The Sunday Mail
Tocky Vibes
AFTER a series of incidents in which Tocky Vibes has failed to impress Zim dancehall fans, the artiste has been given a chance to redeem himself in front of a mature crowd this Friday.
The musician had a bad outing last weekend — one of many this year.
He was pelted with missiles at the Castle Tankard in Borrowdale, Harare forcing him to cut short his performance. Many expected the musician to easily steal the show from counter attractions considering that he is armed with a new album, “Toti Toti”.
Sadly, that was not the case.
On his latest offering, Tocky Vibes, real name Obey Makamure, deviated from his previous known style. He introduced a beat that most of his traditional fans are refusing to classify as Zim dancehall.
Thus, the musician is struggling to win the hearts of hardcore dancehall fans.
But on May 29, Tocky will get a chance to share the stage with Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi and dendera crooner Suluman “Sulu” Chimbetu at Pamuzinda (Ice and Fire).
The gig will be Mtukudzi’s last show before he embarks on yet another European tour while Sulu will also use the same event to celebrate his birthday; hence a huge turnout is expected.
Music followers believe that the Pamuzinda gig could open new doors for Tocky Vibes. They argue the musician might be forcing himself on a wrong market. The pundits contend that the artiste is another Jah Prayzah in the making hence he should continue market testing until he finds his proper market niche.
His manager Elvis Bokosha says their fan base cuts across people of different social backgrounds and interests. In an interview last week, Tocky’s manager said the Friday gig featuring Tuku and Sulu will help them understand their fans better. “We produce music with every generation in mind. And I can say our music has been accepted by both crowds (young and mature). But I must admit the Pamuzinda gig on Friday is going to provide us with some new insight,” said Bokosha.
“Each time you share the stage with veterans, you are likely to come out with an unusual result. That is the purpose of being a supporting act on such events.”
Promoter of the gig Josh Hozheri said he is confident that Tocky Vibes will rise to the occasion. He believes the mature crowd that will attend the gig will fall in love with Tocky’s new style.
“I believe in the young man. He has great potential. There have been reports of him (Tocky) being pelted by fans on stage but I think he should try his luck with a decent crowd that will be coming for the show next week (this Friday). Life is full of surprises. Sometimes you force yourself through a tough spot when there is another door wide open for you elsewhere,” said Hozheri.
Meanwhile, Tuku’s manager, Sam Mataure said this week’s show is Tuku’s last major gig in the country before he takes a break.
After the break, the music superstar is expected to go on tour and his next big performance will be when he hosts his annual Tuku and Friends concert sometime in September.
“It will be his last show in the capital though we will have another small event at Pakare Paye Arts Centre in Norton. The next big event in the country will be a concert featuring Tuku and his regional friends around his birthday,” he said.
