Black Mambazo Show Worth The Agonising Wait
Spira Tlhankane | Monday June 3, 2019 15:50
The event, which was scheduled to start at 7pm at the University of Botswana Indoor Sports Centre ended up starting a few minutes before midnight.
Attendees who came in satisfying numbers to see the South African choral male group had to wait for two hours outside before they could be allowed to enter the venue. People had to sit there impatiently while the sound was being fixed and there was no communication or update from the event organisers.
The event, which was organised by Pantone Reign, eventually started and supporting local acts Mpho Sebina and Sereetsi & The Natives had to serenade the crowd looking mostly at the clock. After Mpho Sebina did her magic Sereetsi & The Natives of Thaa Kokome fame went on stage to light up the night, which was almost dull as a result of the waiting. The folklore music band performed most of the songs from their sophomore studio album called Motoko. Songs like Mpopi and Mpompela kept the crowd on its feet during the entire performance. Sereetsi & The Natives finally performed the song that made them famous, Robete.
The group that has been touring different parts of the world recently left the stage warm enough for Lady Smith Black Mambazo. Immediately after the group hit the stage people rushed towards the stage to get a closer look at the successful group, which has been singing since the 1960s.
The all-male acapella group sang on hushed voices to the delight of the revellers. For some adults who had altered their sleeping patterns just to see these South African men on stage, the wait was worth it in the end. The crowd was even more excited when the group performed a song called Hello My Baby. It was one of their most famous and they once featured the late Zimbabwean legend Oliver Mtukudzi in the song.
As people pulled out their smartphones to record the rare moment the group did not disappoint. Ladysmith Black Mambaso also performed some of their songs like Homeless and continued to show people why they have been successful for so many decades. Their performance alone was enough to make up for the poor time management from the event organisers.