Ambitious. This was the first word to come to mind when the NetOne 263 Culture Festival's 2024 lineup was revealed. I might've even said overambitious. Seven international acts, seven local acts, and just as many DJs—all in 12 hours of stage time—felt like just throwing names on a wall and hoping something sticks. Yet it didn't escape notice that the acts (the international acts especially) showcased knowledgeable talent ID.
However, once you realized that and got over the festival's overambitious nature, a voice at the back of your head would say that this is just going to be like the time they said Wizkid was coming (Speaking of which, any chance people are ever getting those refunds?). Add to that the Belgravia Sports Club isn't renowned as a festival venue. Yet despite seeming too good to be true, the 263 Culture Festival delivered.
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Moozlie on stage at the 263 Culture Festival Shot by Maverick Seizure |
The DJs were sacrificed to make room for a bloated lineup, but it was understandable. After all the audience was coming for the headliners, and all of them showed up. Jacaranda, you know I love you, but you now certainly have a competition to win my heart.
The 263 Culture Fest stage had a tongue that spread out from the main platform to the fans. This made it more interactive with the audience and served to give the VIP guests their section without cutting out the regular eventgoers from the front. However, the disappointing thing about the setup, was that the festival screens were not showcasing performances (Which is such a major oversight in a year where every other festival has done this).
Note: At a lot of festival festivals and events, VIP often seems like a section to appease the ego, but I have to say at the 263 Culture Festival it looked absolutely worth it.
While the curation felt a bit chaotic (Why would you put Thuli P at 2 pm?), 263 Culture Fest set itself apart by being the first major (paid) Zimbabwean festival this year to truly give Zim hip-hop its moment.
The afternoon saw Suhn grace the stage with a vibrant performance, that was topped off by bringing out Probeatz. Young Gemini's star continued to rise with a performance that had the crowd echoing her voice. While clad in shades and an afro wig, the modern Sungura maestro Tanto Wavie was truly special.
Tanto Wavie on stage at the 263 Culture Festival
Shot by Tino Nyandoro
Gracing the stage during the interludes between performances was DJ Iroq, and he made sure that the momentum of the event was well maintained (Whoever came on later and played All I Do Is Win, please let that song rest). The heavens opened up for a torrential downpour that lasted hours but even that couldn't sour the mood.
The scintillating tribal house sounds of the Djembe Monks not only removed our inhibitions but kept us warm, and then Mthunzi came on and fed our souls. As the vocalist sang "Imithandazo," while the rain continued pouring down, somehow everything felt right in the world.
Djembe Monks on stage at the 263 Culture Festival
Shot by Tino Nyandoro
From the soulful sounds of amapiano, we were jarred into motion by Voltz JT. Up until that moment, the crowd hadn't been louder. When "Ma War Vets" came on, it was echoed by every single voice in attendance and the energy was at its peak.
The crowd's temperament was then mellowed by Mr Brown, as he went through a soulful selection of amapiano tracks that had his collaboration with Roki, "Screenshot," as one of the top highlights.
While the standard of performances had certainly been good, when Blxckie came on he went above and beyond the set standard. "Why Me," "Kwenzekile," "Big Time Sh'lappa," "Sete"... From the track selection to the vocals and crowd engagement, Blxckie put on a show. Arguably (Zee Nxumalo and Kelvin Momo being the rest of the argument) were the best performers of the night.
Now although one the lesser known acts on the event card, amapiano rising star, Zee Nxumalo, made sure to be unforgettable. Dressed in a leather fit with cowboy-esque pants. Her vocals are as good as heard on Spotify, with the dance moves to match. She had the audience vibing. There were constant moments of awe, as people recognized her as the voice behind some of their favourite tracks. "I didn't she's the one who sang that song," was said more than a few times. "Funk 55," "SHAYIMOTO 2.0," "Ama Gear," and "Thula Mabota," stood out in what was a well-rounded performance.
The time for the most anticipated acts of the night finally arrived, and the first up was Kelvin Momo. Opening his performance with "Got the Feeling" from his recent album Sewe, what came next was a curated experience of sound and emotion. A serenade dominated by Kelvin's own catalogue, with transitions that had a touch of musical anointing. The pioneer of Private School Piano taking us on a trip down the very best of the sub-genre. "Ivy League" and "Izono" were the twin peaks of what was a moving experience.
The night culminated in the world's favourite uncle hitting the stage. What had been spiritual before, was now vibrant and energetic. Although her transitions were not Kelvin Momo's seamless continuity, she more than made up for it in track selection and choreography. The highlight of the performance was when she put on one of her songs and then left the decks for the front of the stage. Something I however only caught in glimpses because as aforementioned the festival screens were only showing us adverts instead of the actual festival.
While the 263 Culture Festival had many doubters (me included), it gave more than a fair account itself. Key to this is the strength of performances, especially from unexpected names.
The sound had its stuttering moments, which definitely took away from some performances, but in the end, they figured it out. The ticketing system should've been better, but as they say, good things come to those who wait in line. The food outlets were plenty, as were the bathrooms, which also had cleaning staff on hand to keep them smart. Moozlie was impeccable as the host. All in all, a good time was had.
Note: While it's certainly great that named sponsors will have their names associated with our happiness for a change (because in general banks and network providers vanotishungurudza), I think the goodwill would go longer if they were festival benefits for their customers. Early access to tickets, extended early bird periods, and maybe even redeeming points for shots. Just some food for thought.
Greedysouth rating: 8.1/10
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