Yvonne Chaka Chaka takes revellers down memory lane
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Sunday April 24, 2022 06:00
The South African songstress proved not to have only won the hearts of the older generation but also attracted the youth to her forever undying music as she kept her die-hard fans on the dance floor by delivering a powerful performance. As usual, the legendary singer was in her element, performing hit after hit from the yesteryears to the excitement of the revellers.
She performed during a show dubbed The Easter Experience with Yvonne Chaka Chaka just on the eve of the Easter Holidays on April 14. The Umqombothi hit-maker kick-started her performance with gospel songs before she could take her audience back to her youthful days when she sang well-known African pop songs. She treated the audience with some of her popular songs like I’m in love With a DJ, I’m Burning Up, I Cry For Freedom, Motherland, Umqombothi and Thank You Mr DJ.
To spice things up and bring the rhythm to the auditorium, the star also engaged the audience by inviting a few of them on stage to either dance along her or sing with them, also moving across the hall where she danced with a number of her loyal fans who seemed to have enjoyed every minute they spent with the music icon. Yvonne Chaka Chaka songwriter, singer and philanthropist who rose to prominence due to her dedication and incredible drive to succeed. She started her music career at a tender age and has released over 20 albums. She experienced a meteoric rise as a music star of infectious pop melodies and dance music during the height of apartheid.
Amongst the other performances was Botswana's very own Thobane singer Dr Vom whose traditional Dikhwaere songs always take music festivals by storm. As it is a norm, he left his fans in awe after singing songs such as Thobane, Tlhabano and Molepolole. DJ Tony, whose name is derived from Tony’s Crazy Disco back in the 80s, also kept the audience off their feet with beautiful disco music. He first played at Gaborone Club where he was one of the first DJs to ever play Old School International disco. Sereetsi and The Natives also kept their fans off their feet with some of their beautiful songs such as Robete, Thaa Kokome, Mpopi, Nthapelela, Pompela and Ke Boletsa Mongwe. The group founder Tomeletso Sereetsi also got the opportunity to share the stage with Chaka Chaka where they sung one of her songs together.
One of the night’s DJs was DJ Mcjon, a multi-talented creative who started his career way back in the 90s as an entertainer through music. He has the ability to entertain crowds of different taste of music and that what he did at the show. According to director of Ba Isago Events and Marketing, Agnes Mohwasa, The Easter Experience inaugural show deliberately targeted mature audience including senior citizens who hardly had good options for entertainment. She explained that Yvonne Chaka Chaka’s unprecedented contribution to the arts, music and culture and also as an internationally acclaimed musician of note with such a huge following could not be over emphasised.
“It is our well considered view as Ba Isago that a festival of this nature will give impetus to the tourism and hospitality industry as it emerges from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This should be the beginning of good times to come so much desired by so many people in this country. Ba Isago is committed to its coporate social responsibility as evidenced by this partnership with international and local music artists,” she said.