Mashwede Village a food and entertainment venue located in Glen View, Harare along High Glen Road established in 2019. Mashwede Village is owned by Alex Mashamhanda.
Sunday. Normally a day of rest and relaxation has become synonymous with the nightlife in Harare. All due to the famous or maybe infamous Mashwede Super Sundays, depending on who you ask. So what is so special about Mashwede? This is a question that has been on many minds recently and often when it's asked the answer is simply that "You have to experience it", which is probably the best response with the benefit of hindsight.
From its simple outlook and location, expectations might be first watered down on arrival. When you hear people speak of it as the most happening place in town, you expect to see something that will enchant you from the word go, but arriving there Mashwede doesn't look like that place. From the first appearances (As the kids say) it gives KwaMereki that went to a private school. And although there isn't extravagance in its aesthetic, the place is smart, there seems to be plenty of parking (Until they suddenly aren't) and it promises to be a good time.
It should be noted that although referred to as Mashwede Super Sunday, the true home of the night is Club Danger, which is only part of Mashwede Village as a whole. When you get there, there's a certain charm to the place from its simplistic nature. Located along High Glen Road in Glen View, Mashwede Village has been termed (To quote The Sunday Mail) "a reveller's paradise". Which is a labelling that might not be far of, based on the experience this past Sunday.
We arrived there just as the clock approached 5 pm, and the first thing on the agenda was getting some food into us (Foundation for the night's festivities). We dug into our staple (sadza/isitshwala/pap) accompanied by pork chops, beef, chicken and sausage. Now Mashwede is not known for its food and I understand why. Because although thoroughly filling, the meal didn't quite hit the spot.
Anyways as the sun kissed the Earth and painted the sky a delicate shade of crimson, you could feel the atmosphere around the place grow as if in tandem with every drop in temperature. And the fears of a cold night were far from my mind as they were plenty of gas heaters in sight. Club Danger has a semi-open setup, which makes it perfect for summer nights but winter ones would be hell without those heaters around.
The mood was mellow as the sunset passed and gentle notes of RnB were blasting from the speakers which filled you with an equal sense of nostalgia & euphoria as the DJ went from old school to more current sounds. It was still early as far as the night was concerned but you could feel the expectation and yearning all around. Whether it's the music or just the place itself, there's an atmosphere just unique to Mashwede and it's as if the moment you enter the door all sadness melts away and you're consumed with a simple yet almost hedonistic pursuit of joy and pleasure.
As the night goes on, one of the true shining stars of Mashwede's Super Sunday in DJ Iroq comes on and you can feel the place go a level up. The track selection is unmatched and this man tantalizes the sonic tastebuds with a musical journey that takes you through songs you'd forgotten you loved, current favourites and newbies you instantly vibe with. The kaleidoscope of music is relentless and it twists from Afrobeats to hip-hop, to our local genres once captured, the vibrant energy of the place is maintained.
Amapiano which has become a staple of Zimbabwean nightlife is dished out in delicate doses as if too much or too little could ruin this elixir of music that has everyone captivated. If there's something especially amazing about Mashwede, is how the place makes music on its own. From Patoranking's Love you die which has become the official anthem of the place as patrons sing, "I love you Mashwede" on the chorus, to Joeboy's Baby sang as "Mashwede Mashwede" instead of "My baby, my baby" and Adiwele which has become Adihwede.
Once the place has you hooked it feels like it's home for the night and by some subconscious signal at one point during the night everyone suddenly starts believing the floor is lava and the tables become the dance floor. The place is filled to the bream like a packet of marimba and with the gas heaters going, the drinks flowing and food served throughout the night, it's just the feeling of vibes on vibes. The coming day is Monday but that's far from my mind. There's a lot of pain in the world but not in this place and especially not in this moment.
From DJ Iroq to DJ Lukie Dee our addiction to different genres of music is well catered for and more. The vibe is more or less the same at the several bars outside of Club Danger proper and going home is only an afterthought brought about by necessity.
Now don't get me wrong they are cons to the experience. The food is not so great and it could definitely do with some work, even though that's not the main reason you're spending the night here. There's a lack of accessibility at the moment and that's definitely something they should work on to be inclusive of the whole community of persons living with a disability. It also gets ridiculously packed and it could do with more space but what an experience.
Greedysouth rating: 7.9/10