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Nkwali and Vusa Mkhaya

Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent
Austria-based singers Nkwali and Vusa Mkhaya proved their mettle to hundreds of fans during the FromBulawayoToTheWorld Concert at the Bulawayo Theatre at the weekend.

Kick-starting the year in style

Nkwali and Vusa Mkhaya had the venue echoing with melodic traditional Zimbabwean songs and dances.

For long the two had yearned to be appreciated in their home city like they are abroad as audiences pack theatres there just to watch them perform.

What one got during their weekend show was good, clean music that banks on nostalgia, folk stories and love songs riding on all too familiar Zimbabwean rhythms that strike a chord of pleasure to those who watch it live.

It was a show at which one could take the whole family and come out pleased that they paid $10 for each ticket.

What fans want is value for money when they go to shows and the show gave them that.

The duo never put a foot wrong as their sets were engaging and were ably helped by the Fusion band comprising Reas Beats who plays for Cassper Nyovest on bass guitar, JJ Keys on keyboard, Mangoma on percussion, Luigi on drums and Mthabisi Moyo on lead guitar.

Their set showed that with proper preparation artistes can bring up great performances on stage. The duo rehearsed for a week and it was evident as everything from the choreography and presentation were seamless.

Nkwali who broke onto the scene through an award winning Imbube album Sithokozile in 2016, surprised fans when she fused the genre with the live band.

She was energetic, haughty while interacting with the crowd who lapped up her act, while singing along to her songs like Nyawo Lwami and Uthando.

Mkhaya on the other hand was a mixture of softness and vigour something that is part of his offstage character and the two complemented each other. The climax was when they shared the stage to end their live performance.

After the show Nkwali said the show was an opportunity for people to watch her do what she knows best on stage.

“I feel proud performing in my hometown, showing them what I’ve been doing in there. When you’re out there in Europe and people are lauding you and giving you standing ovations during and after your performance, you’ve that desire for people in Zimbabwe and in your hometown to do the same for you. So this show was part of getting that dream to reality,” said Nkwali.

Mkhaya said it was high time artistes stopped waiting for promoters to book them.

“It’s not worth our while as artistes to wait for promoters to come and book us. It is our prerogative to give people shows and if we can do it so be it,” he said.

He, Nkwali and some partners organised the FromBulawayoToTheWorld Concert.

“We said to ourselves let’s do it, if four people come then that’s that,” said Mkhaya.

He said he wanted the concert to be a yearly event.