admin
Trust Khosa
THE rainy season is known for bringing smiles to farmers as they anticipate bumper harvests. It also gives them hope of improving their yields each time it rains.
For creatives and open-air joint owners, the rainy season can be nightmarish if they do not take precautions.
Some top arts promoters and musicians incur big financial losses and failed shows.
Over the years, we have read stories about arts promoters who have been left counting losses after their events were affected by heavy downpours. The Herald Arts spoke to arts regulatory chiefs, top events planners and creatives who urged stakeholders in showbiz to implement adequate measures to ensure events are successful.
National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) communications and marketing manager, Agga Nyabinde, urged show organisers to be on high alert.
“The rains are now upon us and cannot be ignored. It is imperative for event organisers to consider more indoor venues than outdoor venues for events during the rainy season.
“It is also important to pay attention to weather updates and forecasts to plan ahead from an informed point of view,” he said.
Nyabinde, who doubles as a jazz musician, lamented the lack of proper venues that suit the rainy season.
“Zimbabwe has been grappling with a lack of infrastructure when it comes to public performance events.
“We have few functional indoor venues like theatres and when it comes to bigger venues in Harare, we only have Hippodrome and HICC.
“That absence of diverse competition makes the few available venues to be overpriced.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by music promoter Partson “Chipaz” Chimbodza, who urged event planners to prioritise indoor venues.
“Showbiz is no doubt a gamble and for some of us, we tend to slow down on events during the rainy season. Taking risks during the rainy season can be costly if we don’t do our research properly.
“In this era of technology, we mainly rely on weather forecasts though this can change. We also look at indoor venues to ensure that we don’t encounter losses,” he said.
Chipaz, who is organising the National Cup Clash on December 21 among other events during the festive season, added:
“Proper planning and prioritising indoor venues is the way to go. Revellers want to have fun, but we should always prioritise their safety.”
Kadoma’s renowned events planner and hospitality player, Tichaona Mharadze, urged fellow players to research before organising events.
“The rainy season can be tricky for us if we don’t take measures and precautions. For those who run outdoor venues, the fun should not stop as they need to erect big tents.
“We have seen it working before but it’s risky organising events during this time of the year which requires proper research and observing weather forecasts,” he said.
Mharadze, whose stable Odyssey Entertainment is hosting a crossover gig in Kadoma on December 31, warned fellow promoters to take caution.
“Music promotion can be tricky since it comes with a lot of risks. Bad weather is one of them, but with the advent of technology, we can also rely on weather forecasts as indicated earlier.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by fellow events planner Kudzaishe “Dee Nosh” Matondo who conceded it was risky organising shows during the rainy season.
“It’s a gamble which can pay or leave one counting losses. To be safe, I urge people to go for indoor venues but the major challenge we face is a critical shortage of venues.
“The few available indoor venues are sometimes priced beyond our means, which has made it a challenge,” he said.
Alick Macheso’s camp, which is booked throughout the year, said they were cooperating with venue owners.
“We have been booked throughout the year and we are more than willing to cooperate with event planners who need our expertise.
“As the rainy season is now upon us, we know that the safety of our fans is at stake and we urge venue owners to take precautions like erecting tents.
“We also hope they have also done their part by checking with the weather experts before settling for the dates which they gave us,” said Macheso’s publicist Tich Makahamadze.
Macheso, who has a busy schedule during the season beginning tonight in Whitehouse, Harare, has vowed to cooperate with event planners if the weather conditions are not favourable to organise shows.
“We don’t call ourselves ‘band revanhu’ for nothing because we are dealing with people who also encounter challenges. If the weather conditions are not favourable, we always reschedule and compensate our fans.”
Entertainment consultant and Jive Zimbabwe boss, Benjamin Nyandoro, said:
“We should consider the choice of venues to hold live shows. However, the few indoor venues available are too expensive, which is a challenge. We need to make use of reputable weather forecast companies and take measures on time.
“There is also a need for additional advertising when precautions have been taken to address bad weather conditions to convince people,” he said.
In theatre, the fun is guaranteed throughout the year as most of their events are held indoors. Harare alone has three reliable venues where fun is guaranteed throughout the year. Theatre in the Park, a closed venue owned by Daves Guzha, Reps Theatre, and 7 Arts Theatre are some of the venues of choice during this time of the year.
Other cities like Bulawayo, Mutare, Gweru and Masvingo also boast indoor venues.
Online Reporter