Sulu set to unveil new band members

The gig – which ironically falls on Friday the 13th – is also expected to end weeks of speculation on who has joined Orchestra Dendera Kings, after Sulu was reported to have engaged Orchestra Mberikwazvo’s Francis “Slomo” Dhaka, vocalist Elton Muropa and lead guitarist Noel Nyazanda.
In an interview, Orchestra Dendera Kings manager Knowledge Nkoma said he was expecting a well-choreographed and polished show, something that the group had been working towards, since they resumed their rehearsals last week.
“I know most people have been wondering about the existence and the future of Orchestra Dendera Kings following reports that some of our band members left to pursue other interests.
“If the truth be told, the band is better than ever and raring to go,” he said.
It would be interesting to find out if Dhaka, known in the entertainment circles as “Franco Slomo”, will fit into the dendera mould after more than 10 years of dancing to sungura, while under the tutelage of Macheso.
Those in the know will attest that dancing is surely an art, and the question that most people will be asking is will Slomo master the art in a twinkle of an eye and rise to the occasion?
For a man whose signing was worth thousands of dollars – in the form of a Mercedes-Benz – Slomo is expected to dish out his fancy footwork, to charm the crowd and further endear himself to the paymaster!
The same yardstick would definitely be used on two of Macheso’s ex-band members, Murapa and Nyazanda, when they go on stage with the rest of the Orchestra Dendera Kings band members.
Nkoma added that the switch has not been difficult for the trio, who have been keenly following the local entertainment industry.