admin
Takudzwa Chihambakwe
HIS debut appearance in Zimbabwe was in the winter of 2015.
A new upmarket nightclub, Pabloz, which has grown to be the go-to place for the well-heeled, was being officially opened.
No other club came with such luxuriously classy finishes, which included leather couches, plush tiling on walls and floor, and glittering chandeliers.
Add a separate section for the “fast and furious”, the younglings that love to get messy with champagne, and the ambience was almost complete.
However, the proprietors still added a dress code to make the place a truly A-listers paradise.
Such a joint could not just open shop quietly.
Some razzmatazz was required to make a statement.
Though Nigerian acts were not buzzing as much at the time, owners of the club decided to look to West Africa for the headline act.
On a chilly Friday, on June 26 2015 to be specific, Burna Boy jetted into Harare.
Truth be told, he did not have a lot of fans in the country back then.
Very few people had ever heard of him, let alone his music.
Radio was not giving the brother much airplay.
Come the night of the show, it was no shocker when the turnout was average.
Club owner, Pablo, even opened up the VIP section for every Jack and Jill to flock in as it did not make sense to barricade an empty space.
Burna Boy put on a showstopper.
People fell in love with him as much as they appreciated the club itself.
Fast forward to 2020, Burna Boy is coming back to town.
Now a Grammy nominee, courtesy of his 2019 album “African Giant”, the Nigerian singer, little known locally in 2015, is now a superstar.
Unlike 2015, music fans now know not just his music but the man behind the hit songs.
Local radio stations have been giving him a huge amount of airtime and no night is truly over in a nightclub without Burna Boy’s music.
Making his return even more fascinating is the fact that when he performs at Hellenic Sports Club in Harare, he will be tasked with ushering people into one of Zimbabwe’s most important holidays — Independence Day.
Hosted by Kayse Connect, this gig is no ordinary Independence Eve concert — Zimbabwe is celebrating 40 years since freeing itself from the shackles of colonialism.
The Sunday Mail Society spoke to Kayse Connect, organisers of the mammoth bash, which features some of Zimbabwe’s own superstars Winky D and Jah Prayzah.
“We want to give the Zimbabwean people a good musical experience of current, trending music. We also asked music fans which artiste they wanted us to bring and they said Burna Boy. This is us delivering on the needs and wishes of our paymasters, the music lovers,” said Elton Kurima of Kayse Connect.
Unlike in 2015 when he played backtracks, this time around the “Dangote” singer is bringing an entire band.
“Burna Boy is bringing a 13-member team, as he will be playing with a live band. Just like it was when we hosted Patoranking last year. We want to ensure that we give people a good musical experience. So they get value for their hard-earned money,” said Kurima.
Talking of value for money, an ordinary ticket is going for US$35 while US$100 guarantees VIP access.
This has caused an outcry among a section of Burna Boy’s fans.
However, despite the complaints, Kurima revealed last week that the VIP tickets were “selling like hot cakes”, with more than half of the 250 tickets already taken.
“For now, the sales for the standard tickets have been fair. We have noted from our previous shows that Zimbabweans buy their tickets late. So whilst they are being picked up at a steady pace, we are confident that they will pick up as the day approaches,” explained Kurima.
Besides Jah Prayzah and Winky D, the two artistes that Zimbabweans cannot get enough of, especially the excitement of seeing them on one stage, two of the hottest female acts in the land have been thrown into the mix.
Nama award winners and Coke Studio participants — Ammara Brown and Tamy Moyo — are set to showcase on the night.
Another interesting addition to the line-up is the duo of Enzo Ishall and budding RnB singer Takue, recently signed by acclaimed multimillion-dollar arts fanatic, TeeMak.
Online Reporter