Online Reporter
Liberty Dube
Entertainment Correspondent
WHAT was billed as a cultural spectacle celebrating mbira music has instead entered the early list of flop-of-the-year candidates – after the Bira reMatendo – held at Mutare Sports Club last Saturday night, recorded a shockingly low turnout despite a strong line-up of artistes and pre-event hype.
From the onset, the signs were unsettling.
Black plastic wrappers had been strung together to serve as makeshift barricades, while security personnel stood in abundance with virtually no crowd to manage.
The vastness of Mutare Sports Club only amplified the emptiness, creating an awkward contrast between expectation and reality.
Fans who did turn up cut forlorn figures, many expressing disappointment, not only with the numbers, but with the absence of some of the artistes they had come to see.
“I travelled all the way because the poster promised a big night, but this is heart-breaking. There are no people, and some of the artistes are not even here,” said one disgruntled fan.
Said another fan, Munyaradzi Bunya: “Even if the crowd is small, music is music. But when your favourite musician does not show up at all, you feel cheated.”
Weekender Entertainment learnt that some of the billed artistes actually made it to Mutare, but did not perform, largely due to various reasons.
One of the main artistes, whose name appeared prominently on the poster, revealed that promised payments were never honoured.
“I feel used. I appear on the poster, and I was so eager to perform, but repeated efforts to sign a contract or at least receive the money from the organisers proved fruitless. They kept saying, ‘don’t worry, we will come back to you’. I decided not to attend the show,” said the artiste.
Further compounding the chaos, Weekender Entertainment understands that the venue was only partially paid for, and on the day of the event.
While organisers had plastered posters across the city and surrounding areas, and created considerable hype, the execution failed to match the ambition.
A renowned show promoter and bar owner, who attended the event, said valuable lessons must be drawn from the embarrassing turnout, particularly around venue selection and audience targeting.
“In my opinion, taking mbira uptown was a wrong choice. That is why some promoters in Harare take the venue to the people, like at Gwanzura in Highfield, and the shows never flop,” he said.
“There were no other services. There was no bar, no food outlets, only a popcorn stand. The venue is excellent, but was it really going to draw fans from across Mutare considering how the show was marketed? And honestly, can one do a sound check at that time of the night?”
Indeed, one of the main acts, Sasha Madhuve, only conducted a sound check at around 10.15pm, a time when momentum should already have been building.
Ironically, the artistes who performed delivered sterling performances, undeterred by the paltry attendance.
Sasha Madhuve put up a sublime act, with her voice, sound and instruments blending seamlessly.
Mbira Dzenharira were particularly outstanding, weaving hypnotic rhythms that deserved a much larger audience.
Dapurahunanzva, who have graced international stages including festivals in India, lived up to their reputation with an electric performance.
Moosafa thrilled the handful of patrons present with chilled reggae beats, while WaCharie took to the stage around 3am.
Despite the empty terraces, the performing artistes gave their all, proving that professionalism prevailed even amid disappointment.
Had the event been well attended, fans would undoubtedly have experienced a night to remember.
Other artistes billed on the poster included Hwinza, Caff and Clive ‘Mono’ Mukundu, who did not perform.
By Sunday morning, the aftermath told its own story.
The lawn at Mutare Sports Club remained pristine and undisturbed as fresh as if no event had taken place the previous night.
The event will now be remembered less for its music and more as a cautionary tale in event planning, promotion and respect for artistes, which is a sobering reminder that hype alone does not guarantee success.
