Zimpapers Logo

A scene from the poorly attended Rebecca Malope concert

Bruce Ndlovu
Last weekend, Bulawayo hosted the cream of the crop when it comes to music with Alick Macheso, DJ Zinhle, Sam Dondo and Rebecca Malope all performing over three days.

Of the four shows, Zinhle’s now customary performance at her All White Party had the best attendance, while the rest seemed to have been hit by the fan apathy that has left many show promoters counting their loses.

Legendary South African gospel singer Malope on Sunday failed to attract a big crowd during her much anticipated maiden appearance in Bulawayo at Queens Sports Club. Before her, Macheso who made his first appearance in the city since the release of his latest album – Tsoka Dzerwendo also failed to get the blockbuster crowd he would have hoped for. The low attendance at the Large City Hall car park was particularly surprising in light of his new album where more than 100,000 copies are reported to have been sold within its first week of release.

Reasons for the two failing to attract big crowds will vary depending on who you ask. For some, Malope’s show was poorly marketed, as most in the city were not aware when and where it was happening. Some said tickets to her show were a bit pricey – $10 as they would have preferred to part with at least $5. Critics also pointed out that the show’s promoters neglected to rope in churches that in the past have been key in the hosting of successful gospel concerts due to their ability to mobilise congregants.

For Macheso, the problem seemed to be less of the cover charge – $5, but the choice of venue (outdoor), as revellers were not prepared to brave the low temperatures that have bedevilled Bulawayo over the past few weeks.

Bad venue choice seems to be a feature in local shows, with Wizkid’s appearance in Harare also falling victim to the same problem as people were not prepared for the bad weather on a rainy April night in the capital.

Venue selection was also probably a problem for organisers of the much taunted Second Homecoming where Nathi performed and attracted a smaller crowd than expected. Queens Sports Club has therefore proved to be a disappointing hunting ground for promoters, with only Oskido’s annual homecoming extravaganza managing to attract the crowd that is fitting for such a spacious venue.

According to Mduduzi Mdlongwa of 3D Events, who managed to draw a large crowd for Winky D’s appearance in the city earlier in the year, how well a show is attended all comes down to timing and artiste selection. He emphasised that placing an artiste on busy periods like the festival season was not always the way to go.

“You’ve to be able to read the climate and know who fans like at a particular point in time. For me it’s a bad move to schedule shows around the ZITF or festive season because people have so many parties and cocktails to attend making your show an afterthought.

“For example, we brought Black Coffee in December and we had a smaller crowd than when we brought Winky D during the supposedly tough month of January,” Mdlongwa said.

His comments seem particularly apt in light of Oliver Mtukudzi’s poorly attended show during ZITF. Some blamed Tuku’s show poor attendance on the marketing which left a lot to be desired while others pointed out that it was due to the fact that Tuku does not have the momentum that Jah Prayzah and Winky D have managed to build over the past few years.

While the two young performers are performing chart-topping hits from their latest projects, it has been a while since the revered veteran had a relevant hit song.

Winky D’s manager Jonathan Banda says the secret lies in making the fans identify with the artiste, something Prayzah and Winky D have done.

“If the people identify with an artiste, they’ll highly likely come in their numbers. The music Winky D and Jah Prayzah make resonates with the people and that’s why in economically tough times, people still want to listen to their music and watch them perform,” Banda said.

2 Kings Entertainment who usually promote Jah Prayzah’s concerts in the city believe research is the key to holding a successful show, particularly in Bulawayo.

“I can’t just hold a show in Bulawayo within two weeks without consulting the relevant stakeholders. Whenever we hold shows there, we talk to everyone from Club DJs to other promoters and artistes because when we start pushing for a show, we want everyone pushing with us,” 2 Kings spokesperson Dee Nosh said.