Nestled in the heart of the city, and a home to not only sports but some of the country's most high profile concerts, Old Hararians Sports Club once again played host as Joe Thomas graced Harare with his much anticipated one night concert. The lineup promised a clash of both young and old souls, which meant that the city came alive on the 12th of August. A mix of generations, ideologies and cultures, united in a shared love of music.
An event review by Melody Chingwaru
For Joe Thomas, the music stakes were certainly high. It was his second visit to the country, right on the heels of his South African concert, and yet he didn't seem to feel the pressure at all because he didn't disappoint. Word on the streets says his maiden appearance under the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority programme in 2008 had left many fans wanting more and he had promised to return. 17 years later he finally fulfilled that promise.
While time had passed on, the music aged and the audience more matured, this seemed to only heighten the anticipation, almost like the workings of a vintage wine. Improved in every aspect by age.
As proceedings began DJC4 were first to warm up the stage, and give music lovers an appetizer. They played a great selection of the oldies and just as they acclimatised us to the atmosphere, the host announced the arrival of a seasoned broadcaster whose work transcends beyond his former days at Radio 3. Tich Mataz’s set proved that he was and still is a musical giant. The performance was a blast from the past that got the crowd singing along to P Diddy’s "I Need A Girl" (everyone separated the art from the artist) and Cameo’s "Candy'’ among other hits.
Up next to raise the bar was a curation for the books by the trio of Chiweddar, Ace Frvr and MadeHerBelieve. This trio’s vibrant playlist showcased their combined prowess as they took us through hits such as "Under The Influence," "Kiss It Better" and "Monalisa," which got many of the young music lovers dusting up their dancing shoes.
True to their name, The JukeBox took music lovers down memory lane as they chanted some of the 2000’s best R&B music. Do you remember when we sang "Be Without You" or "The Boy Is Mine" or "Miss Independent" or "Till The End of The Road"? The icing on the cake during this performance was when the founder of Ngoma Nehosho, Mr Walter Wanyanya serenaded the crowd with his bass guitar playing skills as together with The Jukebox they gave us a beautiful rendition of Keisha Cole’s "Heaven Sent."
Accompanied by his energetic dancers and DJ Tamuka, ExQ came up next took us on a musical journey of his rich catalogue. The hitmaker went from "Wakatemba," to "Musikanzwa," to "Try" and tracks like "Nezvangu." For the ladies (myself included), ExQ and his dancers captured their attention and surely reminded them of the energy they were storing up for Joe's performance.
In no time, it was time for Chiweddar to set the stage for the main man whose arrival at Old Hararians was met by screams and pure joy from his beloved fans. Chiweddar made a noteworthy return on the decks and delivered a beautiful set although one could tell that the air was now permeated with anticipation and impatience of Joe Thomas’ performance.
Clad in a black suit and shiny black shoes, Joe Thomas took to the stage singing "Tonight" and meshed it up with "Don’t Wanna Be A Player." His exceptional soulful performance was delivered in well curated segments, coupled with some easy going dance moves and small pauses to interact with the audience.
In the first part, Joe belted out his hits such as "Good Girls," "I Wanna Know," "Stutter," "Ride With You" and "If I Was Your Man." Moreover he also showcased his pen game by serenading his fans with songs such as Case’s "Missing You" and 50 Cent’s "Big Rich Town."
The culmination of his performance was a tug on the heartstrings of the audience as he brought out an acoustic guitar for a performance of "All That I Am" and "No One Else Comes Close." Joe Thomas was indeed the epitome of showing up! The concert was not only memorable but a rekindling of the magic of old R&B. He left no crumbs!
As I walked away from Old Hararians, I could not help but reflect on how the event was well executed. Special mention to the host - SoProfound who played his role almost perfectly, the Ngoma Netosho engineers who ensured the sound was near crystal clear, the refuse fairies who ensured that there was no litter around us, the liquor and food outlets present such as Chicken Hut who made sure we danced the night away without wasting away and the restroom angels who ensured the amenities were always clean.
The One Night with Joe Thomas concert was testament to years of hard work, perseverance and a big interconnected ecosystem that makes our dreams come alive as music lovers. It's not world changing but it makes a world difference in bringing a smile to so many faces.
Greedysouth rating: 8.5/10
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