HARARE - Popular American singer John Legend’s highly anticipated Harare concert appears to have been cancelled yesterday to accommodate an additional concert for the Love in the Future singer in Durban.
Dave Davies, the promoter for Legend’s cancelled November 19 concert, implied during an interview with the Daily News that the Harare show was sacrificed due to logistical headaches created by the addition of the Durban show.
“Like we said earlier, there are logistical problems involved with moving up and down the borders. It is easier to move within the borders, hence the additional Durban show. But work will not stop, we actually have another big concert coming up,” he said.
Legend, who was born John Roger Stephens, was originally scheduled to perform in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Harare as part of his southern African tour but for reasons that are not yet clear, the 36-year-old American musician will now perform in Durban on the date previously allocated to Zimbabwe.
The Durban tickets are already on sale, bringing the total number of shows in South Africa to five. Both Cape Town and Johannesburg have been allocated two concerts apiece.
Davies revealed yesterday that he had suffered huge losses as a result of the cancellation but insisted that all ticket holders would be given a full refund.
“I will not share how much we have lost, but what I can guarantee you is that people will get their money back, no deductions. If you paid $150 you will get the full amount, we will not take people’s money. The refunds will take place from October 1 to 3 at Sam Levy’s Village,” he said.
Despite the huge losses incurred due to the cancellation of the high profile concert, Davies said he had already lined up another big concert that will be announced next week.
“Work will not stop. We actually have another big concert coming up,” he said.
Audrey Charamba, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe assistant director responsible for arts promotions and development, said Davies had fulfilled all the mandatory obligations.
“I am shocked that the concert has been cancelled. They are the best organisers we have ever dealt with; everything was in order,” said Charamba.