated
by very experienced and successful Italian and Zimbabwean musicians as well as affording the participating school children
the opportunity to perform alongside professional bands as the epic event of the festival yearly. For the last 7 years only
school in and around Harare have participated although the plan is to extend it to all the provinces of Zimbabwe. The
music extravaganza besides flaunting musical talent in schools is also a conduit through which music development is fostered
as well as promoting cultural exchange through music