It’s apt that South Africa’s beloved “first lady of song” celebrates her birthday on Heritage Day on September 24.
As a precursor to both events and in the last Road to Joy of Jazz concert before the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, the legendary Sibongile Khumalo will be performing at The Teatro at Montecasino on September 20 at 19h30.
She will be joined on stage by Kabomo Vilakazi, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse and Mimi Ntenjwa
Khumalo’s singing talents range from opera to jazz, choral music and musical theatre, always grounded by traditional and folk music of South Africa. She has been lauded as one of the great singing talents of her time, and has inspired the creation of new music by South African composers, both in the classical art song as well as jazz genres. She was a Standard Bank Young Artist (SBYA) winner for music in 1993.
Standard Bank Joy of Jazz takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre from September 25 to 27.
The 2014 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz is produced by T-Musicman and brought to audiences by Standard Bank in association with the Department of Arts & Culture; the City of Joburg, Gauteng Province and South African Tourism.
Go to:
Ø www.joyofjazz.co.za
Ø www.standardbankarts.co.za.
Ø www.facebook.com/standardbankjoyofjazz
Ø http://www.sbseventsmarketingsolutions.com
Ø http://standardbank.mobi/jazz
Ø twitter.com/joyofjazz
Ø www.facebook.com/standardbankjoyofjazz
Ø youtube.com/standardbankgroup
Tickets for Road to Standard Bank Joy of Jazz with Sibongile Khumalo and Friends at Montecasino cost between R250 and R350 available through Computicket and so are tickets for the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz.
Issued by JT Communicatoion Solutions on behalf of T-Musicman http://www.tmusicman.co.za
It was a night celebrating historic firsts and emerging music talent when young composers Antoni Schonken and Prince Bulo were crowned the winners of the 2014 SAMRO Overseas Scholarships Competition on Saturday night.
Each winner – one in the Western Art Music genre, one in the Jazz Music category – walked away with a lucrative R170 000 scholarship to further their music studies abroad.
This year the SAMRO Foundation’s annual contest, which has been in existence since 1962, included a groundbreaking partnership with the South African Post Office and the Gerard Sekoto Foundation ahead of Heritage Month. New arrangements of original Sekoto music compositions were performed for the first time in public on the night, and the SA Post Office showcased its new series of stamps depicting 10 late South African music legends.
On 30 August 2014, the Wits Great Hall in Braamfontein resounded with vibrant music when the original compositions of the four scholarships finalists were performed during a special Concert Evening.
In the Western Art Music category, the work Eventide by University of Cape Town Master’s student Amy Crankshaw (22) was brought to life by Malcolm Nay (piano) and Luke Newby (clarinet). This was followed by a performance of Six Short Dances, composed by Stellenbosch University PhD candidate Antoni Schonken (26), by Nay on piano, Khanyisile Mthetwa-Lacny on flute and Maciej Lacny on cello.
The Orbit Big Band from the Orbit Jazz Club in Braamfontein performed both Jazz Music compositions that were in contention for top honours: April 14 by Kingsley Buitendag (29) – a composer, pianist, bass player and lecturer based in the Eastern Cape – and Bass’d in Africa by Prince Bulo (28), a Master’s student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Both candidates had been merit or runner-up award winners in previous SAMRO Overseas Scholarships Competitions.
Apart from the budding composers having the privilege of seeing their original works performed by seasoned professionals on the night, another highlight was the premiere of two works by Sekoto (1913-1993), who was a gifted composer in addition to being an exceptional visual artist.
His lively compositions Igoli and Africa, arranged by former SAMRO scholarship winner James Bassingthwaighte, were performed by the Orbit Big Band with Sean Jacobs on vocals – drawing appreciative applause as the audience witnessed history in the making.
In another first, the evening saw the launch of the Surendran Reddy clazz Award for young composers. Reddy was a boundary-crossing South African composer, pianist and teacher who passed away in 2010. He termed his signature style “clazz” – a fusion of classical, jazz, traditional African music, mbaqanga and other types of world music.
The SAMRO Foundation and Reddy’s longtime companion, Heike Asmuss, hope that this new award will encourage young composers to break free of the shackles of genre and style to come up with a free, experimental sound of their own.
The inaugural Surendran Reddy clazz Award was presented to a delighted Bulo, who also won one of the two scholarships on offer. Each of the runners-up in the scholarships competition received R40 000 to further their studies, with Paul Morrissey (Jazz Music) and Arthur Feder (Western Art Music) being presented with merit awards for their compositions.
Dedicating this, the 53rd SAMRO Overseas Scholarships Competition, to pioneering composers both past and present, SAMRO Foundation managing director André le Roux noted: “The path of the pioneer and the innovative thinker is seldom a smooth one, but as long as we embrace the artists, creators, novel troublemakers, inventors, rebels and revolutionaries in our midst, there is hope for the state of our arts sector.”
Visit www.samrofoundation.org.za or follow @SAMROFoundation on Twitter or Facebook for more information. To find out more about the SA Post Office’s commemorative music legends stamps, visit www.postoffice.co.za. The Gerard Sekoto Foundation may be contacted at www.gerardsekotofoundation.com.
For interview requests, high resolution photos and media queries please contact JT Comms on media@jtcomms.co.za or (011) 788 7631/2
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on Behalf of SAMRO Foundation - www.samrofoundation.org.za
Come and celebrate spring and the country’s 20 years of Democracy with a star-studded procession of South African music royalty at the annual Tribute Concert, taking place at Moretele Park on Saturday, 30 August 2014, Mamelodi in Pretoria.
The City of Tshwane once again plays Proud Host to this ever-popular concert, now in its 17th year, which is renowned as one of the premier events on the country’s music calendar.
The line-up for this year’s special-edition Moretele Park Tribute Concert, which pays homage to our Democracy and its musical Heroes and Icons, reads like a who’s who of the local music industry. Organisers Drakensberg Promotions have assembled a parade of exceptional artists that will head to Mamelodi for a daylong party pulsing with jazz, pop, traditional and dance music.
Headlining the 2014 event are Afro-pop duo Mafikizolo, the comeback kids who recently collected two MTV Africa Music Awards to add to the eight South African Music Awards they won at this year’s ceremony.
Plus, sensational dance maestros Mi Casa will be getting the crowd up on their feet with their essential and uplifting house grooves.
The one and only Johnny Clegg – our very own Le Zulu Blanc, a true living legend who has been fêted as a French Knight of Arts and Letters and who received the Order of Ikhamanga back home – will also be performing on the day.
He will be joined by fellow music veterans Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Letta Mbulu, Jonas Gwangwa, Thomas Chauke and Ringo. The younger generation of dazzling musicians is well represented by Lira, Bhudaza, Musa (last year’s Idols winner) and Zonke – all adding up to an unmissable music encounter par excellence.
Emerging jazz artists and groups will also perform on the day, which pays homage to South Africa’s music luminaries while showcasing the next generation of bubbling-under talent.
“We are immensely proud that the Moretele Park Tribute Concert is now widely regarded as being the hottest springtime party in the country,” says Leonard Sithole of Drakensberg Promotions.
“This year’s event is a particularly special occasion for us, because it gives us the opportunity to reflect on how far we have come as a country in the two decades since the dawn of democracy – but also to celebrate our musical riches, from our evergreen stalwarts right through to our talented young upstarts.”
Join the thousands of revelers at Moretele Park Tribute Concert in Mamelodi, at one of the year’s most festive parties! The entertainment starts at 11am, and continues into the night. Tickets cost R300 and are available at Computicket.
Concert details
Ø Event: Moretele Park Tribute Concert
Ø Date: Saturday, 30 August 2014
Ø Venue: Moretele Park, Mamelodi in Pretoria
Ø Artists: Mafikizolo, Mi Casa, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Lira, Johnny Clegg, Don Laka, Letta Mbulu, Jonas Gwangwa, Ringo, Bhudaza, Idols 2013 winner Musa, Zonke and Thomas Chauke
Ø Time: 11h00
Ø Tickets: R300 at Computicket
For event details contact (011)482 4937 - Drakensberg1@telkomsa.net
For media queries, media accreditation, interview request, access to high res pics etc please contact JT Comms on media@jtcomms.co.za or (011) 788 7631/2
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on behalf of Drakensberg Promotions
Media Release 12 August 2012
SAMRO Foundation supporting the Big Band
Jazz Festival
Johannesburg:- If you are a jazz lover, then the Gauteng Big Band Jazz Festival sponsored by the SAMRO Foundation is sure to set your feet tapping, as the next generation of big band jazz musicians take to the stage.
Join us at The Edge, St. Mary’s School, 55 Athol Street, Waverley on the nights of Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 September 19h30
The following schools/colleges will be participating in the Festival:
Wednesday 19 September
St. Mary’s Waverley Senior School Jazz Band
Pridwin Afro-Jazz Ensemble
St John’s College Senior Jazz Band
Johannesburg Youth Jazz Ensemble
The Pridwin P’zazz Jazz Band
Roedean Jazz Band
Tshwane University Stage Band
Thursday 20 September
King David Jazz Band
St. Katharine’s Jazz Band
St. David’s Marist All Stars Band
Music Academy of Gauteng
St. Alban’s College Big Band
The S.A. College High School Jazz Band (Cape Town)
This event has been made possible by the Sponsorship of the SAMRO Foundation. The SAMRO Foundation is a newly-registered non-profit organisation which replaces the SAMRO Endowment for the National Arts (SENA). The Foundation is the corporate social investment arm of SAMRO, the Southern African Music Rights Organisation with André le Roux as its Executive General Manager.
