Online Reporter
Sunday Life Reporter
WHILE Bulawayo prides itself on producing elite performers, it is often thespians — not musicians — who receive the loudest applause.
This may be because present-day Bulawayo is a challenging place to exist as a professional musician. The city is reputed — rightly or wrongly — for failing to support its own.
Despite this, those who attend shows in the City of Kings often report that the stage work by the current crop of young performers leaves much to be desired.
Audiences find themselves yearning for more or questioning whether their money was well spent.
So, when Mzoe 7 stepped on stage at the Bulawayo Theatre on 11 October, barefoot, draped in feathers and cowhides, some might have been skeptical about what they were about to witness.
For weeks, they had been promised a one-man show and after delightful offerings that were part of Saimon Mambazo Phiri’s “50 Dates at the Theatre,” the young performer had a lot to prove.
What followed was a barnstorming performance that brought out all of the facets of Mzoe 7.
In that singular performance, fans saw Mzoe the musician, the fashion lover, the actor and the unapologetically African cultural buff.
It was a performance that pushed boundaries and set a new threshold for the city’s performers.
A benchmark has been set and whoever wants to outdo it will have to unleash performance levels and production values that have not been witnessed in the city for a long time.
The man who orchestrated it all, Mzoe, told Sunday Life that putting together this colourful and epic production was a painstaking process that demanded a lot out of him.
As he had emphasised before stepping on stage, this was no ordinary concert.
“This was a different thing altogether because it was more of a production than a performance. So, when we talk of productions, we are speaking of costumes and other elaborate designs.
“Colours have to complement what we are doing and the lights need to move with the dancers. There is a lot that happens behind the scenes, so it is very intense before the show,” he said.
For Mzoe, that performance became a chance for him to exhibit all the artistes that had influenced him over the years.
The total theatre approach that blended music, dance and drama was a nod to Nigerian music legend Fela Kuti, who Mzoe regards as his biggest influence. During his performance, he also channelled other artistes.
Bob Marley and Oliver Mtukudzi made their presence felt, while even contemporary artistes like Diamond Platnumz, also made appearances.
“I have come to appreciate Fela Kuti because he is one of the people who set an example on stage. Locally, I have always looked up to Sandra Ndebele because she has an intense amount of discipline when it comes to stage performance.
“She can spend up to four or five hours rehearsing. I have also taken influence from other Africans on the continent, like Diamond Platnumz. I like the way that he dresses and the way dancers are always well presented.
“I have watched everyone from Dr Sakis and Mtukudzi to Bob Marley because that is what I grew up watching. I have tried to put a new-school twist to what they used to do. I am a very Afro-centric person when it comes to performance and that is where I draw my inspiration,” he said.
Mzoe, who went on a strict regime to lose 20kg in the weeks leading up to the show, revealed that preparations had been gruelling, as he put a lot of effort into rehearsals with three different groups of performers.
With so many moving parts, Mzoe said he found himself stretched like he had never been before while preparing for any performance.
“We did four weeks of preparation because we needed to make each segment of the show gel with another. We did our rehearsals at Sabela and Oasis Studios. All of this was intense because in the morning, when the dancers were at Oasis, I would be at Sabela doing rehearsals with the band.
“After I finished with the band, I would then go to Oasis to rehearse with the dancers. We did this for two weeks. After that, I did rehearsals with the band and dancers combined and then on the side, in other sessions, I would rehearse with the choir. In the end, I then put all these guys together for one production,” he said.
While preparation for the show exacted a physical toll on the performer, Mzoe said the event also took a lot out of him financially and mentally.
“It took a lot of money because you have to book the space and the only place where we got everything free was Sabela because of Mambazo. You need everyone to be mentally fit for the event.
“When you have a big production in which you are working with so many people, some might be battling their own problems and demons. You, as the artiste, have to make sure that everyone is well fed, hydrated and transported throughout the time before and after the event,” he said.
The artiste said while all eyes were on what was happening on stage, he also had to make sure that the crew behind the scenes was in sync with him throughout the duration of an exhibition that lasted over an hour.
“The stage production was something unique. It was the first of its kind and the crew behind the scenes was also a key part because they needed as much practice as the guys on stage.
“They needed to know when to drop certain screens on time and when the fog machine had to be activated. It was a collective effort and everything needed to be coordinated carefully,” he said.
While the entire performance was a celebration of his craft and how far he had made it in his career, some parts of it were also mournful, as Mzoe came to terms with the loss of two of his mentors, Desire Moyoxide and Babongile Sikhonjwa.
“When we got on stage, we opened with the song ‘Kunzima Sometimes,’ which was dedicated to the two kings who just left us, Desire Moyoxide and Babongile Sikhonjwa. Moyo was supposed to celebrate his birthday at my show and Sikhonjwa wanted to be a part of the performance of the song ‘Umjolo,’ because he featured on it.
“The song we opened with was a soulful and jazzy tune, with a guitar and vocals that people did not expect from Mzoe. It was important to set the pace with that because for performances, I always like to show growth and surprise people sometimes. It was also a reflection of what I felt in my heart during what has been a difficult time for the city,” he narrated.
Bongani Ndlovu