adminDecked in a one-armed black dress, embroidered with a big yellow, orange and yellow flower by the side and a similar one on the shoulder, the South African star burst onto the stage amid cheers from the crowd. She came on stage singing Destiny from her first and only album Loliwe and the crowd went into delirium and could not help but sing along.
The award-winning 24-year-old followed it up with equally soulful songs Umthwalo Wami, Ngizabuya and Thekwane.
Zahara, real name Bulelwa Mkutukana, said Thekwane was her dedication to former South African president Nelson Mandela.
“This song is for Tata Mandela it’s special to me and I hope it is to you,” she said.
The show became interactive when she let people in the audience sing Thekwane in baritone. Unfortunately no one did justice to the song.
She got applause after singing the Shona verse on the song Ncwad’ncane without missing a word. On her CD album the part is sung by Zimbabwean musician George Munetsi.
Ndiza, Away, Lengoma and the plug song of her debut Loliwe got the crowd worked up. People could be heard singing along on top of their voices, even toddlers who were carried on their fathers’ shoulders could not help, but get caught in the wave of Zahara’s angelic voice and signature acoustic guitar.
The song signed up the day which saw even local acts taking to the stage earlier on.
The local acts that performed included Sandra Ndebele, Djembe Monks, Otis Ngwabi, Iyasa, DJs Slamma and Kanajo.
Unlike the Harare leg of the event, the Bulawayo show was a medley of genres, but the groups managed to perform satisfactorily.
Ndebele’s dancers put up a sterling performance as they danced the day away. Even Sandra proved that she still has it in her.
She also gave people a taste of her forthcoming album, which raises the question “who said married women cannot be performing artistes?”
The talented Otis Ngwabi also put up a good act, after some time off the music radar.
In an interview after the show, some of the people who came for the show were happy with what they saw.
“I was impressed by Zahara. She is so young and talented and she has the voice, but her stage presentation still needs to be worked on,” said a fan, Thobeka Msiza, of Old Magwegwe.
Other fans were of the opinion that the promoters of the show should not have misled people by saying they were holding a family show.
“The fact that a show is held in the afternoon does not make it a family show, but its content. Some of the dances that we saw here are not meant for kids,” said Memory Ncube.
Online Reporter