The Sunday News
Raisedon Baya Arts Focus
THIS week I would have loved to write about Jeys Marabini and the new act he is taking to Europe after seeing snippets of the new act during the music marathon dubbed Africa Day Concert at Bulawayo Theatre last week but what would I say about Jeys Marabini that hasn’t been said before. Music lovers know that Jeys is a ball of energy when on stage. He acts possessed and always gives his best. I would have loved to talk about Willis Wataffi Afrika’s performance too but like I confessed a year or two ago, I’m totally and madly in love with Willis’s music and so most of the things I want to say I have said them before.
Outfit Band was there too and I am tempted to just dedicate this whole article to them. They have a polished performance. The group is definitely my jazz band of the moment in Bulawayo. Slowly, Outfit is going places. It is the nature of jazz to softly sweep one off their feet and Outfit Band just does that every time they take to the stage. When one listens to them one suddenly finds themselves tapping their feet or nodding their head in enjoyment.
This experience is even better if the lyrics are known or easily understandable by the listener. There was also Bozoe, the self-proclaimed “Southern African Jazz sensation.” You only need to listen to his Udumo album to believe the claim. The song Bekezela, on the same album takes this young Zimbabwean-born but South Africa-based singer to the top of the table. Bozoe’s greatest asset is his voice. It’s a voice most ladies would love to go to sleep with and even wake up to it. If you are an Afro-Jazz fan and you haven’t listened to Bozoe’s album then you are like someone who claims to love good movies and yet hasn’t watched “The Godfather.”
The Africa Day Concert was definitely a top-drawer event with a stellar line-up that kept the half full and mixed crowd at the theatre glued to their seats for the better part of the night. Obviously the turnout was a big disappointment. One keeps wondering what one has to do to get Bulawayo people out of their homes and to attend arts events by local artistes. There has been lots of debate about how Bulawayo people continue to shun local arts events.
Perhaps, one reason that kept people away from the concert was the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. There were a couple of people that were at the concert but suddenly disappeared the very minute the Champions League game started on television.
Another low point was perhaps the length of the show. It was too long. Six hours of performances was too long, especially as most people had gone to the show not expecting a gala. The acts could have been trimmed to about four and a shorter version would have left a long lasting impression in many a mind.
Bad moments aside the concert was great. Let me take this moment to single out three acts that came on stage and blew my brains out. Xmile. I must confess that the future of our music is in the hands of young musicians such as Xmile. Using the richness of Ndebele language and natural talent this young man had the audience eating from his mouth. There was also Thandy Dlana, who recently launched her album at Horizon.
She refused to be out shone. This young woman is vocally gifted. I believe Xmile and Thandy need nurturing and support. Properly guided and supported they are destined for the top. Then there was Eve Kawadza from Harare. My goodness! Talk about her voice, her stage presence, the way she interacted with the audience, her style of Jazz — I definitely wouldn’t mind watching her again, and again. She literally killed the evening with her song I Panic and her rendition of Prudence Katomeni’s BP Yangu Yakwira. I mention these three young artistes not because they were the best acts of the evening but because they brought in freshness to the night that swept most of the audience off their feet.
I will end this article by saluting Butshilo Nleya for his passion and commitment to giving space to local acts to shine. As an organiser he needs Bulawayo’s support. He needs our support. Culture Week activities in Bulawayo also showed there is a serious need for promoters, event organisers, arts journalists, arts promoters to come together at a round table to discuss ways of bringing people to local arts events. The time for pointing fingers is over. It’s now time to act and only those that genuinely want to see an improvement in audience attendance at Bulawayo events should join hands and start making sure local people attend arts events by local artistes.
