Chibuku Road to Fame winners eye global market

Society Reporter

BUOYED by coming out tops in the 2023 Chibuku Road to Fame finals last weekend, the 911 Band now wants to prove its mettle on the international stage.

The six-member band, which hails from Gweru, described winning the talent search competition title as “a step in the right direction”.

For 911 Band manager Matthew Mabengo, the sky is the limit.

“We have been around for a while now and winning this title is a step towards bigger things. Our target is to penetrate the international market. My dream is for us to perform at major international festivals,” Mabengo said.

“I heard some people saying the majority of those that won this competition went on to become flops. We want to change this narrative and become possibly the first group to break into the international market.”

This year’s edition of the Chibuku Road to Fame saw contestants being drawn from three musical genres — Zimdancehall, Zim hip-hop and sungura.

In the past, the competition was only open to sungura musicians.

Delta Beverages general manager (corporate affairs) Patricia Murambinda said the inclusion of other musical genres was a way of picking the best talent from a wider pool.

“We noted that there are other talented musicians in other genres other than sungura. We, therefore, decided to incorporate other genres so as to cast the net wider,” Murambinda said.

“It is our wish as Delta Beverages to see the winners maintain top form and make waves in the music industry. I wish the 911 Band the best in its future endeavours.”