18 August 2004

By Ndaba Dlamini

HOT kwaito rhythms and cool contemporary jazz will be the order of the day at the Mogale City Festival to be held in the tranquil surrounds of the Krugersdorp Game Reserve on 22 August.

The open-air festival, to be staged at Ngonyama Lodge along the R24 route, was planned to coincide with National Women's Month, said event organiser Oupa Salemane, chief executive of The Jazz Foundation.

Promising a sizzling programme of South Africa's cream of musicians, Salemane said: "Mafikizolo is going to be there. Also on the line-up will be Judith Sephuma, The Golden Divas (Dorothy Masuka, Abigail Kubheka and Dolly Rathebe), Malaika, Joe Nina, Nana Coyote and Steve Kekana who make up The Trio, Selaelo Selota and a host of other artists."

Mogale City is partnering The Jazz Foundation in staging the annual show, which is in its second year.

Sipho Dube, Mogale City councillor for rural development and tourism, said the festival will go a long way in marketing Mogale City as a tourist attraction.

"The festival is going to make people aware of the vast natural attractions that Mogale City has to offer."

Mogale City is home to World Heritage site, the Sterkfontein Caves (better known as the Cradle of Humankind), the Lion Safari Park and the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens.

"We expect a massive turnout from local residents and, of course, from music lovers from the whole of Gauteng. This year's line-up of musicians is much bigger and will present diverse musical genres," says Salemane.

The inaugural musical show, part of the Mogale Arts and Cultural Carnival which ran from 20 to 24 August last year, was held at Coronation Park in Krugersdorp and attracted a crowd of 6 000.

"The cultural carnival was multi-faceted and included a showcase of various art forms, performances, dance and thematic floats which were paraded around Mogale City. There was a craft and business exhibition which culminated in the musical show at the park," says Salemane.

While last year's show included Carlos Malta from Brazil and Marsha Moyo from Zambia, this year's show is going to be a wholly South African affair. It starts at 11 am and will run till late.

Tickets for the Mogale City Festival will cost R85 and are available through Computicket on 011 340 8000, or at www.computicket.com. Gate entrance fee will cost R100.

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