AFRICAN RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

Strong presence of Local Artists at the 11th African Renaissance Festival from May 25 to 30.

The 11th annual African Renaissance Festival will provide a valuable platform for a myriad local performers and entertainers to be able to showcase their talent to visitors and guests of the African Renaissance events over the next week.

There will be a local entertainment aspect to every one of the African Renaissance events. The festival is held during the last week of May to coincide with Africa Day and is the only annual celebration of the African Renaissance ideals on the continent.

Two important opportunities for musicians to showcase their wares will be at two of the official functions – the opening banquet where emerging opera singer Mhlonishwa Dlamini (30) will serenade the VIP guests. From KwaMashu, north of Durban, Mhloniswa Dlamini, returned last week from the Nouvelle Opera Festival d' Rome, where he was one of 30 singers selected to perform for agents and directors from the world's premier opera theatres. Having started singing in a community choir at the age of 14, Mhloniswa Dlamini is confident that the intensive three weeks of training and performing at the festival have provided him with the right exposure and contacts to further his career as a lyric tenor. The African Renaissance Festival, a co-sponsor of Dlamini's trip to Rome, is looking forward to hosting the talented singer at a banquet to be held at Durban's Inkosi Albert Luthuli Convention Centre on May 29.

At the conference dinner top local gospel group Avante will perform. This well established all-male gospel group have been performing for almost 15 years. Based in KwaMashu, these four talented young men have performed and written for Rebecca Mhlophe and make up one of the country’s top selling gospel groups. They are also talented writers and write lyrics for various vocalists and groups including Malini and Afro pop singer, Ntando.

On Monday – Africa Day – the African Renaissance African Day concert will host the ever-popular Africa Day Concert featuring a star-studded line-up of Thandiswa Mazwai, Oliver Mtukudzi and Ray Chikapa Phiri with Stimela at the ICC Arena on May 25 at 18h00. Opening act will be local maskandi outfit Bhekumuzi Luthuli.

Also on Africa Day, on the steps of the City Hall, The Meditators will be performing. Smooth reggae band, The Meditators, are great ambassadors for Durban: a truly professional and dignified, self-empowered outfit with an awesome sound who regularly entertain visitors to the Essenwood Craft Market on a Saturday morning. They played at Splashy last year and were one of the opening acts for LKJ recently. They are currently preparing to launch their fourth album.

The Youth Pioneers Conference is an important and regular feature of the African Renaissance Festival which focuses on issues relevant to young people on the African continent and takes place at the ICC in Durban on May 26 from 09h00 to 16h00. Performing at the conference will be Zulu Boy aka Xolisi Majozi from Ntunzuma who has just realised his second Afro Hip Hop album.

Head over Heels will also be performing at the Youth Pioneers Conference. They are an all-girl-group performing traditional jazz and original compositions. Head over Heels comprises Tarryn Kasaval; Rebecca Pillay; Sindi Nene and Thuli Zama all from Durban.

The African Renaissance festival will celebrate, debate and examine broader issues related to re-defining and rebuilding the African continent through accessing and developing its own rich social, economic and political resources.

More information about the full African Renaissance programme on 031 266 9792 or email: reception@wozani.co.za