This last Friday, the quaint Old Mutual Theatre at Alliance Française in Harare was host to Incubator Hub's Women's Day celebrations, under the theme "She Glows: Women Providing Healing & Promoting Hope". The events of the day kicked off with a stage lighting design master class led by Mildred Moyo and it was followed by a panel discussion that featured creatives from various sectors like music, food & sound.
The panel included Dj King-her, Chef Cola, and Mildred again. The events of the day were completed by an evening concert that featured Chimwemwe Chipidza, Jordan Chanetsa, and Vera.
Incubator Hub has long been running intimate music concerts that promote different upcoming women in the music industry. They're trying to provide a springboard for unknown yet talented acts and their efforts are applaudable.
The Old Mutual Theatre at Alliance Française was big a change from Incubator Hub's typical venue. Most of their concerts have so far been outdoor and in my mind the enclosed space; that limited the audience size and changed acoustics would be a definite challenge to the artists. Seemingly slow there were slight hiccups in getting the concert off in time. Soundcheck dragged on and only a good half hour later did we finally get to the music.
The multitalented Chimwemwe Chipidza kicked us off with beautiful renditions of some of our favorite love songs. When she covered Adele's "When we were young", I felt that. It wasn't that she was hitting all the perfect notes but there's a vulnerability and subtle confidence to her performance that drew you in and kept you hooked throughout the song. Shaun Moyo supported her perfectly on the piano and it made for a captivating live music performance.
Jordan Chanetsa took the stage next and she was supported by Vera on the guitar. She gave us what I can only describe as a blended performance that offered up storytelling, rap, and poetry. It was sprinkled with symbolic gestures that added to its performative nature, from the lighting of candles to the sprinkling of roses. It was a little rough around the edges but you barely noticed those rough edges because Jordan made her performance interactive and she held everyone's attention.
The night was completed by the vocally gifted Vera and it wasn't just her singing on display but her ability on the guitar. She took us through a selection of her self-written songs, along with several wardrobe changes. Vera was phenomenal in how she held her notes and she even had the crowd engaged in a sing-along. She took us through highs, lows, and even laughter. It was such a beautiful performance and a perfect ending to the intimate concert.
I can hardly there's a performance I enjoyed more than the other. The three ladies had something special about them, each in their own regard.
Greedysouth rating: 7/10