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Bruce Ndlovu
Due to various gigs featuring top South African acts that over the course of the year failed to pull in the desired or expected crowds, many have begun to question whether it is still financially viable to bring in artistes from that country to Zimbabwe. A�While in years past, the most popular acts from south of the Limpopo had no trouble pulling in great crowds in the City of Kings, that has not been the same in the last few years, with only a select few acts or the annual Kalawa fete managing to bring Bulawayo revellers out of the comfort of their homes on a weekend.
Gospel star Rebecca Malope performed in front of a dismal Queens Sports Club crowd while the likes of Nathi, Nomuzi, Busi and Kid X also failed to bring the numbers during the much touted Second Homecoming at the same venue.
Patricia Majalisa missed a gig she would have performed in front of a handful of fans had she turned up while Black Coffee and MiCasa performed in front of satisfactory crowds that some felt did not match their popularity.
In contrast, this year has seen Winky D and Jah Prayzah delivering crowds that have made the ground tremble. Jah Prayzah first did it last year at the Bulawayo Amphitheatre, before they joined forces to shut down the same venue this year, while Winky D pulled a capacity crowd at Hartsfield during the dreaded month of January.
They returned again last weekend to confirm that they are indeed the most popular artistes currently in the City of Kings.
A look at the logistics and costs of bringing a foreign artiste show the struggle faced by promoters.
According to a National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) official, Zimra gets 27, 5 percent of the visiting artistea��s fee while NACZ gets 5% of the income expected on the day of the show. According to the official, the organisers are expected to come with a figure of expectation, in which they try to estimate how much they will make on the day of the show.
In addition the promoter is expected to pay $500 to the countrya��s immigration authorities for a work permit while the censorship board is paid $20 for every hour the artiste is in the country. That is over and above other costs like hotel bills. In contrast, all that is required to bring Winky D or Jah Prayzah is just the promotera��s licence which costs $500 and is renewed annually.
Jah Prayzah and Winky D, for instance, cost $8 000 to bring as a duo, the same amount that was required to bring in MiCasa. Considering that the crowd at the Large City Hall was considerably higher than at the Amphitheatre where the latter performed, despite the fact that tickets for that show had initially been pegged at $15, there are no prizes for guessing who the happier promoter was.
According to 3D Eventsa�� Mduduzi Mdlongwa while the two titans currently on the Zimbabwean music scene pulled great crowds, it was also important not to write off South African artistes completely.
a�?One should always read the event atmosphere. What this means is that the promoter should always know what people want at that moment,a�? he said.
a�?You should not overlook the fact that Jah Prayzah and Winky D are very hot at the moment and that does not mean all local acts will do similarly well,a�? he said.
His point is particularly valid in light of the fact that the likes of Oliver Mtukudzi, Alick Macheso and Sulumani Chimbetu have also brought in dismal crowds in the last few months.
a�?The costs also depend on the artistes themselves because we had an awesome crowd for both Winky D and Black Motion and those two virtually cost the same to bring to Bulawayo,a�? he said.
Vusumuzi Siqalaba of XMO Squad said although Jah Prayzah and Winky D were dominating currently, there was no reason other local acts could not do the same.
a�?Of late we have seen a growing appreciation for Zimbabwean talent and there is no reason why other artistes cana��t use that as their own springboard. However, Jah Prayzah and Winky are bringing in quality and people are going to support only those artistes that bring in high level products to the table,a�? he said.
Online Reporter