Spectacular ceremony to kick off Afcon
SOUTH Africa’s top creative minds are behind the opening ceremony of the continent’s premier soccer tournament, scheduled to kick off at 4pm on Saturday at the National Stadium in Soweto.
Fashion designer David Tlale, choreographer Somizi Mhlongo, musician Sibongile Khumalo, Top Billing presenter Lorna Maseko and makeup artist Queen Motlatle will be pulling the strings for the 600 dancers, singers, stilt walkers, acrobats, gymnasts, drummers, traditional dancers and production assistants for the spectacle.
The creative director of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations ceremony, Dean McKain, said at least 11 African artists would be performing, but declined to name them.
He said there would not be any fireworks, because the event would take place during the day. “We will have day-time pyros, which will be more about confetti, not fireworks. The event will go on for 30 minutes, so we have fused all the music, singing and dances, showing off all 16 participating countries to make this whole thing spectacular,” McKain said.
The theme of the opening is “Celebrate Africa — The Beat at Africa’s Feat”. It has been contracted to international events company VWV, which was also responsible for the 2010 Fifa World Cup opening and closing ceremonies at the same venue.
Mhlongo, who has previously worked on productions such as Miss South Africa and the Channel O Music Video Awards, promised to “show off African moves ”. He said: “I am incorporating different styles of African dances. There will be kwasa kwasa, hlokoloza, sushi dance, Masai dance, a northern Egyptian dance and more.”
Mhlongo said he was working with a team of at least 520 people, including three assistant choreographers and five primary dancers, and has been involved in rehearsals for the past fortnight.
Also brought in to work with
We will have day-time pyros, which will be more about confetti, not fireworks. The event will go on for 30 minutes ’
the dancers is TV presenter Maseko — a professional ballerina — who has been working with two UK “chartists ” responsible for mapping out the dance areas, moves and logistics.
Ceremony producer Hlubi Kwebulana said professional dancers were used, as were dancers from some of South Africa’s townships after auditions were held in November.
“We found some of the dancers from a community project in Meadowlands, for example,” he said.
Tlale, the head of design, has created at least 11 garments for the unannounced African headline performers. “We started working on the garments in November last year and worked through December to now. The client was specific that they wanted the outfits to capture the four corners of the African continent’s heritage, cultures and essence, and also to suit each artist’s country,” he said.
Tlale, who showed his garments at New York Fashion Week last year, said he was using silk, kente, linen and natural and deep-dyed fabrics varying in colours from “very bright, dark and royalty”.
Jazz and opera musician Khumalo will be in charge of music for the event. Makeup artist and actress Motlatle, who “used to do the personal grooming of former president Thabo Mbeki and President Jacob Zuma” and was the key makeup and wigs artist for the South African and Taiwanese leg of the musical Lion King, will be coordinating her team of 25 to do the makeup for 545 people.
“[ Doing] 545 people is not bad — I did 2 000 faces for the 2010 World Cup and 59 faces every day for The Lion King.”
Following the ceremony, Bafana Bafana will take on Cape Verde at 6pm, and Angola will play Morocco at 9pm.