THEATRE in the Park will reverberate to the sounds of veteran musician Steve Makoni this Friday when he performs at this venue located in the Harare Gardens.
The performance is part of Makoni’s Handiende In Concert Tour 2023 which began in January in Mutare.
The concert coincides with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence as the title Handiende speaks to all genders against exploitation.
Also to be featured at the show is Trevor Nhapi.
The tour is derived from Handiende, arguably one of the most successful songs by Makoni. Since its release in 1993, the track has stood the test of time in the last 30 years.
The track won Best Selling Single Award in 1994 at the Zimbabwe Music Awards while Leonard Zhakata’s Maruva Enyika won the Best Selling Album for that year.
Apparently, Handiende was Makoni’s first Shona single since he started recording music.
There have been several renditions of Handiende by other musicians including the late Oliver Mtukudzi and Selmor Mtukudzi.
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Commenting on the tour's theme, Makoni said the song was based on a true story.
“Long back when I was still in Kwekwe, we wanted to launch a project called Was My Child together with the late Oliver Mtukudzi. So, at the time, there was this foreign guy, in fact a Greek national.
“Most people wanted his services but would not want to pay him knowing that he was a foreigner. But this guy grew up in Zimbabwe and he was not leaving the country. He would insist that he was not going anywhere. That is where I got the idea, but then the song looks at domestic issues that exploiting each other in one way or the other is bad.”
Asked what fans should expect, Makoni said no one will be left out in his performance, adding that he would also play songs off his forthcoming album titled Munibho.
“So far, I am in the process of compiling all the greatest songs that I know fans would want to hear. Handiende was and still is a great song to date and it has been amazing for 30 years,” he said.
“It is a whole mixed bag both in English and Shona. One of two Chewa/Nyanja thrown in. One Zulu for Cyril Ramaphosa and Fikile Mbalula, not forgetting Lazarus Chakwera (Malawi President), meaning there will be a song or two for everyone.”
“Munibho is our own lingua in Rusape which we use for those who don’t understand it, you won’t be able to converse with us,” he noted.
Makoni, who boasts six albums to his credit, said there was more music coming.
