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Noah Pito in KAROI

Upcoming Chinhoyi-based group Jazz Crooners landed the first position in the 2016 Mashonaland West Chibuku Road to Fame Provincial competitions held in Karoi at the weekend.Ten groups drawn from the province participated in the tight contest that saw Jazz Crooners becoming the provincial champions and walking away with $1 000 cash. Contemporary music group Grade 2D — also from Chinhoyi — landed the second position and walked away with $ 500 cash. Mhodzi Tribe from Norton trailed at position three with a $3 00 cash prize.

Unlike in previous editions of the provincial talent search occasion, the Saturday event was unique in that the majority of the groups that participated gave polished performances that outshined some of the already established groups in the country.

Jazz Crooners proved their musical mettle in the three songs they played. Their stage work was so polished that many revelers were left asking for more. Clad in their traditional garb, the group seemed more like a long established group.

Some revelers at the show also registered their optimism at the Afro-fusion outfit Mhodzi Tribe which they said is set for some mega-limelight considering the elegant performance they staged on the day.

Maxwell Bhoni of Chikange Suburbs — one of the invited business people — had a lot of praise for Mhodzi whose performance he said transcended that of most established groups into afro-fusion music genre.

Mhodzi Tribe manager Eugene Museredza said his group’s polished performance was attributed to Oliver Mtukudzi, Jah Prayzah, Suluman Chimbetu, Ammara Brown and Alexio Kawara, musicians he said have been closely working with the group. According to Museredza his group has an unrecorded five track album comprising Emma, Ejipita, Wakakosha, Refugee and Chanza chizere.

Other groups that performed at the Saturday gig include Chiedza Brothers , a sungura outfit from Hurungwe, Extra Power (sungura) Karoi, Mash West Super Stars (Dendera) Hurungwe, Nyamatsatsi (Sungura) Chinhoyi, Vibration Express (Sungura) Chinhoyi, First Empire (Afro fusion) Kadoma and Extra Umbiridzo (sungura) Karoi.

The occasion was graced by guest group Attack Jazz Band which also was the National Chibuku Road to Fame overall winner for 2014. Later in the evening Romeo Gasa wowed the revelers with his thrilling music.