DANCEHALL with Prince: Dancehall calamity at Hifa

Dear Hifa

I write this letter with a heavy heart. To date I am still trying to find answers with regards to your Dancehall Alliance concert held at the ZOL Main Stage on the third day of the festival, Thursday April 30.

It is either you did not have a clue as to what you wanted to achieve with the event or you simply did not know the right combinations to guarantee a splendid gig.

Because of that, the show did not in any way give revellers value for money. Moreover, it did not give the international crowd a true reflection of the social standing of Zim dancehall in this country.

To be frank, my colleagues and I had long predicted this outcome but we could not write about it before the “big day” since an irreversible decision had long been made.

Had we done so, I’m sure you could to date be blaming us for dampening the zeal for the show and causing the subsequent poor result.

Against this background, I feel in the name of Zim dancehall, you should next time widely consult before coming up with a line-up of performers. It is always important to enlist the services of active participants in showbiz to help with correctly selecting artistes that represent the genre.

Unlike in other genres, artistes in Zim dancehall get appreciation through current form not previous hits.

The genre Zim dancehall was built through the hard work of multitudes of youths in this country.

And the movement has made raves that have been felt not only around the country but across borders. Thus even the nation emulated by performers of the genre, Jamaica, has come to appreciate our local talent.

This is the reason why average names from the Caribbean Island nation have sometimes found it difficult to square-off with some of the talent we have around.

Certainly the multitudes, representing different countries, that graced the show, came to see first hand the fuss about Zim dancehall.

However, I’m sorry to say the act(s) disappointed.

It did not prove anything. If anything, it discredited the movement.

This quickly brings me to the question, Is Buffalo Souljah, real name Thabani Ndlovu and Emmanuel Manyeruke aka Guspy Warrior, a true representation of Zim dancehall?

The South African based dancehall artiste, Buffalo Souljah, has recorded a number of successes across Limpopo but to bring him as the main act on the dancehall session in Zimbabwe was a big blunder.

This explains why the dancehall event for a moment turned into a “house/hip hop affair”.

Clearly the lad was overwhelmed and did not know how to turn up the heat. It would have been a different case had you guys used a couple of local inform performers within the genre.

And I will not bother giving examples because there is a plethora to choose from.

In fact, the youthful chanters are the ones that have shaped the genre and were subsequently supposed to be tasked with main act burden on the day.

And if you had done so, I’m certain we would have got a different outcome.

Perhaps you might argue that the Zim dancehall lot was represented by Guspy Warrior and Celcious. But I’m convinced that followers of the genre agree with me that Guspy, though he tried his level best given the circumstances, was not the proper candidate for that spot.

He had his dance back in the days but is now way past his prime. The little appreciation that he got on the day was not because he did anything extraordinary but because he was a better tedium.

Thanks to his yesteryear hit “Seunononga” which a number of revellers constantly talked about even when he was playing other tracks from his catalogue.

This gave a clear indication that the two or so year old hit, “Seunonanga”, is what the artiste is only known for. In short, it is his only claim to fame. Other songs like “31 October” and “No Way” got a few takers.

Thus it was always going to be difficult for the young lad to keep the party thirsty crowd on its feet.

Moreover the arrangement of artistes calling each other to the stage was visibly disjointed.

It was as if the artistes had not rehearsed at all how they intended to execute their act.

This also contributed in creating a bad flow for the overall set.

The aforesaid style has produced favourable results in other events and countries. But this is so because it is rigorously rehearsed before being unleashed to the public.

I felt for the visiting Ghanaian chanter Kaakie. She was performing in the country for the first time but her act was good.

Unfortunately it was diluted by a combination of a weak main act and preferred stage style. A decent performance by Buffalo Souljah would have easily made Kaakie’s act memorable.

But I can bet very few people still remember how she faired. And it’s not her fault. If she had been matched with in form artistes, this could have easily been the show of the festival, overshadowing even the much hyped Salif Keita and Hope Masike collaboration.

Kaakie should herself be bored. She visibly appeared to have come geared-up for a battle with the much-hyped Zim dancehall youths.

Sadly she got none.

In short I’m saying when inviting artistes for your festival, particularly for dancehall, please let it be on merit not because of a brand that was created before or because of the superiority of a country that one is based.

I’m sure the budget you used on the visiting Buffalo Souljah would have guaranteed you two or more top acts in the country.

It is my hope that you learnt one or two things through the event. Furthermore it is my wish that next time you strike the right chord for the same affair.The idea to put dancehall on the main stage was great, especially after previous dancehall shows in the Coca-Cola Green had proved to be immense successes. Give the genre the same platform next year but use the right artistes and you will not regret it.

Yours truly

Prince Mushawevato