DECORATED Canadian soft rock singer, Bryan Adams came to Zimbabwe and successfully held his show in Harare last week despite being criticised by some sections of the international media and agents of regime change.
Adams was born in Kingston, Ontario, in Canada.
He is known as a singer, songwriter, music producer, actor, social activist and photographer.
Having been active in the music industry since 1976, Adams plays various instruments including the piano, bass guitar, harmonica and dobro.
Just days before his debut show in Zimbabwe, some did not want him to come for so-called political reasons, while others went to the extent of urging the singer to cancel the show.
Despite the hullabaloo, Adams performed at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) last Friday night.
The 54-year-old singer jetted in Zimbabwe the same day he held the show.
At the concert, Adams even revealed that he did not want to talk about politics.
Revellers contend that there is no doubt Adams was in Zimbabwe as an artiste to entertain and of course pocket the thousands of dollars gained from the revellers who attended the show.
Organised by Harare-based Davies Events, the show’s cheapest ticket was US$30 while revellers forked out US$100 for the VIP ticket.
About 3 500 tickets gazzeted for the concert were sold out within 13 hours.
It is surprising that international newspapers, particularly, Canada’s The Globe and Mail published articles against Adams’ visit to Zimbabwe.
The articles reflected some sentiments of people who viewed the coming of Adams to Zimbabwe as a way of legitimising President Robert Mugabe’s rule.
Zimbabwe Human Rights Watch senior researcher, Dewa Mavhinga, is such an example.
He was quoted in the The Globe and Mail saying Adams’ visit to Zimbabwe would send the ‘wrong message’ concerning human rights and governance challenges in the country.
“It’s inappropriate at this moment in time for international musical icons to perform in Zimbabwe,” said Mavhinga.
“It might send the wrong message that Zimbabwe has come right and there is a basis for international co-operation to resume when there is not.
“Zimbabwe is going backwards and I hope there is still time for Bryan Adams to cancel.”
However, one can only wonder how Adams could influence Zimbabwean politics and Mavhinga must have been ashamed after Adams’ manager, Bruce Allen’s response.
Defending Adams’ visit in the same publication, Allen said, “Bryan is an international artiste with a worldwide audience, whether it is Pakistan or Vietnam or Zimbabwe.”
As described by Allen, Adams is, “an international artiste with a worldwide audience.”
Likewise, the Canadian singer entertained revellers in Zimbabwe against the wishes of his kith and kin or ‘friends’ who probably left the country after the highly successful Land Reform Programme initiated by President Mugabe to redress land imbalances in the country.
The programme benefitted over 400 000 black households.
Previously about 4 000 white farmers including Canadians occupied the country’s prime land.
Although much can be said about Adams’ show in Zimbabwe, as a renowned artiste, he put political differences aside and was not influenced by his fellow countrymen or agents of regime change.
The criticism he faced, however, reflected how some people in Zimbabwe and abroad still dream of regime change even though the July 31 2013 election clearly showed the decision of Zimbabweans.
The people overwhelmingly voted for President Mugabe and ZANU PF, much to the chagrin of the US, the West and its allies.
Pundits say the likes of Mavhinga, who were against Adams’ visit to Zimbabwe, need to be reminded that only Zimbabweans can choose their leader through an election as was the case on July 31 2013.
Now the question to Mavhinga is, Adams did not cancel his concert. What then was so inappropriate about such an icon (Adams) to perform in Zimbabwe? He has come and gone and punters had a wonderful time.
After all, the punters were predominantly white, such that even Bryan Adams remarked, “I feel like I’m in the right place.”
The show, he said, made him wonder whether he was really in Africa or Europe.
What then is so ‘going backward’ about Zimbabwe as Mavhinga claimed?
Could it be that he was just singing for his supper on the wrong platform?