The Aims and Objectives of the SAMRO Foundation include the promotion of the national arts through sponsorships of various kinds, encouraging excellence in the arts, facilitating economic participation in the creative economy, influencing cultural and arts policy by means of research and advocacy, and promoting living cultural heritage. The Foundation houses one of the largest archives of original South African art music and light music scores (www.samrofoundation.org.za).
Bookings through Computicket: 0861 915 8000
For all Enquiries on the festival please contact Ann Barr 082 451 3696
Email: gautengbigbandjazzfest@gmail.com
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on behalf of the SAMRO Foundation
This festival, arguably the largest of its kind in the world, is poised to explode with a multitude of marimba and steelpan drumming bands from all over Africa.
In addition to experiencing amazing music on offer, members of the public will have the opportunity to play marimbas, steelpans and djembe drums at numerous workshops held throughout the two days of the festival. Plus, there will be dance workshops including gumboot, Greek, Riel, pantsula, hip-hop, Tswana and Indian dancing.
Various lectures and demonstrations will also be on offer at the festival, as well as the world premiere of the composition Danger Beach by acclaimed South African steelpan musician Dave Reynolds.
Besides all the music and workshops, there will be activities galore for the whole family: jumping castles, face painting and story-telling for the very young; car displays and television screens for the sport-loving dads and plenty of stalls for the shopaholic moms. Buy your Christmas presents now!
The entertainment starts at St Benedict’s College in Harcus Road, Bedfordview, on Saturday, 2 August 2014, at 8.30am and continues until 9pm. On Sunday, 3 August 2014, the music and merriment kicks off at 8.30am and comes to a close at 6pm.
Early-bird tickets for the International Marimba and Steelpan Festival may be obtained online at www.internationalmarimbafestival.org for R120 for a weekend pass. Alternatively, get your tickets at the gate for R140 for a weekend pass, which includes a set of exclusive discount vouchers for a number of festival stalls as well as local and national stores.
Daily tickets are also available at R80. Children under 6 get in free and pensioners qualify for a discounted rate of R50 per day or R100 for a weekend pass. Once you are in the gate, all entertainment and workshops are free – making for a fantastic family outing that’s great value too! Block booking enquiries may be directed to Bongi at bongi@educationafrica.org.
For media accreditation, interview requests and access to high res photos please contact media@jtcomms.co.za or (011) 788 7632 and speak to Dee’s
Issued by JT Communication Solutions of Behalf of Education Africa International Marimba and Steelpan Festival - www.internationalmarimbafestival.org
A Swiss-South African jazz collaboration is set to take local stages by storm in June and July, when Baenz Oester & The Rainmakers perform in Gauteng, Cape Town, Maputo and Grahamstown.
The band is made up of bassist Oester and saxophonist Ganesh Geymeier from Switzerland, and pianist Afrika Mkhize and drummer Ayanda Sikade from South Africa. They will be playing their exuberant “music of intention” throughout Southern Africa from 27 June to 13 July 2014, supported by Pro Helvetia, the Swiss arts council.
The tour kicks off with two dates in Johannesburg on 27 and 28 June (the Orbit jazz club in Braamfontein and the Fête de la Musique street festival in Melville), before they head to Maputo on 1 July to play at the CCFM cultural centre.
On 4 and 5 July, the Rainmakers will make their way to Grahamstown for the Standard Bank Jazz Festival at the National Arts Festival, where they will get the DSG Hall cooking on 4 July and the SB Jazz & Blues Café on 5 July. The quartet will also be presenting jazz workshops at the festival.
Then it’s on to Straight No Chaser (previously known as the Mahogany Room) in Cape Town on 10 July, before they head back up to Gauteng to play at the Pretoria State Theatre on 11 July and Niki’s Oasis and Afrikan Freedom Station in Johannesburg on 12 and 13 July respectively.
The music of Baenz Oester and the Rainmakers has been described by the Swiss media as “full of joy”, “breathtaking”, “brilliant and animated” and “inspir[ing] from beginning to end”.
And it all came about as a result of a chance encounter. Oester, Geymeier, Mkhize and Sikade met at the National Arts Festival in 2011, when the seed was planted to get together and jam on a more regular basis. This camaraderie and shared musical philosophy has since blossomed into a more formal collaboration, with a series of successful concerts in Switzerland and the release of an album, Playing at the Bird’s Eye, recorded live at the Basel jazz club of the same name in 2012.
Now, the four friends are reuniting to bring their languid original jazz compositions to Southern African audiences. Echoing the members’ varying backgrounds and traditions, the band’s style is suitably eclectic – incorporating seductive and funky blues, African rhythms and Swiss folk tunes, all mashed up with a good measure of blinding improvisation.
Mkhize is the 2012 Standard Bank Young Artist for jazz, and is known for his distinctive piano playing. He has also worked as a producer for the likes of Themba Mkhize (his father), Sibongile Khumalo and Kabelo, and served as musical director for the late Miriam Makeba for many years. Sikade, a talented drummer, has worked with such luminaries as Feya Faku, Bheki Mseleku, Robbie Jansen, Barney Rachabane, Darius Brubeck and the late Zim Ngqawana.
Oester, on contra bass, is regarded as one of Europe’s leading jazz bassists, and also lectures at the music academies of Basel and Lausanne. Fellow Swiss Geymeier, on tenor saxophone, has a style that pulses with emotional fire while being buoyed by a delicate spaciousness.
The one word that comes up most frequently in descriptions of the band’s music is “joy”. Don’t miss out on this potent cross-cultural, intercontinental music collaboration – visit www.baenzoester.com for more details or book at the respective venues for one of the jazz events of the year.
Tour itinerary: Baenz Oester and the Rainmakers
Friday 27 June The Orbit Johannesburg
Saturday 28 June Fête de la Musique Johannesburg
Tuesday 1 July CCFM Maputo
Friday 4 July DSG Hall Grahamstown
Saturday 5 July SB Jazz & Blues Cafe Grahamstown
Thursday 10 July Straight No Chaser Cape Town
Friday 11 July State Theatre Pretoria
Saturday 12 July Niki’s Oasis Johannesburg
Sunday 13 July Afrikan Freedom Station Johannesburg
What the Swiss press have said about Baenz Oester and the Rainmakers:
For Interview requests and access to high resolution pictures contact JT Communication Solutions on media@jtcomms.co.za or 011 788 7632
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on Behalf of Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council - www.prohelvetia.org.za
Education Africa in partnership with St. Benedict’s College, Bedfordview will present the 3rd Education Africa International Marimba and Steelpan Festival 2014 on Saturday 2nd August and Sunday 3rd August 2014 at St. Benedict’s College, Harcus Road, Bedfordview, Gauteng.
Over 1600 performers from all 9 provinces, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago will descend on Bedfordview where you will hear some of the world’s best marimba and steel bands perform. This festival is arguably the largest of its kind in the world!
Bring your whole family to this outdoor/indoor event. Besides the hotly contested marimba and steelpan competitions which provide non-stop performances for two days, entertainment also includes a flea and craft market, opportunities to learn to play the marimba, djembe drum and steelpan, a massed djembe experience as well as a massed steelpan and marimba item. You can also learn to dance several African dances including Gumboot dancing!
To get your early bird special price online for only R120 for a full weekend pass which includes ALL entertainment and activities visit http://www.internationalmarimbafestival.org/register-spectator.asp
Alternatively, get your tickets at the gate on the day:
R140 per person for a weekend pass OR
R80 per person for a day pass.
Block bookings also available contact: Bongi: 011 6857300 or bongi@educationafrica.org
Swiss style and sensuality for SA dance stages
Brilliant news for dance aficionados is that the award-winning Swiss contemporary ballet work NILE will be touring venues throughout Southern Africa for two weeks in July.
Created by choreographers Laurence Yadi and Nicolas Cantillon, with original music by Sir Richard Bishop, NILE scooped the prestigious Swiss Award for Dance and Choreography in 2011.
Now, this sensual and beautiful work is winging its way southwards. It will be presented in South Africa and Mozambique by Company 7273, a Swiss/French contemporary dance outfit, and supported by Pro Helvetia, the Swiss arts council.
NILE can be seen at the Transnet Great Hall at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown on 5, 6 and 7 July 2014, before it heads to the Franco-Mozambican Cultural Centre (CCFM) in Maputo on 15 July 2014, and then to the Wits Main Theatre in Johannesburg as part of the 969 Festival on 17 July 2014.
In between these performances, from 9 to 12 July, Company 7273 will be in KwaZulu-Natal to present workshops and master classes for professional and semi-professional dancers, as well as for parents and children interested in contemporary ballet. These classes will be held in partnership with the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as local dance companies Flat Foot and Siwela Sonke.
Company 7273’s choreographers and artistic directors, Ms Yadi and Mr Cantillon, worked extensively as performers and choreographic assistants at the Ballet Jazz Art in Paris, the Geneva-based Alias dance company and Rui Horta in Lisbon.
In 2003, they started branching out to choreograph their own work, first with the piece La Vision du lapin, followed by Simple Proposition (2005) and then Climax (2006), which received the Lietchi Foundation’s Award for the Arts.
