All roads lead to White City

Sungura giant Alick Macheso is set to headline the music extravaganza, which will also feature a host of talented local music impresarios like Nicholas Zakaria, Bulawayo-based songbird Sandra Ndebele, musician-cum-comedian Freddy “Kapfupi” Manjalima, the Chimbetu siblings, Tiriparwendo actor-cum-musician Gift Amuli and Andy Brown.
Liberation war choral groups The Mbare Chimurenga Choir and locally based outfit, Light Machine Gun (LMG), and Cde Chinx are also set to perform at the event

However, the gala, which is a free-for-all affair, is not the only big thing to happen to Bulawayo as far as entertainment is concerned.
Superstar Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi, sungura maestro Macheso, Bulawayo’s own son Jeys Marabini and man of the moment 22-year-old new Utakataka Express boss Peter Moyo, will also invade the City of Kings on the eve of the Unity Day celebrations.

The show is peculiar in the sense that it will be the last musical act before the entertainment curtain closes down in Zimbabwe.
Majahahodwa “Jeys” Marabini has already started stalking the flames by boldly declaring that he is not going to be shoved around in his own backyard.
“I am ready to show the nation that Bulawayo is embedded with a lot of musical talent,” he said.

Previously, singers from the capital have been hogging the limelight but time is now to prove that there is a paradigm shift in as far as the “musical kingdom” is concerned. Show promoter Patson “Chipaz” Chimbodza said all systems were ready to roll and revellers should expect fireworks from all the lined up performers and fans should expect a show to remember.

The man who has introduced the Legends Vs Musicians soccer tournament and is a co-founder of the Shut Down show franchise says he is not worried at all about the seemingly overdose of music in the City of Kings.

“There are people that go to galas and then there are those that attend shows like the one that we are going to have at the Amphitheatre. We are offering music lovers in Bulawayo that are unable to attend the gala an opportunity to still enjoy their music differently,” said Chipaz.
Besides the Unity Gala, just a few months ago Bulawayo reverberated to some of the country’s finest artistes at the Large City Hall.

The show pitting dancehall pundit Winky D and jazz sensation Jeys Marabini was dubbed Bulawayo’s biggest gig of the year.
A month later the Lion Summer Beer festival saw the city reverberating to the reggae tunes from leading reggae icons Cocoa Tea and Fantan Mojah at Hartsfield Sports Grounds.

It was the second time that Jamaicans were performing in the city after a maiden appearance by Sizzla Kalonji at last  year’s 21st February Movement celebrations at the trade fair grounds.
Not to be outdone were South African artistes who have  also joined the great trek to Zimbabwe to satisfy their fans  who are willing to part with any amount to see their icons in action.
Since the dollarisation of the economy the country has become a fertile grazing land for international artistes as they now survive on live performances due to piracy.