Music

Music lovers around the Sinthumule, Kutama and from other areas braved the cold weather on Saturday night and attended the inaugural leg of the Africa Day Reggae Festival in great numbers.

The event, held at AfreeCa Resort at Tshiozwi village, was organised by Murendeni Ramunenyiwa, under the theme We are Africa. The AfreeCa resort's series of musical festival projects is supported by the Department of Arts and Culture (Mzansi Golden Economy).

A large number of artists, such as Colbert Mukwevho, Zwido, Khakhathi & Friends, Humbulani Ramagwedzha, Kenny Murabi, Muofhe, Code Mundalamo, and Cornerstone gave outstanding performances.

“This is a colorful, creative and captivating celebration of African unity through music and culture,” Ramunenyiwa said. “The festival aims to support cultural identity, tourism and economic activities in and around the Makhado area.”

The festival aimed to provide a sound-development platform for the growing number of local artists who leave the region to go to Johannesburg to seek opportunities. “We see the event as contributing to social cohesion and nation building while entrenching our African identity through musical performances,” he said.

The festival started with a hip-hop event a fortnight ago, where Vhembe artists showcased their singing abilities. Hip-hop artists such as Mizo Phyll supported the show.

“The vision of this festival is mainly to allow local vernacular hip-hop artists a platform at a mainstream level,” he said. “Very little is going on with regard to the promotion of Venda artists in South Africa. Some artists have already released more than three albums but have never performed to an audience bigger than 50 people. But the quality of their music is no less, compared to any hip-hop or house stars around the world.”

He indicated that there was a huge hip-hop culture in the district and it hurt to see things ending up in the street or being pirated without benefiting the artists who spent sleepless nights working on such projects.

“In general essence, the festival celebrates unity among all the peoples of Africa. It is also a campaign against the xenophobic attacks on illegal foreigners,” he said.