After En Concert and Laï laï laï laï, Listen & Watch (2009), the third installment of a trilogy exploring the relationship between dance and 1970s American folk music, marked Company 7273’s first artistic collaboration with experimental American musician Sir Richard Bishop – a composer, guitarist and singer who, in the early 1980s, co-founded ethnic-improv pioneers the Sun City Girls.
In 2011, this meeting of three creative minds came to potent maturity with the creation of the award-winning work NILE, which is now set to grace Southern African stages.
Acoustic guitar music and the sounds of the region where the river runs, move these five dancers in a way that can be described as sensual and layered with emotion, and combines with the choreography to create a subtle, sexy energy.
Rich with allegory and abstraction, NILE conjures emotions that overtake the physical reality of the river to which it alludes. It is no longer just a river on a map, but a reservoir of imagination, a way to explore movement and the mental universe. The flow of the dancers’ movements creates a state of trance.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to witness French-Swiss contemporary ballet at its most cutting-edge and striking! Book through venues, details below.
NILE Southern Africa tour itinerary: 5 to 17 July 2014
Performance: National Arts Festival, Grahamstown
¾ Transnet Great Hall
¾ 5 & 6 July, 17h00
¾ 7 July, 12h00
¾ R65
¾ Purchase tickets from the National Arts Festival via their website at this link https://www.nationalartsfestival.co.za/2014-festival/
Week of workshops & master classes:
Aimed at professional & semi-professional dancers, as well as parents & children, in partnership with the Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN), Flat Foot and Siwela Sonke
¾ 9 – 12 July
¾ Venues & times details on request
¾ Or, for more info contact Elroy Bell of Siwela Sonke Dance Company at elroybell@gmail.com
Performance:
¾ Franco-Mozambican Cultural Centre (CCFM), Maputo
¾ 15 July, 19h00
¾ More info and ticket purchase from: http://www.ccfmoz.com/
Performance:
¾ 969 Festival, Johannesburg
¾ Wits Main Theatre
¾ 17 July, 20h00
¾ Purchase tickets from WITS Theatre directly or vie webtickets at this link http://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=829172759
NILE Southern Africa tour CREDITS
Choreography , Concept:
Laurence Yadi, Nicolas Cantillon
Cast:
Luc Benard, Nicolas Cantillon, Gildas Diquero, Lola Kervroedan, Margaux Monetti, Laurence Yadi
Artistic collaboration:
Graziella Jouan, Karelle Ménine
Music:
Sir Richard Bishop
Mix , Recording:
Nicolas Field
Light creation:
Patrick Riou
Technical manager:
Arnaud Viala
Costumes:
Philippe Combeau
Graphic design:
Yona Lee
Tours , Management:
Sarah Camara
Production:
Compagnie 7273
Coproducers:
ADC - Association pour la Danse Contemporaine (Genève – Suisse) & CND – Centre National de la Danse (Pantin – France)
Financial support:
La Compagnie a bénéficié d'un soutien conjoint pour la période 2009-2011 de la Ville de Genève, la République et le Canton de Genève et Pro Helvetia-Fondation suisse pour la culture. La Compagnie 7273 est également soutenue par La Loterie Romande, Fondation Fluxum, Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung, Zuger Kulturstiftung Landis & Gyr, Artephila Stiftung, Pour-cent culturel Migros
Studios for rehearsals, Residencies of creation:
La Compagnie 7273, a bénéficié de la mise à disposition de studios de la part de l’ADC - Association pour la Danse Contemporaine et du Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, ainsi que du CND – Centre National de la Danse, France
Special thanks to:
La Compagnie 7273 remercie tout particulièrement Monique Barbaroux, Silvia Bidegain, Philippe Cohen, Anne Davier, Muriel Décaillet, Sylvie Dhuyvetter, Patrick Eberhardt, Sébastien Favez, Nicolas Field, Myriam Kridi, Thomas Lebrun, Yona Lee, Françoise Mamie, Renaud Noël, Claude Ratzé, Hebba Shérif – Pro Hevetia Le Caire, Nicole Simon-Vermot, Sandra Vinciguerra, les studios d’hébergement aux Halles de l’Île du Département de la Culture de la Ville de Genève et de la Villa Bernasconi - Service Culturel de la Ville de Lancy
Links
Pro Helvetia website:
http://www.prohelvetia.org.za/
NILE Southern African Tour (Pro Helvetia) news page:
http://www.prohelvetia.org.za/cie7273-s-NILE.3445.0.html
NILE at National Arts Festival (Pro Helvetia) news page:
http://www.prohelvetia.org.za/The-National-Arts-Festival.3459.0.html
Company 7273 webpage:
For Interview requests and access to high resolution pictures contact JT Communication Solutions on media@jtcomms.co.za or 011 788 7632
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on Behalf of Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council - www.prohelvetia.org.za
After negotiations, the Professional Evaluation and Research Company (PEAR) has licensed its media monitoring activity with DALRO. It is the first company to sign a DALRO media monitor licence and DALRO is encouraged by its response to the agreement.
Nothando Migogo, Managing Director of DALRO, says: “This licence represents more than a step towards better compliance for PEAR, it is the beginning of a series of partnerships between media monitors, DALRO and publishers, in which all players aim to make access to content easier, legitimate and fair. DALRO is excited to have a forward-thinking and innovative company like PEAR on board”.
The licence means that PEAR will be duly compensating the publishers whose articles it distributes to its clients. As DALRO represents the majority of South African newspaper and magazine publishers by direct mandate, PEAR now has the accreditation to pursue its media monitoring activities knowing it is not infringing the Copyright Act.
“By signing up to all statutory requirements aimed at improving the quality and integrity of the industry, PEAR and DALRO have shown that they are equally committed to support publishers and protect the rights of all key players across the media monitoring market.” Says Shanaaz Nel, Chief Executive Officer of PEAR.
The milestone has left DALRO optimistic that it will be engaging with more players in the industry to foster a culture of copyright compliance.
*DALRO was established in 1967 and administers various aspects of copyright on behalf of authors, artists and publishers. It is a long-standing member of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO) and proudly claims an extensive repertoire of both local and foreign content through relationships with local publishers and affiliate international organisations. For more information on DALRO, visit www.dalro.co.za.
For more details contact Sarah-Jane Bosch at DALRO on 011 712 8398 or sarahjane.bosch@dalro.co.za
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on behalf of DALRO
Harem coaching in collaboration with the African Media Resource Centre presents a series of entrepreneurial networking sessions
Date:- 21 June 2014
Time:- 10h30 to 12h30
Cost:- R200
Venue:- 123 Buckingham Avenue; Craighall Park (see map attached)
Experience the enchanting music of Metro FM Jazz Music award winner Mimi and her legendary husband Mdu Mtshali - Music entrepreneurs who will share their amazing story of integrating music in their business
An AfricansforAfrica networking session aiming to Create a network of empowered connectors towards unleashing a social epidemic in getting your business off the ground
Banking Details:
Name: JT Communication Solutions
Bank: ABSA Hyde Park
Branch Code: 633 205
A/C No: 405 917 8086
A/C Type: Cheque
Reference: ENC(include your name)
RSVP: media@jtcomms.co.za or
011 788 7631/2
Artists Indaba and new shows provide buoyant start to PACOFS’ new era
The Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (PACOFS) an agency of the department of Arts and culture is riding an exciting wave of activity, following a successful Artists Indaba last month and built around several upcoming events that confirm its standing as a leading South African performing arts centre.
Hosted the Sand du Plessis Theatre, the flagship theatre of PACOFS Bloemfontein complex, the mid-April Artists Indaba drew province-wide representatives from many different sectors including theatre, dance and music.
Among those addressing the first-ever PACOFS Artists Indaba was its CEO, Teboho Macholo who outlined the new team’s vision to bring in a clean administration with transparency at its core. “We are committed to realising the arts sector as a powerhouse of the Free State economy,” Macholo said.
A rousing welcome was given to PACOFS’ new Artistic Director, veteran actor Jerry Mofokeng. Mofokeng’s vast experience on the ground, as an actor, director and writer, is undoubtedly an important boon for maximising the artistic community’s role in taking PACOFS to new heights.
“We are determined to treat everyone with dignity,” stated Mofokeng, who has been given a five-year mandate at to turn PACOFS into a performance and artistic destination to be reckoned with.
Mofokeng told members of the artistic community that he had a deep-seated commitment to excellence, particularly at a development level. “We know how to make theatre and this must be visible across all levels of what we do,” said the Artistic Director. “It’s about bringing the best of the world to the Free State and taking the best of the Free State to the world. We must create, we must recreate, we must excite and we must tell stories.”
This commitment by Mofokeng and the entire PACOFS team is demonstrated by one of the shows headed to the National Arts Festival this year.
Set to be one of the undisputed highlights of PACOFS’s presence at the National Arts Festival, Grandma’s Song tells an inspiring story of love, music and self-discovery – and heads to Grahamstown following a successful run at the Andre Huguenet Theatre in April 2013.
The show – which was written and directed by Mofokeng – is based on the life of Mantsopa, a powerful prophetess who was believed to hold a gift to see into the future and to communicate with the ancestors. Grandma’s Song follows the journey of a young girl with the gift to heal through music as she confronts a life of loss and recovery.
