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Bongani Ndlovu and Auxilia Kantongomara Entertainment Correspondents
NOW my world is spinning around, round and round and round!!! Dr Malinga was the toast of the night as his high energy ninja style karate kicks electrified thousands of fans that had gathered for the Kalawa Home Coming Party at Queens Sports Club on Friday night.The famed multi-award winning South African stable, fronted by DJ Oskido, put on an amazing show. For Dr Malinga to stand out, speaks volumes about his sizzling performance.
As soon as host Babongile Skhonjwa introduced Dr Malinga frenzied fans were up on their feet and scenes of jubilation met the famous singer.
He pirouetted around the stage like a ballerina sending the appreciative crowd into delirium.
Clad in a green and purple “Dr Malinga suit,” he greeted the crowd and instead of saying Via Orlando he said Via Bulawayo, Via Zimbabwe, with the crowd singing along.
Fans jumped up and down imitating Dr Malinga’s “patented” dance moves.
The top notch entertainer winked his eyes, gestured furiously with his hands, tapped his shoes and shook his shoulders.
It was one massive party as some in the crowd formed circles to show off their nimble feet, while others just imitated Dr’s mannerisms.
When he sang Via Orlando, a track that shot him to stardom, the atmosphere at the ground reached fever pitch.
Dr Malinga pulled all the stops to entertain his fans, scaling the five metre metal pillars that supported the stage taking his acrobatics airborne.
A massive roar that probably reached most parts of the city followed him as he left the stage.
Not to say that other Kalawa artistes were below par, they all put up first class performances.
At the break of dawn, the Kalawa Chiquitas came on stage. The Chiquitas comprise Candy, Busiswa and Nokwazi.
It was about 5.30am and some of the thoroughly satisfied and exhausted fans were trickling away home when Candy of Tsamandebele fame, began her set.
She was joined on the stage by Nokwazi and Busiswa with Oskido on the decks mixing songs and adding vocals to the songs.
Those who had started leaving, rushed back. Nokwazi who has a plus size figure was the male fans’ favourite as she said she liked men who loved her body size.
In unison with the crowd they sang tracks like Shela by Nokwazi, Ngoku by Busiswa and the ever popular Tsamandebele by Candy from Limpopo.
Thereafter Oskido did what he does best, play music and he did so until 8am.
Dead beat fans had this to say: “I particularly liked Dr Malinga with his high kicks. My friends and I had fun. Definitely next year I will be there for the show, with or without winning a ticket,” said Natasha Kikins, a winner of a Kalawa ticket in the fan competition run by Chronicle.
Pinkie Ndiweni another winner said despite the nippy weather she had a fabulous time.
She said: “All I wanted to see was Heavy K. I enjoyed his set. In fact the whole Kalawa stable is very talented. I will definitely go to the show again next year.”
Heavy K is behind the song Beautiful War featuring Professor and Wena by Mpumi.
Professor also put on a good performance as he was joined by his young brother Character.
The tag team slammed and jammed their hits such as Imoto, Amafinger Prints and X Ongasolveki among others.
Those in the VIP and VVIP enclosure also behaved wildly.
They mixed and mingled with the Kalawa stars as they enjoyed themselves in the lavishly decorated area under tents. It comprised of comfortable sofas that brought a relaxed atmosphere to the fast paced and energetic show.
The show started at 12 midnight on the dot with local comedian Babongile Sikhonjwa leading the crowd in a chant for Highlanders Football Club.
Once the crowd was in the mood, South African based and Nketa born songstress Berita Khumalo, was up first on the stage, serenading the crowd with her guitar. The crowd was thrilled to hear her play the wonderfully choreographed Thando Lwethu.
Next on stage was Thebe who pleasantly surprised the crowd with his yesteryear tracks that included Bula Boot, taking them down memory lane to the days of d-gong.
The night was punctuated with screaming, putting up of hands and endless chanting of “Can you feel it – Hell yeah!!!”
Dj Zinhle cranked up the mood as she entered the stage and her out-of-this-world performance prepared fans for other world class acts that followed. The My Name is hit maker showed that female DJs are a force to reckon with.
New into stardom, Uhuru, a group who are churning out hit after hit also impressed.
The makers of the party anthem Y Tjukutja, which comprise of three DJs namely Maphorisa, Clap and Celimpilo, did wonders on the live drum set.
Without a doubt the trio is the hottest act in South Africa at the moment.
They are responsible for almost all the chart toppers in clubs or radio stations, from DJ Zinhle’s My Name is, Dr Malinga’s Jika, Lvovo’s Palesa and many other songs.
Local boys such as Dj Sibako and 3Kings did not disappoint.
The Seqamabhilidi hit makers have come of age. They took sharing the stage with their more illustrious counterparts, in their stride.
Judging by their polished performance, many more hits are expected of them. Also performing artiste Qeqeshiwe Mntambo of Stitsha fame, showed her dance and singing talent as she took the stage like fish to water, surprising many in the crowd with her polished performance.
Bulawayo has many talented performers and local promoters should take a leaf from the Kalawa show hat and include them in the big stages. The curtain, to arguably one of the best shows to be held in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s entertainment capital came down at about 8am.
Fans who spoke to Chronicle after the show, unanimously endorsed it as “easily the best show we have ever attended.”
Online Reporter