Bay International Music Festival will wow crowds
29 April 2011
Hitting the stage in Nelson Mandela Bay are big names like George Benson, Hugh Masekela, Freshlyground, Goldfish, Prime Circle, Loyiso Bala, Jamali, New Afro Teens and others.
At the launch of the Nelson Mandela Bay International Music Festival, the organisers of the event made three promises: To stage a world-class act with international headliners; to showcase the towns of Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, Despatch, Colchester and surrounds as areas of immense musical talent; and to present a show that reflects the city’s diverse musical tastes. The line-up reinforces this commitment.
Not only have they secured guitarist/singer George Benson and trumpeter Hugh Masekela as the two headline acts, three out of eight additional bands that performing on Saturday May 14 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium come from areas that make up the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolis.
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Executive Mayor Zanoxolo Wayile said he is satisfied with the progress made with the organization of the event and the fact that several local acts will get the opportunity to perform alongside big names on the international and national music scene.
“This event will go a long way towards bringing more people to our shores and is indicative of the municipality’s commitment to deliver on its promise to create more signature events that will ultimately benefit its residents,” said Wayile.
The programme is bound to appeal to people with diverse musical tastes as the 42 000-seat multi-purpose Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium which is the venue of the festival, reverberates to sounds of jazz, rock, R&B and pop.
“Our aim is to give the festival a distinct feel; a feel that defies genres and artificial categorisation that we find in many concerts”, says festival and espAfrika CEO Rashid Lombard. “The Port Elizabeth area is known for its musical diversity. This is what we looked for when we contracted musicians for the event”.
Benson and Masekela are particularly qualified to give the festival its “genre-breaking feel” that organisers require. The two are known for their versatility, comfortable with varied musical styles and with a vast reservoir of international hits,
A definite attraction for those with strong rock inclinations will be the top South African band, Prime Circle. The first local band that will perform on the day is New Afro Teens. The Port Elizabeth-based jazz outfit will open the stage of what promises to be an afternoon and evening of exquisite sounds. Afro-pop group Fohloza, from Uitenhage’s township of Kwa-Nobuhle, will follow.
The third local group to take the stage will be the Nelson Mandela Bay Big Band. Made up of the city’s veteran jazz musicians as well as up-and-coming artists, the band features internationally acclaimed trumpeter Feya Faku.
As if this was not enough, the last two bands on the list feature musicians from Nelson Mandela Bay. Appearing as a special guest on Jamali’s performance at the festival is the metro’s multi- award winning son, Loyiso Bala. Bala, who originally hails from Uitenhage, will join Jamali on stage. The all-female group is known for belting out sensational ballads and uniquely South African rendition of international cover tunes.
To complete the homecoming and close the show is the appearance by Freshlyground. The diminutive but dynamic Zolani Mahola who fronts Freshlyground and is the seven-piece band’s lead vocalist was born and grew up in Port Elizabeth before she moved to Cape Town.
In the nine years that the band has been in existence, it has emerged as one of the country’s most successful crossover outfits. The group is also fast becoming an invaluable cultural export as it tours and performs across the globe.
To keep things moving seamlessly during changeovers, festival-goers will hear live, the globe-trotting South African duo Goldfish whose platinum sales cement their status as one of SA’s biggest acts. Audiences will also enjoy the distinctive electro-swing of GoodLuck as they perform one of their 2010/2011 summer hits Taking it Easy. DJs and MCs from radio stations around Port Elizabeth will also entertain revellers between sets.
An array of workshops presented prior to the festival will offer something from everyone. School Music Workshops aims to stimulate creative and sustainable development to the youth and takes place from 9.30 to 13h00 on Thursday 12 May at the City Hall. MasterClasses, an interactive specialized workshop is aimed at established musicians’ takes place from 13h00 to 16h00 at the City Hall. A workshop aimed at musicians and representatives is the Music Business course and will be focusing on current and emerging trends in the music industry and takes place at Friday also at the City Hall
As a build-up to the festival, organisers – Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) and espAfrika – will host a Free Community Concert on the eve of the main festival. The concert which will feature Port Elizabeth based artists includes Down by Law, Mojazz, and Belinda Davids and ends the evening with South Africa’s own internationally acclaimed Goldfish and Hugh Masekela. It takes place at the Vuyisile Mini Square (Market Square) on Friday 13 May from 5pm.
Tickets for the Nelson Mandela Bay International Music Festival are available from Computicket ranging from R50 to R400 for the limited platinum circle. The doors at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will open at 14h00.
For further information, please visit www.nelsonmandelabayfestival.com or call the hotline on +21 21 422 5653.
Please wait!