Among the heavyweight acting talent heading for the Grahamstown production of this important South African theatre event are Bloemfontein-based actor Lebohang Bonyane (Tumahole in the SABC 2 Soapie Muhvango), Tseko Monaheng (a Lesotho actor who was seen in the film Kau La Pooho), Mosili Makuta and Robeka Silinda. The talented Gabriel Stuurman takes the role of music director. The play also consist of other five Free state based artists whom one of them once expressed his glee on the last performance to say he could not believe how he has grown as a musician and has now been introduced and developed to being an actor through this play.
Another demonstration of PACOFS commitment to showcasing world-class, African-rooted talent is the upcoming Africa Day Concert, taking place at the Sand Du Plessis Theatre on May 23rd and featuring Caiphus Semenya and Letta Mbuli.
For more information on these and other productions contact: Lelethu on email: Lelethu@pacofs.co.za or 051 447 7771, 079 875 5381
For media interviews, access to high res pics, please contact Maseeta Makgabane maseeta@pacofs.co.za or (079 8756 177) or 051 447 7771 or media@jtcomms.co.za or 011 788 7631
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on Behalf of The Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (PACOFS) www.pacofs.co.za
The Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (PACOFS) is stepping into the future with it’s first-ever Artists Indaba.
Taking place at the Sand du Plessis Theatre at PACOFS’ Bloemfontein complex on April 12th, the milestone event presents a unique opportunity for performing arts stakeholders in the province to become part of the new era of PACOFS.
The latter began with the confirmation of Teboho Macholo as CEO and the appointment of veteran actor, Jerry Mofokeng as Artistic Director earlier this year. Its aim is the development and production of performing arts in a way that serves Free State audiences and beyond. The new era of PACOFS is also set to play an increasingly important part of the Department of Arts and Culture’s primary objective of laying the foundation of greatness.
“This Indaba is a platform for us to articulate our plans and for our stakeholders to express their wishes and aspirations and we are encouraging as wide a participation as possible,” says Macholo. Among the plans to be presented by PACOFS on April 12th will be the year’s programme and the many partnerships that have already been brokered by Macholo and his team with the likes of the Central University of Technology (CUTS) and the SABC.
The Artists Indaba is also the first time that the artistic community of the Free State will be able to engage with Mofokeng.
“I’m very excited about the chance to meet as many players and stakeholders as possible,” says the veteran actor of the upcoming Indaba.
“Of course, I am excited to bring my skills and expertise to PACOFS and share my vision for the coming years. But, equally, it’s important that I get to know the people and organizations that drive the arts in this province. Only when we have a shared vision will we be able to take PACOFS into the future and make our mark as a performing arts establishment to be reckoned with, nationally and even internationally.”
The PACOFS Artists Indaba is a significant event on the national performing arts stage and is set to mark the start of the Free State becoming a significant national player.
For more information contact: email: Lelethu@pacofs.co.za or 051 447 7771, 079 875 5381
Artists Indaba details.
Venue: Sand Du Plessis Theatre at PACOFS.
Date: Saturday, 12 April 2014.
Time: 09h30 till 15H00. (Lunch will be served).
*PS There is an opportunity to host a limited number of National media to attend the Indaba – please urgently let us know if you would like to attend and we will advise but support is available to assist make this possible
For media interviews, access to high res pictures, accreditation or more info please contact Dee’s on media@jtcomms.co.za or 011 788 7631/2
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on Behalf of The Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (PACOFS) www.pacofs.co.za
For Immediate Release 18 February 2014
Mos Def (Grammy nominated Hip Hop Artist and Multi Award Winning Actor to deliver the Key Note Address at Music Exchange)
MUSIC EXCHANGE – South Africa’s premier music, film and entertainment programme returns to Cape Town City Hall, on the 7 and 8 March 2014, and this year the list of guest speakers is filled with nothing shy of true heavyweight material.
Music Exchange’s latest coupe is the inclusion of Mos Def (aka Yasiin Bey) who will open this year’s forty-eight hour investment in our entertainment economy. Music Exchange is expanding its traditional music focus to include film and entertainment, by securing the attendance of Mos Def - aka Yasiin Bey, who has successfully crossed over from music into film thanks to acclaimed roles in The Italian Job, Def Poetry, 16 Blocks, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Dexter, among others.
South African-born film score composer Dr Trevor Jones, who has carved out a successful career in Hollywood and composed over 120 projects for film and television returns as Music Exchange board member this time. Delegates can look forward to the renowned composer and mentor presenting a talk on his collaborations with the likes of Irish super group U2 and Sinéad O’Conner.
Jones’ music scores remain the stuff of legend. These include Excalibur, The Dark Crystal, Notting Hill, Runaway Train, Angel Heart, The Last of the Mohicans amongst many more Hollywood Blockbuster movies.
The inclusion of Germany’s World Economic Forum awarded Global Leader for Tomorrow recipient Tim Renner, will deliver global insights and cement its reputation as the critically important, game-changing event that it’s clearly become.Tim Renner, who is also Managing Director of Motor Music has developed artists such as Rammstein, Portishead and 2Pac. Rammstein album "Sehnsucht" sold more than 500.000 copies in Germany. In the US it sold more than 1 Million copies which made the album to the most famous German speaking album of all time.
This year will also include the launch of the remix of Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse song “Jive Soweto recorded nearly 30 Years ago by International Electronic Dance Music (EDM) UK pioneer Charles Webster.
He returns to Music Exchange under the ADMT (African Dance Music & Technology) hat and will will host a 2 day intense workshop and interactive sessions by 2 world class DJ/producers; Charles Webster from the UK (Defected, Miso, Foliage, House Afrika, Freerange amongst many others) and Cape Town's Dino Michael (Good Hope FM, DJ Syndicate, Motherland Distribution, Defenders of the Deep etc.) A remix competition for attendees to remix one of Charles Webster's tracks was held last year at the ADMT Electronic Dance Music workshop, the winner will have his remixes released worldwide the week before the 2014edition of ADMT
Panel discussions will draw on the expertise of industry heavyweights, Benjy Mudie, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, AKA, Jimmy Nevis, Sophia Foster , R J Benjamin ; Vicky Sampson, Auriol Hays , Estelle Kokot, PJ Powers ; Roeshdien Jazz and Selim Kajee, as well as Mozambican jazz musician Moreira Chonguica.
Diverse subjects covering every aspect of the African and global entertainment economy will be unpacked and shared by the very best in their respective disciplines. From the importance of arts and culture, insights into international trends, working in Africa, marketing, multi-media distribution mechanisms, right through to rights protection and how to be seen and heard in a market cluttered with noise, MUSIC EXCHANGE will deliver it all.
The movers and shakers of the entertainment industry are expected to converge on the City Hall in their numbers during the two-day event, from musicians to marketers and strategists, to network, discuss, collaborate, learn and be enriched by the latest global trends, knowledge and insights
“Music Exchange is essential for anyone in the industry who wants to connect with the correct stakeholders - be it in electronic dance music, digital trends, entering the live music scene or learning how to generate new income streams,” explains Chairperson Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse. The diversity of topics is truly inclusive and global, delivered by influential thought leaders.
Another Industry first will be a speed networking session where every delegate will have the opportunity to share 5 minutes with their top 10 and get connected to the single most powerful entertainment assembly yet.
Music Exchange extends itself even further by hosting quarterly workshops and Master Classes throughout the year explains Founder of Music Exchange Martin Myers.
Music Exchange hosted the following workshops and Master Classes last year.
· 17 May 2013 – Workshop on Songwriting Skills and finding your Voice with RJ Benjamin was held at Cape Town City Hall
· 21 August 2013 – Lecture Series on “Can music be a vehicle to advance the culture of human rights? International Human Rights Day with Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse at Wits University
· 25 and 26 November 2013 - Master class at South African College of Music with International Film Composer Dr Trevor Jones
It was important to us that we take Music Exchange to the people, there is huge interest to host Music Exchange in all three Metropolitan Areas and plans are already on the way.
MUSIC EXCHANGE promises to be an intense, extensive immersion for those newly curious, right through the biggest and best in the business.
What does the future hold for the entertainment industry? Find out by booking for this vital window on the local and global entertainment economy, at Computicket, Shoprite and Checkers outlets nationwide.
Visit www.computicket.com or call 0861 915 8000. Tickets cost R220 for a single day’s access to Music Exchange 2014, or R400 for the full two-day event.
Music Exchange 2014 Commercial link
For more information contact: Martin Myers
E-mail: info@musicexchange.co.za
Mobile: +27 083 448 4475
For media queries, interview requests or access to high resolution pictures please contact Dee’s on (011) 788 7632 or media@jtcomms.co.za .
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on behalf of Music Exchange – Triple M Entertainment
Joint Media Release
Monday, 04 February 2013
Storytelling festival at the University of Johannesburg (UJ)
22-23 February 2013
The Faculty of Education of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the Gcinamasiko Arts and Heritage Trust will host a Storytelling Festival at the UJ Soweto Campus. This event themed ‘Love in your language’ aims to encourage reading and an appreciation of literature for learners in both primary and high school. It also presents South African youth with a platform to share their talents related to storytelling, song and dance, poetry/coral verse recital and stage production.
Included in the programme is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education, UJ, Professor Sarah Gravett and the Director of the Gcinamasiko Arts and Heritage Trust, Dr Gcina Mhlophe who will read stories to the audience using a variety of South African languages.
According to Prof Gravett, reading and storytelling lays the foundation for all further cognitive development in young children. "Reading and storytelling are very important ways of activating and initiating the development of more complex thinking and linguistic literacy, which can prove crucial to the years of schooling," she says. "Reading and storytelling are used as tools to stimulate language development the better, since we never exist without language; we use it all the time."
