BUSHFIRE FESTIVAL

In May, Swaziland’s Bushfire Festival will play host to world- renowned US poet Coleman Barks for a performance of works written by 13th Century Sufi poet Rumi.

The 700 year-old Rumi is not only one of the creative influences of the festival’s venue House on Fire, (with his poems physically carved into the foundations of the fantastical space,) but also imbues the Festival’s ongoing mandate to encourage synergy and harmony in the region. In his poem One Song – the chosen theme for this year’s Bushfire, Rumi shows his relevance to Africa’s societal issues by what Barks describes as “pointing not to what divides us, but to what we share”:

His international best-seller The Essential Rumi and numerous Rumi translations have seen Barks become the foremost authority on the works of the mystic poet, reaching a devoted, inspired, and ever-widening international audience. Now living in Athens, Georgia, Barks was born and raised in Tennessee and has taught poetry and creative writing for over 30 years at the University of Georgia. Through a new partnership and financial backing from The US Embassy, Bushfire has invited Barks, to perform Rumi’s work at this year’s Festival, which takes place from May 28 to 30 and also showcases a top line-up of live music, theatre, dance, film and interactive workshops.

“What we’re trying to do here at Bushfire Festival is create a melting pot for creativity- there is a sense of worldiness, and Rumi’s broad appeal and spirituality speak across borders and boundaries,“ says Bushfire festival Director Jiggs Thorne, speaking of the significance of bringing Barks to the Festival. “It really is a massive coup to have Coleman coming to Swaziland,” he adds. “Having one of the World’s top poets wanting to perform at Bushfire really shows the growth of the festival as a World-class event.”

Barks will perform a selection of pieces during Sunday’s programme, accompanied by Ronan Skillen, a top percussionist from South Africa, who will also perform over the festival weekend with his band BABU.

In a region where poetry and music are both plentiful in tradition, Bushfire hopes to open the door to more artists who share their enthusiasm for collaboration performances such as Bark’s partnership with Skillen, as well as inspiring their audience with World- class artists such Rumi, who’s relevance seems timeless.

“It is so important in these potentially, dangerously, sectarian times that we appeal to what holds our fragile world together. Rumi's poetry seems to be one of those things,” says Barks, who has never been to Southern Africa. “I have heard about the beauty of the place and its people. I look forward to taking all that in.”

More information from "An Exploration into Temperature of the Cultural kind", House on Fire, Kathy Shenoy, PO Box 93, Malkerns, Swaziland. Phone +268 528 2110, mobile +268 (7) 690 6094 or email: kathy@house-on-fire.com or visit www.bush-fire.com