Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
AFTER the realisation that most of the people that attend shows in Bulawayo’s Central Business District (CBD) and other surrounding areas are from western suburbs, the duo of Fab G Mshanakagogo and his manager Jordan Dube decided to pioneer Kasi Ghetto Movement, which seeks to the city’s vibrant but entertainment starved townships.
Central Business District
While Bulawayo is regarded as a hotbed of artistic talent, young musicians in the city have largely struggled to find favour with local audiences, unlike their counterparts in the capital have. Subsequently, artistes struggle to get bookings in the city, as there is no organic grassroots movement to capture fans in their own communities.
However, KGM is seeking to reverse that trend, beginning with a show at Mathonisa Beer Garden in Mpopoma on 12 November. Fab G, Bazooker and Boss Pumacool are set to headline that show, while several other acts will also perform. Dube said that the initiative was meant to push local talent above all else.
“The movement is meant to promote local talent from Zimbabwe as a whole but mainly Bulawayo and we are doing so because we want our local artistes become competitive like their counterparts from Harare. Instead of waiting for bookings, we create shows on our own, as we want to grow our image as a city and raise the Zimbabwean flag. The movement is open to each and every artiste, be they a singer dancer or poet. In short Kasi Ghetto Movement is for creating events and advertising media for local artists mainly in high density areas because 90% of people who attend shows in the CBD come from high density areas. Promoters only give opportunities to well-known artistes neglecting the talent found in the high-density areas despite the fact that 99 percent of well-known artist come from the ghetto, be it in Bulawayo or Harare,” he said.