Edward Tsumele

Edward Tsumele

Sowetans must get set for what promises to be another jol on December 13 at the Soweto Arts festival - a yearly event that never fails to rock.

This festival is one of the cultural showpieces on the Soweto entertainment calendar and is sure to shine once more this year at Dorothy Nyembe Park, Soweto.

Among those in the strong line-up are Mandoza, Jozi, Mavusana, 3Sum, Mr Staff, Mzekhezekhe and Somizi.

These are bigwigs in this business and have a solid following.

A cursory look at most of these musicians confirms their contribution to the music industry in the country and they are sure to endear themselves again at the festival.

Mandoza has not been called Nkalankata for nothing. He has come up with a kwaito brand that has impressed many fans over the years. Mavusana has also paid his dues in kwaito circles, while Mzekhezekhe is also a brand name in the genre.

Jozi has over the past few years demonstrated their capacity to entertain as a hip-hop act that has real potential.

Mr Staff is a new kid on the scene and it is too early to tell whether he has a good fan base, whereas 3Sum is certainly popular in party circles.

Somizi is known for his dance arrangements, but as far as his singing goes you will have to go to the Soweto Festival to find out.

Howza, who until recently made a name for himself as an actor in Generations, is still trying to find his space on the competitive music scene. It will be interesting to see if he cuts it with the Soweto gig, which has Sowetan and Sunday World as media partners.