Online Reporter
Trust Khosa-Zimpapers Arts and Entertainment Hub
TOCKY VIBES has vowed to move forward despite incurring a loss of over US$25 000 after his album launch at Alexandra Sports Club in Harare fell flat.
The talented chanter, who has been trending due to the underwhelming attendance at his new album “Mashangurapata,” remains focused despite the social media backlash.
Speaking through his manager and confidante, Temptation “Mount Zion” Chirenje, the team insists that Tocky is in a good place and is actively composing new songs.
“It’s common in showbiz for such scenarios to occur, but we choose to move on and continue making more music,” stressed the manager. “Tocky is a strong individual who will always persevere. He is not deterred by last weekend’s incident because he understands that it is part of the game.
“He did everything right and was the first to book that venue before other events took place. There was no way we could change the venue or the dates after everything had already been paid for.”
Chirenje, a steadfast pillar of the versatile chanter, revealed that they will not be affected by social media trolls.
“It’s common in this era to face online criticism, but we know we need to move on, especially after we invested over US$25000 in that show. Everyone was paid, and we owe nothing to anyone; we just didn’t anticipate the outcome of the event. As I mentioned earlier, it was too late for us to change the venue or postpone the event.”
Chirenje has assured fans that Tocky will also hold a free show at a venue to be advised.
“We are determined to engage with our fans more than ever, despite the loss and social media criticism.” As such, we are set to hold a free show as part of marketing new songs. We also want some of the fans who cannot afford to pay for his show to come and enjoy it,” he stressed.
With Harare saturated last weekend, he noted that there was nothing they could do to stop fans from attending some of the events.
For instance, Gwanzura Stadium in Highfield hosted the 25th Chibuku Road To Fame, where attendance was free.
Its after-party, which featured the likes of Winky D, Killer T and Saintfloew, among others, attracted many fans, while most opted for the Jacaranda Festival, which took place at Thornpark Polo Club.
Chirenje conceded these events also affected them, but there was nothing they could do.
“I also considered everything, but we couldn’t pump more money by postponing events. Sometimes we need to consider several factors and just move on and go back to the drawing board.” He welcomed the moral support they have been receiving from fellow musicians and promoters after last weekend’s debacle.
“It’s always exciting being surrounded by highly supportive people who will always give you a shoulder. We have been seeing these messages of encouragement from other artistes who have worked through a similar journey before,” he emphasised.
Despite the loss and social media ridicule, Tocky’s camp has remained defiant.
Although his event is a tight contender for the “Flop of the Year,” Tocky remains a talented musician and hard worker.
Raised in Rugare, Harare, Tocky has always been outstanding and a risk-taker, as was evident last weekend, although the bravery did not yield results.
The reality is that he had assembled a star-studded line-up that boasted household names as supporting acts, including Killer T, Feli Nandi, Oriyano, Tamy Moyo, Kurai Makore, Seh Calaz, Silent Killer and Andy Muridzo among others. From stage set-up to sound system and lighting, Tocky nailed it. He showed that he was not only a musician but also a potential events planner who was only let down by poor attendance.
Some argue that poor judgement, marketing, or timing might have cost him, although he could have made a killing on a good day with the same line-up. Others believe that he was just unlucky and needs to keep his head up for future events.
Neutrals believe Tocky’s camp needs to tread with caution when he takes such gambles. On a positive note, Tocky has joined the league of young Turks who are not afraid to promote themselves by holding big events at elite venues around Zimbabwe.
These include Freeman, Killer T, Seh Calaz, Kinnah, Saintfloew and Nisha Ts, who, despite strong financial backing, have dared the showbiz landscape by holding their own solo shows.
After all has been said, many believe lessons can still be learned from Tocky’s recent debacle.
