Limited time, a buzzing lineup of artists and a crowd crying for more as the event unfolds has been the trend at the last two editions of A Night of Thanksgiving (ANOT) hosted by Janet Manyowa.
The annual show which is now the largest gospel gig in the country has been growing by each edition.
However, time has now become a barrier to quench the thirst of the thousands who attend.
We started noticing this last year and we thought oh well there might have been delays in the commencement of the show at the Celebration Center.
After witnessing another edition run deep into the night with some individuals leaving before the concert had ended on Monday, we agree with Janet Manyowa who hinted in her closing remarks that maybe the event must be developed into an all-night show.
While logistics will now have to be adjusted immensely the idea is noble and can be implemented in the fifth or sixth instalment.
Now moving on to the show on January 1, 2024, at the HICC.
Here are four things we believe stood out.
Janet the musician
The award-winning singer has been quietly working hey.
Many were surprised to see her strap on a guitar and strum it like she has been in the game for a minute.
Seeing her transition from just being a vocalist to an instrumentalist is a big deal as there are very few female gospel musicians who are known for playing an instrument live on stage.
It was so cool watching Janet unleash the rock star within her.
By the time she hit the piano we were sold!
Kudos to Janet and team and may this not be the first and last.
May you keep refining your skills as this will have a great impact on your song arrangements and boost your musicality.
Tembalami
There were many acts on the day who included the likes of Pastor G, The Unveiled, Bishop Benjamin Dube and Khaya Mthethwa but one performance we remember vividly was Janet’s collaboration with Tembalimi on the latter’s three-year-old track ‘Mbiri’.
What a well polished delivery.
It was evident the two had taken time to rehearse as everything was well synchronized.
The atmosphere in the room was charged and many praised God on a whole different level with that number.
It slapped so differently to the studio version.
Joyful praise choir
While all the activity happening on the night was topnotch, the crowd was itching to hear the buzzing choir of the moment in the land, Joyful Praise Choir.
Janet and her team knew it and saved the best for the last.
What an energetic shutdown it was!
Had they been placed elsewhere on the lineup, things would have been too hot for some.
Shout to the youthful team as they have grown over the years.
Their debut performance at the first Anot was not so memorable as some of the lead vocalists struggled with staying in key but this time, except for one song, all things worked together for the good.
Esthetics
Janet Manyowa knows how to give her brand and those of her partners on any of her gig’s visibility.
Be it at the 7 Arts Theatre, Celebration Centre, ZITF or HICC, her team led by manager and husband, Munyaradzi Manyowa knows how to place brands strategically so that people attending know their involvement and desire to associate with them.
When compared to the Winky D concert that had taken place the night before at the same venue, there was no deliberate effort by the organisers to create space for fans to take pictures as they celebrate the Gafa’s two decades in music. Not even a simple picture wall to show the award-winning dancehall star’s journey in music.
The Janet Manyowa Music team is intentional about what it does and though not easy to pull off, this is the reason why brands want to be associated with her.
 hosted by Janet Manyowa. The annual show which is now the largest gospel gig in the country has been growing by each edition....Read More){kind=link}