The City of Cape Town’s Arts & Culture Branch will mark Heritage Month alongside the Suidoosterfees, with two productions in which top artists from different music genres will collaborate on stage to produce unique musical experiences.
‘Music is a large part of our heritage and it’s in the instruments, the way we play and move to them. Heritage is also in our stories and the musical repertoires, instrument materials and the sounds. It is fitting that we celebrate Heritage Month with music from one of our grant-in-aid projects,’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
Managed by Suidoosterfees, the Music in Motion development project (Maestros and Mentors), hosted workshops and auditions in various communities to identify talent and provide training and mentorship towards a performance for young people aged 15 – 25 from across Cape Town.
Lockdown Legato: Kaapsentriek and Lockdown Legato: Maestros and Mentors, will be released weekly as music videos on the festival’s online platforms, which will be free to the public. This started last week.
Young and upcoming artists will have the opportunity to hone their skills, while sharing the stage with their mentors.
The productions will draw from music genres like opera, jazz, classical, traditional, cabaret, rap and rock.
Established artists who will participate include some of the country’s best-known names in the music industry: Die Heuwels Fantasties, Anna Davel, Kyle Seconna, Loukmaan Adams, Pierre van Heerden, Amanda Tiffin, Anathi Mobo, Zenobia Kloppers, Tarryn Lamb, Nicole Holm and many more.
Anathi Mobo, one of South Africa’s brightest young jazz stars, will perform with her mentor, Amanda Tiffin, while Pierre van Heerden, known for his role in the international musical production of The Lion King, will sing with Loukmaan Adams. Together they will create fresh authentic sounds with Halala Afrika and the Malay choir song Rosa in the same mix.
Suidoosterfees board chairman, Professor Brian Figaji, expressed his appreciation for the City of Cape Town’s support as a festival partner.
‘The City shares our passion for the development of our young people, for the cultivation of new talent and for making the arts more accessible for all. This synergistic partnership goes beyond just sponsorship, it fuses our objectives of development and cooperation – particularly important as a model for impactful action,’ said Professor Figaji.
‘Young, talented artists will receive valuable encouragement during workshops with their mentors. They will now have the opportunity to perform with their idols. It is with great pride that we offer our support to aspiring musicians in this way,’ added Councillor Badroodien.
Source: City Of Cape Town