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R-Kay The Big Stage
“Guess what? I received an email just last week confirming that I had been listed to perform at this year’s Harare International festival of the arts. I can’t believe it but that’s just what it is .So I have started putting the pieces together for this opportunity to really show the world what I can do,” one musician boasted recently.

“I sat down just two days ago and started to imagine what I was going to do .

I pulled out some of my performance videos I had compiled over the months just to appreciate and maybe draw strength and direction from this resource.

As I watched I noticed a pattern of things that seemed to occur on most of my performances ,to sum it all up yes I have the talent but it seems I don’t have new ideas for each opportunity that comes my way.

The way I start my songs the way I sing the way the dances move the overall look .

Is this what I am going to take to the big stage ,well the truth be told some of it I will have to ,but I feel I need to come up with a proper performance script or idea for this opportunity.

“In a week I make it a must to attend a musical performance of some sort ,sometimes I deliberately follow certain artistes just to see and understand what they are all about.

The varied artistic expressions have in themselves a demonstration of commitment and dedication and also are a reflection of the artists role in the society .

Just from the way the band comes on the stage I can already anticipate a certain level of performance ,the look and attitude in the first moments either buys my love or my critic side of things jumps out and I wish I had the powers to cancel the performance.

As we hang out on the big stage I am also going to create segments for reviews on some areas of the industry as a way to measure progress and an assessment of the value the relevant stakeholders place in the game.”

Over the years we have seen some tremendous development and shift of mind sets from that of looking down upon to that of appreciating and deliberately creating platforms and opportunities for the musically gifted members of our nation to realise their space.

There is definitely a new breed of artistes that are taking centre stage who have their way of doing things.

We are living in times where a lot of talent has risen among us especially within our context in Zimbabwe,the number of drummers ,keyboard players bassists and so on has increased tremendously and is a good sign of growth in the artistic community. I feel that due to technological advancement a lot of our natural musical and spiritual expressions are being depleted and by the day we are fast becoming robots that know their sequence but may not be able to adjust to suite the moment. I see a lot of highly skilled performances that live everyone not sure whether to clap or not as the connection would not have been made.

While skill is a great measure of standard and a demonstration of ones uniqueness I must say when not properly used can be an ear sore.

But I must say this boldly when you master an instrument and fail to embrace the spirituality behind musical performance you have lost the essence and the substance of a power packed experience. Simply put as you take advantage of your skill listen to your inner man , the spirit let him guide you to fulfil the mandate of the day. Everyday has its own issues and so as an artist you must be able to see beyond the human eye and be able to ignite a fire that changes the atmosphere and brings in a new breath of life to the people.

As artistes from all walks of life come together they bring with them an opportunity for us to experience their spirit and lifestyle as each performance is rooted in its culture and tradition.

The big question I would like to pause to our local artistes what do we have in our hands that will tell the true Zimbabwean story from the sound elements to the overall performances.

Well done for making it in this years edition of the festival and so here is food for thought.

Performing to create a lasting impression must be the heart beat of your act meaning that you attend to the following details .

What or who am I performing for who is likely to come to the gig,what is the cause of the showcase what do I need to add to my act that will best resonate with the opportunity.

Generally a lot of local artistes don’t take time to create a set or concept /what is the story line of my performance at what point do I need to talk how do we even start how do I engage the fans and so on.

What is Zimbabwean about your performance. Think about that find it and apply it and you will stand out

We don’t want to see the same performance on stage even though we like certain songs ,so change things around intros, outros ,solos ,duets instrumental passages dance moves etc.

Richard “R-Kay the music doctor” Kohola is a radio producer, presenter, arts critic and music development expert, you can consult him on all matters on music on the following number 0772 382 871 or email [email protected]