In the words of their hit song, New York R&B sensations SWV (Sisters with Voices) will be ‘Right Here’ in Zambia at the Stanbic Music Festival this weekend.
SWV joins Nigerian music icon Davido and top local artists Afunika, Mampi, Izrael, Danny and Chef 187 for the sixth edition of the country’s biggest musical festival in the Lusaka Polo Club this weekend (October 4-5).
The vocal trio: SWV, Cheryl (Coko) Gamble, Tamara (Taj) Johnson and Leanne (Lelee) Lyons became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s with a series of hits including “Weak”, “Right Here (Human Nature Remix)”, “I’m So into You”, and “You’re the One”.
The group have sold more than 25 million records worldwide.
“Right Here” is the title of their debut single. A remixed version, “Right Here (Human Nature Remix)”, became a number-one R&B single, selling 500,000 copies and earning a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. The song spent 54 weeks on the R&B chart, which is one of the longest chart runs of all time, and was named by Billboard number 17 on its list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.
News of the signing came as Brandy announced that on doctor’s advice she will be unable to travel to Zambia to perform.
Stanbic Head of PR and Communications Chanda Katongo said: “We are excited to announce the signing of Sisters with Voices as our second headline act for this year’s Stanbic Music Festival. Sadly, Miss Brandy Norwood has had to cancel all her international appearances, including the Stanbic Music Festival, because she is unwell. To Brandy we wish you all the best; we wish you a quick recovery; we are praying you and we are hoping you will get well soon. But the show must go on, and this weekend is going to be epic.”
With just a few days to go before the mega festival, event tickets have been selling fast, with Golden circle tickets already sold out while only a handful of VIP and ordinary tickets remain.
Tickets for the 2019 Stanbic Music Festival are on sale at selected Stanbic Bank branches, Computicket and other outlets across the country. priced at K500 for ordinary seats and K1,500 VIP. For Brandy-lovers, full ticket refunds are available from the same outlets from Sunday.
Yaba…..do they still exist…one hit wonder 1993
Shame about Brandy not coming.
Maybe she does not want to be labeled as a “has been”? Well, she is one.
I wonder if the picture of SWV is recent. I suspect it was taken 30 odd years ago. They must be old now, hope they can still sing.
Iye. Who’s going next. Jermaine Jackson?
This is a really bad idea……
In a way, this debacle mirrors the bank itself over the last few years. Unreliable, inconsistent and out of touch. Stanbic Bank peaked some years ago when they were big on SMEs, helping them to grow. Since then, they’ve become all about the big corporates and mired in dodgy transactions and legal cases. This music festival is purely a vanity project that should be taken off the books and money channeled towards CSR, SMEs or improving their own services. SWV is a bland band for a bland bank!