Africa Day is for you
Africa Day – Giving a Voice to African Unity As a country, South Africa is probably best known for overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges, and forging reconciliatory links where conflict and strife seemed the only outlet for expression. The events of the past few weeks have reinforced the need for bridge-building initiatives such as the Africa Day celebrations, and organisers have resolved that this year’s events will take place as planned. The weekend of 23, 24 & 25 May, is devoted to Africa Day celebrations, culminating in two free concerts held in Newtown’s Mary Fitzgerald Square (24 May) and Soweto’s Mofolo Park (25 May). The concerts have always attracted a widely diverse audience. One the key reasons for its success is that the shows enjoyed the support of nationals from all parts of the African continent. The Concert Goes On “The easy thing would be to cancel or postpone the shows, but we believe that now, more than ever, it is critical that South Africans and our brothers and sisters from the rest of the continent gather together on this auspicious anniversary to celebrate and honour the ties that bind us, the commonalities that make us one people.” explains Steven Sack director for Arts Culture and Heritage within the Department of Community Development, City of Joburg “It’s important to remember that Africa Day was founded to connect us to one another as a people. We want the concerts to be an exemplar of this principle – let it be a place and time where we can be part of turning the tide against the xenophobia, and remind ourselves that fundamentally, we’re all in this together. ” Safety and Security The unrest has also prompted the organisers of the Africa Day celebrations to bolster the safety and security set up of the event to allay any potential worries around security at the shows. Comments Graeme Dickson, Arts Alive Disaster Management Consultant “We are confident about our security plan, and working in close conjunction with the Johannesburg Metro Police Department and the South African Police , have escalated the security and police presence to an appropriate level. “ As the preparations for the events continue, there is no doubt that, in keeping with our tradition of overcoming strife and challenges, the City of Johannesburg’s Africa Day 2008 celebrations will become part of a new story – one that tells of the triumph of compassion and Ubuntu over fear and...
South African line up for MyCoke Fest
We’ve never heard of Van Coke Kartel (luv the name tho), Crash Car Burn or the Shy Gueveras (cheesy!) but we certainly know and are fans of SA super group Wonderboom and have heard lots of good things about LoneHill Estate. We’re not huge rockers though so excuse our ignorance. These are the bands who will represent the creme de la creme of SA rock music at the My Coke Fest this year, Rockers – what are your thoughts? Pr below: Only SA’s best can quench your music thirst, and that’s why Coca-Cola in association with 5FM are thrilled to announce the line up of local bands performing at MY COKE FEST 08. The festival, which kicks off in Johannesburg on Friday the 21st at the New Market Racecourse, and then hits Cape Town on Monday the 24th of March 2008, at Kenilworth Racecourse, is already set to be the biggest music festival this year! Already converted to the “Coke side of life”, are some of the most sought after and alternative bands in the world, and now playing alongside KORN, MUSE, CHRIS CORNELL, KAISER CHIEFS, GOOD CHARLOTTE, 30 SECONDS TO MARS and PRIME CIRCLE, the highly anticipated local line-up includes: *WONDERBOOM*, *CRASH CAR BURN*, *LONEHILL ESTATE*, *VAN COKE KARTEL*, and the *SHY GUEVARAS* Brought to you by Coca-Cola and official radio station 5fm, the 2-date, all day, adrenalin fuelled festival is definitely hottest line-up to date! Thousands of ticket holders already thought so, which means you need to get yours now! WONDERBOOM, CRASH CAR BURN and LONEHILL ESTATE will only be performing in Johannesburg, and VAN COKE KARTEL and SHY GUEVARAS will only be performing in Cape Town! WONDERBOOM It’s not often a band delivers such unbridled passion, commitment and superlative, original sounds. WONDERBOOM does. They (Cito Otto on vocals, Martin Schofield on guitars, Wade Williams on bass, and Danny De Wet on drums) are one of South Africa’s most established and successful rock bands. During their decade together, they have released 7 albums, headlined every major SA festival and been nominated for 4 SAMA’s. In 2004 they won the local leg of the Global Battle of the Bands, and came second worldwide. ‘City of Gold’, WONDERBOOM’s seventh album, was released last year, and has seen its first single “Best Side” receive extensive airplay on radio stations nationally, and reaching No.1 on 5fm’s Hi5@5 chart. (Performing in Johannesburg ONLY!) CRASH CAR BURN Local power-pop contenders CRASH CAR BURN, were ironically formed in London two years ago. The band is made up of Brendan Barnes (Drums) and Garth Barnes (vocals/guitar), who were both in the hugely popular punk band...
Ismaël Lô sets fire to Cape Town!
