Bev looks to conquer world

TALENTED dancer Beverly ‘Bev' Sibanda's star continues to shine with demand for her showcases growing outside the country's borders.

Bev told the Daily News on Sunday that promoters from as far as Cyprus are after her signature.

Some want her to become a resident artist at joints in foreign lands, hence putting her on salary.

She said following her performances in the United Kingdom, the audience there cannot get enough of her raunchy dance routines.

Other calls are coming from Nigeria, Australia and Canada.

Bev's manager Hapaz Mapimhidze said they are still evaluating some of the deals.

Having worked with Congolese Koffi Olomide in one of his videos, Bev said the rhumba guru wanted her to be part of his ensemble but she could not stomach leaving her group.

"I still communicate with Koffi. He wanted me to be part of his group but I chose not to join, I wanted to do my own thing," she said.

The dancer, who has been staying in South Africa for the better part of last year, is currently enjoying her moment in the country as she fears xenophobic attacks in the neighbouring country.

"There are several options at the moment. I have attracted the interest of Nigerians who have since made formal communication through my management. I impressed them in South Africa where I was performing and I became a regular at their joint and now they want me in their country. We are looking at their deal and weighing the options and will announce the way forward," she said.

Her Nigerian trip is as good as done and she even produced her travelling documents to the country as proof.

"There are people in Cyprus who have been following me through online videos and they have reached out to me. They want to put me on a salary there. Show organisers in UK still want me there. They have been following me and were impressed when I first went there," she said.

Back in Africa, Bev said she has searched for opportunities in Botswana and found the diamond-rich nation unattractive.

"I have been in Botswana trying to explore some opportunities but I did not find the environment exciting. I feel it is not conducive for my work. It is unlike in South Africa where we can dance from Tuesday up to the weekend or here where we can have showcases from Thursday up to the weekend," she said.

She will also be touring Mozambique with a show lined up for today in the neighbouring country.

"We are going to Mozambique for a performance. This is an opportunity to explore how their showbiz is like. We have had Zimbabwean artistes perform there and they have all shared success stories," she said.

Bev said South Africa has been good to her, saying it has better returns than the local industry.

She, however, said the outbreak of xenophobic attacks in the neighbouring country will see her grounded home in the meantime.

"South Africa has been great. It has opened several avenues for me. I have met the Nigerians there and the returns there are better. However, there has been this violence which is being reported there that has stopped me from returning. Safety first and when the dust is settled then I will go back," she said.

Her manager said they will examine some of the deals to see if they are worth pursuing.

"There are calls from Canada, Australia and many other countries and all we have to do is to evaluate how they will benefit her. I'm happy that people follow her and notice what she does hence requests for her services," Hapaz said.