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Bruce Ndlovu
After having narrowly failed to land a spot as a presenter on SABC 3’s instant star making show Top Billing last year, suave Bulawayo presenter Arthur’s Evans gets another shot at the big time this Saturday when his new TV show debuts on Zambezi Magic on Saturday.

The journey towards the making of the Arthur C Evans Show has not been an easy one.

Over the past few years, the sharp, silver tongued entrepreneur, MC, TV host, voice over artiste and speaker has battled self doubt and Bulawayo’s ignorance of his and others talents to finally arrive at this moment.

“The inspiration to make the show came from a point of wanting to give up which was around the time I entered, by duress, the SABC Presenter Search for Top Billing.

“With a negative attitude, I got very far and it made me realise how great a gift God had given me,” said Evans.

As an MC, Evans has won a lot of admirers with eloquence and skill on stage, navigating guests smoothly through what would otherwise be tedious corporate functions or awkward family events.

When things get sticky, the ace in the pack is the card to play. Yet for all his charm, Evans also had to negotiate a tough financial terrain as he tried to put together a world class show in the face of corporate scepticism.

“Some of the challenges I faced include time as I’m wholly committed to our family business Technoexpert Construction. Also support because not everyone, even those close to you, will support you.

“Financially, I’d to use personal resources but the bulk of it came from a loan so there was a lot of risk involved. Unfortunately, most people will only support after they see a thing come to pass,” he said.

The actual filming of the show was also a labour of love for Evans, who spent sleepless nights trying to put together a show that might catapult him to his rightful place in Africa’s ever expanding galaxy of young TV stars.

“During the shoots, I hardly slept because I’d have to go into the office extra early to work. I even hosted a national event during that period for the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality,” he said.

While the show carries his signature style and eloquence, in a sense it will also serve as a compass for those that are lost in the sea of negativity and scepticism of a frustrated Bulawayo arts scene.

“I had to reach the final stages of possibly the biggest presenter search in Southern Africa to get any serious acknowledgement.

“For that reason I’m so grateful to those people that have supported me without some of the major moves that I have made.”

“I’ve the opportunity to create a unique opportunity for our local talent so it’s important for people to watch the show.

“I refuse to be bitter about what could have been and the lack of support and I choose to ‘be the change that I want to see in others’. I’ll not neglect Zimbabwe, I’ll not neglect Bulawayo!” he said.

While some of his followers in Bulawayo will be familiar with Evans as an MC, they will finally get to see him put his conversational jacket on as he trades words with some of the sharpest minds and tongues from the country and beyond.

While he is at the helm, a captain is only as good as his crew and in that sense, he needed good interview subjects that brought out the best in both him and them.

“The first episode of the show will see Evans diverse palette as an interviewer, as it features radio personality Tonderai “TK” Katsande, superstar Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi and rapper Cal_Vin, giving viewers a glimpse of the diverse delights that await them ahead in the show’s first season.

“The guests on the show had to fall into some categories. I’ll mention just a few of the criteria. We looked at their regional presence, proven track record over the years, Zimbabwean, Bulawayo-based and we threw in some curve balls because I want to endorse undiscovered talent so a few acts/guests on the show may not be well known but they deserve the recognition,” he said.

With his exceptional good looks and noteworthy comfort as a speaker, it is easy to see how Evans might hog the limelight from his guests.

For the purposes of his show, however, he will have to make sure that he and his guests feed off each other.

“It’s my job as a host to create the vibe, pace and energy that I want during my show without being pushy or offensive. In staying true to myself, I like what you will see on the screen because I’ve modelled my presentation techniques to meet international standards.” — BruciEEye