Chronicle Editor
Melissa Mpofu, [email protected]
It was a night to remember in Gwanda on Saturday as the Sofa Silahlane hit-maker, Nkosazana Daughter from South Africa staged her maiden performance in the fast-growing town.
The event which featured a host of local artistes proved the town has what it takes to host even bigger shows and festivals as it is becoming an entertainment hub, attracting people from different locations.
Nkosazana Daughter’s show was over-subscribed with hundreds of revellers being turned away at the Phoenix Shisanyama as the venue was packed to the rafters forcing event organisers to bar more people from entering.
Being the star that she is, Nkosazana Daughter did not disappoint as she belted out her hit songs which the crowd gladly sang along to. It was clear that she was enjoying every bit of the show as the reception she received from people in Gwanda was nothing short of amazing.
A very humble artiste, she took time to interact with some of the artistes as well as fans.
Speaking after the show, the event organiser, Dee Nosh who has of late, been focusing on hosting gigs in smaller towns, thanked the Gwanda community for their continuous support.
“So far, of all the events I’ve done in Gwanda featuring SA acts, the likes of Lady Du and Toss, this has been the biggest show. We had people coming from Filabusi, Esigodini, Beitbridge, so it was amazing. The numbers were perfect (attendance) and it was really a good show. This was actually one of my biggest shows in Matabeleland,” said Dee Nosh.
He said attracting such huge crowds comes down to the way that events are marketed.
“It was a mix of our marketing and the brand that we brought in. Nkosazana Daughter is a big brand. I think we had about 50 percent of the people stuck outside, they couldn’t come in as the venue proved small for the show. We tried going premium on tickets, but still, people were there. I feel like we disappointed a couple of people that couldn’t make it.”
The show promoter who has over 15 years of experience said the decision he made at the start of last year to focus more on hosting gigs in smaller towns is paying off.
“Small towns pay off, financially, link-wise and career-wise. As a promoter, I’ve realised that people focus a lot on the two capitals, Harare and Bulawayo but I’m enjoying travelling to other towns. You get to see places that you’ve never been to. Hosting shows in small towns is actually a good challenge for me because I get to meet new people, business people and new crowds who appreciate these artistes coming all the way from SA,” said the promoter who at the time, was in Filabusi scoping a new venue there.
He added that following this new avenue, he feels he still has a long way to go in event hosting as there are numerous venues across the country in need of entertainment.
Not only have these shows been beneficial to Dee Nosh and fun-lovers, but also artistes from the smaller towns who continue to have platforms to showcase and sharpen their talents while establishing fan bases. The shows are also promoting domestic tourism thereby boosting businesses of the local lodges and BnBs.
More good times await those in Gwanda as more artistes from the neighbouring country in the form of Sha Sha, Sir Trill, and Master KG are lined up to perform in the town this year.
Online Reporter