Babes Wodumo to rock Bulawayo

AFTER missing her flight for her maiden Zimbabwean trip at the eleventh hour last year, popular South African dancer and singer, Babes Wodumo is scheduled to bring her act to the City of Kings under a new promoter, 2 Kings Entertainment, on September 1.

The Wololo hitmaker is set to perform at the Large City Hall car park.

Babes Wodumo and her fiancé-cum-manager, Mampintsha, of Big Nuz, failed to take part in the star-studded annual Kalawa home-coming party in December after they missed a flight from East London, leaving their followers disappointed.

However, 2 Kings Entertainment has decided to bring in the sassy dancer, who was nominated for the BET awards for Best International Act-Africa, which was won by Nigerian Wizkid. Dee Nosh, of 2 Kings Entertainment, spoke highly of Wodumo and the forthcoming show.

“We have always wanted to bring Babes Wodumo to Zimbabwe and we think this is the right time to do that. She will help us welcome summer. Babes is an energetic artist who needs no introduction,” he said.

Babes Wodumo, which means “famous babes”, was born Bongekile Simelane and is signed under Mampintsha’s West Ink label. Her track ‘Wololo’ was her breakthrough tune before releasing her debut album, The Gqom Queen, which also features tracks like Mercedes and Mngani Wami.

The self-proclaimed queen of Gqom boasts of being the first woman to put Gqom — a dance sub-genre from Durban — into the South African music industry.

Under Mamphintsha’s label, Babes Wodumo has started the West Ink Dance Academy, which gets children off the streets and onto the stage with her.

BY SINDISO DUBE