Online Reporter
Mathew Masinge
THIS was DJ Maphorisa at his vintage best. No wonder why he was the main act at the “Sunshine City Festival” which was held at Alex Sports Club over two days at the weekend.
When he came onto the stage, at about midnight, Sunday was just giving way to Monday.
It was quite chilly and the crowd was clearly demanding someone to provide it with some warmth.
It came in the form of the South African superstar and what a show it was. It was a fitting ending to the two-day festival characterised by music, sports and outdoor fun.
It coincided with Africa Day celebrations giving the event the glow it deserved. It was the highlight of the festival as DJ Maphorisa thrilled the fans with his skills on the deck.
With his deep, amapiano-rooted tone, DJ Maphorisa thrilled the fans as he performed a range of South African hit songs. His fellow South African entertainers – Prince Kaybee and kwaito star Toss – also played a part in illuminating the capital and transforming it into a hub of amapiano and kwaito
The local acts led by Saintfloew, Oriyano, Nisha Ts and Nyasha David also played their part and added an Afro-dancehall and contemporary feel to the event to give the fans a choice of the best in a variety of genres.
Prince Kaybee delivered one of his best performances on the opening night, despite a low attendance.
In an earlier post prior to his performance, Prince Kaybee had shared insights around the Zimbabwe music industry.
He argued that Zimbabwean music is failing to break into international markets because of language, lyrics and genre limitations.
“I have noticed the fabric of Zimbabwe music, its core inability to be exported isn’t a quality issue because you guys actually have world-class engineers and songwriting.
“The issue is the type of sonics that have been consistent throughout the years, which is ‘Zim Dancehall,’ it’s a very small genre that is a subgenre…it is too layered to be commercially feasible in South Africa.
“I also heard that originally the new thing is Zim Hiphop.”
Prince Kaybee shared the stage with Toss, who also brought his A-game, wowing the crowd with his new age pantsula dancing skills.
Toss performed his hit songs, including ‘Umlando’, ‘Mdoovar’, ‘9umba’, ‘Iphokophoko’, ‘Vatela’ and ‘Mabadle Basuthe.’ Not to be outdone were the local acts – Saintfloew, Oriyano, Nisha Ts and Nyasha David – who also put up stellar performances.
Festival organiser Nigel Chinovhiringa said the event’s popularity has grown.
“I am pleased the event has expanded and more corporates are slowly showing interest in our dream. It’s becoming more enjoyable and we will keep listening to the demands of the fans.
“Next year, we will spread it out more and see how the attendance will be but all the same, thank you to everyone who is supporting us,” said Chinovhiringa.
A Russian band also performed on the opening night as part of the partnership between the organisers and the Russian Embassy in Zimbabwe.
