Girlfest (for the second time) this year? It went beyond expectations, even with the Jacaranda Music Festival overshadowing its usual hype. Harare is certainly alive this October. Sure, the artist line-up had its drama, but once things kicked off, all was forgiven. The turnout might have been lower than the year's first Girlfest, but honey, the vibes? They were spot on:
An event review by Tafadzwa Madzika and Sandra Garwe
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Master H on stage at Girlfest Retro Summer Edition Shot by Chadrox Media |
Picture this: a crowd of hundreds dressed in bandanas, hipsters, oversized Lakers jerseys, and dungarees, while the DJ plays Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go," echoing every voice present. If you had walked into First Capital Bank Sports Club this past weekend, you would've thought the year was 2003 and the Diwali riddim had only just been released.
Art installations of vintage bikes, early 2000s newspaper cuttings with CDs, phone booths, along a polaroid stand, only the smartphones held in every hand would let you know we're well into the 2020s.
This was Girlfest - Summer Retro Edition, themed "Throwing it Back to the 2000s," and the girls certainly understood the assignment. The whole wardrobe screamed you've time-travelled 20 years back into the past. And you know what? Everyone looked comfy, with the added freedom of not having to stress over unwanted comments, and shout out to the fire throwers – they kept their flames under control, and not a single wig went up in flames!
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Fire throwers at the May 2024 edition of Girlfest Shot by Mudiwa Shoots |
Now, let’s talk about the performances. While we missed a few, we were there in time for Rax The DJ. His track selection was the epitome of the 2000s, and he had transitions that were equally adept. There's a moment he went from Beyonce's "Crazy in Love," into Wayne Wonder's "No Letting Go," into TLC & Lil Jon's "Come Get Some," into Brick & Lace's "Love is Wicked." He had the entire crowd on their feet.
Alexio Kawara came on next and he brought all the nostalgic feel from the Urban Grooves era. “Chibhugubhugu,” “Shaina,” “Zvikomborero” – the whole set was a flashback to simpler times. Accompanying him was the Shades of Black band, and they were on point, mixing Afro-fusion into the set like seasoned professionals. Of course, ama2K wasn’t as hyped, but the aunties from the 90s were absolutely vibing.
Now remember when everyone was in the comments section of Girlfest’s page asking, "Who is Abisha Palmer?" Well, that question has now been answered, because he owned that stage. The best performance of the night. Rasta takapotsa taenda navo! This man proved dancehall is the Queen Bee of Zimbabwean music and the energy? Electrifying. He had the crowd singing “Chiremerera” like the rent was due.
Let’s not forget Tamy Moyo. Look, whoever doubted she belonged on that stage? They owe her an apology because she brought the heat! Her vocals & choreography had everyone up, singing "Kwatinodaidzwa kuti tiende ndokwatinoenda" If you left unimpressed, I suggest a dance class because, clearly, you are missing out (Just to be this is Sandra not me).
But the biggest surprise of the night for me? Voltz JT. I knew the guy was popular, but I didn't expect the girls to go that crazy for him. The loudest chant of the night? “If you come for my chick, then hatichazi mafriends wangu.” Honestly, we all want a guy who is going to stand by us, right? Oh, and "Mukoma Brian"? That song hit everyone in the feels. He was the moment.
Nisha T came on as one of the surprise acts of the acts. While she's certainly still young and figuring things out, the girl has a lot of potential. Her track, “Kutsamwa Kune Labour," had us all jamming. I am officially rooting for her. Keep going, girl!
Now, let us address the elephant in the room: DJ Cleo. Sigh. What can I say? The set was underwhelming. Around midway he then brought out Sylent Nqo, which, honestly, was the cue for half of us to head to the bar. The set had some sparks but it was nowhere near meeting expectations (Not quite bad but disappointing, like ordering chocolate then getting vanilla). While they're both great performers in their own right, the theme was "Back to the 2000s" and they gave the audience almost nothing that fit that mould.
Finally, the man of the hour came on: Master H. Sure, there were some time issues (which is especially bad for those with curfews or sitters), but when he hit the stage, it was game on. The energy was through the roof, and when he brought out Kae Chaps for a performance of "Pressure"? Pure entertainment. We were all chanting “In the name of Jesus” like it was the last song on earth.
Now, the not-so-fun part. Why, oh why, do we always have to dance on top of trash by the end of these events? No one was picking it up, and it was like a rave on a landfill at one point. And bestie, let’s talk about the toilets. There seemed to be only a handful of pink loos for hundreds of women. I mean, I love the colour choice but come on. Only after the fact did we realize there were more, but a combination of them being poorly located (in terms of visibility) and a lack of signage made going to the bathroom a horrible experience for more than a few festival attendees.
And that’s a wrap on Girlfest - Summer Retro Edition! Fewer people, but better vibes, great throwback fashion, and performances that made up for the weak spots (looking at you, DJ Cleo). Here is to hoping 2025 has better signage (also maybe a digital festival map showing the food outlets available, bathroom locations, the bar etc) and fewer trash piles!
Greedysouth rating: 7.4/10
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