Edward Tsumele in Grahamstown

Edward Tsumele in Grahamstown

Janice Honeyman's musical, An African Celebration, is a display of sheer talent.

It features past winners of the Standard Bank Young Artists awards.

Taking place at Grahamstown's Butler Theatre at the Monument, it shows what the country is capable of in artistic excellence and diversity.

Featuring various music genres, from opera to kwaito, the show is a celebration of the 25 years of the festival.

Zwai Bala, Sibongile Khumalo, her niece Sibongile Mngoma, Mark Fransman, Shannon Moyday, Themba Mkhize and Zanne Stapelberg are fantastic.

Narrated superbly by actor and director James Ngcobo, whose streetwise sense of humour is very much part of the action, An African Celebration is an artistic revelation of exactly what a Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner is meant to be.

By the time it ended everybody had enjoyed a stunning display of talent, commitment and a lot more.

It was not surprising that the crowd joined in the singing and dancing. This musical demonstrates innovation and is a taste of what the Grahamstown National Arts festival is.