The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Correspondent
THIS year’s edition of the Oskido’s annual Kalawa Homecoming has not been spared by the economic conditions prevailing in the country, with the usually open air, star-studded event set to take place at Cosmopolitan Night Club, instead of the usual Queens Sports Club while only a handful of heavyweight acts are set to feature.
The organisers of this year’s event have been uncharacteristically mum in the run-up to this year’s extravaganza, an event that has dominated the festive season in Bulawayo, setting down a marker for all events that are held in the City of Kings.
The silence, it turns out, has been for a good reason, as it turns out that the organisers have decided to move the gig to the local night club while South African acts Busiswa and Malumz on Decks are the only artistes that will perform alongside Oskido this year.
However, with only a few weeks to go to the annual fete, fans have still not been given the final line-up of acts, while the usual advertising blitz that precedes the show has been non-existent on the streets of Bulawayo.
In what might come like a knife plunged into the hearts of party lovers in Bulawayo, one of the organisers of the gig confirmed that the show would, for the second year running, not return to its traditional home, Queens Sports Club, as organisers try to cut costs.
Last year, Oskido’s annual homecoming was moved to Amazulu Sports Club as Queens underwent renovations for the Cricket World Cup Qualifiers that went on to be held earlier this year. The decision to move the gig to a local club was taken on Tuesday afternoon.
“There was a meeting on Tuesday and it was decided that the venue be shifted to a local club because in the current economic situation it is not conducive to host the gig at Queens Sports Club. The decision to shift the venue is final and there’s no going back on that,” said one of the gig’s organisers who spoke to Sunday Life on condition of anonymity.
While Busiswa and Malumz on Decks had been confirmed for the 27 December gig, Emtee and Mlindo the Vocalist, the two artistes that organisers had promised will grace this year’s gig, would no longer be coming. In addition, Oskido would not be hosting his annual All White Party, an event that has in the past served as an appetiser for the Homecoming. Instead, Oskido’s protégé and South African based kwaito wordsmith Diliza will host his own All White Party at Vintage Shisha Bar on 24 December.
“There will be no All White party this year. Due to dire economic conditions Oskido thought it would be best if he focused on the Homecoming itself,” said the source.
Hotshot South African house act, DJ Maphorisa was also expected to be a part of this year’s Homecoming, but with the change of plans he is now expected to perform at a gig on 21 December at the same venue.
“Maphorisa had already been booked for the Homecoming but with the change of plans he cannot perform there anymore.
Instead he will perform at another gig on 21 December because he had been paid already,” said the source.
According to the organiser, they had held back on advertising for the gig after Tuesday’s decisive meeting due to the fact that they wanted to include DJ Zinhle on the final bill.
The owner of Cosmopolitan Night Club, Phathisani Nkomo, confirmed that both Maphorisa’s gig and the Homecoming were indeed on the cards, although they were still working out the finer details.
“Yes, I can tell you that’s what we had on the cards. However, we can’t exactly advertise it yet because it’s not exactly signed and sealed. We will have confirmation by the end of the day (Friday),” he said.
Meanwhile, another source privy to the goings on at Kalawa revealed that local fans had been in for a treat this year before the powers that be at the stable made a U-turn and decided to scale back on what they thought would be a loss making venture.
“It was really touch and go for a while because we thought about cancelling the gig. The news that we were getting was not good. It’s a shame because this was supposed to be the best Kalawa Homecoming ever. I think it was going to surpass the gig that had Cassper Nyovest and AKA going against each other.
“On this year’s line-up we had Sjava, Mlindo the Vocalist, Emtee, Busiswa, Oskido, DJ Fresh, Malumz on Decks, DJ Maphorisa and Winky Dee. It was a line-up that was going to beat anything that we’ve ever done with the Homecoming but unfortunately the economic situation stood in the way.”
