OUT & ABOUT: Full houses, disappointments, truckloads of money

THEY came, they saw and they performed — some to satisfaction but others to the utter despair of music fans.

The last weekend of August provides lots of entertainment every year and music promoters take advantage of the busy weekend to make truckloads of money, although, it is not always the case.

Every year a major gig is held soon after the Zimbabwe Agriculture Show at one of the major entertainment venues in the capital. But this time around promoters had other ideas — for the first time in a long time the capital hosted two international acts on the same weekend.

The third international act, Roberto of the Amarula fame, was dropped on the eleventh hour, perhaps the promoter’s fear of a flop got the better of him.

Two of the most active local acts, Jah Prayzah and Suluman Chimbetu, did the unthinkable, they held fort and staged shows in the capital. Usually local performers run to smaller towns during such busy weekends dominated by international stars.

Dendera crooner Chimbetu aka Sulu, perhaps deserves special mention. At a time when he is not counted among the top crowd pullers, he managed, like a valiant soldier, to stand his ground. Instead of “running away” from competition, he took the bull by the horns.

He staged his Friday gig at Radost Platinum right next door to 1+1 Happy at Long Cheng Plaza where Davido was having his welcome party. In Borrowdale, Toni Braxton and Babyface were also in action yet music fans stood “bumper to bumper” inside Radost platinum.

The following day, he was at his traditional home, Mushandirapamwe, battling against Davido’s Belgravia Gig, the Zim dancehall Cup Clash, Bodyslam Festival and the Summer Slam gig, and once again he came out all smiles. In fact, he recorded his first biggest crowd of the year at the venue on the day.

No promoter would even touch him as he was considered toxic, but a self-promoted Sulu on all the aforesaid gigs, took a well calculated gamble and won.

During the build up to the events social media was abuzz with jokes insinuating this would be the end of some promoters’ careers. The rationale behind this school of thought was that not all of the shows were going to be successful.

Top class Toni in Borrowdale

This was not the typical show we have become accustomed to. Indications started showing from outside the venue, Borrowdale Race Course. One would be excused for thinking that every individual inside the venue had his or her car parked outside.

Organisers had to change the initial programme after realising that fans did not come in as early as they had expected. According to the initial programme Toni Braxton was supposed to go on stage at 8.30pm but instead it was Babyface who ended up kick-starting the show 30 or so minutes after the initial scheduled time.

To his credit, the 56-year-old gave a good account of himself. After Babyface, there was a long break before Toni went on stage. The hour plus break pushed revellers’ patience to the limit such that they uncharacteristically began to whistle in protest.

If it was the other side of town, rest assured there was going to be an incident.

But it appears the long break between sets was part of the artistes/promoters way of doing business. Reports from Down South are that they did the same the following day in Durban.

And when Toni finally came on stage around 11pm she gave a world class act, one that many Zimbabweans have never had the opportunity to witness live. Her act was well rehearsed and choreographed. However, besides the 1990s star act managing to have some fans sway and sing along to her songs one could easily notice that not all were enjoying.

But knowing Toni’s discography, it was wrong to expect her to create a vibe that would electrify the Racecourse. What she did is what she does best.

Perhaps the only outright misnomer is that the supposed VIP’s that had parted ways with US$100 per person felt cheated. They ended up sharing their space with US$40 ticket holders. Even the VVIP’s that forked out US$150 were also affected.

Another downside was that one could easily bribe his/her way to any of the two sections (VIP and VVIP) with amounts ranging from as little as US$5 to US$20. With the way security was lax, it would not be a surprise if a good number of people entered the show for free.

In terms of stage presence and attire, Babyface and Toni nailed it. They each changed their look more than two times in the few hours that they were on stage.

Toni performed songs like “You’re Making Me High”, “Breathe Again” and “Let It Flow” that made up part of her numerous 1990’s hits.

And probably after spending a couple of days locked in her hotel room, she finally made up by calling people from the crowd during her act and dancing with them. Certainly she is not a spent force, at least according to African standards.

Davido’s Belgravia Sports Club fraud

Davido came promising to set Harare ablaze with a refined act but his performance left a lot to be desired. It did not resemble that of a man on demand around the continent. The show was better priced than the Toni Braxton gig and subsequently was attended by a large number of people. In fact, it was the most talked about gig in the past week.

But the absence of a live band and quality supporting acts compromised the whole gig. The visiting Nigerian artiste shared the stage with local musicians Trevor Dongo, Soul Africa, Roki and Ex-Q.

Thousands of music lovers left Belgravia Sports Club heavily disappointed. Not only from the not so inspiring act but also because the subdued act was shorter than expected.

And the anger was justified. Not even his hits like “Skelewu”, “My Number One” and “Dami Duroaye” could help him create an electric environment.

Davido’s act was nowhere near what his countrymen Peter and Paul Okoye of P-Square did some three years ago.

Rather, the lukewarm performance finds itself rightly placed between P-Squares electric performance and D’banj’s poor act.

And by the way, someone should tell Roki to visit the gym. He is getting chubby with each passing day. And the sight of him trying to do those sleek yesteryear moves gave revellers an awkward feeling — it just did not come out right.

Missed chance for Matapi Chairman

It is no use talking about attendance when it come to the Cup Clash. It is traditional, the City Sports Centre is always filled to the rafters.

However, when the man-of-the-moment decides to fly away to England, leaving some spent forces to steal the limelight — that becomes the talking point. It is sad that Killer T aka Chairman decided to let his fans down by opting not to be part of the Cup Clash.

No doubt if he had performed on that stage he was going to bring a whole new dimension to the overall gig. The Chairman repeated exactly what Tocky Vibes did for the same show the previous year during his peak period.

Thousands of people paid their way into the Cup Clash venue. Dancehall stars Winky D, Freeman, Seh Calaz, Ricky Fire and Soul Jah Love graced the event.

Winky D showed that he is not yet ready to surrender the Zim dancehall crown. Armed with a healthy playlist and a vintage brand, he managed to whip the auditorium into a frenzy.

But it was talented dancehall star Seh Calaz who learnt the hard way. The mixed crowd vehemently disapproved of his diss songs that targeted Soul Jah Love and Winky D. Calaz came in after Winky D, eager to maintain the standards that had been set by the Ninja President but failed dismally.

As usual the charismatic Soul Jah Love accompanied by his wife Bounty Lisa and their Conquering Family did not disappoint. They gave a spirited act that left lasting memories.

The flop that never was

Most people expected the inaugural Bodyslam Summer Festival gig to flop but the gods had other ideas.

The event, which will now be an annual event seeking to promote local artistes, saw gates open as early as midday. There was, however, a very slow start at the venue as small numbers came in during the early hours of the event but then momentum peaked as the day folded.

To the organiser’s credit, the festival had a good stage and sound system and the lighting was up to scratch. Buying drinks was not a problem as the bar men and women were swift.

Artistes that took part at the Waterwhirld gig include Soul Jah Love, Seh Calaz, Roki and Ex Q, rappers Tehn Diamond, Junior Brown and Stunner.

One hopes the event marks the return of the good old days at Waterwhirld.

Jah Prayzah’s frustrating night

The most sought-after performer at the moment, Jah Prayzah aka Mukudzei Mukombe, led a host of other local artistes at the Summer Slam gig.

The event, however, was marred by a poor sound system that resulted in the show ending prematurely.

The lanky musician tried to hold on but eventually gave up. He lambasted the poor public address system before and after going on stage. Fans were left heartbroken.

They were clearly not ready to go home. In fact, they had just warmed up their engines in anticipation of a long night.