Chronicle Editor
Showbiz Correspondent
THOUSANDS on Saturday braved the nippy weather conditions and thronged White City Stadium in Bulawayo as they joined Skyz Metro FM in celebrating the local radio station’s first anniversary.
Dubbed #Umcimbiwabantu (loosely translated meaning the people’s party), the show had South Africa’s Professor, Stiff, Madlela Skhobokhobo, Sandra Ndebele and a whole host of artistes from the city. Skyz Metro FM, which broadcasts within a 40km radius of Bulawayo, started broadcasting live on September 11 last year.
White City Stadium was buzzing from as early as 7PM as people started to fill up the venue of the show.
All throughout the week around the city, in kombis and everywhere, people said they wanted to go and watch Professor who was previously in the city last year at the annual Kalawa Homecoming party.
It was the first time in a long time that a show of this magnitude and with this kind of line up was being held in the heart of the high density suburb of Pelandaba.
Outside the stadium, hordes of people gathered plotting how to enter stadium with others already having found holes behind the stadium for them to go in.
When one entered the stadium, the atmosphere was electric as people were in a party mood. It was if they could not wait for the summer season to set in and the Skyz Metro FM one year celebration was the ideal tonic for them to set the ball rolling.
Even though Professor was the main act alongside Stiff, local artistes such as Madlela Skhobokhobo were a marvel to watch and sent the crowd into frenzy when he sang his runaway hit Ngamnanka. As Madlela was dancing on stage, many in the crowd were trying to imitate the axe-carrying artiste and his dancers. He introduced his legion of fans to his new tracks Majazani and Bheyapeya which were both well received.
South African based group Stiff, which is led by Bulawayo-born Diliza with his SA counterparts Sbu and Mgijimi, did not disappoint as the track Umcimbi proved to be the fans’ national anthem as they sang along each verse in a party mood and the single Awe Ma from their much anticipated album was met with some good dance moves from the fans.
When the moment for Professor to enter the stage came he was met with wild cheers.
And as with any crowd these days there were rowdy elements that tore down the barricade that housed those in the VIP section. However, this did not stop the party from continuing with Professor as driver performing all time favourites such as Lento, Imoto, Amafinger prints. He introduced fans to his new hit Nobenga. However, there was a problem with the sound as there was a time that Professor’s mic went off and in no time people started chanting into oyenzayo siyayizonda. After some minutes the sound was back on and the party continued.
Most people were huddled in groups dancing and drinking litres and litres of opaque beer which seemed the drink of choice for some, while others turned to whiskeys and cane spirits.
Unruly elements, probably those who entered the venue illegally through undesignated points of entry, started a looting spree and stole clothes from a stand of local fashion designers. Women who were selling wares at the show were not spared either.
On stage the cake was cut as Babongile Sikhonjwa introduced TKP and BKay (Riya Viya drive time show), Memory Nkwe Possenti Sikhosana (Soul Affair) and Kundayi Midzo-Shamyarira, a popular news reader at the radio station.
Even after Professor had left the stage 30 minutes after starting, the party continued and Clement Magwaza with his fast paced rhumba music got the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. Hip hop artistes ASAPH, Cal_Vin and Guluva Se7en also gave a good account of themselves when they were on stage.
The show ended at around 5AM when announcers told people it was time to go home and they trickled to their places of abode drunk and tired from dancing the whole night.
Online Reporter