Harare — ZIMBABWE has not only the world's most passionate reggae and dancehall supporters, it has the most talented young ragga singers who have not been corrupted by the world.

These were the parting words of renowned Jamaican dancehall icon Sizzla Kalonji as he performed for the last time at Red Fox Art Centre where he was being hosted by Zimbabwean reggae granddaddies, Transit Crew.

The previous night, which happened to be a Sunday, he had thrilled thousands of dancehall fans who braved the rainy weather to see their star live on stage.

The much-hyped show held at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) was not only well received, but put several young musicians under the spotlight while certifying others as the next big acts on the world stage.

As expected, Sizzla did not disappoint his multitude of fans as he gave them what they had come to hear.

Surrounded on stage by a group of Rastafarian boys and girls, Kalonji roared like a lion and urged the people of Zimbabwe to roar like lions too, to mark their territory and be recognised by many. Picking from his rich music database, which boasts over 60 commercial albums, Kalonji seemed to select only the songs that sent a message of hope, love and unity.

Songs like Zimbabwe, which he composed specifically for Zimbabwe, Thank You Mama and Jah Love animated the crowd.

The biggest surprise of the night was the man who has become the pride and joy of the ghetto youths and more recently the entertainer of choice for most dancehall music lovers, Winky D.

Clad in a stylish white stripped red suit, The Bigman, as Winky D is fondly called by his avid fans, could have been mistaken for the main act at the show.

To say he did not disappoint his fans would be an understatement as he performed just after Kalonji when most people were preparing to leave.

If anyone left before Winky D had finished performing, they must have been really tired because the Vanotaura hit-maker kept his fans on their feet throughout his performance.

The auditorium reverberated to the sing-alongs by the thousands that were in awe of the young musician from Kambuzuma. True to the name of the show, which was dubbed Reggae Youth Festival, many youths took to the stage last Sunday at the HICC.

Up-and-coming reggae musician Sister Xapa opened the show with her dub poetry before Potato treated the fans to his songs Tenzi Pindiraiwo and Mupedzanhamo, much to the delight of the crowd, which was still swelling at the time.

The atmosphere became electric when man-of-the-moment Stunner appeared on stage clad in a silver outfit.

He brought the house down with his best songs, including those from the album which won him an award at the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) last month.

Stunner left the crowd crying for more as he paved way for Mic Inity, the most popular reggae name in Zimbabwe at the moment.

Dressed like Jamaican I-Wayne, Mic Inity was backed by the Mystic Band, which put up a splendid performance.

He did renditions of Freddie McGregor's song Push Comes to Shove, and Cocoa T's Hurry Up and Come, among many other popular international reggae songs.

He later teamed up with King Labash, whose army of fans also took to the stage to take turns at the microphone, which was on demand that night.

Earlier, Roki had demonstrated why he is one of the most sought-after musicians in the country when he put up a splendid performance supported by his energetic dancers. Many others like Yaga, King Shady, Daddy D and Guspy Warrior gave a good account of themselves in a night where everyone wanted to prove that they are the best.

The visit by Kalonji to Zimbabwe may be just what the local music scene needed to bring even closer the Zimbabwean Rastafarian community and stimulate local reggae and dancehall musicians who have for long played second fiddle to more popular genres such as sungura