Musicians in full voice for Zakifo Festival
THE Zakifo Music Festival, back in Durban for a fourth time, will kick off with a tribute to Nelson Mandela as 2018 marks 100 years since his birth.
It is an occasion festivals and charity organisations are choosing to commemorate.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation will host the fund-raising concert at the BAT Centre, where some of the best musicians on the continent will pay tribute to the late statesman.
A portion of all ticket sales from the event will be donated to the foundation’s “Be the Legacy” programme, which aims to support projects that promote democracy, prosperity, health and education.
The foundation seeks to charge society to accept Mandela’s challenge, to take upon itself the responsibility to solve challenges of the world.
Headlining will be the iconic jazz musician Sipho Hotstix Mabuse. The singer and multi-instrument player, 66, recently performed at the funeral of Winnie Madikizela-mandela.
He released the song Nelson Mandela in the 90s and is famous for the 1984 hit song, Burn Out.
Joining him will be fellow musicians, singer-songwriter Elida Almeida from Cape Verde, and Sekou Kouyaté from Guinea.
Presenter on 5FM, Nick Hamman, will keep guests entertained between the performances by Mabuse, Almeida and Kouyate.
Tickets cost R300.
The festival, which is the sister of Réunion Island’s Sakifo, will welcome 28 other musicians from around the world to perform at various venues next weekend.
American soul singer Aloe Blacc is the headline performer and will close off the festival next Sunday.
Blacc, who is famous for his songs I Need a Dollar and Don’t Wake Me Up named his daughter Mandela.
On performing in South Africa, Blaac said: “Nelson Mandela’s life and accomplishments were truly special, and so it’s wonderful to be able to share the joys of music in his homeland.”
Other noteworthy musicians on the line-up include Nakhane, who recently won a best actor SA Film and Television Award’s gong for his role in the controversial film Inxeba: The Wound; gqom mastermind, DJ Lag, hip hop wunderkind Nasty C; Nigeria’s Femi Koya, as well as Guy Buttery and Kanada Narahari.
The festival performances will be at Views @ Twenty5 at 25 Silver Avenue in Morningside on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the performances will be at Blue Lagoon Beach.