I want to begin this by telling you about a good friend of mine called Tino. Most people know him as Kae Chaps' manager, but to me he's just Tino (this helps him stay humble). Now one thing you should know about Tino is that the more he drinks, the more he talks. Which can be either good or bad depending on your mood and tolerance for anecdotes.
The one thing that can get Tino to be quiet is good music, which makes sense why he works so well with Kae Chaps. I imagine that the day Kae recorded "Juzi," everyone in the room probably thought Tino had completely lost the ability to speak. I know you're probably wondering what the hell does this have to do with Carpe Diem, but that will be explained soon enough.
Now what makes a great DJ set is often up for debate. Which is understandable for open format (multi genre) practitioners, but when it comes to house music there are certain principles.
House as a genre is one that has always been bound by rhythmic grooves, and euphoric moments. The sound is defined by the nature of how it is experienced, and this is especially true for its DJ sets. A great house music set is one that fosters an emotional connection between DJ and audience. It is a journey that thrives on communication through music. What is played, often doesn't rise to the importance of how it's played.
Now the concept of festivals dedicated to DJing is still relatively new to Zimbabwe, and within that genealogy Carpe Diem as an event is newer still. However it has the advantage of being in the hands of seasoned event organisers in Ngoma Nehosho. This has seen it become a highly anticipated event on the calendar at only 3 editions in.
Although it defines itself as a multi genre DJ festival, its lineups have without a doubt been a celebration of house music. Placing it as one of Harare and Zimbabwe's premier house festivals.
Hosted on the 22nd of December, Zimbabwe's Unity Day, Carpe Diem's third edition found us as a community united in house. This was the event's first summer edition and despite a few afternoon hiccups, it might've been the best one yet.
3 dimensional and tilting as if in free fall, the stage had a triangular halo above the DJ that was the first time someone truly did justice to a DJ led event in stage design. This was complimented by double screens on either side of the apex, and we were just pyrotechnics away from perfection. The stage was complimented by sound worthy of the picture being painted.
The afternoon, however, had a bit of a false start. We needed the curation we got in May but unfortunately we were jumping from one genre to another, and while Goofie's hour of Afro house was the perfect start, Reverb7's dancehall selections came a little too soon, Spunj returned us to were began, but then MadeHerBelieve's surprise appearance didn't quite hit the mark. These were actually good sets individually but how they were placed came out awkward.
However when Bantu came on, kicking off his set with his remix of Oliver Mtukudzi's "Bvuma," the night's trajectory became a crescendo that saw the sky as just a stepping stone. Although one of Zimbabwe's most awarded artists globally, this was Bantu's introduction to more than a few, and it was as good an introduction as Jay Z's "Public Service Announcement."
Lamiez Holworthy took the mantle next and took us on journey of rhythm that had everyone on their feet. The night's energy curve was elevated and to say she won over our hearts isn't enough.
At that point came in Mörda, and by that time my good friend Tino had had enough drinks for a man twice his weight, which usually meant he would have several stories involving his questionable decisions. Yet as Mörda spun the turntables, danced precariously on top of the decks and spun himself to the sound of "Horns In The Sun," Tino was mum. In that hour long performance, besides accosting me to take a shot, all he said were 3 words: "Pari kurohwa mangoma."
We had reached cruising altitude, and from Mörda's softer selections of 3-step the intensity in sound was elevated by Sun-El Musician. Auto Shazam was on and within the rhythm was a certain peace of mind. As the night reached the peak of its crescendo Dlala Thukzin took us home in a wave of euphoria strong enough to blur recollection. We danced in uncoordinated motion, passionately sang the wrong lyrics, and Tino just periodically interjected to say 2 words: "Pari kunaka."
As the clock struck 10 pm he signed off, with DJ Mox ordering us to clap for him like we were a primary school class. Carpe Diem had given us an occasion to "carpe noctem," and we had certainly seized the night. The afternoon's foreplay could've been better but the climax had exceeded expectations. Ngoma Nehosho had done it again.
Greedysouth rating: 8.2/10
Side note: If you're the girl who was wearing all black, who lectured me about the ridiculousness of my social media posts, please text me (my number is +263779005845). I can't live without you.