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Cynthia Mare

Yeukai Karengezeka Entertainment Reporter
Afro-JAZZ musician Cynthia Mare’s new album was bought for US$4 000 at an auction held during the launch of the album at Maestro’s Resto Lounge and Bar on Tuesday night. Mare’s parents and Dettol company pledged US$2 000 each for the eight-track album titled “Songs My Mother Loved”.

The musician said she was happy about the launch and the support she got from the mammoth crowd that attended the event.

The diva, who was based in the United Kingdom for a long time, said she was back home for good and would pursue her career on local soil.

“I am happy about the support. Financial support is very important in any musician’s career and the support from fans makes our career exciting,” she said.

Speaking at the event, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister Supa Mandiwanzira, who was the guest of honour, urged corporates to consider local acts over international artistes and treat them with the same level of professionalism.
he said the corporate sector should start considering more local artistes who give equally good performances and sometimes surpass the international acts who fail to deliver.

“I am asking the corporate sector to support our local artistes. Actually, the biggest beneficiaries from events are the beverage companies and they only support events like the Harare International Festival of Arts. Where are they today? Why are we only seeing companies like

Dettol doing this?” he asked.
The minister added that some of the international musicians that are brought top perform in the country are failing to deliver as compared to the local ones that perform far much better. “It is well known that our local artistes do better at some of these shows, the corporate world should treat them the same and equally pay them as they do to the foreign acts.”

However, he recommend the local artistes to be original, professional and improve on their quality content in order to avoid boredom to the listeners.

“The 75 percent local content policy is meant to ensure that we support our own artistes by giving them enough airplay. Therefore I’m encouraging them to produce quality and enriched products to the people to avoid monotony .

“Let’s create our own brand by being original with our own music and it will take us to different countries just like these Jamaican artistes for instance that are coming in because they mastered their own brand,” he said.

In October, Nigerian star D’banj disappointed at the Glamis Arena and the it was dancehall chanter Winky D who stole the show. Others like Sean Kingston, Bebe Cool and Brick N Lace failed to deliver on stage while the local artistes gave polished acts.