Dr Gcina Mhlophe says that the Nozincwadi Stotytelling and Book Celebration Festival has been running in Durban since 2008. “It has grown bigger every year reaching a wider audience annually. Both schools and the general public have requested that we keep them informed of all our activities. One of my greatest joys at these festivals is to witness young talent shining on our stages! And to see the ancient art of storytelling taking its rightful place in the hearts and minds of South Africans, young and old! This year we are honouring our mother tongues with great pride. Sign languages, brail and other forms of communication are to be celebrated.”
The Storytelling Festival also forms part of the Faculty of Education’s reading programme, a programme that helps parents with reading strategies at home. "The question should not be whether I should be reading to my child, but what I should be reading and how I can use the reading experience to teach my child something about society," says Gravett.
“Selected stories can be used to teach a child something about society and the world. By exposing the child to the right story, one is able to refer to the events and essential facets of narrative to teach them something about the world. For instance, a story that deals with friendship can be used to teach values and ideas accompany bonds of friendship.”
She concludes: “Reading and storytelling can assist with memory retention, deepen thinking skills by stretching the imagination and encourage creative problem solving. Visualisation skills are expanded because reading and listening to stories allows one to form pictures in the mind. Most importantly, it presents an opportunity for children and adults to develop rich language abilities filled with new vocabulary and expressions."
The audience can also look forward to performances by UJ students and learners from nearby schools. Some of these performances include song and dance, arts and crafts for children and puppet shows,
The Storytelling Festival is open to all, however due to limited space interested parties are requested to register and obtain an official ticket before 12 February 2013. For additional information and registration, please contact Gadija Petker on gadijap@uj.ac.za or 011 559 5101.
ends
Note to the journalist/news editor/producer
For more information on the Storytelling Festival, contact UJ’s Gadija Petker on +27 11 559 5101 or mobile 082 974 1171.
Professor Sarah Gravett, Executive Dean of Education, UJ and Dr Gcina Mhlophe, Executive Director of GCINAMASIKO are available for interviews on request. Prof Gravett can be contacted on +27 11 559 5234 or mobile 082 808 5426, and Dr Mhlophe.can be contacted on + 31 467 2131 or mobile 082 662 7368.
Issued by: Herman Esterhuizen
Coordinator: Media Relations
Division of Institutional Advancement
University of Johannesburg
Tel: +27 11 559-6653
Cell: +27 72 129 0777
By embracing digital platforms to record, market and distribute her music, neo-soul artist Elnathan Sidu – known as Nubia Soul – is proving that independent musicians can live their dreams without having to break the bank.
A spoken-word poet, singer and songwriter with a proud heritage rooted in the Nubian (ancient Northern African) and Southern African regions, Nubia Soul underscored her determination to break into the music industry by recording her first demo album, Rise, entirely on an iPad, using the GarageBand application.
Now, she has followed it up with her official debut album, Love Chronicles. While this album was recorded in a professional studio, Nubia Soul continues to break through the digital divide that still constrains many African artists – and has even been interviewed by CNN on how she has used cyberspace to expand her digital footprint.
She is supplementing the album’s release with a new music video that showcases her versatility and firmly announces her as an exciting new face and force to be reckoned with.
“The motivation behind my music is the ever evolving journey of us as human beings, whether it be social, economical, political or religious,” says this driven musical storyteller, who hails from Ceres in the Western Cape and grew up in Soweto.
“I enjoy conversations with people – no matter what colour, language or creed – and I also take pleasure in observing things around me with intense scrutiny.”
With its neo-soul and lounge house feel, with a touch of reggae, Love Chronicles encapsulates the artist’s natural curiosity, examining the various stages and milestones of love. The album was produced by Thabang Madisha, who has worked with the likes of Flabba from Skwatta Kamp.
Through her evocative music, and drawing inspiration from influences such as Damian Marley, jazz quartet Fourplay, Dwele, Zonke, Lulu Dikana, Nina Simone and house vocalist Monique Bingham, Nubia Soul articulates her deep-rooted respect for the continent’s traditions, cultures and natural riches.
This proudly African mindset is bolstered by a progressive artistic outlook that embraces all the digital tools at her disposal to get her music out there and heard. This includes distributing her album via platforms such as iTunes, Amazon and the Nokia Music Store, and bolstering her online presence on social networking sites as well as via her website, YouTube, digital newsletters, blogs, electronic press kits and SoundCloud.
“Digital platforms are a plug-and-play scenario to expand my craft as an artist and to connect with my fans and to easily distribute my art,” she says.
“The face of music industry has been drastically changed by the digital revolution, as opposed to back in the day where the only way to gain entry was through established music industry channels. Now, digital platforms are at least an entry point for up-and-coming independent artists.”
They also enable artists to express themselves in multiple dimensions to give fans a holistic experience as well as a personalised connection, she points out.
Having cut her teeth in school choirs and freestyle rap competitions as a budding MC, the young Elnathan Sidu progressed to writing poetry and music. She went on to study civil engineering and worked in information technology, from which her ease and comfort with the digital realm emanates.
Poetry still plays a major role in Nubia Soul’s recorded music and live performances, and she retains a deep reverence for the written and spoken word.
Taking the wisdom of Socrates – “the poets are the only interpreters of the gods” – to heart, she fuses the symbolic power of words with rhythm and melody in her work. As she explains: “Poetry brings life to dead things; it paints the colourless world; it aligns the thought patterns of a confused being.”
The philosophy of this go-getting new kid on the music block is that “music is part of our lives, and either it enables or degrades us”. She hopes to expand awareness of her music, and in the long term envisages being seen as “a scientist of music and poetry” who bridges the gap between generations.
Check out Nubia Soul and her music on the following platforms:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nubia_Soul
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nubiasoul
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/nubiasoul
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWV9_e-my_s
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on Behalf of Nubia Soul - https://www.facebook.com/nubiasoul
South Africans throw weight behind Mali’s exiled Festival au Desert as they make the Caravan for Peace come down South
A broad spectrum of South Africans are throwing their weight behind Mali’s exiled Festival au Desert – and are calling for ordinary folk to urgently support activities around this unique African cultural festival.
The expression of solidarity comes ahead of the upcoming residency hosted by Emthonjeni Arts under the auspices of the Africans for Africa network. This North-South collaboration of Mali’s Festival au Desert and the AFA network was announced and launched at WOMEX in Cardiff recently and is the forerunner of collaborations that will celebrate Africa’s diverse musical offerings.
The upcoming collaboration will consist of a melting pot of arts engagements, opening of new markets, collaborations and dialogues. It takes place over a two-week long residency programme at the Emthonjeni Arts centre in Hamburg, South Africa from 3 – 16 December, 2013. For the first time a delegation of leading musicians from Mali will be in South Africa for the residency. The musicians include Cheick Siriman Sissoko, Ahmed Ag Kaedi (the founder of Tuareg guitar band Amanar); Djibril Djiré; Issa Samake; Zoumana Tereta and Maria dite Sayon Sidibé.
As part of the build-up to the residency in Hamburg, The Africans for Africa network made if artists, cultural workers, media, thought leaders and other supporters will host a welcome African Peace Concert in Johannesburg on December 3rd.
The concert is being held as a celebration to share with South Africans the music from the North of Mali and to create awareness and raise much needed funds for the visit by the Malians musicians and to support the logistics of the AFA network. The Peace concert also presents the opportunity for the public to witness some of the live performances that will take place during the Emthonjeni Arts residency.
“This project has been driven by the passion of the Africans for Africa Network, while we urgently need to raise funds the concert is FREE and opened to everyone on December 3rd to ensure we share Africa’s cultural heritage and the African Narrative seldom told in African media,” says cultural activist Vanessa Perumal
“if you are unable to join the Africa Peace Concert come, you can still donate funds so that this amazing initiative that both supports the Festival au Desert’s global call to action through the Caravan of Peace and the first-ever extensive collaboration between artists from across the continent and South Africa is sustained,” says Perumal.
Supporters of the welcome Africa Peace Concert include charismatic hip hop arts motswako artist from Mafikeng Mrejo who s throwing his weight behind the Africa Peace Concert together with other SA artists Nomisupasta and other headliners who will be invited session with the Mali artists bringing the sounds of the Desert and nomadic people to South Africa. "It is a very beautiful idea first of all for African artists to come together young and old as one voice. A voice that the world may start to listen to issues that we really experience on a daily basis as Africans." says Mrejo.
Zen a multi-purpose entertainment space that is a construct of vintage, trendy and chilled vibes situated in Maboneng precinct east of Jozi has offered the trendy space to welcome the FestivalauDesert to Southern Africa. ” We are honoured to offer our venue Zen a space where all the senses meet for such a noble human rights intervention” says Zen’s spokesperson Lebo Gabela.
The Africa Peace concert will take place on 3 December 2013 at 20h00 and also feature a photographic exhibition Dissonance: Scenes and Portraits from Gao by freelance journalist and photographer Salym Fayad who spent time in Goa northern Mali where Music was banned.
The residency and the welcome African Peace Concert is part of the recently formed Africans for Africa Network which aims to engage in a series of dialogues, set up exchanges between artists on the continent, create new markets for Africa’s cultural content and products and take ownership of the space in which Africa’s voice is expressed through music and culture in international arenas.
