The name itself, “Sounds of Victory,” resonated loudly and hopefully with anyone who is looking for a sign of inspiration after suffering through 10 long months of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s precisely why superstar Gospel singer Janet Manyowa, chose the phrase, which is taken from the Bible, Joshua 6, as the title for her latest EP, which was release at the end of 2020.
This encouraging message was reflected in the launch event for the new recording, not just in the multi-award-winning singer’s soaring vocals, but also in the lively, colorful lighting design that supported her on stage at the Harare International Conference Center.
Blessing Bero and his team at Events Evolution served up a never-ending procession of looks for the occasion with help from a the CHAUVET Professional Maverick MK2 Spot, Rogue R2 Spot and Rogue R2 Wash run through Net-X 2 via sACN .
Drawing on the versatility of these fixtures, Bero balanced the demands of lighting for the event’s pay-per-view livestream audience and the limited number of VIP guests invited to the launch. “Our primary focus was on the livestream viewers, but we also wanted to create a dynamic show for those who were present,” he said. “This required a degree of flexibility from our relatively small rig.”
Since Bero had only a limited number of fixtures at his disposal, each unit was called upon to perform multiple functions and cover wide areas. “We needed a consistent, even field of light across the main performance area,” he said. “Although we had only four MK2 Spots, they were able to provide us with this coverage perfectly, giving us excellent light levels for the lead singer and the backup vocalists.”
To highlight Manyowa as well as individual band members during solos, Bero relied on four Rogue R2 Spot fixtures. Thanks to the 240-watt fixture’s 16.5ﹾ beam angle he was able to achieve tight focus positions with no spill over. For some segments of the show, he would back the light from the Rogues with the output from his MK2 Spots to boost the level of ambient stage color.
For added ambience, Bero colorized the stage with 24 Rogue R2 Wash fixtures. Positioned on four truss totems, as well as above the video wall backdrops, and on overhead upstage truss, the fixtures created bold washes in primary colors to reflect the power of Manyowa’s music. “The amazing zoom coverage of the Rogue washes gave me big looks,” said Bero. “This was very impressive considering the small size of the fixtures.”
For Bero and his team, the chance to create big looks in front of a live (albeit very small) audience for a superstar, was a welcome relief after months of a pandemic lockdown. Every look they created seemed very special to them and filled them with hope, he recalls, which is exactly the kind of feeling that their client is hoping to share with the world.