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Patrick Chitumba Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Jameson Victoria Falls Carnival ended on a high note on New Year’s Day with close to 8,000 people attending the three-day music extravaganza. The outdoor festival – jam-packed with carnival-type festivities, including live performances by top Southern African musicians, attracted tourists from countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, New Zealand and Britain.
On December 29, 2013 there was a bush party at Jafuta, a few kilometres out of the resort town.
Revellers were taken to the bush venue aboard the vintage steam train.
Hordes of tourists swarmed the Victoria Falls train station just after 4pm to board the steam train. Party lovers enjoyed the true African beauty listening to the beats from DJ Francis and others until the early hours of Monday morning.
The carnival moved to Victoria Falls Farm school and intensified with the performance of more groups such as Mokoomba and Evicted.
Mokoomba are being feted as Africa’s most internationally successful young band after a rise that is well deserved. They belted out their songs mostly sung in Tonga and Nambya much to the delight of the tourists who loved their instruments and the coherence of the instruments.
They sang songs such as Mvula, Nisodzi, Nimukonda and Yoni, after which came December Streets, ISO and Just Jinjer.
Just Jinjer also proved to be the crowd favourite with its contemporary rock touch. The rock group, which has sold more than a quarter million albums, toured with U2, Counting Crows, Live, Goo Goo Dolls, plus dozens of other massive artistes played songs such as Can I Have More, Home and Time of Your Life and What He Means.
“I love the performance by Mokoomba even if I don’t understand a word they were singing, they are good in performance,” said Mery Loghan from USA.
On New Year’s Eve, the line up for artistes stood who performed included Chikwata 263, Shortstraw, Jeremy Loops, Mampi, Flash Republic, Jason Le Roux, Judgment Yard, DJ Cmbaville and DJ AceDaBass.
Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive officer, Karikoga Kaseke was part of the crowd and he marvelled at the number of tourists mainly regional ones who attended the carnival.
Also present was South Africa’s top socialite Bonang Matheba.
Online Reporter