By Tawanda Marwizi
Zim dancehall sensation Tocky Vibes, currently blazing up the airwaves with his chart topping hit “Amai”, says he feels shortchanged after losing out on both the Harare Show Cup Clash held at City Sports Centre and the Harare Agric Show Shutdown at Guard Alert held at the weekend.
The talented chanter said despite turning up at both events, organisers denied him the chance to perform.
“I was at the City Sports Centre at around 10pm but organisers told me that I would perform later,” he said.
Tocky said efforts to go on stage were fruitless despite several calls from the crowd.
“There were loud requests from the crowd but the organisers would not allow me to go on stage. In fact, one of the guys who was working on the programme called the military police and I was ordered out of the venue,” he said.
Asked why he had double booked his shows, Tocky said he felt cheated by Divine Assignments who changed the venue from Super Label to Guard Alert which was only a stone’s throw away from the City Sports Centre.
“I was made to believe that I would perform at Super Label which is in town but to my surprise I was told the show was at Guard Alert which was close to the City Sports Centre. As a result, I could not perform at both shows because of delays from one show to the other,” he said.
Contrary to Tocky’s claims, Harare Show Cup Clash promoter Partson “Chipaz” Chimbodza said the youngster failed to turn up on time.
“He was supposed to perform at 11pm but he could not make it on time so there was no way I could change the programme, perhaps he is now big headed,” he said.
Chipaz however, contradicted himself saying he was irked by the fact that Tocky was on the bill for Guard Alert gig just across the road from his show.
“I asked him after I saw posters of the other show which was a few metres away since the contract states that he was not supposed to perform within 30 kilometres radius from the City Sports Centre. What this meant was that he disregarded the contract,” he said.
Biggie Chinoperekwei, the organiser of Guard Alert gig said Tocky was a no show because he claimed he was unwell.
“He sent me a text message saying that he was unwell but we had paid him in advance,” he said. It was a pity Tocky Vibes missed out an opportunity where he could have easily romped to victory and clinched the title as king of Zim dancehall.
Tens of thousands of music lovers screamed his name before, during and after the gig at City Sports Centre, which has become the home of cup clashes.
If anything Winky D retained the title after putting a show- stopping act at the gig that was full of spark from three other heavy hitters in the likes of Soul Jah Love, Seh Calaz and Dhadza D. There was so much at stake and yet Tocky was missing in action.
But one thing you cannot take away from Tocky is that he is the crowd’s favourite at the moment and it is up to him to remain level-headed. The Herald