Senegalese musician, and South African favourite, Ismaël Lô is returning to South Africa to perform at the Old Mutual Summer Sunset Series Concerts presented by Kaya FM at the Emmarentia Dam, 2 February, and presented by Heart FM at the Kirstenbosch Gardens, 3 February. Ismaël Lô has performed in South Africa a couple of times since his first tour in 1995, growing in popularity with each visit. With his modern mbalax sound, Ismaël Lô has managed to create an identity as a songwriter that uses his vision and experiences to represent and be a voice for a modern Africa. His achievements and talents are multidimensional and he uses his creative energy in other fields as well. He is a painter and an actor and he uses these to also raise awareness on modern day social issues, for instance, playing a role in Afrique mon Afrique, a musical movie about Aids in West Africa. Unrestricted by national boundaries, Ismaël Lô is a multi-instrumentalist with many diverse influences that include Wolof and Mandingo cultures of West Africa, and the R & B, Folk and Soul produced by the West. Ismaël Lô began his musical career as a solo singer, performing with a guitar and harmonica, and went on to take on the role of lead vocalist and guitarist for the group Super Diamano de Dakar in 1979. He spent the next 5 years as a member of Super Diamano de Dakar, until he decided in 1984 to pursue a solo career. He made a move to Spain and France where he studied and recorded three albums as well as the LP Tajabone for French label Barclay. He has achieved overwhelming success over the years since then. Releasing A-class albums and his performances have become irresistible to miss out on for his fans. He released ISO in 1994, with videos of the songs “Dibi dibi Rek” and “Tajabone” which have been playlisted on South African television which gave his career the push that it needed. Ismaël Lô’s performance is not one you want to miss out on so be sure you catch him at the Old Mutual Summer Sunset Series Concerts presented by Kaya FM at the Emmarentia Dam, 2 February, and presented by Heart FM at the Kirstenbosch Gardens, 3 February to see what the hype is about, if you do not know already. Tickets are available before the show and there are limited pre-sale mobile SMS tickets available if you would like to ensure your attendance. The mobile ticket system is easy to use – just follow the below directions: 1) Point your browser to: http://www.oppikoppi.co.za/content/Tickets.aspx 2) Click on the...
Get to Concerts for a Cause in CT
Spend a lazy Saturday Arvie in Cape Town in February supporting a good cause and enjoying local sounds. CONCERTS FOR A CAUSE kicks off with the first in their series of concerts at The Range in Tokai, on Sunday the 3rd of February 2008, with top SA acts Freshlyground, the Rudimentals, and Bed on Bricks. The concert series is aimed at raising funds for The Heart of Healing, an NGO committed to creating sustainable business solutions to social and environmental issues problems in South Africa. With a large portfolio, and diverse range of already developed solutions, the team of venture philanthropists now intend using a portion of the proceeds from each event towards the ongoing musical training and mentorship of disadvantaged, young artists, who will then be given the opportunity to showcase their talents alongside the bands headlining the events, providing visible feedback on how funds are channelled. Headlining next month’s laid back Sunday afternoon concert is MTV Award-winning Freshlyground, with their vivacious, catchy melodies and deeply introspective ballads. Their perfectly ultra catchy hit ‘Doo Be Doo’! is a favourite amongst a diverse spread of radio stations and their listeners, and the single, “I’d like”, also from their second album, the platinum-selling ‘Nomvula’, held the No.1 position on the 5fm charts for 3 consecutive weeks, and saw them playlisted on every station in the country. Freshlyground, made up of seven talented and diverse musicians from South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, is one of South Africa’s most successful young acts. They exude a live performance energy that has been the bedrock of their success, and seen them playing numerous music festivals including the Harare International Festival of the Arts, the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Villa Celimontana Festival in Rome, the 2005 Expo in Japan, the Robben Island African Festival, and the big Oppikoppi ‘Wired’ festival. The band, who bridge historical divides and defy musical stereotypes, were also asked to play before President Thabo Mbeki at the opening of Parliament on the eve of celebrating 10 years of democracy in South Africa! Next up, The Rudimentals bring you their blend of Pan African Ska, dance-hall rap, dope Reggae Rhythm and vintage Ska – with a dash of Jazz and the Blues. Their live shows have captured the imagination of everyone who has seen them, blurring age, taste and social group boundaries – from the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, to UB40, Vortex trance parties, and everywhere in between! They thrive on the fact that they defy musical genre categorization and are proud to carry the “unique” label. Having spent a considerable amount of time at the top of the SA...
Start the New Year with a Refresher!
We like the thinking – prepare a summer refresher bash in Jozi when everyone gets back from their Cape Town holiday and still needs more…By the way, Cape Town watch out, Jozi is en route en masse – mark our words. Buy your tickets online! Hunter’s, in association with Oppikoppi Productions, is proud to announce the biggest party taking place this summer in the heart of Ekurhuleni. The Hunter’s Refresher Session brought to you in conjunction with the City of Ekurhuleni will take place at the Dries Niemand Picnic Park, Kempton Park Golf Course and Sports Grounds, Ekurhuleni, on 12 January 2008. Those attending the Hunter’s Refresher Session can expect the cream of Mzansi’s musical brew, featuring an all-star line-up with the finest in hip-hop, dance, and jazz-kwaito fusion beats. DJ’s and artists will perform on 3 different stages for a day filled with refreshing tunes and only the coolest of Hunter’s beats to chill down even the hottest of summer days. Artists include legendary, awarded and chart-topping acts like Lira, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, Mafikizolo, HHP, Skwatta Kamp, Brown Dash, Glen Lewis and DJ Kenzhero to name a few. No tickets will be on sale at the gate, so buy your tickets today at Ticketconnection – go to http://www.ticketconnection.co.za/, or any Mr Price store and avoid disappointment. Tickets will sell for R110 (including all service fees) and R90 (including all service fees) if bought online at http://www.refreshersessions.co.za/. Tickets bought online at http://www.refreshersessions.co.za/ are SMS’d to your cell phone. Gates open at 12:00 and festivities will run till late. If you are a bit low on moolah at the moment, do not panic we brought along some incentives. If you are one of the first 1000 refresher-seekers to buy a ticket on-line at http://www.refreshersessions.co.za/ you can get and extra ticket for free. All you have to do to qualify for this deal is to buy a ticket, enter the correct bar code of a Hunter’s product and you will automatically get another ticket for free. In other words go 50 / 50 with a friend and you both get in for half price! Remember, this is a limited offer so get to http://www.refreshersessions.co.za/ now and do not lose out on this deal. Visit http://www.refreshersessions.co.za/ to make sure you get the low-down of the show and more special offers, also what to bring and to leave...
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