Mary J Blige Zimbabwe gig flops over money

The much talked about super show featuring United States-based R&B singer, Mary J Blige, flopped in Harare as the singer failed to turn up on Friday. The show, which was supposed to cost revellers a staggering US$40 for “ordinary fans” and US$60 for the “VIP area” did not take place because Mary J did not in fact leave the US where she is based. Organisers confirmed that the star did not board the plane coming to Harare, Zimbabwe.

“Mary J Blige did not come because we made the money transfer late and it did not reflect in her account by the time she was supposed to leave the US,” said Belinda Mutinhiri, a Director at Impeccable Events, organisers of the failed gig. Everything had been done and everything should have worked out but she did not leave the US because she said she had not seen the bank transfer in appearing in her account. We will, however, now hold the cancelled show in February, next year.”

Mutinhiri runs the promotion company together with Studio 263 actress, Tinopona Katsande. Ironically no tickets had been sold by Friday night because the organisers of the show were not sure whether Mary J would make it despite the fact that they had held a Press Conference last week informing the media that “everything is in place and that the star is definitely coming to Zimbabwe”.

Mary J has won several major international awards in the US and was supposed to hold two shows in Zimbabwe. She has been voted R&B star of the year. Another show had been pencilled in for Bulawayo – the City of Kings. It could not be established how much the R&B star had demanded from the new promoters as they refused to comment on the issue to Radio VOP when approached. Radio VOP