City to mark Africa Day and Youth Day with song and dance
22 May 2017
Johannesburg City Theatres – the City of Johannesburg’s entertainment entity – will, in partnership with the national Department of Arts and Culture, roll out the red carpet for some of Africa’s top performers who will be descending on Johannesburg as the City marks two of the most significant dates on the continent’s calendar.
Several activities have been planned to celebrate Africa Day on Thursday May 25 and commemorate Youth Day on Friday June 16.
This year marks the 54th anniversary of the founding of the Organisation for African Unity (OAU), the precursor to the present-day African Union (AU). The AU has a vision of “an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena”.
Says Joburg City Theatres CEO Xoliswa Nduneni-Ngema: “Africa Day is an opportunity for South Africans to reconnect and commit to a better Africa for all. Song and dance have throughout history proven to assist in change and unity.”
Nduneni-Ngema says several well-known and high-profile artists from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Mali, Ivory Coast and the diaspora will perform at the Joburg Theatre from Friday May 26 to Sunday May 28 in celebration of Africa Day.
The performers include the legendary Oliver Mtukudzi, Louis Mhlanga and Hope Rusike from Zimbabwe.
Acclaimed composer and saxophonist Steve Deyer leads the South African contingent, which includes Siya Makhuzeni, rising star Nathi, the Mahube Collective and The Parlotones.
Multi-Grammy award-winning legendary drummer Paco Sery and Etienne Mpappe, both from Ivory Coast, Aly Keita and Cheick Tidiane Seck from Mali, Danny Marta and Nicholas Vella from France and Xixel Manga from Mozambique complete the line-up.
Tickets cost R150 per person and are available at www.webtickets.co.za.
Youth Day commemoration events to mark the 41st anniversary of the 16 June 1976 Soweto uprising will be staged at both the Soweto Theatre in Jabulani and Joburg Theatre in Braamfontein on June 13 and 14.
Headlining the literature programme in the run-up to Youth Day will be award-winning poet, essayist playwright and editor Claudia Rankine.
The programme kicks off with a master class workshop titled The Importance of Writing. The workshop will try to unpack racial imagination and going beyond.
Hosted in the Space.com of Joburg Theatre, the workshop starts at 2pm on Tuesday June 13. A panel discussion titled What is a Decolonised Africa? Young Writers’ Perspective will start at 6.30pm.
On Wednesday June 14, all roads will lead to the Soweto Theatre, where Rankine will deliver her talk, Deconstructing Culture, Race and Privilege: Black Lives Matter. The talk starts at 6.30pm. Free transport will be provided from Joburg Theatre to Soweto Theatre and back.