Jozi to celebrate Arts Alive Festival’s jubilee year in style

29 August 2017

 

The popular, multi-genre, diverse and exciting month-long City of Johannesburg’s annual International Arts Alive Festival is back – and it is bigger, brighter and better than ever before.

 

This year’s edition marks the festival’s jubilee year after a quarter of a century on the City’s annual entertainment calendar – bringing out the best in everything artistic, from music, dance and visual arts to outstanding theatrical productions and thought-provoking conversations by leading scholars from Africa and the diaspora.

The not-to-be-missed festival will be launched at the Joburg Theatre by Johannesburg Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba and Member of the Mayoral Committee for Community Development Cllr Nonhlanhla Sifumba on Friday September 1.

For the whole of September, Johannesburg will be transformed into a giant stage, hosting a number of local and international artists, actors and musicians.

Held during Heritage Month, the festival draws people from all across the globe, giving it a vibrant multinational identity. Popular regular features – including Jazz on the Lake, Eldo’s Jazz Festival and Joy of Jazz Concert – will be among the festival's main attractions.

The spectacle will also be used to pay tribute to two of South Africa’s greatest musicians who died earlier this year – prolific songwriter, singer and guitarist Ray Phiri and jazz sensation Thandi Klaasen.

It will also feature artists from Jamaica, the United States and Denmark. Music will include a diverse range of genres, from jazz to Afrobeat, hip-hop to kwaito and dance hall to reggae.

Award-winning drummer Cora Coleman, who is currently working with Beyonce and has performed for many years with late musical icon Prince, will be among the festival’s star performers.

Also on the line-up are award-winning South African artists such as Amanda Black, Zonke and Kwesta, to mention a few. Admission to most of the festival’s events is free.
Park-and-ride facilities will be in place to ensure the revellers’ safe and convenient passage to some of the month’s events.