BY WINSTONE ANTONIO DESPITE confusion over the initial Chibuku Road to Fame provincial competitions schedule, sponsors of the events Delta Beverages say it is full steam ahead from Saturday, August 6 to October 1.
The popular Chibuku Road to Fame talent search makes a return after almost a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The competition, a collaborative effort between Delta Beverages — through its Chibuku brand, and the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, aims to identify and promote musical talents.
In a statement, Delta Beverages spokesperson Patricia Murambinda said this year there was a shift from the original competition’s concept to include other genres such as hip-hop and dancehall.
She said this marked an expansion and shift due to the changes in the music space and emergence of genres.
“This year’s Chibuku Road to Fame edition is running from August 6 to October 1, 2022, under the theme, Jambisa Asingajambe! Vusa Abelele,” Murambinda said.
“Chibuku Road to Fame is offering monetary prizes at both provincial and national levels, with the national winner walking away with both a cash prize as well as a recording contract.”
Murambinda said provincial final competitions would be held in all the country’s 10 provinces with the finals being held in Harare.
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“Participants are required to register their bands with the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe to be able to participate in the competitions,” she said.
Launched on October 27 in 2001, Chibuku Road to Fame is the country’s largest grassroots talent identification competition.
It seeks to promote the development of musical groups through identifying potentially talented groups.
To date, sungura musician Romeo Gasa, who fronts Extra Valembe, remains the notable product of Chibuku Road to Fame after he won the competition in 2007.
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