The Hamburg, Eastern Cape-based Emthonjeni Arts aligned itself with the Africans for Africa Network to lend support to changing the prevailing narrative of Africa from one driven by Western media, to one that reflects the inherent strengths of the continent across a variety of different, Afro-centred platforms.
“Emthonjeni Arts has joined the Africans for Africa Network because we believe we are a representation of the positivity this continent has to offer”, says Nomsa Mazwai, Director of Emthonjeni Arts.
“The Africans for Africa network articulates what we hope will become the African narrative: one that celebrates our many talents and achievements as Africans. As a project of the Eastern Cape, in the Amathole district Emthonjeni Arts is thrilled to be kicking off the Africans for Africa programme with a residency at our facility in the Eastern Cape”, she says.
“It is in celebration of Africa that we are hosting this collaboration of Mali and South Africa, in particular the Xhosa people of the Eastern Cape. Africans will come together to create magic! Because Africa is magical”, says Mazwai.
The residency will include cross-cultural dialogues, creations and collaborations between Mali artists and traditional Xhosa. The programme, spearheaded by young people will include contributions from artists and cultural leaders and thinkers from the South African creative landscape.
“Emthonjeni Arts is a sterling example of an African solution for the economic challenges of the rural poor of South Africa,” concludes Mazwai. “We look forward to hosting this prestigious residency on an annual basis, as we see it will give hope to young Africans that no matter where you come from - anything is possible in Africa.”
Note to Editor
Musicians wishing to join the network and perform during the African Peace Concert (while bearing in mind this is a benefit concert) can contact janneke strijdonk-xulu jannekes@iafrica.com or 082-965 99 65
For further information on Emthonjeni Arts and the residency visit the website "http://www.emthonjeniarts.org" www.emthonjeniarts.org and Face Book. Bookings can be done online or by calling 040 678 1011. Follow Emthonjeni on Twitter @emthonjeniarts for constant updates.
Besides the partnership with Emthonjeni Arts and Mali’s renowned Festival au Desert – Africans for Africa has partnerships with numerous other African networks: which includes: Webjunkies, a division of 4sa Technologies, IMEXSA, iStart2, SA Women Engineers, Howiviewafrica, Woldegiorgis Ghebrehiwot from Mekelle University, Tigray, Ethiopia; Africa The Good News, Gcinamasiko Arts & Heritage Trust - Nozincwadi (Dr Gcina Mhlope) and Harem Clothing, JT Communication Solutions and the JT Comms African Media Resource Centre of Excellence.
Among the entities Emthonjeni is collaborating with is the Steve Biko Foundation (SBF), a community development organisation that focuses extensively on arts, culture and identity. Of the collaboration, SBF’s Director of International Partnerships Ms. Obenewa Amponsah notes, “We are delighted to work with Emthonjeni in this initiative. We believe forums of this nature provide an important platform for Africans to dialogue about the challenges of our past and present while creating a shared vision for the future. This Pan-African exchange is particularly timely as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Organization of African Unity this year.
Three events will be open to the public:
9 December - ‘Activism through Music’ - at the Steve Biko Centre in King Williams Town, a community dialogue. 17:30 for 18:00. Entrance to the dialogue and the museum is free.
13 December - A Festival of Ideas - the public is invited to engage, celebrate and share ideas. A youth dialogue will take place where young leaders and emerging artists will meet to discuss the African Narrative and what it means to them. This dialogue will be podcast to different regions. Exhibitors and visitors may secure a space by visiting quicket.co.za and searching for ‘Festival of Ideas’. All spaces to exhibit are free and so is attendance.
14 December - Celebrate Africa - in solidarity with the Festival au Desert on their return to Timbuktu, a re-enactment of the festival will be performed at Emthonjeni from noon to 6pm. Hospitality tickets are R500 and garden picnic tickets are free. There is also a package for R1 000 which includes the hospitality and a night’s stay at the Emthonjeni Arts.
For media enquiries and an announcement of a press conference please contact Dee’s on media@jtcomms.co.za or 011-788-7631.
THE AFRICA PEACE CONCERT takes place at Zen in Maboneng Precinct – 293 Fox Street – this is a free concert opened to all. It starts at 20h00 or 08:00 PM
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on behalf of “AfricansforAfrica network" www.africansforafrica.co.za
Leader Remember
The time you spent
Fighting for your freedom
And that of your people
The time you played hide and go seek
With the oppressor man
Till he caught you at last
Put you in chains and leg irons
Threw you in jail
Believing in his rotten heart
That you'll never again
See the light of day
Leader Remember
How strongly you fought
Your freedom loving spirit
Kicking hard and refusing to die
Your vision for a better day
Giving you power and endurance immeasurable
In that cruel torture chamber
While you body lay on the cold cement floor
Your spirit escaped through the window
And went to mingle with other spirits
Of countless freedom fighters
Deep in Africa's rain forests
Where the Equatorial moisture whispered
That timeless message all freedom fighters know;
'Don't give up
Don't give up
Here, take with you
Love
Self respect
Selflessness
Fight for your people!
Leader Remember
The day you walked out
The very minute, the very second
As your right foot stepped outside
Outside the gates of that jail
Fist in the air, sun in your face
The joy that washed over you
Like bucketful's of honey
The pain that touch your soul
Like a poisoned arrow
Of wasted years and potential
At the same time you eagerly greeted
The mammoth task that lay ahead
You vowed and promised
To do all in your power
To build a better future for you and your people
Leader Remember
The long suffering women and men
The dignity they lost
Think of the very young and the very old
The hunger they learnt to live with
In the land of plenty
Leader remember
The promises you made
The hope you represent
Leader remember
You now stand , at history's cross-roads
Compass in hand
The walking stick of your people's experiences
Helping you feel the potholes
As you lead the way
Leader remember, corruption and lies
Will no doubt, double the pain they once knew
Please remember, betrayal hurts
Much more that the sting of a million scorpions
Leader Remember
We wish you peace in your heart
We wish you the Eagle's sharp vision
We wish you the Ancient African Tortoises wisdom
We wish you the Mighty Elephant's memory
So Leader Remember
The Mystic Equatorial moisture whispering
That timeless message all freedom fighters know;
Don't give up
Don't give up
Here, take with you
Love
Self Respect
Selflessness
Fight for your people!
p/s ( the fight is never over...Leader remember)
CAN WORDS KILL?
Hate radio revisits the most horrific chapter in Rwandan history
the reconstruction ofan rtlm genocide radio show is touring south africa and mozambique
JOHANNESBURG DATES:
OPENING SHOW: 13 FEB / WITS Theatre / 19.30 / FREE on RSVP
PANEL DISCUSSION: 14 FEB / WITS Amphitheatre / 15.30 / FREE on RSVP
ADDITIONAL SHOWS: 14 – 16 FEB / WITS Theatre / 19.30 / www.webtickets.co.za
MEDIA: For opening and panel discussion please RSVP to pr@johannesburg.goethe.org
The critically acclaimed theatre production HATE RADIO of the International Institute of Political Murder (IIPM) will be staged at WITS Theatre on four nights from 13 to 16 February 2014. The play engages with the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Within a tour organised by the Goethe-Institut and Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council, HATE RADIO will be presented for the first time to audiences in Southern Africa, with Cape Town and Maputo also hosting the production.
In cooperation with Drama for Life, a panel discussion on 14 February at WITS Ampitheatre will raise questions concerning the present-day relevance and forms of appearance of racist violence, and its representability in art.
Based on extensive research and interviews with about 50 contemporary witnesses of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, the script for HATE RADIO is primarily based upon excerpts of real transmissions made by the popular Rwandan radio station RTLM, which has gone down in history as one of the most cynical propaganda instruments deployed during the Rwandan Genocide.
If one had looked for a simple and effective target to prevent this atrocious crime against humanity”, the US journalist Philip Gourevitch wrote, RTLM would have been a good start. With indescribable cynicism, the employees of the popular broadcaster masterminded an advertising campaign for genocide for months. The schedule consisted of pop music, exciting sport reports, political pamphlets and incitements to murder, the scornfulness of which could not be surpassed. The grooves of the latest Congolese bands and the most aggressive race theory came together inside a few square meters and formed a dark laboratory of racist ideology.
HATE RADIO allows the inflammatory Kigali radio station to return to the airwaves again: within a reconstructed radio studio that is only separated from the viewers by glass walls, a good hours’ broadcast from RTLM is being re-constructed on stage and transmitted to each audience member’s headphones. The radio hosts – three Hutu extremists and the white Italian-Belgian Georges Ruggiu – are being interpreted by actors some of which were affected by the events themselves.
However, viewers do not only get confronted with human beings being “talked out of” their humanity but, at the same time, they will become sympathetic witnesses of the destructive and indelible consequences: During the performance, the walls of the rebuilt studio serve as projection surfaces for a video installation showing selected stories of former perpetrators and victims, assembling original material from RTLM, texts from extremist publications and witness statements into a complex mosaic that deliberately explores contradictions. Says Rwandan actor Dorcy Rugamba, a member of the original cast: “We are provoking, in order to provoke and spark a catharsis”.
In association with WITS Theatre. No under 16's. French speaking with English subtitles. Free parking is available in Senate House; the entrance is on Jorissen Street, Braamfontein. Visitors are requested to bring their driver’s licence or ID in exchange for headsets.
