THERE is an adage which says: ‘Happy times come and go but the memories stay forever’.
Certainly the adage aptly describes the just ended Jacaranda Music Festival held in Harare last weekend.
Without doubt, the festival left memories of good music, better event management and a vibrant environment felt among revellers as they sang along to a number of songs.
The good part is that one of the organisers of the festival, Walter Wanyanya of Ngoma Nehosho, took to his facebook page to announce that the festival is now going to be an annual event.
“My time and work poured into the Jacaranda Music Festival this year was dedicated to my two late mothers Mrs Mupunga and Beauty Ndoro and to my friend and mentor Dr Hugh Masekela for they loved me enough to teach me life.
“Thank you for coming out to celebrate life and each other together… Let’s do it again next year, the first weekend of October each and every year is Jacaranda Festival Music Festival weekend (sic),” wrote Wanyanya.
The inaugural Jacaranda Music Festival came at a time when most local events were postponed as a result of the Government response to the cholera outbreak.
The festival thus provided a therapeutic environment for local revellers who were just coming from experiencing sad events surrounding the cholera outbreak in the country.
Despite being one of the biggest events to be held after the ban on public gatherings, the festival lived up to its billing.
Indeed, it left memories of talented breed of musicians found locally and regionally.
With a line-up of iconic performances, organisers of the music festival, Ngoma Nehosho, did well in planning the event.
It is indisputable that, even days after the event, memories of the Jacaranda Music Festival still linger in the minds of revellers who thronged the event.
Many revellers took to social media platforms such as twitter and facebook to review moments of the festival.
“Kudos to the organisers and sponsors of this show. It was well organised and the atmosphere was great. I hope there are more shows of this nature. (sic)” — Tino J. Mushapaidze.
“I was blown away by the Jacaranda Music Festival! Walter Wanyanya you and your team did a phenomenal job. You created pure magic! I am looking forward to 2019 edition. (sic)” — Viva Vavi.
“Jacaranda Music Festival was amazing! Had such great time…Many thanks to the organisers for a great great job! They made my wife and I’s first date extra special.” — Tichaona Chitsinde.
Without doubt, the festival presented an exceptional performance by artistes lined up for the event.
It was a festival for both the young and old.
Prior to the event, organisers of the show announced entry to the event would be free for children under 12 years.
The lineup of artistes who performed during the festival was impressive and they didn’t disappoint.
Brilliant artistic musicians such as Gemma Griffiths, Berita Khumalo, Masa Caroleen, Blessing Chimanga, Evicted and Mbeu were among the artistes who performed during the day, giving an adrenaline-rush performance.
Gemma Griffiths wowed the crowd with her rendition of Jah Prayzah’s ‘Mudhara Achauya’ while Mbeu displayed his magic on the acoustic guitar.
The festival also provided a platform for promoting young talented artistes.
It is through such platforms that artistes can get the opportunity to be scouted for other events and grow a fan base.
It is agreed that the evening part of the festival was even more exciting.
For the evening programme, well-travelled Mokoomba, a local group, hit the stage with a breath-taking performance that left many awed.
The group showcased skills of a performance polished with great artistry of musical instruments that fused traditional and modern sound.
Mokoomba thrilled revellers with songs that include ‘Njoka’, ‘Africa’, and ‘Misozi’, among others.
Yvonne Chakachaka, better known as the ‘Princess of Africa’, did wonders with her performance that brought memories of past musicians like Brenda Fassie.
She opened her performance with a Shona singalong track ‘Kana Uchema’ and made revellers dance and singalong to her other tracks such as ‘Umqomboti’, ‘Let him go’, ‘Thank you Mr Dj’ and ‘Mamaland’.
After the Princess of Africa, it was also a time for another legend in the music industry in the country and on the continent — Dr Oliver ‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi.
Just like fellow musicians who graced the event, Tuku displayed a marvelous performance so much to the happiness of the revellers sang along to his tracks.
Micasa, a popular South African group, was the ‘icing on the cake’ with its invigorating performance.
Revellers went ‘haywire’ as they sang along to tracks such as ‘Jika’.
One can also not talk about the festival without mentioning the organisers’ professional organisation that differentiated the festival from some other local music events.
At Jacaranda Music Festival, revellers were not allowed to bring cooler boxes, but were provided with a programme of performances that was adhered to as well as a safe and clean environment.
With the way the festival was organised, it reflects its capabilities of growing to a bigger and better event.