In the history of foreign artists who frequent Zimbabwe, Mafikizolo can now be best described as “certified crowd pullers” given the attendance at the Sendekera, Come Let’s Dance Concert on Friday.
By Kennedy Nyavaya
Forget the cash crisis, elitist pricing of tickets and how the Afro pop duo has performed in Harare, particularly at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC), for the umpteenth time, they still managed to attract a significant crowd.
On stage, Nhlanhla Nciza and Theo Kgosinkwe along with their band who came on stage after a satisfactory presentation by Jah Prayzah brought unparalleled class, testimony to their flourishing careers spanning two decades.
But before the headlining act, curtain-raising musicians managed to warm up an otherwise chilly atmosphere, with disc jockeys maintaining the smooth flow of the show on interludes.
Ngoni Kambarami took to the stage at 9pm and reincarnated fond memories of the now faded urban grooves phenomenon.
The Zvaunondiita So singer proved he still has what it takes to make ladies scream with his voice coupled with a few dance moves.
After him came Andy Muridzo with feisty energy like he was about to steal the show with his 40-minute slot.
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Muridzo and his Jeetaz Band, however, only played one song from the new 13-track album titled Tichambotenderera.
Baba Keketso — as he is affectionately known — however, complemented this by playing his famous songs like Dherira and Dhafu Dhunda from his previous offering before mesmerising many with cover versions of Jamaican dancehall music, which he executed well.
Thrown into what seemed like the deep-end, Cindy Munyavi, the only woman on the line-up, generally found the going tough.
Her powerful voice was let down by use of backtracks while others used bands and the crowds were unreceptive.
After three songs, she left the stage for Alexio Kawara, who proved to still be the famous star he was in the early years of his career.
Kawara belted out yesteryear hits including Tinodanana and Shaina, topping his slot with Zvikomborero just before midnight.
At midnight, “Masoja” took over clad in their traditional army regalia as they staged another identically satisfying showcase which lasted over 90 minutes.
Mafikizolo took over in the wee hours of yesterday and for the better part of their 80-minute long show, proved why they have remained Zimbabwe’s most sought after foreign act. They started with good oldies up to the Khona era.
In between their performance, they also incorporated Jah Prayzah, pulling off the much-anticipated Sendekera live for the first time.
Sleek dance moves and vocal prowess kept fans in motion despite having spent the whole night up.
The group took the time to announce that they will be back again to perform in the country in September, while thanking their fans for the support.
“It’s so good to be back home and it is very good to come back here because this is our second home,” said Theo.
“We just want to tell you that thank you for your support over the years as we are celebrating 20 full years together as Mafikizolo.”
