Chronicle Editor
Mthabisi Tshuma, Showbiz Correspondent
One of the highlights of the just-ended Bulawayo Arts Festival was the Bulawayo Musical Festival that was held on the first day.
Hosted by Perfect Nkiwane, the virtual event had performances by DeLukes, Pamellah, Nyasha David, Sylent Nqo, Nate, Mzistoz Mfanafuthi, Kid Thrill, Cliff Jeans, Fab G Umshanakagogo, Judith Gurura, Cee Jay, Simunye Arts and Mzoe7.
Watching Mzoe7, it became clear why he has become the most sought-after artiste in the city.
Below are six reasons why the artiste is rising as he has mastered the style to perform virtually.
1: Introduction
Mzoe7’s introductory act showed that he was in his own league as he made viewers feel like they were watching the ending of the show although it was the beginning. He sealed that with the performance of hit song Ama 2000 featuring Madlela Skhobokhobo.
2: Appearance
Mzoe7’s stage appearance showed that dressing is key for one’s brand. Mzoe7’s outfit was topnotch as he pulled out an all-black outfit coupled with jewelry. Blaze, his dancer was in all white. Popularly referred to as fashion Maradona, Mzoe7 has never been one to disappoint when it comes to dressing.
3: Stage work
The artiste did not limit himself as he made use of the whole stage. There is one thing that you can’t take away from Mzoe7, his performance energy that can be compared to that of Diamond Platinumz. When he went on stage, the show’s vibe changed as he was highly energetic, something that was evidenced by the fire emojis. To his advantage, he is an artiste who can dance and sing at the same time, making this a bonus.
4: Live band
Mzoe7 seems to have mastered the art of performing with a live band. The artiste seemed comfortable with the band and gave viewers a full on show. It’s rare to have digital recording artistes performing with a live band, but for Mzoe7, he is adding value to his performance.
5: Communication with virtual audiences
The virtual space and communication with the audience play a vital role and Mzoe7 managed to ace this. He did this through teamwork as he let the cat out of individual brilliance of the band members from DJ Prince Eskhosini on the decks, drummist Tumelo, saxophone by Travellers, dance from Blaze and guitarist Shekinah. It wasn’t about Mzoe7 but the whole team and the way he communicated with the virtual audience made the performance meaningful.
6: Performance outro
This is one artiste who knows when and how to leave the stage. The outro that had a fusion of hip hop was a wow. For a minute, people thought Mzoe7 was going to start rapping but as the music died down and he caught everyone’s attention, he exited the stage.
Overall, Mzoe7’s Baf performance was outstanding. Commenting on his performance, Mzoe 7 said: “I took my performance seriously and made sure I gave people value for their data money.
“I didn’t cut corners and gave the act everything as I made the virtual audience part of the show by engaging them.” – @mthabisi_mthire
Online Reporter