1 November 2008
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) hoodwinked music fans after promising that one of the performers at the just ended Sanganai/ Hlanganani World Travel Fair held in Bulawayo would be Awilo Longomba's group from the DRC, when in fact it was a little known Harare band.
ZTA announced that award-winning Awilo would share the stage with South Africa's afro-pop icon Ringo Madlingozi at the travel showcase. This was after a snub by Zimbabwe's music legends, Oliver Mtukudzi and Thomas Mapfumo, and chart-topping Senegalese born American rapper, Akon.
Madlingozi performed at the show. But Awilo did not turn up, prompting the ZTA to replace him with Bana-Des-As, a rhumba group comprising mostly DRC nationals based in the Avenues in Harare. The group, which normally performs at the Roots of Africa restaurant, was introduced as Awilo's band, much to the chagrin of revellers.
When the ZTA held a press conference with Ringo in Bulawayo, Awilo was nowhere to be seen. The tourism body did not explain why the rhumba star was not at the conference. However Ringo, Tongai Moyo, Sandra Ndebele and Beater Mangethe gave impressive performances. Nigerian actor Chinedu Ikedieze of the "Tom and Jerry" fame also graced the event.
A ZTA official who requested anonymity insisted that it was Awilo's band which performed although Awilo himself did not turn up since "he missed his flight".
A variant of this explanation was used some time last year when Jamaican reggae artist, Luciano, was invited by the ZTA for shows in the country. Then, the tourism promotion body said the British had refused visas to members of Luciano's group.
The ZTA official could not clarify why the band came without its leader. "Awilo was supposed to come but he missed his flight and his group had to perform without him," said the official. "He was also supposed to come to the jacaranda festival which was scheduled for last week but was later cancelled."
But some fans noticed that they had been taken for a ride.
"ZTA thought they could fool us. Bana-Des-As has an Awilo look-alike, so they took advantage of that to mislead fans. I know one of the guys from the group and I was shocked when they said it was Awilo's band," said a disgruntled Awilo fan.
Efforts to get comments from Bana-Des-As group were fruitless.
Karikoga Kaseke, the chief executive officer of ZTA, could not be reached for comment but before the show he assured fans that Awilo would be there. He claimed artists like Akon failed to make it to the travel expo because of commitments in Asia. Mapfumo and his band failed to come owing to the high costs of flying his band to Zimbabwe.
Mtukudzi pulled out because of his differences with the tourism authority.
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