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South Africa’s Pop Idols and HK Audio in Zimbabwe
HK Audio loudspeaker systems provided the sound for a special concert recently in Harare, Zimbabwe, as the top three stars from South Africa’s Pop Idols 2003 competition rocked the Harare Celebration Centre performing arts theatre. As a bonus the crowd also got to see local Zimbabwean musicians, the Kwe Kwe Band, who gave such an uplifting performance in the support slot that the crowd was dancing in the aisles.
Pop Idols winner, Anke Pietrangeli, together with runners-up Poseletso Sejosingoe and Jacques Terre Blanche, played to an enthusiastic, raucous crowd of over 3,500 who turned up for the concert, put on by digital broadcaster DStv and entertainment channel M-Net, which broadcast the Idols series. The event was sponsored by MultiChoice Zimbabwe, which broadcasts the DStv service.
The sound for the event was provided by the PA hire division of HK Audio distributor Devan Audio Engineering, Devan Pro-Audio, which has been operating from Harare since 1984.
Devan chose to use four HK Audio self-powered, long throw Projector systems, with two full systems flanking the stage and two as side fills, giving a total power of 10kW. Additionally, six HK AUDIO F.A.S.T. flexible active stage monitors were used on stage.
According to Devan’s CEO Peter van Deventer, there were some challenges to overcome. “The venue is a brand new, large indoor auditorium designed to seat 3,500 people theatre style,” he explained. “The acoustics were bright and very reflective, especially off the back wall. We set the stage Projectors to a short throw configuration, as we did with the side fills, to minimise slap-back off the back wall.”
During the first half of the evening the live band took to the stage, with the Idols and their respective backing tracks taking over for the second half. “The performers only arrived in the afternoon, so there was very limited available time for sound check,” continued van Deventer. “We spent a fair bit of time getting the EQ right for the band and then ran the Idols and their tracks off a separate mixer. The backing tracks were all over the place in terms of sound balance but we managed to get them all sparkling.
“The HK Projector systems made set-up very easy in the limited time we had. The power and sound quality was astounding when you consider we were playing to over 3,000 screaming teenagers – indoors.”
The exhilarating concert, which the crowd enjoyed every minute of, raised 35 million Zimbabwe Dollars for Rotary Zimbabwe’s Adopt-a- Grandparent Fund.
8th May 2004
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