Showbiz aside, but let’s keep modesty
It is undeniable that our creative industry has made steady strides in terms of growth over the years.
The show business is no longer the same as compared to how things were ten years ago. The technological advancement has been one key factor in expanding the space where creatives can showcase their content, promote it and earn from the same.
Resultantly, the space has also been flooded with countless wannabes who are just gunning for that two-minute moment of fame. Regardless of their contribution, these pretenders have in way threatened the comfortability and monopoly of the seasoned players.
If you are to remain afloat you need to make sure your grind is constant and well-oiled all the time. If you don’t keep up with the trends, you are soon thrown in the recycle bin. That has somewhat made things exciting to an extent.
In that mix, we have seen creatives going all out just bring the attention on their brand, events and content. They have deployed different ways of ensuring that their products are in the spotlight. Promotional video clips ahead of events are just one of those we have come accustomed to.
This week, the social media was awash with a video clip which had musician Paul Subili, Giddess Chalamanda and Joe Gwaladi. It was a promotional clip about their upcoming event at Culture Club in Salima slated for April 26.
The clip starts with Subili who gives details about the upcoming event. As per the intention of the clip, the Balaka-based musician is wooing people to come and patronise the event. He then passes the floor to Gwaladi to say something on the same. He did his part too.
Now the baton fell on Chalamanda’s hands. Maybe out of excitement or by design, in his script, the old man expresses his wish to bed fellow entertainer Jetu, who apparently will also be present at the same event.
“Koma Jetu yekhayo adzakhale ali be prepared. Chifukwa ndimamfuna nditampatsa mimba,” mused Aggide in the video.
The moment he let out that sentence, both Subili and Gwaladi dashed out of the capturing range of the video. It shows Agidde said something out of turn. Their reaction shows they did not expect him to say anything such. Their going off camera shows the two were partly shamed by the sentiments.
Granted! Entertainment needs to be fun and it has many times thrived playing on the ridiculous, but some extreme cases need to be avoided. Looking at Agidde’s age, it may not be surprising that he can utter such kind of remarks.
In my interactions with him through the years, such misplaced outpourings have been his trademark. Upon reasonable assessment one can see that it is all the work of his old age taking his toll on him.
If it is in an interview set-up or otherwise, the onus is always on you the conductor of that engagement to sieve out what is not necessary from what he says or does within those parameters.
The situation was the same in this clip. His assertions on Jetu may just have been spurred by the moment. But in some eyes it mirrors him as some unreasonable man hungry to pounce on every skirt that comes his way.
The setting was not a live one. So the basics in that set-up only demanded a retake of the same aided by proper scripted guidance on what he was supposed to say or not. But his handlers only saw the fun part of the clip and decided to go ahead and share the clip with the public.
Agidde has done a lot for his legacy to reach this far. At his age, the best we can do is enjoy him and make his sunset moments in this world all worthwhile and not parade him as some headless zombie. On this one, I feel his handlers could have done better.
