By Tawanda Kasuso
HARARE — A nostalgia-filled musical spectacle Throwback Festival hosted by veteran entertainers is set to take place at Kingfisher Gardens on October 31.
The 16-hour extravaganza, running from 8 AM to midnight, has been carefully curated for old-school music lovers to bridge a long-standing entertainment gap and revive cherished memories for a mature crowd.
Organizers Splash Events said the showcase aims to give older generations an exclusive space to celebrate the sounds they grew up on.
”It’s gonna be murder (sic) ! We have noticed that those party goers who grew up in the 80s and 90s somehow are being forgotten in the entertainment scene and have nowhere to call home. As Splash events, we felt duty bound to give these guys who grew up on our sounds a day they can wild and reminisce about the good old days through music they actually grew up on”, said Stansplash of Splash events.
The festival features an exceptionally experienced and talented lineup of renowned selectors across three dedicated stages. The main Old School room brings together seasoned broadcasting and club legends, led by Tich Mataz alongside Davies Mugadza, Tony Friday, Ernest the Finest, Allan the DJ, Kimble Rogers, DJ L-Roy, Fresh T, Dokezh, Terry Spears, Comfort Mbofana, DJ Clive, and DJ Blaze.
Tich Mataz expressed confidence in delivering a historic performance for the mature audience.
“I’ve been doing this for a lifetime now. 40 years doing this. Yes, I’m ’35’ but I have been at it for 40 years. I have catered for various evolving generations and all I can promise you is tha: by the end of the festival; y’all will be asking for more. It’s not just going to be another festival, it’s going to be one for the ages”, said Mataz.
The Reggae and Dancehall stage features a deep roster of veteran sound-system trailblazers, including Stansplash, Jackie B (Silverstone), Fyah Lynx-Bhonzo, DJ Eve, Farai Shambare, Small Axe, King Alfred, New Generation, DJ Wanco, Jerry Springer, DJ Courageous, DJ Hush, Selektah Gibbs, DJ 2 Bad, DJ Scholar, DJ Sachie, DJ Phat Child, and DJ Professor.
Reflecting on the legacy of the local sound clash scene, Jackie B promised an unforgettable session of classic records.
“I have a trunk load of vynls. I need 5 hours to myself to dish out all the collection in my trunk. Davies (Mugadza), Tich, Stan and others will have to share the remaining 11 (sic).
“The youth of today don’t quite know we started this dancehall thing with Stereo one before we branched out to form Silverstone with Mad Minnox (from Canada) and General Bernard. We used to host sound clashes at Tube and Synergy and at one time I closed the clash just as it began when I dropped Cocoa Tea’s ‘Home to go home’ as the clash was just beginning,” said Jackie B.
Rounding out the lineup on the House, Amapiano, and Afrobeats stage are acclaimed talents Reverb 7, Langton B, DJ Andile Browns, DJ Sky, Denny Promote, DJ Thandoe, Wizzy-Shisha Plug, DJ Demash, Butler, DJ Creezy, Selekta Base, DJ Fafi, King Lad, and DJ Switchbase. Master of ceremonies duties for the day-long event will be handled by popular hosts DJ Mox, MC Mai Juju, and Phatisani Sibanda.