admin
Entertainment Correspondent
VILLAGERS in Hwedza were in for a memorable Christmas treat when a galaxy of renowned artistes, among them Nicholas Zakaria, Blessing Shumba and Freddy “Kapfupi” Manjalima took turns to thrill revellers at a private end of year party held on Christmas Day.
The banquet which was organised by Mutare businessman and Tinmac Motors proprietor, Tino Machakarika, brought together folks from Hwedza South constituency in villages such as Makanda, Mutiweshiri, Chikurumadziva, Goneso, Ruzani, Makarara and surrounding communities.
The scorching sun could not deter jubilant villagers from dancing all day through.
Although hilarious antics by comic dancer, David “Apama” Machowa and forgotten showbiz actor, Lazarus “Gringo” Boora added sparkle to the event, it was gospel supremo, Blessing Shumba who stole the limelight.
Songs such as Nyaradzai vanhu, Mufaro and Chimwe nechimwe were among the crowd’s favourite and villagers could not help, but dance and sing along to each and every song.
The goat-bearded Nicholas “Madzibaba” Zakaria also put up a top drawer performance that left many demanding for more.
The Weekender learnt that the gig held at Machakarika’s posh rural home was first of its kind in the sleepy village of Makanda.
“This is my first time meeting Kapfupi. I never thought I would meet him one day. Watching Zakaria and Shumba perform will always linger in my memories. We thank the organisers because we did not pay anything to watch these artistes performing,” said Tendai Nyambuya from Makanda Village.
The elderly Chimona Kadewere from Mutiweshiri thanked the artistes for prioritising the usually marginalised areas, particularly entertainment wise.
“It is not everyday that you see scores of people gathering together to have fun like this. In most cases people usually meet when there is a political rally. It is a Christmas to remember,” he said.
In separate interviews, artistes who performed at the event vowed to frequently perform in marginalised areas.
“We feel privileged to spend Christmas Day with our fans out of the cities. It will always be good to come back here on another day, staging another show,” said Blessing Shumba.
Hilarious actor, Gringo underscored the importance of diversifying fan base by artistes.
Online Reporter