Chibuku Road to Fame roars into life

by Delta Beverages — is aimed at identifying and promoting music talent at grassroots level.
This year, the competition will be held to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Chibuku brand.
“This year’s events come in the golden jubilee of our brand, Chibuku, and we expect a very high standard of performances across all provinces leading to the main event at Glamis Stadium on September 29.
“The Chibuku brand is passionate about the development of the arts and our solid partnership with the National Arts Council is not only about identifying and nurturing artistic talent at the grassroots, but is also an opportunity for our consumers to live the brand experience in song and dance and celebrate life,” said an official from Delta Beverages.
While last year the event attracted a capacity crowd of over 13 000 people, this year, however, it is expected to exceed figures from previous years.
Aspiring music groups from all the country’s 10 provinces will take part in a series of weekly performances to come up with the winners who will represent their provinces at the national finals.
The group that emerges as winner at the national finals will join the elite league of previous Chibuku Road to Fame winners the likes of Romeo Gasa, among others.
These artistes have gone on to become established musicians in their own right, courtesy of the competition.
In previous years, competitors have had the privilege to rub shoulders with some of the country’s music legends like Oliver Mtukudzi, Alick Macheso and the late Tongai Moyo who have featured as guest performers at the event.
Meanwhile, the Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival will also kick off tomorrow and run parallel with the Chibuku Road to Fame, with performances to be held at Mutapa in Gweru.
The competition, which is run by Delta Beverages in conjunction with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, is aimed at showcasing the best traditional Zimbabwean folk dances and use them as a vehicle in preserving local culture.
Both Chibuku Road to Fame and Neshamwari Traditional Dance Festival are sponsored by Delta Beverages Chibuku brand — and administered with technical assistance from intellectual property custodians National Arts Council of Zimbabwe.