Bruce Ndlovu, ShowBiz Correspondent
From Prosper the Comic Pastor to Xavier of the Ngyatshiselwa fame, social media, particularly Facebook, has in the recent past played midwife to the birth of stars whose meteoric rise has not followed the traditional path to talent discovery and exposure.
When TV was the coveted nerve centre of the world of entertainment and showbiz, the quickest way to gain success was to land your face on the silver screen.
This was at a time when one was guaranteed that a brief cameo would be watched by all, as disruptive WhatsApp messages and exciting Facebook and Twitter timelines were still safely tucked away in the future.
Back then, when one mentioned a screen, it meant the square box that offered black and white and, later on when Colour TV was introduced, rainbow delights that kept both young and old entertained.
Now the screens most are exposed to are those that belong to the portable devices that set the agenda of today’s everyday life: the tabs and the smart phones.
In the world of local showbiz, the social media platforms available through these devices have been perhaps best utilised by the comedians.
Prosper the Comic Pastor has become a household name because of his comedic portrayal of simple Zimbabwean life, showing the goldmine of laughs that lies hidden beneath the ordinary. As one who is never seemingly ever stuck on one character, the shape shifting, Xavier’s ability to portray Zimbabweans caught in unusual scenarios and dilemmas has also earned him overnight adulation with Zimbabweans both at home and outside the country.
It is in light of such unpredicted and unforeseen stars that the Facebook Live, a live streaming service, one of the country’s most popular social mediums presents more opportunities to unearth more hidden gems whose talents could have rot away hidden otherwise.
The Facebook Live feature comes at a time when Facebook is now placing more emphasis on videos as the content of choice on the social network. Facebook Live is a basic feature that offers live-streaming video capabilities to users.
By simply tapping the live stream icon, one can start broadcasting a video live from their smart phone which is usually accompanied by a description of the event. Any users following will have the ability to watch the broadcast live and comment in real time. The maximum time limit for a broadcast is 30 minutes.
Recently, rapper Cal_Vin, on his visit to Germany through the feature, allowed fans to sneak into the European country with him via his smart phone. Instead of relying on elaborate equipment that would have set him back financially, the rapper was able to share the excitement of a new cultural experience with those back home.
Similarly Winky D’s album launch premiere on ZiFM Stereo was watched by thousands of his fans on Facebook as it happened.
According to a report by POTRAZ a few weeks ago, mobile broadband use in Zimbabwe shot up by 23 percent between April and June 2016 with 1 857 billion GB of data consumed during the period. The two terrible twins, Facebook and WhatsApp, were cited as the platforms laying waste to a huge chunk of this data.
Facebook has grown from a place to connect with friends or loved ones to a one-stop entertainment platform. This is after Facebook tweaked its algorithm to ensure that popular video posts are given prominence on users’ timelines.
With the rise of self-made social media superstars, the role of traditional media like TV becomes of less importance. The Zimbabwe Music Awards led the way by live streaming its award ceremony this year and with the country’s national broadcaster struggling to swim out of troubled waters, a scenario where this is the norm rather than the exception looks likely.
Live streaming now means that those that want to share events as they happen with their fans can do so without the filter of a bungling or overbearing broadcast partner.
“Who are the filmmakers waiting for? In today’s age one can shoot a pretty decent film using their smart phone. The internet is the greatest democracy.
“We don’t have to wait for licences, approvals, red tape. We can shoot a film and distribute it when we want. If we continue to wait on grants and support, people will tell our stories for us or they won’t get told at all”, said trailblazing talk show host, Zororo Makamba, whose current affairs programme — Tonight With Zororo — first found the wings for its initial ascent on online platforms.
It is with such simplicity that stars and legends are being created everyday online.
