Arts Reporter
CRESTA Hotels in conjunction with Red Fox Family Zimbabwe will next month hold a reggae/dancehall bands festival at Cresta Lodge in Harare.
Red Fox director Robert Zhuwao said the festival is being held to promote and celebrate the use of live bands by reggae/dancehall musicians.
“The festival will showcase reggae/dancehall artistes who use live bands only,” said Zhuwao.
The festival, he said, will also be a platform to market live bands and to encourage other artistes in the industry to make use of live bands.
This event which is expected to be one of the biggest dancehall festivals this year will see guest sounds such as Judgment Yard, Legendary Sound and Red Fox Sound gracing the show.
“We chose Cresta Lodge to introduce a unique venue for such an event and to show unity between Red Fox Family and Cresta Hostels,” Zhuwao said.
He said the alliance between Red Fox and Cresta Hotels sought to encourage solidarity between tourism and entertainment industries.
Artistes to grace the event include Transit Crew, Freeman, King Shaddy, Guspy Warrior, Sniper Storm, Dhadza D, Mic Inity and Mannex among others.
Transit crew is one of the bands which made a huge impact in the industry in the 80s and it is also recognised for mentoring Mic Inity and Mannex.
Commenting on the absence of Winky D who is arguably the country’s biggest dancehall musician, Zhuwao said the ‘Ninja president’ as Windy D is known had been invited, but was reluctant.
Dancehall is one of the genres in the music industry which is fast growing both in appeal and support in the country.