VIP Concert promises to be a thriller

Maraire and Oliver Mtukudzi.
Dubbed “VIP Concert,” the gig is one that will afford the well-heeled a chance to sit back and enjoy the laid-back contemporary music in the cool ambience of 7 Arts Theatre.
Slated for November 12, the gig will be a perfect setting for company executives, diplomats and maybe politicians to get up and dance without being pushed or shoved like what usually happens at Andy Millar gigs.

Between the two of them, Tuku and Chi have over 40 years of experience and they know how to treat their audiences whether its up-tempo or sing along tunes, they have it all.
To cap it all, a joint performance is highly likely to happen when Chi and Tuku take to the stage.
For those not in the know, the feisty mbira player was born in a family of music forged by her father the late Dumisani Maraire.
Chi now enjoys the freedom to explore every corner of her musical being, from pure mbira magic with long-time acoustic ensemble Vibe Culture, to new electric fusions with rock, blues, and a rainbow of genres, in collaboration with various artists.

Those lucky to have caught Chi’s collaboration with artistes from Togo, Cameroon, Korea and Japan in the November 2010 “Suki Africa” Tour witnessed a taste of the power of such musical diversity.
Zimbabweans also witnessed her Harare International Festival of the arts collaboration with Dutch rock group Moke, which later led to her appearance at the Netherlands’ Freedom Festival where she performed both solo and as a group to an audience of over 160 000 people.

Back home, Chiwoniso continues a colourful collaboration with the popular Victor Kunonga, which again wowed audiences recently at the May Castle Tankard.
What she’ll be bringing to the stage is an open embrace to these and all music styles, spiced with impromptu fusions and surprise guests – as in the words of songwriter Carole King, “an ever-changing view”.
The 7 Arts Theatre concert promises to be an exciting series of unforgettable experience, each one unique, free flowing and mesmerising voice of Chi.

She is by no means a newcomer to international stage, having performed during Hifa opening nights and touring overseas, Chi has been there and done that. Her 1998 album “Ancient Voices” is undoubtedly one of her best recordings on which she worked with her ex-husband Andy Brown.
The album consists of blues, jazz, rap and reggae feel.

In 1999, Chi was a nominee in the “Best Female Vocals of Africa” category of the Kora Awards.
The “VIP Concert” marks another chapter in her music career as she shares the stage with Tuku, who only a few years back had introduced his late son Sam at the same venue.

For him, it will be more or less like reintroducing Chi as her own daughter in music, so to speak.
At 59, Tuku who is also referred to as the granddad of music, has a penchant of grooming young artistes but this time he will not be showing Chi the way around but simply adding colour to what appears to be a night to remember.
The “Tindike” singer has 56 albums to his credit and performing at such gigs is his specialty. He knows when and how to slow things down such that by the time he finishes his set the concert would have reached a crescendo.

If you are a big fan of Tuku this is one show you don’t want to miss as this would be his last show before he goes on a whirlwind world tour.
Sam Mataure, Tuku’s manager, confirmed the gig saying it was meant to reach out to a different clientele.

“The show is definitely on and basically what we are trying to do is to reach to those people who don’t normally attend every other show that we do. We are hoping to have a good time,” he said.
Mataure also confirmed that Tuku would be in and out of the country as he has shows lined up in South Africa and New York for the Music For Orphans gig where he will share the stage with Daisy Jopling whose bassist is the famed Bakithi Khumalo.

Tawanda Chingarah of Hardcore World Entertainment, the organisers of the concert, promised fans a night to remember.
“We are happy to bring this installment that features Tuku and Chi on one stage. We are hoping to deliver a world class event without any reef rough,” he said.