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Peter Tanyanyiwa Arts Correspondent
Organisers of Harare’s premier wine styled music and lifestyle festival, Unplugged Zimbabwe have affirmed merrymakers that their last show which is scheduled for this Saturday at their traditional venue Greendale Sports Club will be nothing short of a family affair aura.
The event will close out the year with a solid line up including Enzo, JT Voltz, Gemma and Kyla Blac, as well as a surprise act from South Africa. Children’s entertainment lined up includes jumping castles and arts and crafts, among other games for those aged 2-12 years.
In an interview Unplugged Zimbabwe co-founder Chiedza Danha said they are back to serious business after the Covid-19 pandemic sabbatical which redefined people’s social and musical consumption, hence it has been a challenge as it felt like starting again from the ground.
However, she said that they are determined to provide a platform to new and well-known artistes in a family friendly environment.
“The events and music industries were massively affected by Covid-19. We essentially did not operate for two years and in a sense it was like starting from the ground up again. People’s social habits and musical consumption changed significantly during this period. We have tried to return because the artist centric event we always wanted to be, providing a platform for lesser known acts but also showcasing the best of our well known musical talent. This year has been a mixed bag with some ultra-strong return performances from the likes of Edith WeUtonga, Shabach the Band, Ex-Q and others,” she said.
She added that they have gone out of their way in an effort to provide revellers with most secure venue and parking spaces.
They have secured security services from the police to private security to ensure that music lovers are safe, especially the children.
“We have one of the best and most responsive security teams across all events. We include ZRP and the Support Unit as back up, a 40-man armed private security team, and close protection private security, as well as undercover officers. We always aim to create a safe environment for all patrons especially children,” said Danha.
Unplugged Zimbabwe project started in 2013 and was started by two childhood friends, Ellinah Chipumha and Chiedza Danha, whose passion for the local arts industry pushed them to start this music and lifestyle event.
Unplugged has been showcasing a mix of talented Zimbabweans from up and coming high school bands to world class musicians.
The project has not been spared from the harsh economic conditions prevailing in the country, but the organisers pay tribute to a legion of their loyal fans and the steady growth in numbers has started to lure corporate support and they shared that they are looking forward to announcing some incredible long-term partnerships as they move forward.
The venue, Greendale Sports Club is proving to be a pacesetter and a game changer as far as running of sports club is concerned.
The club executive said they always ensure that they alert neighbours before the event and facilitated complimentary tickets for those who are free to attend.
“We always make serious efforts to engage the residents and updated them of the Unplugged event. We told them about the family friendly set up and how we are going to put a boundary between the sports club and this event, so that our patrons will go about their weekend as normal. We are really happy that we are able to have such a good relationship with our neighbours as we understand that the club belongs to the residents,” said Greendale Sports Club board chairperson Tichanzwana Masunda.
Online Reporter