CAPE TOWN DATES:
07 / 08 / 09 FEB / Hiddingh Hall, UCT Campus / 20.00 / FREE
in cooperation with the Gordon Institute for Performing and Creative Arts (GIPCA)
021 480 1756 / fin-gipca@uct.ac.za / http://www.gipca.uct.ac.za/
MAPUTO DATES:
20 + 21 FEB / Centro Cultural Franco-Moçambicano (CCFM)
in cooperation with the Instituto-Cultural-Mocambique-Alemanha (ICMA)
FOR VISUAL REFERENCE, VIDEO MATERIAL AND INTERVIEWS PLEASE CONTACT:
Ben Keuffel
Goethe-Institut South Africa
pr@johannesburg.goethe.org
Phone: 011 442 3232 / Cell: 082 769 3254
www.goethe.de/johannesburg
www.prohelvetia.org.za
www.dramaforlife.co.za
Embargoed 25 October 2013 - 13h00 Media release
Africans for Africa Network launches game-changing
North-South Collaboration at WOMEX 13
Wales Cardiff: 25 October 2013: The recently inaugurated Africans for Africa Network today launched a game-changing North-South collaboration at WOMEX 13.
The collaboration takes the form of a two-week residency programme and two public events taking place at the Emthonjeni Arts in South Africa in December 2013, in partnership with Mali’s the Festival au Desert.
This first-ever partnership between cultural initiatives in the two countries has emerged out of Africans For Africa Network’s mission to change prevailing narrative of Africa from one driven by Western media to one that reflects the inherent strengths of the continent across various Afro-centric platforms.
The Africans for Africa Network is the brainchild of Vanessa Perumal, founder of JT Communications Solutions and the JT Comms African Media Resource Centre of Excellence, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“Africans for Africa Network is a bold initiative but one that is long overdue,” says Perumal. “However the groundswell of support that we have received for the network since we launched in July means that it can play a meaningful role in radically changing the African narrative. We’re delighted to have launched our Africans for Africa Network website at the biggest world music festival in Cardiff, Wales. We are truly delighted to have IMEXSA as a key partner and would like to thank them for their generous support.”
In launching the ground-breaking North-South collaboration at WOMEX 13, Perumal worked with IMEXSA (Independent Music Exporters South Africa). As part of the celebration of this new initiative, IMEXSA will host the South African welcome party at the IMEXSA stand on 25 October 2013 from 13h00 to 14h00.
The North-South residency taking place mid-December will include cross-cultural dialogues, creations and collaborations between Mali artists, Xhosa traditional groups from the local community, a Zulu group lead by legendary storyteller Gcina Mhlophe and cultural leaders and thinkers from the South African creative landscape. There will also be cross-generational dialogue during a session of the residency earmarked for emerging artists and young people.
Two public events will take place during the collaboration between Emthonjeni Arts, which is based in the Eastern Cape town of Hamburg and the Festival au Desert.
On December 13 the public is invited to a Festival of Ideas, where they will engage and celebrate African ideas, both historic, current and for the future. The event will be driven by a narrative of Africa that defines the continent’s people as a people of ideas, and a people of innovation and creativity. During this festival a youth dialogue will take place where young leaders and emerging artists will meet to discuss the African Narrative and what it means to them. This dialogue will be podcast to different regions.
On December 14, in solidarity with the Festival au Desert on their return to Timbuktu, a re-enactment of the festival will be performed at Emthonjeni, in the heart of our own beautiful dunes. Special South African guest artists with voices that have stood for truth, diversity and peace will also give blessings and join the journey.
Founded in 2001, and recently faced with enormous challenges when forced into exile by separatist movements and armed extremists in 2013, the Festival au Desert provides an arena where Africa’s history and deep-rooted culture can find expression in a way that ensures it resonates with a contemporary audience. It returns to its home just outside Timbuktu in January 2014.
Executive director of the festival, Mohamed Aly Ansar Manny, pinpoints the Festival au Desert’s multifaceted impact, “The Festival is focused on generating new African markets, content access to new audiences, Pan African Festival promotion, opening trade routes and tourism destinations.”
Emthonjeni Arts Director, Nomsa Mazwai describes the upcoming North-South collaboration as “incredibly special”. “Here, all the artists will have a stage in the heart of our own beautiful dunes to perform on, and it is here where Oumou Sangare will bless the road to Timbuktu with a performance, an ode, a prayer for the road ahead.”
October 2013 also sees the launch of the Africans for Africa website, created by Webjunkies, a division of 4sa Technologies. Founders Rajen Govender and Kevin Naidoo offered to assist in the launch of the AfricansforAfrica initiative by developing the much-needed website that will plug into open source networks like Howiviewafrica and Sam Mokorosi’s Africa The Good News.
“As entrepreneurs, we face numerous challenges daily but remain committed to shaping the social landscape where we can,” commented Govender and Naidoo. “Joining this initiative was a way of us ‘paying it forward’, accordingly, we hope to see Africans for Africa achieve its objectives of groundbreaking, lasting change and creating the platform dialogue it wishes. It’s about time that Africans take control of their destiny!”
Perumal, an activist, entrepreneur, innovator, pioneer and a visionary, recently led a global call for action to support the banned and exiled Festival au Desert in Mali through a global Caravan for Peace.
She is determined to change the African narrative and hopes to see a united Africa where Africans for Africa Network can help change the negative perceptions of the continent. “I am amazed by the groundswell of support this initiative has generated from across Africa; it is indicative of the will of ordinary Africans to set the agenda for change on the continent and drive the production of authentic content which frames Africa in a positive light,” she says.
The Africans for Africa Network, spearheaded by the JT Comms African Media Resource Centre of Excellence, will focus on: ongoing exchanges, topic specific dialogues and the creation of platforms for African artists within and outside the continent throughout the year; an annual pan African Dialogue; hosting a Global Concert for Peace, featuring top African and international artists, performing for an international audience; hosting dialogues with Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Mahotella Queens, Dorothy Masuku and Yogi Nambiar (Programme Director of the Goldman Sachs-GIBS 10,000 Women Certificate Programme in South Africa), in November at the Media Centre and the first of the Africans for Africa Network’s pan African exchanges which will be hosted by Emthonjeni Arts, Hamburg in the Eastern Cape.
The Africans for Africa Network will be instrumental in providing content and programming for a myriad of bilateral activations in Africa, realised through a network of partnerships with various groups and organisations.
For media enquiries or interview opportunities, please contact Dee’s on media@jtcomms.co.za or 011-788-7631.
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on behalf of IMEXSA - www.imexsa.org.za
Note to Editor
About IMEXSA (Independent Music Exporters South Africa) - IMEXSA is a non-profit organisation which focuses on developing and increasing the number of music exporters in South Africa by identifying trade opportunities and assisting companies to take advantage of these opportunities. Annually IMEXSA ensures that emerging South Africa artists and independent music artist are promoted at WOMAX. This service has the potential to kick start careers on an international level. Further demonstrating its dedication to developing locally produced music around the world, IMEXSA, as part of the WOMAX13 Official Showcase selection, will present Nomfusi and Shangaan Electro, in celebration of their ground-breaking new talent, diversity and creativity.
Africans For Africa Network partners include FestivalauDesert (Manny Ansar), Emthonjeni Arts and the key stakeholder and trade exchange, Webjunkies, a division of 4sa Technologies (Rajen Govender and Kevin Naidoo); IMEXSA, iStart2, SA Women Engineers, Howiviewafrica, Woldegiorgis Ghebrehiwot from Mekelle University, Tigray, Ethiopia; Johnny Muteba from Democratic Republic of Congo; Sam Mokorosi’s Africa The Good News, Gcinamasiko Arts & Heritage Trust - Nozincwadi (Dr Gcina Mhlope) and Harem Clothing.
All the partners believe that this initiative will provide a conduit for both youth and economic development in the cultural industries:
Messages from partners:
Manny Ansar, Festival of the Desert director: “Our Festival, although small, is in the top three festivals in Africa; this shows how powerful creative platforms are in shaping both the human rights and citizen activism agendas in Africa. Adapting these platforms to sustainable markets for Africa’s creative voices across Africa and the world is the key challenge we must address as a matter of urgency. The Africans for Africa Network provides this impetus.”
Mali’s famed Festival of the Desert, now exiled due to instability in the region, was the catalyst for the realisation of the need for a pan African network.
Nomsa Mazwai, Director Emthonjeni Arts: 'As Emthonjeni Arts, we are thrilled to be kicking off the Africans for Africa programme with a residency at our facility in the Eastern Cape. The Africans for Africa network articulates what we hope will become the African narrative. One that celebrates our many talents and achievements as Africans. Emthonjeni Arts a project of the Eastern Cape department of Economic Development Environmental Affairs and Tourism is a sterling example of an African solution for the economic challenges of the rural poor of South Africa. We look forward to hosting this prestigious residency on an annual basis, as we see it will give hope to young Africans that no matter where you come from, anything is possible in Africa.'
Lamin Sawaneh of Howiveiewafrica: “Thank you for creating this (Africans for Africa Network). I see myself being a voice and face for Africans4Africa movement. I want to contribute in bringing solutions to changing the narrative of Africa. I am obsessively passionate about Africa and more than motivated to take action. I want to be that “I” in Howiviewafrica - and my hopes are to inspire the world to do the same, especially Africans. I love your heart for people, Vanessa, and I feel it’s destiny that we connected online. Thank you.”
