Elvania Namukwaya Zirimu

 

Elvania Namukwaya Zirimu yazaalibwa 31, mu mwezi Ogwomunaana, mu 1938, n'afa nga 31, mu Gwekumi mu 1979, nga yali munayuganda omunwadiisi w'ebitontome, ssaako n'okuwandiika emizannyooba katemba. Yatandikawo ekibiina ky'abazannyi ba katemba kyebaali bayita Ngoma Players, nga balina ekyaali kigoberera okuwandiika n'okufulumya emizannyo gy'abanayuganda, ng'era ky'alina kisinga kubeera mu kifo gyebazannyira katemba ne firimu mu Uganda, ekya 'National Theatre'. Yali abeera mu mujiji ogwasookawo mu Uganda ogw'ali gw'abanayuganda abaali abawandiisi ng'aboobera n'oluzungu, wamu n'okuwandiika emizannyo nga mwalimu n'eyali omuwandiisi w'obutabo Okello Oculi, John Ruganda omuwandiisi w'emizannyo,Austin Bukenya eyali awandiika obutabo. Nga omulimu gwebasinga okumumannyako gwegwali ogw'omuzannyo gwebaali bayita ''Keeping up with the Mukasas'', nga guno gwatekebwa ne mu butabo bwa David Cook obw'omwaka gwa 1965 obw'emizannyo gy'omubuvanjuba bwa Afrika gwebaali bayira ensibula y'obuvanjuba bwa Afrika oba, Origin East Africa.

Ebimukwatako

Elvania Namukwaya yazaalibwaku bizinga by'e Bussi mu disitulikiti y'e Kalangala,mu Uganda. Yasoma siniya kusomero lya King's College e Budo, esomero eriyigiriza abaana abalenzi n'abwala, ng'eno gyeyeeyawuliramu okuva mu bane ng'omuzannyi w'akatemba era omuwandiisi w'emizannyo. Namukwaya yeetaba nga mu mizannyo gy'okusiteegi ey'ali nga kusomero. Amaanyi gge agasooka mu kuwandiika engero ennyimpi gaalabikako mu 1960 mu katabo k'esomero akaali kayitibwa, ''The Bodonian'' oba eyayitako oba eyasomerako kusomero ly'e Budo. Yayongerezaako mu 1961 ku Yunivasite y'e Makerere gyeyatikirwa dipulooma mu by'okusomesa mu 1962. Ng'aku e Makerer, omuzannyo gwe ogwali guyitibwa ''Keeping up with the Mukasas'' gwawangula ekirabo ky'omwaka gwa 1962 ogw'empaka z'oluzungu n'engule y'omuzannyo ogwayiyizibwa mu byadala ng'eno yaliwo mu bikujuko by'emizannyo gya Uganda.

Ng'ali ku yunivasite y'e Makerere, Namukwaya yasisinkana era n'agwa mukwano n'omusajja eyali amannyi enimi eziwerako era eyalina obumannyirivu mu misomo egimu Pio Zirimu. Baafumbiriganwa emyaka emitono egyaddako era nebazaala omwana ow'obuwala.

Mu mwak gwa 1963, Namukwaya yagenda kutendekro lya yunivasite y'omu Leeds ng'eno gyeyafunira diguli mu by'okulaga obumannyirivu mu by'obeera osobola okukola mu mwaka gwa 1966. Ng'akomyewo, mu Uganda, yafuuka omuyigiriza w'abasomesa kutendero ly'abasomesa ku yunivasite y'e Kyambogo, ng'oluvannyuma yakikola ne ku setendekero lya yunivasite y'e Makerere. Yayambako kutandikawo kkwaya ya Uganda ey'eggwanga mu 1967.Era mu mwaka ogwo, yatandikawo ekibiina ky'abazannyi baakatemba ekyali kiyitibwa ''Ngoma Players'', ekyaali kirina byekigoberera mu kuwandiika n'okufulumya emizannyo mu mbeera ya Uganda, nga muno mweyazannyira nga, oba okubalagirira eby'okukola mu mizannyo gyabwe nga 12 gyebaafulumya. Mu 1971 okutuuka mu 1979, yali w'amaanyi mu kifo ewabeera ebintu by'eggwanga eby'obuwangwa, nga yayambako mu kukola okukola obukwakulizo obugobererwa gyebazannyira katemba ne ffirimu oba mu ''National Theatre'', ng'eno gyeyafuukira ssentebe wakyo mu mwaka gwa 1978.

Omuzannyo gwe ogwali gusooka gwebaali bayita efumu ly'a famire oba ''Family Spear,'' gwasooka kuzannyibwa banakatemba aba ''Ngoma Players'' mu Kampala. Gwali muzannyo ogwali gukwatagana n'ekikula ky'abantu, wamu ne puleesa omujiji gyeguyitamu mu famire, ng'omusajja asuubirwa okuwa abantu bbe buli kimu, naye ng'omukyala alina okukola ennyo okulaba ng'awa bba we buli kimu oba ng'amulabirira. ''Snoring Strangers', gwasooka kuzannyibwa aba Ngoma Players mu 1973, ng'era gwaali gukwata ku mikolo gy'obuwanga egy'omukyalo.

Omuzannyo gwa Zirimu gwebasinga okumumanyirako gwebayita, ''When the Hunchback Made Rain'', ogwasooka okufulumizibwa mu mwaka gwa 1970, nga gulaga engeri abantu gyebakwataganamu n'emizimu oba ensi ey'emyoyo. Emirimu gye gyaali girako obutabanguko mu bantu gyebawangaalira ssaako n'emu by'obufuzi mu myaka gya 1960.

Ng'azeemu okulambula eggwanga lya Bungereza mu 1972 okutuuka mu 1973, yakola n'ekifo webazannyitra katemba ekya Roy Hart Theatre n'ekya Keskidee Centre, nga yawerezaako ne pulogulaamu ku mukutu gwa BBC eya omukyala okubeeta ng'ayitamu n'atuuka kubuwanguzi. Yafulumya oluyimba lwa Byron Kawadwa lwebayita Oluyimba twa Wankoko, ng'olwali luyingira mu Uganda ku bikujjuko bya FESTAC 77, nga mu kwongerezaako, yafulumya emizannyo gy'oku ttivi, yawerezaako ng'omulamuzi mu mpaka z'akatemba eziwerako, ng'era yaliko mu bikujjuko by'okwolesa eby'obuwanga ebiwerako.

Mu 1979, yali awereddwa omuli gw'okubeera omubaka wa Uganda mu Ghana, ng'era yali yeetegeka kwabulira Uganda okugenda okutandika okukakalabya omulimu guno, wabula n'afiira mu kabenje k'emmotoka.

Emirimu gye egyafulumizibwa

Engero

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• "The Hen and Ground Nuts" in  Origin East Africa: A Makerere Anthology. London: Heinemann Educational Books. ISBN 9780435900151.

Katemba

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• "African Spear" in  African Theatre. London: Heinemann. ISBN <bdi>978-0435901349</bdi>.

Okusoma okulala

• Martin Banham, Errol Hill & George Woodyard (eds), The Cambridge Guide to African and Caribbean Theatre, 1994.  ISBN 978-0-521-41139-4