Bay concert just fails to make splash

But art lovers make presence felt

HELLO darlings! We were only separated for a week and yet it already feels like two lifetimes. I know that the last time we caught up I was having the time of my life traipsing all around the Eastern Cape, but that doesn’t mean I was not carrying all of you in my heart.

While I would like to go on and on about my experience of the thrilling beauty of our province, life has to go on and I’m happy to be back in the Bay.

Last weekend we celebrated Easter weekend with the annual Splash Festival among various events in the Bay.

Now I love this city but the things we do can be quite embarrassing sometimes. One of the biggest examples being how Mr Fill Up The Dome himself – Cassper Nyovest – was forced to perform to fewer than 200 people at St George’s Beach on Sunday.

For those of you who didn’t know of this embarrassing happening (I hear some peeps didn’t even know the dude was in town), let me lay it down for you.

This year, the Splash Festival took place at two locations – Hobie Beach and Wells Estate where Nyovest was invited to perform – but the Wells Estate party was only set for Sunday night.

While little birdies tell me the marketers are adamant that they outdid themselves in marketing the event, some would beg to differ. No one likes to admit to doing a crappy job in any event. Anywho, while most of Nelson Mandela Bay chose not to pitch, at least the likes of Bay entertainer Bobzit Mngaza did show up.

All I am saying is, it doesn’t matter whose fault the flop was, we all need to do better when quality entertainment is brought to our doorstep.

On Wednesday night, your gossip gal went to the Collective Ink exhibition opening at GFI gallery. Sorry Cassper, but Bay folks do love their art and showed up in numbers. The exhibition itself did not feed my soul to the brim and as a result I yearn for a walkabout with some of the artists featured in it.

Because Skinners was not feeling well, I missed out on the wine but some individuals sure as heck downed on my behalf. I kept my head clear enough to spot a couple of familiar faces including ceramicist Lookout Sibanda, and artists Bamanye Ngxale and Monde Goniwe.

Ciao darlings, here’s to more social shenanigans next week!

Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN LITTLE CHAMPION: Athi Jansen from Kings Beach was the boys’ U/11 beach sprint final winner at the SA Surf Lifesaving champs held at Kings Beach last weekend

Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN THINK INK: Art lovers, from left, Albrecht Herholdt, Pieter Swart and Lennox Menemene attend the Collective Ink Exhibition opening at GFI Art Gallery on Wednesday

Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN IN ACTION: Sureshan Moothoo played beach volleyball at the Nelson Mandela Bay Splash Festival at Hobie Beach last weekend

Picture: LOUISE LIEBENBERG PAINSTAKING RESEARCH: Ivor Markman, left, opened his exhibition titled Bards of the Bay at the Opera House last week. With him are Derek Zimmerman, centre, and Doron Blackman

Picture: LOUISE LIEBENBERG HISTORY OF THEATRE: Arts lovers, from left, Marian Lucouw, Cingiwe Skosana, Irma Schoeman and Dawn Madolo attend the opening of the exhibition Bards of the Bay and the launch of the Iphulo Drama Festival at the PE Opera House last Monday. This was followed by the production ‘Choice Amidst the Waves’, by Monde Ngonyama, in The Barn

Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN ACOUSTIC EVENING: Ntombomzi Mtwebana, left, and Irene Gazi enjoy coffee at Shisa African Restaurant during Dumza Maswana’s ‘Xhosa Acoustic Tour’ on Wednesday night

Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN APPRECIATING ART: Ludwe Mgolombane and Lynnley Watson view a sculpture on show at GFI Art Gallery at the opening of the Collective Ink exhibition on Wednesday night