FIRST it was world-renowned folklore artist Pops Mahomed who went on stage and played a few of the San people's musical instruments.
He then introduced poet and journalist Don Mattera on stage and together, they performed a tribute song-cum poem to the Arts Alive Music festival at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre yesterday.
This was at the launch of the month-long Arts Alive Festival that will start on September 1 and run until September 25 at various venues in Johannesburg, with a programme that straddles a wide range of genres.
The performance by the two arts veterans set the mood for the festival that will roll out in seven regions of the City of Joburg, which is the organiser of this artistic feast featuring music, poetry, film, dance, visual arts, literature and comedy.
Mattera and Mahomed will collaborate in a music-meet poetry performance, which will also be recorded and a CD released for legacy reasons.
Nigerian France-based artist Asa will be back with Arts Alive for the second time and will headline the famous Jazz on the Lake finale of the festival on September 25.
Zimbabwe's Oliver Mtukudzi and Kenyan Wainana will be among African artists from the rest of the continent who will join their South African counterparts, including Mahomed, Mattera, Ringo Madlingozi, Tumi and the Volume among others. These artists will perform at different venues around the city, leading to the finale on September 25.
This year, there will be a strong contingent of overseas artists from different music genres ranging from folklore to rock music. This is probably the most intense and extensive programme since the festival was started 18 years ago.
"We want everyone in the city to take advantage of a programme with 58performances.
"It's also really an easy way for Joburgers to explore a different part of the city, much in the way many did during the Fifa 2010 World Cup.
"This is a challenge to our residents to get out and about, come September," said director arts, culture and heritage for the City of Joburg Steven Sack.
He said the city of Joburg now boasts better infrastructure in terms of its public transport and easy access to different parts of the city - all seven regions which will be home to Arts Alive events during September.
Sack said there will be something for everyone this year.
Joburg gears up for festival
FIRST it was world-renowned folklore artist Pops Mahomed who went on stage and played a few of the San people's musical instruments.
He then introduced poet and journalist Don Mattera on stage and together, they performed a tribute song-cum poem to the Arts Alive Music festival at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre yesterday.
This was at the launch of the month-long Arts Alive Festival that will start on September 1 and run until September 25 at various venues in Johannesburg, with a programme that straddles a wide range of genres.
The performance by the two arts veterans set the mood for the festival that will roll out in seven regions of the City of Joburg, which is the organiser of this artistic feast featuring music, poetry, film, dance, visual arts, literature and comedy.
Mattera and Mahomed will collaborate in a music-meet poetry performance, which will also be recorded and a CD released for legacy reasons.
Nigerian France-based artist Asa will be back with Arts Alive for the second time and will headline the famous Jazz on the Lake finale of the festival on September 25.
Zimbabwe's Oliver Mtukudzi and Kenyan Wainana will be among African artists from the rest of the continent who will join their South African counterparts, including Mahomed, Mattera, Ringo Madlingozi, Tumi and the Volume among others. These artists will perform at different venues around the city, leading to the finale on September 25.
This year, there will be a strong contingent of overseas artists from different music genres ranging from folklore to rock music. This is probably the most intense and extensive programme since the festival was started 18 years ago.
"We want everyone in the city to take advantage of a programme with 58performances.
"It's also really an easy way for Joburgers to explore a different part of the city, much in the way many did during the Fifa 2010 World Cup.
"This is a challenge to our residents to get out and about, come September," said director arts, culture and heritage for the City of Joburg Steven Sack.
He said the city of Joburg now boasts better infrastructure in terms of its public transport and easy access to different parts of the city - all seven regions which will be home to Arts Alive events during September.
Sack said there will be something for everyone this year.
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