Pierre du Toit of iStart2: “With her vision of Africans for Africa and the Human Rights activism at the core of its value system Vanessa is one of the most valuable partners in communicating our stories to the rest of the world. As a social entrepreneur, she is PASSION and ENERGY in capital letters – she gives renewed meaning to being part of the magic in Africa.”
Sam Mokorosi, Chief Operating Officer at Africa The Good News - a news website highlighting positive developments in Africa: "We at Africa, The Good News are excited about the launch of African for Africa Network. We exist to balance the tone of the conversation about Africa. Without turning a blind eye to the challenges facing Africa, we want to steer the conversation away from the doom and gloom perspective that African events are often reported on. Africans for Africa Network is a much needed addition to this conversation about our great continent. It is a great platform for the building of Africa's own narrative about her past, present and future. We welcome any initiative to broaden and the balance the conversation about Africa, and we wish AfricansforAfrica Network the greatest success!"
ENDS
Mali’s famed FestivalauDesert comes home to South Africa’s Emthonjeni Arts Residency
The Africans for Africa Network recently announced a North-South collaboration which sees Mali’s famed now exiled Festival au Desert make its way to South Africa thanks to the support of Emthojeni Arts Residency in Eastern Cape.
With this innovative movement being spearheaded through the JT Comms African Media Resource Centre of Excellence, the aim of Africans for Africa Network is to engage in a series of dialogues, set up exchanges between artists on the continent, create new markets for Africa’s cultural content and products and take ownership of the space in which Africa’s voice is expressed through music and culture in international arenas.
The Emthonjeni Arts residency programme kicks off the African Caravan for Peace as part of the global call to action and will lead the final leg of Mali’s exiled Festival au Desert as part of the post war re-construction campaign to return the festival back to its original home in Timbuktu in January 2014.
Emthonjeni Arts based in Hamburg, in the Eastern Cape, South Africa aligned itself with the Africans for Africa Network to lend support to the objective to change the prevailing narrative of Africa, from one driven by Western media to one that reflects the inherent strengths and empowerment of the continent, across a variety of different, Afro-centred platforms.
The Director of Emthonjeni Arts, a social entrepreneur, listed as one of the top 200 young South Africans by the Mail and Guradian, and a SAMA award-winning performer, Nomsa Mazwai, believes that the initiative will provide a vehicle for both youth and economic development in the cultural industries.
“As Emthonjeni Arts, a project of the Eastern Cape department of Economic Development Environmental Affairs and Tourism, we are thrilled to be kicking off the Africans for Africa programme with a residency at our facility in the Eastern Cape. The Africans for Africa network articulates what we hope will become the African narrative. One that celebrates our many talents and achievements as Africans. Emthonjeni Arts is a sterling example of an African solution for the economic challenges of the rural poor of South Africa. We look forward to hosting this prestigious residency on an annual basis, as we see it will give hope to young Africans that no matter where you come from, anything is possible in Africa.”
This partnership, the birthing of a North - South cultural conversation, is a global first and will see a melting pot of arts engagements, opening of new markets, collaborations and dialogues.
Manny Ansar, director of the Festival au Desert said, “We are encouraged by the support in Africa with South Africa leading the call to action”.
The first of the Africans for Africa Network’s pan African exchanges will be hosted by the Emthonjeni Arts with a two-week long residency with artists from the Malian Festival au Desert in December 2013.
Emthonjeni Arts is a multi-disciplinary artists’ residency specifically geared for those with creativity and passion and leaders in new thought. It includes a theatre, a gallery and dance and recording studios. Its aim is to help with the economic regeneration of the small community.
During this residency, there will be cross-cultural dialogues, creations and collaborations between the Mali artists, local Xhosa traditional groups from the local community, a Zulu group lead by legendary storyteller Gcina Mhlophe and cultural leaders and thinkers from the South African creative landscape. There will also be cross-generational dialogue during a session of the residency earmarked for emerging artists and young people.
Two events will be open to the public:
13 December - A festival of ideas - the public is invited to engage and celebrate African ideas that have been, but also share ideas that will mould our future. Celebrate a narrative of Africa that defines us as a people of ideas, a people of innovation and creativity. During this festival a youth dialogue will take place where young leaders and emerging artists will meet to discuss the African Narrative and what it means to them. This dialogue will be podcast to different regions.
14 December - in solidarity with the Festival au Desert on their return to Timbuktu, a re-enactment of the festival will be performed at Emthonjeni, in the heart of our own beautiful dunes. All artists will have a stage in the dunes to perform on; and Oumou Sangare will bless the road to Timbuktu with a performance, an ode and a prayer for the road ahead.
Special South African guest artists with voices that have stood for truth, diversity and peace will also give blessings and join the journey.
Besides the partnership with South Africa’s Emthonjeni Arts and Mali’s renowned FestivalauDesert, Perumal also set up partnerships with numerous other African networks: a key stakeholder and trade exchange, Webjunkies, a division of 4sa Technologies (Rajen Govender and Kevin Naidoo); IMEXSA, iStart2, SA Women Engineers, Howiviewafrica, Woldegiorgis Ghebrehiwot from Mekelle University, Tigray, Ethiopia; Johnny Muteba from Democratic Republic of Congo; Sam Mokorosi’s Africa The Good News, Gcinamasiko Arts & Heritage Trust - Nozincwadi (Dr Gcina Mhlope) and Harem Clothing.
The Africans for Africa Network is the brainchild of Vanessa Perumal, a Johannesburg-based champion of citizen and media activism and founder of the JT Comms African Media Resource Centre of Excellence
For media enquiries or interview opportunities please contact Dees on media@jtcomms.co.za or 011-788-7631.
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on behalf of Emthonjeni Arts - www.emthonjeniarts.co.za and the Africans for Africa network – www.africansforafrica.co.za
A line-up of heavyweight international and South African acts is set to add fire to the inaugural Reggae, Roots and Culture at Maboneng on 23rd November 2013.
Leading the charge is UK-based LEGEND, a group of seven vocalists and musicians dedicated to the life and music of the late, great Bob Marley.
They are joined by One People, which gained global acclaim as the backing band for African Reggae Legend, Lucky Dube, as well as Tidal Waves, widely regarded as one of the most accomplished bands working in South Africa. Adding their inimitable touch to this landmark reggae event are Admiral & JahSeed, who have been flying the dancehall reggae (aka ragga) flag for over 15 years.
“We created the Reggae, Roots and Culture at Maboneng festival to honour and celebrate a genre of music that played such an important role in liberating Africa,” says Zingiswa Sigaba of Milla Communications, which is promoting the festival in conjunction with Empress Reign.
“The festival will also bring top international and African artists together and, perhaps most importantly for reggae fans, deliver a great day out at the start of the festive season.”
Going under the theme, Celebrating Our Reggae Legends..., the Reggae, Roots and Culture at Maboneng will be held over three distinct areas in the Maboneng precinct. These will include the main stage for live performances and DJs; food stalls and bars precinct, and The Basement where a sound system will play dub reggae and roots reggae throughout the day.
“The Maboneng Precinct is the perfect place for a festival of this kind,” adds Sigaba. “It is the cultural meeting place of central Johannesburg and encourages the exchange of ideas, art and cultural experiences.”
The opportunity for reggae fans to see LEGEND live in South Africa is rare. Led by the charismatic Michael Anton Phillips (Cheesy), the band’s members have worked with the likes of The Mighty Diamonds, The Original Wailers, Dennis Brown, Rankin Roger, The Beat, Burning Spear, Apache Indian, Errol Dunkley, George and Desmond Decker, Musical Youth and others. Through flawless musicianship and respect, LEGEND superbly evokes the presence of Bob Marley with their set.
South African-based One People has also kept the spirit of another Reggae legend alive with their music. Since the tragic death of Lucky Dube in 2007, Thuthukani Cele (who founded the Love Brothers with Dube and Chris Dlamini) has worked with other stalwarts of Lucky Dube’s live band, including Toto Moloantoa, Richard Sekgobela, Andile Nqubezelo, Doods Molefi and Thonique Phala, Thandi Radebe and Gabisile Mdluli to keep playing the music they love. One People released the album “Free At Last” earlier in 2013.
Regarded as the hardest working and most accomplished reggae band in South Africa, Tidal Waves is known for its blend of rock steady reggae mixed with African traditional sounds. Over a sustained career, that has seen them play all over South Africa and abroad as well as alongside the likes of Ziggy Marley, the Tidal Waves live experience is not to be missed.
Since 1997, Admiral & JahSeed have played dancehall reggae music (aka Ragga) with Admiral bringing up the tunes (Selector) and JahSeed chanting lyrics on the mic (MC). The duo has co-hosted their weekly show Raggatak on YFM since 1999, with JahSeed (also a member of Bongomaffin) the force behind the SAMA-winning reggae album, “No Retreat No Surrender”.
Tickets cost R180 and R200 at the gate and are available at the Maboneng Information Office in the Maboneng precinct.
The Reggae, Roots and Culture at Maboneng is supported by the Department f Arts and Culture and Supermalt. It will be held on the 23rd November 2013
For more information, please visit the Facebook page EmpressReign.ReggaeRootsCulture, and follow us on twitter.com/ReggaeRootsCltr. Alternatively contact KB on 0723235804.
For media enquiries, interview requests and access to high resolutions pictures please contact Dee’s on 011 788 7632 or media@jtcomms.co.za
Issued by JT Communication Solutions on Behalf of Milla Communications
