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Langalakhe Mabena

TOWNSHIP vibes were served by the entire Splash music stable over the weekend as they brought township disco vibes back to the country through their performances at Plumtree’s Chicken King Bar and the Large City Hall in Bulawayo.

Dalom Kids, Peacock, Montana, African Seed, Matshikos and the Splash Band, as well as local acts – Lady P, Simunye Simunye and DJ Sweeto performed at the nostalgic shows.

Dubbed “Estokveleni – Celebrating Dan Tshanda Legacy”, the events were organised by Desire Moyo’s Moyoxide Ideation. And indeed, Dan Tshanda, who succumbed to heart failure in 2019, resurrected as revellers felt as if the main man was there with them, while in truth, he was there in spirit.

However, for the Plumtree gig, things did not go as planned after the artistes from South Africa were delayed at the border post ahead of their performance. In Bulawayo on Saturday, they made sure they compensated the time lost in Plumtree as they brought fire and managed to sell out the City Hall which was filled to capacity, keeping Splash fanatics dancing nonstop until 5am. 

 DJ Sweeto opened the show with a set of old-school music, throwing the venue into total razzmatazz. After him, Simunye Simunye Arts treated the packed audience with their enchanting dances ranging from Imbube, Afro music and Mbaqanga.

 A new kid on the block from Moyoxide Ideations, Lady P was born on the night of the show as she brought a stellar performance with some even calling her Bulawayo’s own Brenda Fassie.After Lady P’s performance, DJ Sweeto had to return to the decks and he kept people on the dance floor throwing yesteryear smashers. The main acts took to the stage at midnight in the following order, African Seed, Montana, Peacock, Matshikos, and lastly, the ever-vibrant Dalom Kids trio. The final act was a collaboration of all the artistes on stage performing songs by their late icon, founder and boss – Dan Tshanda.

The late Dan Tshanda

Giving a voice on both shows, Moyo who was hosting a gig with foreign acts for the first time said the arts promotion debut was the start of a dream. 

“It’s always a gamble in the promotions business, but this one was an experiment gone right. Overall, the gigs were successful and audiences had a full menu offered to them by the great Splash family. Even though we started late in Plumtree because of the challenges at the border which caused delays, the show lived up to its expectations as people celebrated with their icons. “Attendance was fair and it was a good start in the border town,” Moyo said.

“On the following night, Bulawayo never disappointed. The City Hall was packed with mature and diverse audiences. It was humbling to see families and the older generations staying awake and dancing all night until 5:30am.”

Moyoxide Ideations International is an arts production and promotions venture by Moyo, a poet, theatre director, and Human Rights Development Champion. He is also the founder and executive director of Victory Siyanqoba Trust. He runs other concepts like Eziko Theatre Laboratory, Teanet Effect Dance Championships, EITA Fillmore High Schools Performing Arts Championships and Creative Advocacy Fiesta.