Blantyre feels illusionz vibe

It was the case of if you don’t come to us, we will come to you as the Lilongwe-based entertainment  joint Illusionz Club hosted an Illusionz Pop Up Blantyre Edition at Scalla’s Café.

The venue was given a new feel. The outdoor setting sparkled in its immaculate transformation. The space normally used as a car-park turned into one huge beautiful canopy with a well-decorated spacious sitting arena. It even had a demarcation of a VIP area.  

The three-day entertainment extravaganza started on Friday as imbibers partied from dusk to dawn to the sounds played by a host of Malawi’s top DJs such as DJ Flame, Malume, DJ Vinne Q,  VJ Ice, DJ Reubie and Nathan Tunes.

But what was served on Friday was only an appetiser as things went notches higher on Saturday night. The weather was not friendly for such an outdoor  setting as occasional showers and a cold breeze wheezed down the Soche Hill standing majestically on the eastern side.

By 8pm, there was not much to write home about at the venue as few patrons who had braved the adverse weather sat sparsely within the huge venue. Slowly people trickled in and by 10pm, the space was full.

Host of the event Mimi set the tone when she stepped on stage, wowing patrons with a brilliant performance. And behind her, DJs Nathan Tunes, VJ Ice, Flame and Reubie made sure they complemented her energy on the deck.

In succession, they dished and some of the hottest tunes currently from Afro-pop, to hip-hop, international and local jams. In no time, the chilly weather did not seem to be a bother anymore.

In between the DJs performances popped up music prodigy Eli Njuchi for a surprise performance. The youthful artist gave the audience a snippet of his trending hit Tempolale which attracted a huge applause.

The first live act of the night was courtesy of songstress Tuno. As ussual, she looked every part of the event in her daring sassy outfit. But that was not all she brought on stage.

Backed by her two dancers, Tuno showed exceptional energy levels with an inspired performance.

Her connection with the audience was faultless. It included a moment when she jumped off stage and joined the patrons on the dance floor. There was a cameo by rapper Phyzix, which helped to elevate the mood further.

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for. South Africa’s amapiano/house music star Lady Du stepped on stage to a deafening applause. She did not even spare any minute for formalities, but quickly went into the business of the night.

Like the case with most South African artists, Lady Du displayed an exuberance of passion, energy and spirit. From the moment she started to the time she bowed out, her execution remained constant.

“What I sing is what I am. The music that you are singing is what I am. It is my story,” she told the audience. Her popular songs such as Tjina, Woza and Nganono were the toast of the night.

Before the South African bowed out, she had a word of advice to Malawians, urging them to support local artists with a particular reference to Tuno.

“Have you seen that girl in a shiny silver coat? She was here on stage before me. You need to support her just like you should with all other Malawian artists for them to go far. They need your support,” she said.

When she stepped off stage, the business of the night continued until the wee hours of Sunday. Afro music star Kell Kay also surprised the patrons with a performance. The three-day music fiesta went on until Sunday evening.