The Sunday Mail
Stories by Andrew Moyo
Fears abound that if not properly managed, the much-hyped Zahara-Mafikizolo concert could culminate in the near riotous scenes that dampened the mood of the Lockdown Show held in December last year featuring Mafikizolo and superstar Oliver Mtukudzi.
Revellers exceeded the Harare International Conference Centre’s carrying capacity with some advance ticket-holders turned away at the entrance.
This prompted them to force their way in and the main door at the venue was broken in the process.
Riot police had to quell the commotion. To worsen the situation, thirsty fans had to wait for long periods to purchase drinks that eventually ran out.
Simmad Entertainment is organising the Zahara-Mafikizolo Harare concert.
The show is slated for this Friday at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) and it also features Winky D, Jah Prayzah and Pah Chihera.
Tickets for the mammoth gig featuring South African artistes Mafikizolo and Zahara went on sale last week.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail Leisure, show promoter Simba ‘Simmad’ Madziwa said his team has put in place measures that will ensure that last year’s chaotic scenes are not repeated.
“We have put in place an electronic ticket checking system which is going to speed up the process of entry and on top of that we have also increased entry points to reduce pressure,” said Simmad.
He went on to say that the venue was not the reason behind the last show’s problems. Individuals who had failed to purchase their tickets on time ended up trying to force their way into the show after the tickets had been sold out, he said.
“The hotel is responsible for providing refreshments but since this is our event we had a meeting with them and they have assured us that selling points will be increased and beverage suppliers will be on standby to re-stock the bars if beverages run out.”
Zimbabwean music fans are forever hungry for South African musicians, and this has led to sold out shows when top acts from across the Limpopo come to perform here.
On the other hand, Zimbabwe has proved to be a goldmine for some of these Jozi artistes as they just cannot get enough and keep on coming back.
This may actually be the biggest show staged at the HICC in recent times, considering the fact that both headline acts are quite successful on the global stage, which leaves one wondering if hosting a show of such magnitude in an enclosed venue is a great idea.
A couple of music lovers are of the view that a bigger venue, preferably an open air one, would have been ideal for this gig so as to accommodate as many people as possible.
With the hype surrounding previous shows that the two acts have staged locally, the number of people who would want to have a taste of their world class afro-jazz and house music is set to double or even triple.
And the local artistes who are supporting the show are not to be underestimated as they have proved their worth when it comes to live performances, in some cases outclassing visiting international acts on a number of occasions.
The trio – Winky D, Jah Prayzah and Pah Chihera – have a huge following.
They have a reputation of pulling off solid performances and they are unlikely to disappoint.
All the artistes are going to be using live bands, which is another major pull factor as most Zimbabwean music fans prefer live instrumentation as opposed to use of back tracks.
