The rhythmic Afro-pop dance floor sound of Ammara Brown flows through a musical path that is distinctly different from the jazz infused offerings of Tamy Moyo. Yet both of these multi-instrumentalists and All Africa Music Award winners exude a captivating aura every time they step on to the stage.
This was plain to see on February 12 when they joined forces for “Girls on the Move,” a two-hour pay-for-view livestream on Gateway Stream Music intended to celebrate and raise awareness of Zimbabwean women in music.
Providing a lively and brightly colored setting in support of their performances was a Blessing Bero designed lightshow that featured CHAUVET Professional Maverick and Rogue fixtures, including eight MK2 Spot units, four R2 Spots and four R2 Washes, all of which were supplied by Events Evolution.
Working in coordination with video designer Tatenda Gaylord Rushwaya, Bero reflected the personality and music of the two artists, each of whom performed separately during the livestream, after briefly meeting on stage. At the same time, he relied on recurring patterns in light angles and thematic color mixes to create a consistent, unifying image throughout the livestream.
Key to highlighting the artists and their backup performers was downlighting from the Maverick MK2 Spot fixtures. At times, Bero tightened the zoom on the 440-Watt moving fixtures to create a circle of light around each person on stage. For dramatic effect, he also created spot circles in front of the performers, adding greater dimensionality to the stage.
During other moments Bero broadened the zoom range of his Mavericks and directed multiple fixtures at Brown or Moyo to create a dramatic fan of light around the star herself. Drawing on the fixture’s CMY + CTO color mixing prowess, he frequently changed his spot palettes, oftentimes juxtaposing the color of his spots with a different hue from his washes to create a bold image that came off well on camera.
Color changes of all sorts occurred frequently throughout the livestream to set different moods. Most palette choices involved vivid combinations, such as greens and yellows or purples on reds. Rushwaya’s video panels were often color coordinated with Bero’s wash fixtures to create deep color saturations throughout the stage.
“We were after looks that stood out,” said Rushwaya, who like Bero is part of the Events Evolution design team. “The two stars wanted to make a strong statement celebrating women in music.”
Judging from the nonstop stunning vistas created by Events Evolution for two hours during their livestream, that’s precisely what they got.