Joza choral celebration raises the roof
“This must be an annual event.” That was the call from everyone who had anything to do with the first Makhanda Stibili Music Festival last weekend.
When the poster for an event advertises the Joza Indoor Sport Centre as the venue, you know they are expecting a crowd. The floor area alone seats about 800: on Saturday 6 August, that crowd came. And that’s not counting the stands, which were packed with the choirs of six Makhanda high schools, as well as those of the town’s tertiary institutions.
Inspiration for last weekend’s multi-choir celebration at the Joza Indoor Sport Centre was sparked by the very successful concert that Khutliso Daniels Secondary School choir held there earlier this year. Many of the organisers of last weekend’s event were involved in that event and seeing its extraordinary power, decided they want to share the love.
Six Makhanda high schools and both tertiary institutions were on the bill alongside Khutliso Daniels: Victoria Girls High School, Nombulelo Secondary, Ntsika Secondary, TEM Mrwetyana Secondary, Nathaniel Nyaluza Secondary, Rhodes University and Eastcape Midlands College. MC was isiXhosa standup star and local excellence advocate Tsepiso Nzayo.
It was organised by super-teachers Lonwabo Sandi, Vela Pantsi and Zikhona Madyo, alongside local arts and culture champion and Makana councillor Ramie Xonxa.
“The show was a huge success,” Mkhize said. “It’s aim was to keep our school children busy, off the street and learn from each other, as they all come from different environments.”
The proceeds would go towards supporting a vegetable garden in Joza that provides the Joza community with food.
“It was so good to organise an incident-free festival,” said Mkhize, head of music at VGHS and conductor of their multi-award-winning choir.
“Music also helps our children forget about the challenges of where they come from.”