Audience humiliates stars
By Silence Charumbira
Showbiz Editor
Musical audiences are often unforgiving so much that once they forget you, it is a mammoth task to court them once again and this seemed to be the case at the last edition of the City Sports Bar Jam Session Monday evening.
While for some patrons it was just another dose of their weekly Jam Session, it was a difficult outing for seasoned crooners Dino Mudondo and Willis Wataffi.
The duo that interestingly played one after the other at the event found themselves at the deep end of the performance stage; an uncharacteristic scenario where a performer does almost everything right but the audience refuses to budge.
It was Willis who came on stage for his half hour set at 2315 hours and belted out a few of his hits from his time in the Afrika Revenge duo with Mehluli Moyo.
While the set was almost polished and a well-tuned up sound did it for every other performer, romance refused to exist between him and the audience.
You would think they were too sloshed but that was not the case.
Countable hands would occasionally be seen waving trying to edge on the performer but that was all.
Then trouble descended for Dino who was just performing to reignite his connection with local audiences since he moved down south two months ago.
Apart from an off key introduction of Paul Mpofu’s Murambinda, his set was also flawless.
Yet just a few cheers were witnessed in the audience; and you would think he owned them.
These came from a group of soccer fanatics were busy watching Leicester Football Club humiliating Liverpool Football Club in a match that ended 3-1.
Watching the two artistes that at one point in their respective careers were the most sought after artistes on the local scene alongside the likes of Oliver Mtukudzi and a few others, it was difficult to fathom the magnitude of their wilting images in the audiences’ eyes.
It was however a great outing for the majority of fairly less established bands among them House of Stone whose reggae renditions stole the limelight.
Another artiste who found himself a6t the receiving end was Mbeu who failed to last a minute in the venue.
Just as he stepped into the club, several artistes laughed at him and like an injured mongrel, whimpered into the night.
To think for the majority of 2016, Mbeu literally owned the City Sports Bar Jam Session Stage humbling every other act with exquisite stage work; it must be that damning article alleging that the young singer has dumped his family.
The concept now a year old is still going strong but it appears it is time that organisers re-strategise to enhance value.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Lawrence Chinoperekwei one of the Devine Assignments bosses who are behind the concept conceded it was time to come up with fresh ideas.
“We are working on preserving and enhancing the value of the concept,” he said.
