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Tafadzwa Zimoyo Arts Reporter —
Preparations for the Summer Night concert to be held at Twin Rivers School in Belgravia this weekend are at an advanced stage with performing artistes confirming their participation.
The musicians, Josh Ansley and rising star Phillip Hanly, will headline an evening of smooth sounds appropriately subtitled “The Homecoming”.
Both Josh and Phillip are involved in auditions for this year’s South Africa version of “The Voice”.
Sound Event Management’s Minky Walters (the organisers) said the two Zimbabwean singers had made names for themselves on the international scene.
She said she was happy to be part of what has become one of Harare’s most popular annual open air events.
“Summer Night concert was created several years ago and in our most recent stagings, the top acts featured South African singer Salim Kagee in 2014, while last year’s show was headlined by another SA singer, Cito.
“We hoped to stage the Summer Night concert a week or two ago but a change of venue made it necessary for us to host this family-focused show at Twin Rivers School,” she said.
Walters said the concert is an event where people will enjoy music in a relaxed, open-air environment where they can bring picnics, their own chairs and blankets.
“This show will also see some of the top local talent, tenor Nigel Hopkins and soprano Molly Dzangare, who featured last year and is carving out a singing career on the classical scene.
“Nigel Hopkins, started out in 5Star with Josh and more recently has turned to classical performance.
“The Twin Rivers choir, which has won local awards and will soon perform in a show with Oliver Mtukudzi, will perform at this year’s show,” she said.
Josh Ansley started his musical career on the Reps Theatre stage in 2005’s Boy Band Blockbusters show.
He later became one of the founder members of Zimbabwe’s first boy band, 5Star. He has been starring in Barnyard shows and other musical events across South Africa.
The Summer Night concert brings Ansley back to the audience who met and loved him when he first appeared on the stage.
Meanwhile, Phillip Hanly comes from a well-known theatrical family in Harare and has started making a name for himself in South Africa. Hanly was part of the Born to Perform talent search show in Johannesburg.
The 20-years-old’s voice has been compared to those of Josh Groban and Michael Bubble.
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