The Sunday Mail
In a first of its kind, Kambuzuma-born dancehall artiste Winky D, real name Wallace Chirumiko, is set to bring the curtain down on this year’s Lion Lager Summer Beer Festival.
The celebrated artiste, who has played second fiddle to international acts whenever they visit Harare, will this Saturday have the honour of closing the mammoth show at the Glamis Arena.
The “Musarove Bigman” singer leads a highly talented local contingent of Zim dancehall artistes, who include man of the moment Tocky Vibes of the “Tocky aenda nenyika” fame.
Soul Musaka aka Soul Jah Love whose string of hits include “Ndini Uya Uya”, “Gum Kum” and “Hatichabatika” is also expected to serenade his multitudes of fans, some of whom will be watching him perform using a live band for the first time.
“Mawaya Waya” hit singer Shinsoman will also be in the arena on a night where only top class performances are expected from all artistes. A stranger in the house in the form of Jah Prayzah will add variety to a gig that will see thousands of fun-loving people from all walks of life and of different tastes thronging the Glamis Arena. Top sound houses, Legendary Sound and Judgement Yard, will be on the decks in between the performing artistes.
Tafadzwa Simba, the head of Media Liaison for the Harare International Festival of the Arts, the event managers for this show, confirmed that Winky D will close the show.
“There will be two visiting acts for this year’s Lion Lager Summer Beer Festival. The headline act is one from overseas (not Busy Signal) with another popular highly African act performing just before the headline act. The headline act will occupy the headline prime time, but, yes, Winky D will close the festival after the headline act. Lion Lager is rolling out wider developments with regards to communication around the beer brand and the revelation of the visiting acts will be in line with this wider revelation campaign.
“The success of the Zimbabwean artistes on the Lion Lager Summer Beer Festival should not come as a surprise. When local artistes’ acts grow exponentially and organically, there is no stopping them. They can then even headline or close festivals around the world,” said Simba.
He added: “When they go out of the country, they cannot get favours because they are “local artistes” so that really should not be their focus when they are in Zimbabwe. If they did that, they would be hindering their product and creativity if they just relied on their being ‘local’ and took the public’s support for granted because of that.
“When they focus on delivering good products for the sake of delivering a good product, they will be known, home and away, for their good products for which people vote with their ears and pockets. All the Zimbabwean acts that are on this year’s Lion Lager Summer Beer Festival can be said to have won the votes of the people by virtue of their products and not just their nationality.”
