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Zimbabwe’s leading music platform the Gateway Stream Music platform will this weekend host the very first Sungura concert dubbed “ Sungura Blast”. The leading act is award-winning Sungura guru Alick Macheso. The act will comprise six artists which include some new entrants; the lineup includes Alick Macheso, Nicholas Zacharia, Baba Harare, Mark Ngwazi, Sulu Chimbetu, Shantel Sithole and Audinance Kuimba. Gateway Stream Music recently held the successful Redefined concert in June 2022.
On being asked what inspired Gateway Stream Music to host the Sungura Blast concert, Gateway Stream Music Manager Elton Kurima said “ We believe our local talent is a match to any regional or international acts. This is why we are driven to partner with artists; create great world-class productions, and give artists a big stage and an overall best experience for the audience. Our strategy is to showcase all the local music genres as they appeal to different market segments.”
The line-up consists of a mix of seasoned artists such as Alick Macheso, and Nicholas Zakaria and also new and upcoming artists like Shantel Sithole and Audinance Kuimba. “As Gateway Stream Music we believe in offering a platform for new and upcoming artists to be heard. We always ensure that there is an upcoming artist in our line-up” he said.
Sungura Blast also seeks to bridge the gap between two generations. A time passed when Sungura and Kanindo were mostly dominated by male artists but the amazing and talented Shantel Sithole is breaking this stereotype. Shantel Sithole is a young and rising artist born in Chipinge who sings Kanindo music. Kanindo is the original beat of Africa. It was there before sungura and rhumba and these music trends were indeed born out of kanindo.
When asked whether the target for the Sungura Blast was to fill up the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) he advised that the event was created to give the Sungura lovers some great musical experience and the artists a stage and superstar treatment they will never forget and not necessarily to fill up the HICC. “Following up on the same level of delivery from our Redefined Concert, we feel the artists we have lined up are equally prominent and, in particular, the Sungura genre deserves the recognition,” said Kurima. The popular Star FM DJ Ndumiso “ The SkyWalker” is the comparison for the night.
The concert will also be streamed on the Gateway Stream Music Pay Per View platform. This will give the Diaspora audience the opportunity to watch the show and those local fans who may not be able to make their way to the HICC. To access the PPV platform fans must download the application on the Google play store and Apple App Store, and the Gateway Stream Music website https://gatewaystreammusic.com/live-streaming/.
About Gateway Stream Music
The Gateway Stream Music mobile and web application is Zimbabwe’s first and only multi-dimensional entertainment platform which was developed and launched by Rainbow Tourism Group in December 2020. The vision behind the creation of the platform is to empower artists by enabling them to monetise their trade and access markets using technology.
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges for the arts and entertainment sector as the lockdown restrictions prohibit live shows – which are the main source of income for the sector. Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic Gateway Stream Music has hosted over ten virtual shows with the most recent being the Sinach It is Time show. Jah Prayzah also launched the ‘Gwara’ album on the platform. Other artists who have performed on the platform include Janet Manyowa, Winky D, Amara Brown, Benjamin Dube, Poptain, Anita Jackson, Ishan, Nutty O, Sulumani Chimbetu, and Andy Muridzo. The Gateway Stream Music platform also ran the Wadiwa Wepamoyo series, which is still readily available for streaming on the platform.
Gateway Stream Music pioneered the introduction of the Pay-Per-View and live-streaming concept to the local market as a viable alternative to physical shows. Besides income generated from virtual shows, artists can generate additional income from an advertising revenue share model where they are given a percentage of the advertising revenue from their virtual shows.
Through the artist account feature, artists can upload their music, live-stream their shows on the Pay-Per-View platform, set pricing, manage inventory, and socialise with their fans using the interactive socialisation feature where artists can interact with their fans and share content in the same way as they would on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
For music listeners, the Gateway Stream Music platform provides a total entertainment solution. It is a one-stop-shop that allows them to listen to their favourite music, buy songs & albums and live-stream album launches/shows using the Pay-Per-View platform. They are also able to connect with their favourite artists through the in-app interactive socialisation function.
Since its launch in December 2020 at least 2500 local artists have registered and uploaded their music. Through a partnership with Gramma Records, Zimura and Diamond Studios the platform now has 30,000 songs which range from sungura, mbira, urban grooves, gospel and hip-hop music genres. Users can enjoy yesteryear songs from some of Zimbabwe’s greatest artists including Oliver Mtukudzi, Leonard Dembo, Simon Chimbetu and Bhundu Boys to name a few.
The Gateway Stream Music App gives artists access to consumers and helps to reduce the risk of losing earnings through piracy.