Kings on fire at album launch

ail.co.zm” class=”f”>Zambia Daily Mail by Online Editor on 6/6/13

By KELVIN KACHINGWE
HE may have to start looking for a bigger venue as Lusaka’s Mulungushi International Conference Centre has clearly proved inadequate for his legion of fans that trooped in their numbers to watch him launch his album No Retreat.
It looked like all his fans in Lusaka had made their way to Mulungushi International Conference Centre last Friday.
Having conquered Mulungushi, he may want to look to a much bigger venue such as a stadium for his next launch.
Other than the average fan, other notable public figures also went for his show. These include the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) president Nevers Mumba and his wife Florence, National Restoration Party (NAREP) president Elias Chipimo, Muchinga member of Parliament Howard Kunda, former first lady Vera Tembo, Peoples’ Party president Mike Mulongoti and former Information deputy minister Angela Chifire.
Perhaps, not since the launch of Danny’s Yakumbuyo album, has Mulungushi been stretched to the levels seen at the launch of Kings Malembe Malembe’s new album last Friday.
For his fans, it was clear that none of them wanted to be told of how the launch of No Retreat went. They all wanted to witness it for themselves.
CHAPRO (Christian Arts Promotions) and corporate partners must be very happy with the outcome of the show. Mulungushi can take in about 5,000 people, but looking at the sea of humanity that converged there last Friday, one can only wonder as to how many it was able to attract.
Had the organisers decided to go with the now popular 1,500-seater at New Government Complex as the venue, it would have been suicidal as thousands of fans would have been denied the opportunity to attend the launch.
But why organisers of musical shows opt for the New Government Complex is bewilderment as the sound system there is normally disappointing.
But there was nothing disappointing with the performances of Kings and the supporting acts Ephraim, Rachael, Jimmy K, Kristine, Felix and Kingdom Praise of Zimbabwe.
Indeed, Kings’ launch was royalty.