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Slated for June 1, the gig will see dendera crooner Suluman Chimbetu, contemporary musician Jah Prayzah, Nicholas “Madzibaba” Zackaria, gospel musician Mathias Mhere, reggae outfit House of Stone and Diamond Musica serenade multitudes of fans from Marondera and its environs.
All the musicians lined up for the event are expected to bring out their best, considering the experience they have to date of staging high–octane gigs, whether at homeland, cross the region or abroad.
While Diamond Musica and the House of Stone are expected to provide a refreshing angle to the music festival because of the music they play, all eyes would probably be on the other four, who are expected to rock the crowd from their wide discography spanning a cumulative 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry.
Mathias Mhere, who is probably the only novice in the industry among the listed performing musicians, has been receiving rave reviews following the release of his album, “Anoita Minana”, which contains the crowd’s favourite “Favour”.
From the time he ventured into music, he has staged several live gigs, and has not disappointed, though he willd need to improve on stage confidence.
His performance willd be ably completed by Zakaria, known by his legions of fans as the “Senior Lecturer” — for mentoring some of Zimbabwe’s best musicians, among them Alick Macheso, the late System Tazvida and Cephas Karushanga.
From the time he stuck the first chord of his guitar in the early 1990s, the Senior Lecturer or Madzibaba has never looked back, as attested by the quality of his music, and his determination to improve his performance on a daily basis.
A seasoned performer and one of the best lead guitarists of all time, Madzibaba is one of the few musicians who is usually composed when on stage, and usually let his music speak for itself.
When he gets on stage, he usually mixes his discography, playing both his old-time classics and his latest offerings that have made him a household name. Fans should look forward to a number of his hit songs that include “Chikumbiro”, “Ida Anokuda”, “Mabvi Nemagokora” and “Ndine Mubvunzo”. Pregnant with meaning, his music usually appeals to the mature audience.
On the other hand, those revellers who want to shake off some chill on the wintry night, and dance their sorrows away, would need to make a date with Mukudzei Mukombe aka Jah Prayzah, whose fame can best be described as an “overnight ascendancy”.
From the time he released the hit song “Sungano” as a mere rookie who was trying his luck in music, his music has since matured with time, making him one of the most sought after artistes in recent months.
“Machembere”, “Mwanasikana”, “Rufaro”, “Sisiria” and the title track “Tsviriyo”, are some of the hit songs that are expected to illuminate the event.“Tsviriyo” is essentially a happy-go-lucky type of song in which Jah Prayzah urges fans to look at music as a unifying rather than divisive force.
In other words, fans should be free to enjoy any musician of their choice, be it Tuku, Alick Macheso, Suluman Chimbetu, Tongai Moyo, Kapfupi or Pastor Charamba.
Suluman, who is currently enjoying a purple patch, following the release of his latest album “Syllabus” is expected to cap the event with a tight performance that have made him one of Zimbabwe’s household names in dendera music circles.
The beauty about this music festival is that revellers who are expected to throng Rudhaka Stadium come the day of the event will be doing so for a worthy cause, because some of the proceeds of the event are expected to benefit three institutions for the less privileged in the town.
Show organisers Erasmus Simba Chatima and Mwedzi Wendira said part of the proceeds would go towards three identified institutions and other people in need of help.
“We have realised that we have quite a number of people who need assistance in whatever way, but they have not been able to get help. As part of the community, we feel we can play our role in alleviating the suffering within our communities,” said Chatima.
Online Reporter