Reggae fans will quickly forget Assassin's first foray into Africa for the lethargic performance he gave on a breezy wintry night at the Harare Gardens but will be recollecting the lasting images of a fiery Lady Squanda and an inimitable Sniper "General" Storm.
For those who attended Winky D's flawless performance at the Samsung Galaxy Pocket launch at Red Fox Hotel in which he used a live band, C&A Entertainment's insistence on bringing reggae artistes without a band has not gone down well with many music fans in the country.
For long the company responsible for bringing Elephant Man and Mavado to Zimbabwe has been getting away with "murder".
Distinctly flaccid, Assassin's set was poor; largely pedestrian and only livening up towards the end.
The use of back tracks made Agent Sasco look ordinary, Dadza D had more energy than that and maybe that is what led to one fan grabbing the Jamaican chanter's shades, the only thing to remember him by, but certainly not his performance.
The bouncers must also be told that they do not hit a thief in the manner they did when police could have just arrested him, embarrassing it may be but they do not pulverise a human being like that.
The importance of a live band has never been understated; C&A Entertainment should get advice from the likes of Shumba Instrumentation, fellow promoters, who have always gone the distance in bringing artistes and their bands. In an instance that has not happened they have roped in Transit Crew.
The idea being live performances are different from studio works, some of our local DJs struggled for the "One Drop" like when Jiggaz was performing. Back tracks give the impression of child's play; put Assassin on stage and play his riddims and people will jump seemed to be the assumption.
Indeed, in the latter part of his set the fans did but that can be placed on his own versatility as an artiste.
It is certainly cheaper to bring top reggae acts as one-man bands but it also gives the impression that a promoter is out for a quick buck.
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