Online Reporter
Mathew Masinge
Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
Visiting Jamaican artistes Busy Signal and Christopher Martin felt genuine love and super connection as local music fans appreciated the duo during the just ended Kadoma Music Festival.
On Saturday night thousands subscribed to the festival at the Odyssey Hotel where history and audience appreciation formed the order of the festivities.
This was Busy Signal’s second visit to our country after his debut in 2015 before he was then engaged as Zimbabwe’s Tourism Authority’s brand ambassador from 2017 to 2020.
While this was also Chris Martin’s fourth trip, both stars say they have never felt this proud to represent Jamaica in another country as they were made on Saturday.
The fleeting feeling came after both musicians delivered great performances that not only proved their quality but created a deep bond with both fellow artistes and fans who connected with their songs.
The Jamaicans continue discovering Zimbabwe as their second home and are growing their love for Zimbabwean musicians.
Chris Martin performed his 2022 song- Zimbabwean Queen-a collaboration with Freeman while Busy Signal followed suit with his latest single — Away — featuring Winky D.
Like this was taken from a script right in “The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters,” it was befitting for the much anticipated event that drew fans from as far as Victoria Falls, Bulawayo, Beitbridge, Gweru, Kwekwe and Harare.
Chris Martin who was first on stage resonated well with fans and created a sense of connection with locals after showcasing a set of Shona words.
“Makadii Zimbabwe, ndinonzi Tatenda. Maita basa” was his adopted line after almost every song. I feel proud to be back here in Zimbabwe, I have enjoyed my stay well, everyone including the promoters have been wonderful to me.
“I felt the connection and love on stage, Zimbabwe, you’re blessed,” said Chris Martin after his performance.
He sang songs including Cheaters Prayer, Mi Friend Dem, Look On My Face, You’ll Never Find and Let Her Go among others.
With sing-alongs on every song, Chris Martin then highlighted his performance by inviting Freeman on stage to perform their duet, conversely, fans felt this was never a one-sided affair but a connection to Jamaica through music.
For Busy Signal, he was not just here as a headline act, he had a mission to evoke a deep sense of love for his work and to create a bond with local artistes.
His performance with Winky D was electric and their act turned out exactly as imagined with a mind-blowing live performance that validated both their mettle.
The collaboration between Winky D and Busy Signal was made possible with the help of the Kadoma Music Festival promoters.
Winky D who led an array of local artistes never came short of a top performance as he poured out his heart into his act.
The Gafa as the musician is affectionately known, maintained his forcefulness as one of the best live performers in the country.
Freeman told H-Metro that this was one of his best. “This was one of the greatest feelings I have had so far in my career, just imagine I shared a stage with two of the best artistes from Jamaica, this is a dream come true. I grew up listening to these two and I am proud of myself and want to appreciate the promoters for affording me such a wonderful experience,” said Freeman.
Feli Nandi echoed the same sentiments: “I never took this for granted, I am very fortunate to be the only artist who is female who performed at the festival.
“This was an honour for me and the rest of the team,” said Feli Nandi.
Mathew Masinge