Open-air craze hits Marondera

ComOil Garden playing host to some of the big names in music circles.
The venue situated along the busy Harare-Mutare Road becomes the only open-air joint in Marondera and last Saturday it hosted former Power FM presenter Munyaradzi Milimo in an exciting afternoon gig.
DJ Munya as his fans call him, was ably supported by a Marondera-based turntable whiz kid, Eddy Fresh, resident DJ Phineus “Figo” Shambare and old skool maestro DJ Bureau Chief.
ComOil Garden under the management of Percy Magava has started offering the afternoon open-air entertainment and has been lining up a host of popular Harare DJs.
The food and beverage manager at the up-market, Sylvia Sithole, said they decided to offer afternoon entertainment following the popularity of such joints in Harare.
“We are proud to be the only open-air joint here in Marondera and last week we had DJ Scott Mutengambiri.
“This week we expect to have another DJ from Harare who should be possibly Bridget “Bubbles” Gavanga,” she said.
Sithole said their Saturday entertainment diary starts at 12 midday with an old skool session by the Bureau Chief.
She said the old skool session had proved to be very popular with revellers as it takes them way back the memory lane in time to the late 1970s up to the mid 1990s.
“During the session, the Bureau Chief has proved to be a force to reckon with as he belts up the old beat alongside the resident DJ Figo.
“After the old skool session, our guest DJs with then take to the decks until late,” said Sithole.
She lauded organisation of the joint’s afternoon open-air entertainment pointing out that it had started attracting revellers from the capital city – some 70km away – as well as passers-by along the Harare-Mutare Highway.
Sithole said they also offer barbecue facilities as well as a variety of traditional and Western foods at the joint.
It seems revellers are coming to Marondera seeking an experience away from the busy and noisy capital Harare.
Some revellers revealed that they prefer the open-air joint because of they can accommodate families.
DJ Munya was happy to be invited to perform at the joint, pointing out that it offered an alternative venue outside Harare.
Young Eddy Fresh – who proved his mettle last Saturday – came out with guns blazing against the crop of DJs that are doing the rounds these days not only in Marondera, but also in Harare.
“We now have soundmen masquerading as DJs and don’t give people the true value of entertainment,” said Eddy.
All having been said and done, ComOil Garden is set to cement its place in the open-air entertainment circles in the future.