Mi Casa thrills on debut
Majalisa bunks charity gig
BLACK and white, oh so bright All I see is beauty, are lyrics from Mi Casa’s hit track These Streets which aptly describe the atmosphere during their debut show in Bulawayo on Friday night.
Mi Casa, comprised of J Something, Mo T and Dr Duda performed in front of a near capacity Bulawayo Amphitheatre in the Zimbabwean leg of their Unlock Africa tour.
Unlike many major shows held in the city that are attended by mostly black people, this one in particular had a mixture of blacks, whites, Indians and coloureds which was something rarely seen in the city.
Mi Casa, who fuse house music with a jazzy touch, did not disappoint with a polished performance on the night.
And they brought that to the stage with J Something, Mo T on the trumpet and Dr Duda on the keyboard and mixer making it easy for fans to sing-along and follow the nimble dance moves from Mi Casa. J Something would in some instances take photos with fans in the VIP section of the venue that cost $25.
“This is our first time in Bulawayo and we’re very excited,” said J Something at the beginning of their performance.
They kicked off their performance with a rendition of Mafikizolo’s Ndihamba Nawe, with the crowd singing along word for word.
J Something, a Portuguese by birth, became a heartthrob to many women in South Africa when he burst on the scene five years ago singing in Xhosa.
He effortlessly sang Ndihamba Nawe amid screams from the women in the crowd who responded with Mina Ndihamba Nawe (I’ll leave with you).
Most in the crowd were waiting for Bar Man, a song Mi Casa produced with kwaito kings Big Nuz. J Something took it upon himself to sing the parts sang by Danger and Mampintsha.
Other tracks they performed were Jika, Chocolate, You Body, and Heavenly Sent with a sprinkling of renditions of Lionel Richie and Brenda Fassie as their one and a half performance ended at 1AM.
The local artistes did not disappoint as they gave five star performances with the pick being Mzoe 7 who put up a high octane performance that got people in the crowd in the mood to party. His ever popular track Kwasa Kwasa was a favourite on the night with his new song Chiuta Chiuta also well-liked. Rapper Guluva 7 showed why he is the best new comer on the Zim Hip hop scene as he commanded the stage like a seasoned performer with everyone nodding their heads in appreciation of his music.
R&B sensation, Alaina of the Juice Box fame was the darling of the crowd as she captivated them with her well choreographed dance moves which blended well with her melodious voice.
However, the system at the bar area came as a shock to some as it was a ticketing system that was used with the cheapest going for $10. Beverages were reasonably priced but the problem was that revellers couldn’t buy single beers.
The night ended with the hordes of revellers making a beeline to Club Eden to meet Mi Casa during the after party. The nightspot was packed and entering the venue was a hassle as many wanted to party the night with Mi Casa. Most women wanted to take a picture with J Something who obliged for a while, but ended up refusing requests as he said he was tired.
Mo T was also a busy body as he took countless selfies wtih the ladies at the venue. DJ Duda left the VIP area and entered the Club as he wanted to have fun with fans - @bonganinkunzi. DENDERA maestro Sulumani Chimbetu put up a polished and professional showing at a poorly attended Winter Farewell Charity Concert, while South African disco queen Patricia Majalisa failed to turn up at the gig held at the Large City Hall on Friday night.
Majalisa had been billed as the show’s major draw card alongside Sulu but the veteran South African diva left the few fans that attended the gig disappointed after she failed to honour her promise to attend the show whose purpose was to raise $50 000 for the Bulawayo Public Library Braille Department.
According to the show’s organiser Killion Dube, Majalisa failed to turn up because of delays at the Botswana border.
“She arrived at the Botswana border post late and found that side of the border closed. That is why she could not cross into Zimbabwe on time,” he said. However, indications are that the South African diva was in Zimbabwe before Friday night’s show as she was already nestled at a local guest house.
Majalisa did not answer calls or messages when quizzed about the matter. Although Majalisa’s absence may have been a downer for both fans and organisers, her failure to pitch up on the night was not the only negative to come out of the well intentioned but perhaps poorly organised charity gig.
Attendance was poor, with not more than 100 paying fans at the venue. Organisers seem to not have properly marketed the show as there were no posters advertising the gig on the days running up to Friday night’s event. With little or no advertising, the show, which was to be counter attraction to South Africa’s Mi Casa who were playing across town at the Bulawayo Amphitheatre, followed the trend of other events held this year in the City of Kings which have been graced by paltry crowds. What compounded the organisers’ woes on Friday was that there was no alcohol sold at the venue, a fact that made the event even less attractive to imbibers that might have fancied a night out. While there was no life in the audience, things were different on stage however, as fired up Sulu showcased the best of Dendera. A month after he also failed to honour another show in the City of Kings, Sulu showcased his maturity, proving that he does not need the applause or cheers of a crowd to put up a five star performance. In a performance whose defining feature was his well choreographed dances, Sulu gave renditions of his and the late Simon Chimbetu’s greatest hits without missing a step. Not to be outdone were Bulawayo performers Jeys Marabini and Nozukile who defied the sombre atmosphere at the venue to give satisfying performances. Their showing and professionalism was not lost on Dube, who despite being disappointed by the attendance at the fundraising gig praised the performers. “I was not happy at all with the response to the show. However, I was impressed by Sulu, Jeys and Nozukile and other artistes who performed. They did great,” he said.