The Sunday Mail
KING of Dancehall, Beenie Man, arrives in Zimbabwe this Thursday for the Spring Festival set for Alex Sports Club in the capital.
It is his second visit to the country after a memorable 2010 gig courtesy of Delta Beverages.
The Jamaican’s debut show in Zimbabwe at the sadly now defunct Lion Lager Beer Festival was oversubscribed, and hundreds of fans failed to get into the show.
Chaotic preparations as witnessed at the recent two-legged Busy Signal tour can kill a good outing for both the fans and performing artistes, and the plea to the promoters of this weekend’s Beenie Man show, which features some of Zimbabwe’s finest talent.
What makes Saturday’s show different is that on the same day, hundreds of thousands of people will be in Harare’s CBD and its environs.
It would be the last day of the Harare Agricultural Show.
With the way Spring Festival has been hyped in newspapers and on radio, and the fact that Jah Prayzah, Winky D, Soul Jah Love, Judgement Yard, Rax the DJ, Raydizz, Juice, Selecta, Cindy and Queen Vee to name just a few, are on the line-up, makes it ultra high profile.
While 2 Kings Entertainment has proved to be an organised events management company, I urge them not to relax.
I understand over 1 000 advance tickets had been sold by last Wednesday. This should show the promoters that there is a serious appetite for this gig among live music lovers.
Things like parking space can easily ruin a show.
The organising team should be devising ways of managing that department to ensure there is no commotion like we saw at last year’s Braai Festival.
There should also be multiple ticket selling points on the day to ensure that people get in as smoothly as possible. It is easier to manage people once they are inside the venue than when they are outside where thieves and other hoodlums will be milling around.
I thoroughly enjoyed Beenie Man’s set in 2010.
I was privileged enough to be among the few VIPs treated to various goodies in the elevated and secure VIP enclosure. It was at that show that Winky D proved he was no fly-by-night artiste.
He dazzled.
That show remains one of the few foreign acts I have enjoyed locally and I would like to enjoy it again this year. I rate Beenie Man’s show in the same league with the 2009 Akon/Sean Paul gig, P-Square’s Beer Festival performance in 2012 and Busy Signal’s 2015 blast. Considering that Beenie Man has chosen to celebrate his birthday in Zimbabwe with his local fans – it would be a shame if some sound glitch, poor security or general disorganisation spoiled this mammoth party.
I have heard that Beenie Man wants to share his cake with fans – please 2 Kings – create an environment where all this is possible.
Ensure everyone sober enough to follow proceedings, does so comfortably and cherishes the moment for years to come.
Shows like these come once in a lifetime for most people and when it happens twice -surely, it is blessing.
As the reigning National Arts Merit Awards Promoter of the Year – prove that indeed you deserve such recognition and give Zimbabwean music lovers everlasting memories.
