For October’s ONpodcast we asked Cologne-based Demask collective to introduce us to artists from their network. They proposed performance artist and activist Jordan Chanetsa to be the host of both episodes! Jordan is the current artist in residence of the participatory residence program that is a cooperation between Demask Cologne, In-Haus e.V. and Akademie der Künste der Welt.
«In this episode, I have decided to spotlight the work of a black trans* artist from Harare Zimbabwe. I am also a trans* artist from Harare Zimbabwe, therefore it is important for me to be able to share work created by other people who are creating from the same context that I have originated from. Mandhla is someone that I admire and whose work I value. I appreciate the time and work they have put into their craft and the reverence with which they create their sounds. For me, these sounds are important to be shared as firstly, representation is important, but secondly because the provide a soundscape that has been created in a very emotive way. This episode will take us on a journey into the world of sound created by Mandhla and we will ger a chance to look into her world of music and how she chooses to share her thoughts and feelings. We will also get a chance to listen to some unreleased music given to us specially for this episode by Mandhla herself.» – Jordan Chanetsa
Mandhla Ndubiwa is a trans-feminine gender non-comforming multi-media performance artist born and raised in Zimbabwe, Africa. As a current resident in Berlin she combines a blend of experimental R&B and Soul music with visual projections and performative dancing. Her music speaks of the daily trials that Trans, enby and femme immigrant bodies experience daily with love, identity, sex and acceptance. A strong lover of visual beauty, fashion, the art of voguing and music, and her work being displayed in various stages, festivals and artistic institutions such as Whole Festival, Pop Kultur, Munich Kammerspiele, Gropius Bau, Kulturbraurei, and HAU, Hebbel am Ufer, to name a few, she promises to bring to you an experience that takes you to a world of beauty and divine epiphanies through fierce queer representation and black femme* power that speaks to the souls that have lived and continue to live through her work.
Jordan Chanetsa is a multi-disciplinary artist and LGBTQIA+ rights activist and works as a consultant for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in working spaces. Jordan is a founding member of the Harare Queer Collective (HQ), which works to create safe spaces for Zimbabwean LGBTQIA+ people. As a presenter and media personality, she regularly addresses the difficult realities of the LGBTQIA+ community in Zimbabwe on radio shows and podcasts and is the host of “The Naked Truth Show,” a program that focuses on gender, sexuality, and health. For the podcast “Her Hour” (Play Afrika TV), Chanetsa produced a special edition with the U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe about Pride Month, among other things. In 2019, Chanetsa was honored by the Dutch Embassy in Zimbabwe for her commitment as part of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence” campaign. Chanetsa was also selected to participate in the “Young Leaders Program” of “Women Deliver”, an organization that promotes gender equality and the health and rights of girls and women. From June to October 2022, Jordan Chanetsa is artist-in-residence as part of the Participatory Residency Program organized by ADKDW together with DEMASK Kollektiv and Integrationshaus e.V.