FOR BYO ARTISTES
I HAVE never been to the Private Lounge but I have lots of stories about the place and the type of entertainment it provides. Since its opening the place has been on a lot of people’s lips. “Follow the light” became an instant slogan. A few friends of mine went to have a taste of the place and they haven’t stopped talking about what they saw inside. For those that haven’t heard about the Private Lounge it is a strip joint and provides adult entertainment. There are other words I can use in place of adult entertainment but since this is a family newspaper the phrase I have used today is the most suitable one.
This past Wednesday I decided to heed my friends’ advice and follow the famous light. The light led me to Cecil Hotel but instead of going all the way to the Private Lounge I stopped by the Jam Session which was being hosted by the hotel. The idea of the Jam Session is to provide a regular platform for local artistes to be showcasing to a live audience every fortnight. This is a brilliant idea as it will help a lot of young artistes to grow and sharpen their talent, particularly their performing skills. The idea of the Jam Session, which is very popular in Harare, is also to build an audience for local artistes. The assumption is that with regular performances as this platform audiences will get to know different artistes and start following those they think deserve their support.
The coming in of this platform should be applauded. It adds a different dimension to the few performing spaces available for local artistes in Bulawayo. So there we were for the first Jam Session. The line-up was quite impressive. The audience was good as well. We were treated to some new sounds and new voices. However, it’s important to say, Babongile Sikhonjwa, who was not on the list of performers but was invited to showcase his many talents, nearly stole the show away with the comic Stamata song. One has to give it to Babongile Sikhonjwa, he is a natural. I witnessed Band with No Name. For an opening act they actually punched above their weight. They sang well and danced well. Their act was entertaining, though the instruments were above their voices making it hard to hear the voices.
Donna N also performed. She has great presence and is an artiste for the future. Khuliyo also came and performed about three songs. Since coming onto the music scene Khuliyo has been growing with each performance. Here is one artiste who is serious about how he sounds on stage, how he looks on stage. The passion in his performances is obvious the minute he walks on stage. My favourite song of the night from him was obvious, his rendition of Umdumo weSizwe’s famous Bhasikoro. This is a long song that is timeless and Khuliyo has given it another life. My favourite performer of the night was Lady Tshawe. There is nothing more entertaining than an artiste who comes prepared on stage. And how do you see that? The first thing is the look. Do they look like they are there to perform? Lady Tshawe looked every inch the performer she was on stage. She looked regal. Then her selection of songs showed her versatility and bravery — showing a lot of thought was put into the performance. I didn’t see Sandra Ndebele and Jeys Marabini as I left before they came on stage. However, I am told they too set the stage on fire.
So I conclude this week’s piece with a few words to both our artistes and Bulawayo people. Here is the platform that has been unveiled to you. Use it to grow your art, to grow your brands. The few opportunities that come our way must be exploited to the fullest. To Bulawayo people all I can say is now we know where to go and support local musicians. I pen out with one request. May the organisers of the Jam Session think about giving us another session during Saturday afternoons — to cater for those that can’t do Wednesday evenings? See you at the next Jam Session.