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George Maponga in BIKITA
The normally serene Nyika Growth Point in Bikita was on Sunday evening a hive of activity as ordinary people and villagers of all ages thronged Gwindingwi High School grounds for an all-night Mzee Bira Music Gala.
It was a memorable night for music lovers, including children, from Nyika and surrounding areas as they were serenaded with the gala that started on Sunday around 6pm with the curtain coming down yesterday morning.
The gala was held in memory of the late iconic Vice President and veteran nationalist Dr Simon Vengesayi Muzenda and was a musical dessert for the people of Bikita after an oversubscribed star rally addressed by President Mnangagwa at Chinorumba High School in neighbouring Zaka earlier on.
Ordinary people of all ages started flocking to Gwindingwi High School grounds around 3pm on Sunday for a date with some of their favourite musicians.
The majority who braved the cold winter night should not be regretting as they were kept on their toes, dancing for the entire night with the rich line up of musicians taking turns to entertain the frenzied crowd.
The state-of-the-art sound and lightning system that was unleashed capped a memorable night for the Bikita folk who were left yelling for more.
Dendera crooner Sulumani Chimbetu, Enzo Ishall, ZRP Police Band, Chief Hwenje, Sebastian Magacha, Mathias Mhere and ZCC Mbungo Brass Band delivered polished acts that lifted spirits at the gala fittingly held to honour the celebrated veteran nationalist who was affectionately known as the “Soul of the Nation”.
VP Muzenda passed on in September 2003.
The late Vice President was a towering figure on the Masvingo political landscape and the nation at large and his legacy was aptly celebrated with an equally top drawer performance by a cast of artistes from different musical genres.
When Orchestra Vadamburi Band took to the stage just after 6pm and did a rendition of some of the late sungura ace Tongai Moyo’s songs, the stage was set for a night to remember for hundreds who kept on screaming for more.
ZCC Mutendi Junior Brass Band then entered the fray and further lifted up the morale, before gospel sensation Magacha wowed the crowd with hit after hit, leading some to sing along with him to cap a captivating performance.
ZRP Police Band then went on stage and sent the crowd haywire with a polished act that saw them doing renditions of popular songs by the late sungura doyen Leonard Dembo.
The band’s energetic dances also left the crowd yelling and sent them into delirium.
ZCC Mutendi Senior Brass Band stoked the raging fires of joy that were sweeping across the respectable crowd.
The Brass Band ended the performance with the trademark hit song “Ndire Ndire” that saw most of the people in the crowd dancing along.
Just before midnight, Sulu, as Sulumani Chinbetu is known, leapt to the stage with his Orchestra Dendera Kings ensemble that was clad in all white.
The Dendera prince, who inherited the crown from his father, the late Simon “Chopper” Chimbetu, belted hit after hit with songs like “Sean Timba” and “Ndiyani Arasa Mwana”, keeping the crowd on their feet.
It was Sulu’s stage entry song “Ndarangarira Gamba” that aptly captured the mood at the event as the crowd sang along that even Zanu PF National Political Commissar Dr Mike Bimha, accompanied by senior ruling party officials from the Bikita, also joined the Sungura maestro on stage.
Dr Bimha was joined on stage by the Zanu PF Bikita West National Assembly candidate Cde Daniel Makusha, who wowed the stage with his deft dance moves.
“Thank you so much Bikita, thank you very much for the night,” said Dr Bimha in a brief speech as he left the stage with other senior ruling party officials after the song.
Chief Hwenje, who teamed up with Obert Chari of ZCC and the Police Band, also gave a polished act that was closed with the hit song “Kuma Sero” which left the crowd asking for more.
It was the time for literally the best performer on the night at Gwindingwi, Enzo Ishall, who belted hit after hit that gained traction among the predominantly youthful audience.
Enzo mesmerised the crowd with his hit tracks, leading some to capture his performance on their cellphones, while the crowd also obliged when he asked them to take a shoe off and wave it up in the air while performing “Smart Inotangira Kutsoka.”
It was a polished performance by Enzo that when he was flagged for time up, the crowd continued to chant his name even as the next musician was on stage.
In the early hours of the morning, it was time for Mathias Mhere, Dorcas Moyo, Ex Q, Rockford Josphat and others to entertain the crowd.
When curtain came down on the gala yesterday morning, many were still standing and enjoying, having braved the cold night.
They thanked President Mnangagwa for organising the gala, saying they looked forward to many more similar events in rural parts of Zimbabwe where entertainment is a rarity.
In an interview with Herald Arts and Entertainment, Enzo said it was an honour to perform at the Mzee Bira Musical gala.
“It is really an honour to be here at the Mzee Bira in Bikita. I used to watch Mzee Bira galas on television as a young boy, so I grew up with a burning desire to become an artiste and also perform at the Mzee Bira and today I have realised my dream. I am grateful,” said Enzo.
Some of the people who attended thw Mzee Bira hailed the Second Republic for holding galas in memory of the country’s founding fathers.
Linda Mawere, who came all the way from Chitando in Gutu South to attend Mzee Gala, urged the Government to take them in other parts of the country and hold them more often.
“I really enjoyed myself and had a night to remember, I hope the authorities will host more galas to give more rural people an opportunity to have a date with some of their favourite musicians,” she said.
Lorraine Muguti of Masvingo City who travelled all the way to Nyika was overjoyed.
“These galas are also educative and play a very important part in educating ordinary people about the country’s history, especially to the young,” she said.
Online Reporter