UB40 concert boosts business
2006-02-01 12:37
Maputo - Business boomed when the Mozambican capital of Maputo hosted UB40 music fans from across Southern Africa over the weekend.
Most visitors were from South Africa, but also from Swaziland, Zimbabwe and even Botswana and Malawi.
Dalila Tsihlakis, one of the show organisers, said more than 50 000 people attended the concert.
The show was the biggest in the country since the Eric Clapton show in 1990.
Guest relations officer at the Hotel Polana, Fatima Hasan, said the hotel was fully booked over the weekend.
"All our rooms were occupied and we had to sent some people away because we did not have room for them," she said.
She said some guests came from Portugal and the UK for the show.
The UK reggae band performed following an afternoon of performances by Southern African musos like Lucky Dube from South Africa, Oliver Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe and Mozambican bands Kapa Dech and Ghorwane.
The concert took place at the Machava stadium, which was also used in the Hollywood movie Ali for the Rumble in the Jungle fight scene.
The UB40 show was staged to raise money for HIV/Aids and to help child-headed families.
Feliciano Armando, who owns a fast food outlet and bar in the city, said he had record sales over the weekend.