llusionz Fest sends 2 artists packing

Illusion Beach Festival on Friday sent back Malinga and Don Tarz for missing their scheduled slot at Kingfisher Inn in Mangochi.

After sending back the two artists, event organisers released a statement, saying punctuality  was paramount.

The snub was widely applauded as a bold step to address persistent delayed stage appearances during live performances.

Illusionz Club executive Martin Nyirenda said they were only following procedures.

He said: “During our events in Lilongwe, we have been sending back artists. It does not make sense for an artist to miss a schedule which was announced three days ago.

“We need to bring sanity in the way we approach these issues.” 

In a statement, Malinga blamed protocols at the gate.

 “Event organisers thought it is the smartest idea to have artists use the same entrance as fans. This made me and my team wait almost an hour on the queue,” he said.

The absence of the dancehall pair paved the way for reggae group Black Missionaries to raise the curtain, throwing them into unfamiliar territory as they are accustomed to performing at the end.

To the delight of revellers, the headliners of the night, South African duo Eemoh and DJ Tira appeared on stage in succession at 11pm.

When he came on stage, Eemoh appeared to have made the moment freeze. The Masithokoze hit-maker looked fresh and ready for the moment.

The audience cheered him on, singing along each moment the DJ introduced a new song.

After 45 minutes, he left the stage to his compatriot DJ Tira. He started off behind the decks, dishing out some of South Africa’s kwaito and amapiano tunes. The crowd roared in response.

On the menu were also some big compositions such as Umlilo from the Big Nunz Family, Saint  and Lulu.