The Sunday Mail
LAKE Chivero, a few kilometres outside Harare, is a merrymakers’ paradise. But not in winter. Events company Ecrag Group wants to show that you can have fun by the water in winter, and will host the inaugural Lake July DJ Festival at Hunyani Hills Hotel Lakeside from July 29 to July 31.
Apart from the DJs, an array of attractions has also been lined up throughout the festival.
Some of the DJs who are part of the programme are Raydizz, Stavo, Smylie, Naida, Garry B, Templeman, Candyman, the Judgement Yard duo of Abisha Palmar and 2Bad, Storm, T Bass, Nivek and Ash Styles.
In an interview, Ecrag Group founding partner Tawanda Madzara said, “This festival is a first of its kind in Zimbabwe and is a platform we have created for DJs and upcoming artistes to expose their talent and market themselves.
“We have partnered with key organisations that include ZIMURA, for them to be conscientised on issues to do with trademarks, music rights and so on.
Also we have partnered with Star FM as the leading radio station in the country in order to increase the reach of the DJs which will make them competitive on a national or even global scale.”
Although local artistes and DJs are being invited to perform in other countries, most of them only get to showcase their talent to Zimbabweans living in those countries rather than an international audience.
“We were checking out international performance platforms and realised that not so many of our DJs and artistes are featuring on these platforms. From our research over the years, we came to a conclusion that our DJs are lacking the standard that is required internationally which is what we are hoping to rectify with this festival.”
While the lake seems like an unfavourable venue for the event considered the chilly weather that we are currently experiencing, organisers of the fiesta think otherwise.
“This festival is starting from July 29 to July 31, which is the beginning of summer so I think this will be a good way of ushering in the new season.
We believe that our project is not moved by weather, but we are not ignorant of the fact that temperatures are likely to drop at night which is why we will be having a bonfire every night.”
Madzara added that the event would be used as a tool to promote domestic and international tourism.
“It is our hope to create a better image of our country through this festival, not just this year but in the years to follow. Thus, we are hoping the festival grows bigger,” he said.
Measures have been put in place so that there are no incidences of drowning that are synonymous with water-related gigs.
“Besides the lifeguards that are going to be there we are also putting up barricades so that people do not wonder further away from the shore,” he said, adding, “we have also partnered with transport associations to make sure that there is a shuttle system ferrying people to and from the venue.”
Advance tickets are going for US$5 at Talk City and Reflections. Gates ticket costs are US$10, US$30, US$50 for general entry, VIP and VVIP respectively.
Event programmes director Calvin Mavhunga said a sporty, corporate and family-oriented programme was on the cards.
There will be a bonfire party, beach soccer and volleyball, a tug-of-war and basketball.
The biggest event of the day, Mavhunga said, will be the DJ battle between Legendary Sound and Immortal Movement.
Jumping castles and water slides for the kids, a mini food festival and a host of other activities are lined up.
