Ebubeleni Festival ready to rock fans at NMB stadium
THERE will be something to appease a wide spectrum of musical tastes at tomorrow’s annual Ebubeleni at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, including hip-hop, traditional R&B, soul, jazz and more.
Mafikizolo is the only act to crack the nod for a return invite two years in a row, thanks to the hot performance of the group’s Nhlanhla Nciza and Theo Kgosinkwe.
Here is who else you can look forward to: Amanda Black, the Bay singer who enchanted audiences around the country with her hit Amazulu; Rapper and hip hop star AKA – born Kiernan Forbes – who has won multiple South African hip-hop awards as well as Metro FM awards, and has been nominated for Channel O Music Awards.
AKA has opened for international musicians such as Kanye West, Snoop dogg, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar.
However, the artist and record producer is as well-known off stage as on it, as the “plus one” of television and radio personality, Bonang Matheba. Caiphus Semenya and Letta
Mbulu will end the year that marked their 50th wedding anniversary in musical style with their legendary jazz vocals. Samkelo Mdolomba – better known as Samthing Soweto – will bring his famous voice (he was one of the members of the much-loved South African a cappella group ‘The Soi’l) to the stage tomorrow.
The singer who created waves with his track Akanamali has been singing all round the country since Christmas, with gigs in Cape Town and at Taung north of Bloemfontein this week before Ebubeleni. The Jaziel Brothers Luthando and Ntobeko Ngcizela will bring their blend of soul, gospel and rhythm and blues with them. Like many other artists born in the Eastern Cape, the brothers have sought fame and fortune in Johannesburg with their voices.
Lady Zamar will get into the pop groove with numbers from albums such as King Zamar and Cotton Candy. Ngempela songwriter-singer Jabulani Hadebe, popularly known as Sjava ka Mnisi or just Sjava will bring his African Trap Movement (ATM), a sub-genre of SA hip hop to the stage. Swaziland singer-songwriter
Sands has made his home language of SiSwati accessible to new ears in this country with his danceable love song Tigi, which features on his album Sands of Time. There also will be other local acts on the programme, which starts at noon.
If Ebubeleni is successful at the new venue in this its sixth year, the organisers hope to make the stadium the festival’s home for the next three years.
Gates open at 10am. People can bring their own picnic baskets, cooler boxes and camp chairs. However, no bottles, no beach umbrellas or sharp objects will be allowed into the venue. Although VIP and parking tickets are sold out, there are still tickets on sale for R300 and R250 per person at Computicket, with a R50 surcharge for a cooler box.
For more information, contact Mahambehlala Communications, 081-738-8792, or e-mail info@mahambehlalacomms.co.za