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Entertainment Reporter
The “Thank You Zimbabwe” gig which was scheduled for the City Sports Centre on November 29 has been moved to Andy Millar Hall, Exhibition Park organisers have said.
The move was meant to give organisers enough time to prepare the event including the sound check.
“The gig has been moved from the City Sports Centre to the Andy Millar Hall to allow us to have enough time to do the sound check and improve on security. We would have loved the show to be held at City Sports Centre but since there will be two shows at the venue on the same date we thought it was better to have the ‘Thank You Zimbabwe’ gig at the Andy Millar Hall,” Partson “Chipaz” Chimbodza, one of the organisers, said.

Topping the bill are South African singer Ringo Madlingozi, Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi, Jah Prayzah and Winky D.
The gig promises to be yet another night of collaborations with the most anticipated duet coming from Mtukudzi and Ringo.

The track “Into Yam” originally by Ringo was redone featuring Mtukudzi who gave it another lease of life. The song became a hit in Southern Africa and up to now fans still enjoy it.

Ringo, whose songs are mostly about love, is not a stranger to Zimbabwean audiences. He has been to Harare on a number of occasions and in all the cases his gigs were sold out.

So when he returns to Harare, it is like a homecoming show since he views Zimbabwe as his second home while he also calls Tuku “mukoma” or “elder brother”.

The Cape Town-born vocalist is emerging as one of South Africa’s most powerful new live performing acts.
Ringo, however, is no newcomer to the music scene, and has persevered through a succession of bands, and session work which has had him recording with artistes as diverse as Hugh Masekela, Simply Red, Teddy Pendergrass (The Power of One) and Caiphus Semenya, as well as for the movie “The Lion King”.

According to music.org, Ringo was born in 1964 and spent his childhood and school days in Gugulethu township, but finished high school in Umtata.

He was musically active from a young age, and while at school, he led an acapella group which performed at community and youth functions.

He later became vocalist for the group “Ikwezi”, but it was to be as frontman for the band “Peto”, that his unique vocal talents were first recognised nationally.

Peto won the national Shell Road to Fame talent competition in 1986, and this brought the band — and Ringo — national exposure, with television profile, touring engagements, and the role of support act for the King’s Trust concert in Swaziland which was headlined by Eric Clapton.

Peto soon disbanded, and Ringo moved base to Johannesburg, where he spent the early 1990s as a member of Gecko Moon. During this time, he also did a lot of studio session work – for radio commercials, film and album recordings.

Ringo’s first album, Vukani (“Wake Up!”) was released in 1996, during which year he also served as a support act when Papa Wemba toured South Africa as part of the Re-Connection Programme.

His second album, Sondelani (“Get Closer”) was released late in 1997, and with its themes of reconciliation and national unity, carried a strong message for South African people. The album reportedly achieved double platinum status in sales, awards and major airplay. This ensured that Ringo remained a sought-after act on the performing circuit in South Africa.

It is against this backdrop that Zimbabwean fans will be more than happy to see him on stage alongside Tuku, Jah Prayzah and Winky D.