WINSTON “Burning Spear” Rodney came to Zimbabwe and lashed his followers with music, delivering a masterpiece show.
Just like other famous reggae artistes from Jamaica, pick the late great Bob Marley and Joseph Hill, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Toots Hibbert, to name a few, Burning Spear has a huge fan base in Zimbabwe.
Shame Chibvongodze, a fan who celebrated his birthday at that show, said sing-alongs were common.
“I enjoyed every bit of it considering it was my birthday in style. I have not attended music shows in more than a decade, and this Burning Spear gig took us down memory lane, particularly echoes of Christopher Columbus was a damn liar reminds us of our high school days! We used to sing along,” he said.
Jabulani Mzinyathi, who travelled 600km from Beithbridge to Harare for the show, described it as one in a million.
“That was quality. We enjoyed every bit. It was worth every kilometre travelled to attend,” said Mzinyathi, a renowned Beitbridge lawyer.
Media reports spoke about a classy show, an energetic Rodney and a believing crowd.
Burning Spear is the latest great reggae artiste to have come to Zimbabwe and strum his riddim, beat dem drums and send crowds begging for more as he wound back the hands of time.
But the man to celebrate is the show maker.
Big up, bow down and give thanks and praise to journalist and radio presenter Terence “The Hotstepper” Mapurisana for the massive gig.
A humble request for a radio jingle from Burning Spear he made one day grew and lit up the Glamis Stadium with vibes.
Ok, how did it all start?
"I wanted Burning Spear to produce a jingle for my Reggae Rhythms show on ZBC. I inked up with an Ethiopian brother, Ras Mizrak. He connected me to Paul Scott of Sound System in the United Kingdom who gave me passage to Burning Spear,” Mapurisana said.
“He agreed making the jingle. I shared with him history of my previous interviews with Freddie McGregor, Don Carlos, Eric Donaldson, Luciano, Macka B, Julian Marley, Tony Rebel, among many others on my programme. He was excited and within a week’s time, during a tour, the jingle was recorded.
“The wheels had started rolling and I went further to ask if he was interested in coming to Zimbabwe. Just as well he was already preparing for the One People Africa Tour and thus he included Zimbabwe on his diary that had already lined up shows in Kenya, South Africa, Malawi and Zambia.”
Next, said Mapurisana, was a live interview on ZBC’s Classic 263 confirming he was, indeed, Harare-bound.
“I got hold of the Jamaican Consulate in Zimbabwe, had meetings and Mucha Muchengeti then introduced me to Friends of Jamaica and we started working on the logistics of bringing Burning Spear to Zimbabwe,” the veteran broadcaster said.
“It would cost an arm and a leg to bring him down, but Friends of Jamaica pooled together some resources. Burning Spear was soon airborne and Friends of Jamaica and I airport-bound. We received him at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport the Wednesday before the show and everything was in motion.”
Burning Spear was checked in at the Rainbow Towers, where a Press conference was held, but he excused himself citing fatigue.
All his band members and their tour manager attended the Press brief, also attended by cultural and music industry guru Marcia Elliott, who promotes events and sets up interviews for artists.
Mapurisana said Burning Spear instantly fell in love with Zimbabwe.
“He loved the reception and the warm welcome by Zimbabweans who thronged the airport. At Rainbow Hotel, he even called Ras TK (Tavonga Mafundikwa) to have a chat with him in his room and he was given a signed album and a Burning Spear T-shirt. In the show, he gave his all,” he said.
Tickets for the gig ranged from US$15 for early birds, US$20 and US$65 VIP, with the VVIP one going for a whopping US$200.
On his personality, Mapurisana said Burning Spear is a very shy, quiet and soft spoken guy.
“When I introduced myself to him like ‘Greetings Burning Spear, this is I The Hotstepper’ he smiled and simply said ‘Greetings Hotstepper. How is Zimbabwe?’”
He said he also enjoyed the hospitality and food at the Jamaican Restaurant Sorrel in Avondale, where the band had their supper.
Ordinarily, international artists play for 90 minutes, but when the crowd asked for more, Burning Spear obliged much to the glory of a packed Glamis Arena.
Asked if he has been actively involved in inviting artistes before Mapurisana, a well-known presenter and arts writer of note who celebrated his 53rd birthday on October 28, said this was his first major encounter with such acts.
He said the closer he came to that was assisting former Deputy Police Commissioner Oliver Chibage host shows at his Ochi City and former Cabinet minister Obediah Moyo, aka The Mighty Emperor or DJ Biscuit, to host shows with the late Dennis Wilson at his Spillway Club.
“But above all, I would like to thank veteran broadcaster, reggae fan and former minister Webster Shamu for his encouragement over the years. Hon Shamu is the first DJ to play a reggae song in Zimbabwe, taken off an album by The Ethiopians, a reggae group.”
About his history, Mapurisana said: “I am a 1969 baby and also celebrated my birthday with the coming of Burning Spear. I used to listen to a lot of reggae music during my days at St Mary’s Mission Secondary School with the likes of Jerry Chokuwenga, hosting shows with the late Forbes Sengu.
“I tried a band during my school days with Ruth Mangoma; Leonardo Jangano and a few friends. My first audition on the then ZBC Radio 3 came in 1993. Thanks to the then station boss Musi Khumalo, who believed in me and asked the chief producer Admire Taderera to give me a chance.”
The Hotstepper thanked radio veterans Kudzi Marudza, Tonderai Ndoro aka Tony D, Dr Bobo Hilton Mambo, Innocent Manase and the late Peter Johns for taking him through the ropes.
“At the same time, I started following reggae programmes on the then Radio 1’s programme called Rockers by Maria Pangidzwa, who would invite me as a guest,” he said.
“I remember when Joseph Hill and Culture came to Zimbabwe, I rushed into the Radio 3 studio, where the guys were being interviewed by the late Dennis Wilson. It was my first time to see a renowned reggae band being interviewed. No wonder why I also had to interview his son, Kenyatta Hill, on my programme, Reggae Talk, years later.”
Done and dusted is the Burning Spear show and apart from enjoying, lessons were learnt on what to do next.
“I am still working on the list and have had so much enquiries from Ziggy Marley, Julian Marley, Don Carlos, Geo Carlos, Blakk Rasta, Black Uhuru, Macka B, Leroy Sibles, Young Garvey, Tony Rebel, the list is endless,” Mapurisana said.
“A good number of these artists are very expensive and there is need for huge funding for such.”
Interestingly, not many journalists knew one of their own had a huge hand in the making of this show.
Yet here is a prophet to celebrate in his own home.