Online Reporter
Tafadzwa Zimoyo
Zimpapers Entertainment Editor
It was raining, but Zimbabwe’s entertainment audiences remained committed over the weekend, turning out for concerts, gospel gatherings, cultural festivals and industry seminars across Harare and beyond.
Gone are the days when promoters panicked at the sight of several shows in the same weekend, complaining that too many events would split the market and leave them counting losses.
Zimbabwe’s entertainment landscape is proving otherwise.
Fans are increasingly divided by taste, loyalty and experience, with each event finding its own crowd.
Gospel followers have their favourites, music lovers know where to go, while Zimdancehall, sungura, hip-hop and festival audiences have their preferred spaces.
The lesson is clear: art is business now. Promoters who understand their market, package their events well, and book crowd-pulling artistes can still succeed, even when competing shows run the same weekend.
Rain and cold conditions tested outdoor events, particularly the Jacaranda Music Festival, yet fans continued to support the shows.
Gospel lovers gathered for worship and reflection, music fans braved the elements for live performances, culture enthusiasts celebrated their heritage at Mutupo Festival, while industry professionals debated the future of gospel music at Everton Mlalazi’s Beyond the Gift seminar.
The weekend also featured Janet Manyowa’s expanded ANOT 7 announcement and The Charambas’ 31st anniversary concert, underlining the breadth of Zimbabwe’s entertainment market — and the strength of its audiences, even when the weather was against them.
Below is the weekend preview:
BEYOND THE GIFT: GOSPEL MUSIC PUT ON TRIAL
Award-winning gospel singer Everton Mlalazi’s Beyond the Gift seminar, hosted under Market Place for the Master by Harare SDA Church, brought together musicians, promoters, bloggers, arts authorities and broadcasters to discuss the direction of gospel music.
The discussions focused on sustainable careers, branding, respect and the need to move talent promotion beyond applause towards investment.
Mlalazi said talent alone was no longer enough.
“Beyond the Gift is about recognising that the gift has to be developed, respected and managed properly,” he said.
“For artistes, it is important to understand their brand, their value and where they want to go. For everyone involved in the industry, we have a responsibility to create an environment where talent can grow.”
ANOT 7: JANET EXPANDS THE THANKSGIVING
Gospel diva Janet Manyowa unveiled A Night of Thanksgiving (ANOT) 7 last Friday, announcing that the event will run on both January 1 and January 2, with different line-ups each day.
The expansion reflects the growth of the annual gospel celebration, which also has a philanthropic focus.
“ANOT has grown beyond what we initially imagined,” Manyowa said.
“We wanted to create more space for people to worship, celebrate and give thanks. This year we are going to have two days, January 1 and January 2, with different artistes and different experiences.”
With Ecobank as headline partner, the seventh edition is positioning itself as a major New Year attraction.
MUTUPO FESTIVAL: CULTURE TAKES CENTRE STAGE
The Mutupo Festival combined music, culture and education in a celebration of Zimbabwean heritage.
The line-up included Nisha Ts, Pah Chihera, Juntal, Selmor Mtukudzi, Baba Harare, Josh Meck, Holy Ten and Mbeu, among others.
Discussions on culture, totems and identity featured contributions from Aaron Chiundura Moyo and Dr Solomon Guramatunhu.
South African media content creator Zinhle Gradwell also joined Nisha Ts on stage for a performance of “Pangu Pangu”, one of the festival’s stand-out moments.
The event showed that cultural entertainment can be both engaging and educational.
THE CHARAMBAS AT 31: THREE DECADES, ONE NIGHT
At 7Arts Theatre, gospel veterans The Charambas celebrated 31 years in music with a retrospective concert.
They performed songs from their extensive catalogue, prompting enthusiastic sing-alongs from an audience familiar with their work.
The concert demonstrated the group’s enduring appeal: after more than three decades, the crowd still knew the words and often introduced the songs for them.
JACARANDA MUSIC FESTIVAL: THE WEATHER TEST
The Jacaranda Music Festival, which ran from Friday to Sunday, faced rain and cloudy conditions, particularly during its first two days.
Performances by Tamy Moyo, Takura, Minister Michael Mahendere, Enhle, Mwendamberi and Fusion 5 Mangwiro, among others, kept revellers engaged. Mahendere added a gospel dimension to the festival.
The event was dealt a blow when Jah Prayzah withdrew following the death of his friend and brother, businessman Wicknell Chivhayo. Intotal Band filled the gap with a strong performance.
One fan said: “We were disappointed when Jah Prayzah cancelled, but Intotal gave us a performance we will remember. They came prepared and really delivered.”
By yesterday, the weather had improved, allowing families and young revellers to enjoy a comfortable festival close.
The weekend showed that Zimbabwe’s audiences will support quality entertainment across genres — even when the weather is against them.
Jah Prayzah and Junior Spragga showed solidarity with businessman Wicknell Chivayo by cancelling their scheduled shows following his death.
Jah Prayzah withdrew from the Jacaranda Music Festival, while Junior Spragga also cancelled his performance, choosing to mourn rather than entertain.
Their decisions highlighted the deep personal connections Chivayo had within the entertainment fraternity.
The cancellations were widely understood as gestures of respect, as the artistes joined Zimbabwe in mourning Chivayo and his wife, Lucy Muteke.
