Chronicle Editor
Melissa Mpofu, Showbiz Editor
“If you’ve never been to the Vic Falls Carnival, you need to do yourself a favour and go. It’s such a brilliant experience. I’d like to do this every year if I can, that’ll be great,” were sentiments shared by South African personality Boity Thulo.
She attended the event for the first time and watching her partake in various activities from boat cruises, pool party to a tour of the rainforest, it was clear that she was having a ball.
Her sentiments basically summarise those of many attendees, as some have been attending the event for several years and do not want to miss out on the fun annually.
The carnival made its return this year following a two-year hiatus. The event kicked off on Friday with scores of people thronging the Elephant Hills Resort.
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the carnival had a new venue which was not a bad idea at all as the setup was on point.
Those who have never boarded Zupco buses that are always characterised by long queues and pushing and shoving had a rare experience as people were required to park their vehicles at the venue’s golf course and be shuttled to the entrance points.
This was a humbling moment that also united people as they got to engage while waiting for the shuttle buses.
Upon arrival at the entrance points, it was smooth sailing as things were orderly although this year’s security was a bit compromised.
DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small and Shasha were the main drawcards on Friday but they failed to show up with organisers highlighting “travel hiccups”.
As word spread that the trio would not be showing up, the mood was a bit low at the beginning of the show, but the performers who came on stage did a good job ensuring they brought the carnival crowd back to life.
While the opening acts had to perform to a paltry crowd as people were still trickling in, they managed to put on a show with Ngoma Ingoma setting the pace.
With the stage heated up, Botswana’s Khoisan did not disappoint and kept the groove in an upward direction.
The group’s captivating performance and their connection with the crowd really amped up the atmosphere.
A big chunk of the crowd even bunched up for some synchronised dance routines which led to the band jumping off the stage to come and join in.
By the time Master KG came later on, the vibe was just right and the superstar did not disappoint as he turned the event into a movie.
The artiste dug deep into his hit list which kept the crowd on their toes, singing along and dancing throughout the set.
His long-time collaborator, Zanda Zakuza joined him with the songstress adding fuel to the fire.
In an interview after his performance, Master KG said Zimbabwe was a beautiful country with a fan base that always shows him love.
“I haven’t been in Zimbabwe since 2018 when I was still starting out and now a few years later, I’m having back-to-back shows here.
It’s a beautiful country and the people here show love and support the music. This is like my second home now and I wish I could stay longer,” he said.
Friday was more of a welcome with things revving up on Saturday as there were a series of events taking place.
People were spoilt for choice as they could either attend Boity’s All-white and peachy affair, Munch n Sip, boat party, partake in the resort city’s tourism activities or simply attend to everything which was really impossible.
Boity’s pool party was quite relaxed with those in attendance having an opportunity to sample her BT Signature range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
They also got to party with her, but not for long as she had to grace the boat party and prepare for her performance later in the evening.
This is how hectic the event was, it was impossible to be in one place for long as so much was happening at one go and people did not want to miss out on the action.
However, event organisers may want to hire more boats if ever they are to host another boat party as one clearly was not sufficient.
A lot of people who bought VIP tickets with the hope that they would access the boat parties were left disheartened after learning that they were a reserve for VVIP ticket-holders.
What’s Vic Falls without a sunset cruise really? What disheartened people more was that a party had been organised on the banks of the Zambezi River where the Pure Africa boat docks.
So missing out on the boat party that had Boity on board also meant missing out on the party that had performances from Gemma Griffiths and Nutty O. VIP ticket holders could not have that so they made their way to the boat site to at least experience the party.
And worth it it was as just the experience of relaxing on the riverbank while watching the sunset was to die for.
To top it off, Gemma and Nutty O put on stellar performances with Nutty O joining Gemma for the performance of their song, One Call Away.
The chemistry between the two artistes was amazing and it left people wanting more from them.
Thereafter, it was time to return to the hotel for people to experience the main stage performances.
One of the first groups to take to the stage, Djembe Monks was misplaced, the same applies to Ngoma Ingoma.
Their sets deserved prime slots as their performances actually complemented the carnival vibe. Some of the DJs whose sets were below standard are the ones who should have been placed earlier. But anyhow, Djembe Monks impressed and the crowd was appreciative.
Newcomer in the music scene, rapper Boity who was performing for the first time in Zimbabwe also delivered. She kept her performance short and sweet.
Her set was long enough to convince people that she is coming up well in the music scene and has the potential to blow up.
Another first-timer at the carnival, Mr Okay Okay, Takura also performed well, charming the ladies in the process.
“It feels great to have finally managed to perform at the carnival after four years. I was super excited because it’s an experience that a lot of people want to get. I’m happy that I managed to perform on a big stage like that,” said Takura adding that experiencing the Vic Falls Carnival live is important.
Last night was the last day of the carnival. Meanwhile, organisers of the Vic Falls Carnival have issued a statement apologising for the non-appearance of the headline acts, DJ Maphorisa, Kabza de Small and Sha Sha.
“All three artistes were paid in full and contractually bound to perform at the carnival, and accommodated at every corner with their numerous flight and accommodation change requests.
“Our teams, along with their booking agent, have been trying all weekend to book them on the next available flight into Vic Falls in order for us to reschedule their performances for today (yesterday).
We have tried all avenues to ensure they make it to the carnival but our team, and their booking agent, are not able to reach them to confirm an alternate plan.” Organisers went on to thank event attendees for their understanding.
“Our main priority is you, the fans, who have made the carnival what it is today and we thank you for that!
We thank you for understanding and know that we have done everything possible to accommodate the situation, but due to the communication block between the artistes and their booking agent we cannot confirm an alternate plan to get them to the carnival at this late stage,” wrote organisers in a statement that was issued yesterday.
The artistes have remained mum on the issue.
Online Reporter