Top stars bring the house down

SOME of the country’s biggest stars gave five-star performances to thousands of delirious fans on Saturday at the sixth edition of the annual Matatiele Music Festival.

Some of the people who attended the event drove hundreds of kilometres from as far as Port Elizabeth, East London and Mthatha.

The likes of Eastern Capeborn Zahara, Ringo and the Ngud hitmaker Kwesta, had the crowd eating from the palm of their hands as they took turns crooning some of their well-known hits.

Several local artists in Matatiele were also included in the lineup.

Afropop songbird Zahara and Ringo received the loudest cheers among the more “matu audience while Kwesta was a hit with the younger crowd.

The Daily Dispatch reported on Saturday that music lovers had gone into panic mode following a Facebook post that popular rapper Cassper Nyovest would not be performing at the event. Despite assurances by municipal bosses that he would take to the stage, the Dispatch can confirm that he was not at the event.

Still, serial festival goers Noliyema Khanuka, who had been to two recent editions, said the festival had been a resounding success in her eyes.

“What a night,” she enthused when asked about the performances of the music stars.

“We only get to see them perform live during the festival and they lived up to expectation.”

Matatiele mayor Momelezi Mbedla said the festival had grown in leaps and bounds since its inception in 2011.

He said the event boosted local economy.