Great expectations this summer

Nkosilathi Sibanda
WE are well into summer. My calendar spells it right – this is August. The month of August brings in sharp focus and a furious boil in everything I have been listening to during the long and dreary winter season.What more do we know of this month, other than that it brings us closer to the sweat pumping hot season. It is hot. It is now a shorts and shades affair.

That feeling of going the extra mile as we entertain ourselves suddenly knocks in.

Water and all other beverages are taken to excess. Cooling off is the way to go. Excessive is the “in” word this summer.

History has it that humans tend to over-indulge this time of the year. We do a lot of partying, weddings and celebrate which ever achievement, knowing that the sun shines for a longer period. The nights are no longer dead as we have been made to believe.

Just check your entertainment diary (that is if you got one). From the time you are reading this, up to December, I’m sure you have a lot to do.

Either you are the host or invited.

Having spent the unfriendly wintry days, we cannot help but bask in the morning sun. Of which nature has granted us to do so.

Do away with the old stuff. Hide that pack of CDs you were playing in winter. Simply, go back to the music shop and buy music that is appropriate for this season.

It sounds boggling yet quite the right thing to do. If in winter we liked to listen to those songs that warmed us up. Definitely, it ought not to be the same this time around.

We the fans of the showbiz industry have great expectations. The potential we see in our entertainers has to translate to meaningful enjoyment.

Fans expect the best because they pay for the service. Maybe some did not know this- entertainment is a service. Just like paying your bills, amusement of any sort does not come cheap.

There is a great expectation, mark this.

We anticipate a season when we would be able to find our chill spots. As the entertainer belts out their finest, fans are sure to be at ease to spend that extra cash.

So many shows and events were held in the cold season but, there were disappointments to a large extent. Who would have braved the bracing chill at an open arena?

Talking of expectations, we would like to remind our “valued” entertainers of the promises they made. I know of as many entertainers who gave pledges. Likewise, talk is cheap. They are still to honour.

In past conversations we touched on this issue of musicians being too particular about making promises to the fans. The first thought, greatly assumed, is that musicians take fans for a bunch of fools. Fans never get the opportunity to ask why their favourite idol has not given them anything for a while.

Such questions are best asked in the comfort of their home. Be rest assured though that if a musician does not own up to their promise, they will eat nothing off their guitar.

The winter was a season of promises and we are not preparing ourselves for a summer of failure. Entertainers, please take us kindly on that note.

Could it be a case of counting chicks before they hatch? To go about the Press and announce big things up one’s sleeve has spelt doom for some entertainers.

Oh Yeah! We know of this. Have you read countless times that a musician is in the studio and fans should expect big things in summer? I’m sure you are reading on the same page here.

It is not only the musicians that fail to meet up to promises when the party season hits in. Promoters and arts authorities fall in the same pit.

Here is a time when fans want to get entertained and there comes a string of bogus musos and wannabe promoters.

As we whine about the slack behaviour of our entertainers, we equally decry the service we get from show promoters.

A season of entertainment does not pass by without a promoter’s mess. Still to be smeared by a promoter’s mess? Then you have not been going to live concerts of late.

We hear of shows that were not authorised, musicians not paid and fans shortchanged.

Nothing of that sort is on our list of expectation this summer. Musicians, again, please take note.

Entertainers do not seem to read the script well. In the few years I have dined and wined in the showbiz industry (as a fan of course), I have come to realise that summer is the most profitable of seasons. For reasons that come as simple, summer is the most ideal to please the fans and get something in return.

Ask Khuxman and Raisedon Baya, they must be nodding in agreement. The best of musicians have often been good hibernators. You do not see them by day; neither do they perform at inappropriate times.

A case in point is with South African musicians. Pardon this example because Bulawayo has an insatiable appetite for all beats South African. On observation, South African entertainers give their best of work in summer. The late Brenda Fassie (MHSRP) had a knack for releasing “killer” albums in summer.

This is what we expect from our sisters and brothers with voices. Lining up a string of shows and releasing singles anyhow, is not what makes musicians great.

Great is an entertainer who meets up to the fans’ expectations. Today’s music fans are cautious of time. When to release and market one’s works is of essence.

Another great anticipation from the fans is for our entertainers to make use of video technology. The visual impact of entertainment needs no further explanation. If in doubt, watch MTV.

Off top of the shelf: I met with S’khu. Yes, Skhu the urban groover of the Hamba lobani fame with her brother PoZee.

She still looks like a superstar. But it looks it will take time for her to bounce back. Fans are waiting for you S’khu, go back to studio please.

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