Zimbabwe Times: Hero’s Welcome for Oscar Award Winner

The Zimbabwe Times reports about the arrival of Prudence Mabhena, star of Music by Prudence, back in Zimbabwe:

BULAWAYO – Oscar winning disabled musician Prudence Mabhena brought Bulawayo to a standstill when she arrived from the United States on Monday afternoon.

Hundreds of residents, who included politicians from both the MDC and Zanu-PF and the Mayor Patrick Thaba-Moyo, thronged Bulawayo Airport to welcome Mabhena, who landed at 1pm aboard a South Africa Airways flight.

Zimbabwe enjoyed its first taste of Oscar glory two weeks ago when the film ‘Music by Prudence’ won the Best Short Documentary at the 2010 Oscar Academy Awards in US.
Music by Prudence documents Mabhena’s life. She is a 22-year-old from Bulawayo who is crippled by arthrogryposis, a congenital disorder that affected her arms and legs.
She is the lead singer of her band, Liyana.

“I am very proud to win the Oscar Award,” Mabhena told journalists. “The award is not only for me but for my band, Liyana, and for all Zimbabweans. We have proved that disability is not inability.”

Mabhena said she and her band were returning to US in May to feature on the popular Opprah Winfrey show.

“After winning the award I was hosted by Opprah and musician Mariah Carey,” she said. “I am actually going back to the US in May with my band for a show with Opprah.”

From the airport, Mabhena’s car joined a convoy of vehicles stretching almost one kilometre heading to the City Hall where many city residents waited to welcome her.

Her father Herbert Mabhena, who travelled all the way from Jambezi area in Matabeleland North to welcome his daughter, could not hold back his tears when she arrived.
“I am very proud of you my daughter, you have made a great person,” he said.

Mabhena’s group Liyana was formed at Bulawayo’s King George IV School for the disabled and was discovered by Zimbabwe-born Leslie Goldwasser.
Now based in the United States, Goldwasser liked their music and Prudence’s life story while on a visit to Zimbabwe, leading to the group’s first tour of the United States where they performed at the Apollo Theatre in December last year.

Mayor Thaba-Moyo said the city was proud of Mabhena and her group.
“We feel great about what you did,” said Thaba-Moyo. “You have put Bulawayo and Zimbabwe on the world map and we are going to honour you for that.”

Souce: The Zimbabwe Times

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