WATCH: UB40 featuring Ali Campbell rock Zimbabwe

IT has become a norm that local artistes pull their weight more than foreign main acts at shows. On Africa Day, the trend continued as local acts rose to the plate and went toe-to-toe with the British contemporary reggae band UB40 featuring Ali Campbell.

A cocktail of soul, Afro-pop, rock, and reggae music was sequentially dished out to an appreciating crowd on the night. It was a carnivalesque atmosphere at the Old Hararians Sports Club in the capital with people from all walks of life and ages thronging the venue.

The show was opened by Mimmie Tarukwana and then rock star Josh Ansley rocked and rolled his way in style before the guitar sangoma, Sylent Nqoe showed why he is one of the revered guitarists in the local music scene.

Wheel spinner, DJ Chiwedaar kept the crowd on its feet with his old-school music playlist to cater for the mature.

The elderly were up way past bedtime as they enjoyed a rare night of unbridled entertainment. With over four decades of experience in the global music scene, Ali Campbell matures like fine wine. What would have been an Ali Campbell gig without the sipping of the legendary, Red, Red Wine?

As soon as Campbell uttered the word, “Red”, a sea of nocturnal fun-lovers had in unison joined in to sing the chorus in its entirety, hands in the air in complete euphoria.

During his set, Campbell paid respect to the late “Queen of Rock and Roll” Tina Turner who died on Wednesday, asking the crowd to point a finger in the air in remembrance of the late music icon.

Campbell has not lost his magic touch and vocal ability and some of the songs that he dished out during his hour-and-a-half set included Impossible, Food for Thought, Kingston Town, Grooving, One in ten, and crowd favourite, Cherry oh baby.

Over the years, UB40 has gone through split-ups and line-up changes, and now, the whole situation would leave a lot of conflicted views and questions unanswered.

“One of them is, “Who is UB40 and what barometer do people use to ascertain who should perform as a band member and who shouldn’t?”

Whatever the case may be, one thing remains; Campbell surely gave people great entertainment and thumbs up to Ngoma Nehosho for making it happen.

Soon, Ngoma Nehosho will be organising the Jacaranda Music Festival. —@MbuleloMpofu