(Much loved Reunion
musician Nathalie Natiembé)
The inaugural Zakifo Muzik Festival, Durban – featuring
cutting-edge, eclectic music acts from France, Reunion, Mozambique, India,
Brazil, Madagascar, Rwanda and South Africa -
comes to Durban’s City Hall on June 11 and Rivertown Beer Hall on June 12
and 13.
There will also be a host of satellite fringe events,
workshops, concerts and jams.
Zakifo’s sister event, Sakifo, is Reunion island’s premier
live music festival, bringing the world’s biggest international musicians to
the region, with a diverse, multi-cultural and inter-generational focus ranging
from pop to reggae and world music as well as indigenous sounds from Africa and
the Indian Ocean islands. Sakifo is the most significant music event in the
Indian Ocean attracting music buyers, industry promoters and festival
professionals from around the world.
Zakifo is a member of the FireFest Route:
a regional fraternity of music festivals that take place over the months of May
/ June each year as part of the East3 Route, an intergovernmental initiative
promoting tourism, arts and culture development and collaboration between South
Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique.
The festival kicks off on June 11 at the Durban City Hall,
featuring Zulu Folk legend Madala Kunene in collaboration with Reunion Island’s
Maloya singer/songwriter, Nathalie Natiembé. The evening culminates
with the acappella Afro soul sounds of Mzansi’s SAMA Award winning trio, The
Soil.
There are two events at the Rivertown Beer Hall: on June 12
and Saturday 13. The first evening kicks off with
Reunion’s masters of percussive maloya, Grèn Sémé. They followed by the
South African and Rwandan Afro-pop mash-up known as the John Wizards; Brazilian
bossa-nova meets ragga songstress, Flavia Coelho and the
return of the world class Mozambican dubstars; 340ml Sound System
who set the stage and the tempo for Veranda
Panda, the dynamic Durban electro duo before France’s DJ duo Epic Empire sets
fire to the floor and takes us through to closing in the early hours.
June 13 returns to the Beer Hall and kicks off proceedings
with a distinctly urban and hip-hop feel. Durban’s own king of dark Mzansi
electro, Felix Laband sets it off. He is followed by Cape Town groove duo
Christian Tiger School; Pretoria garage rock duo Make Overs light things up for
Durban hip-hop stalwart Raheem, who rocks the mic before giving way to Durban
production wizard Sketchy Bongo and friends. Tumi, from the Volume, returns to
eThekwini with his band and a whole new set and Nucleya, straight from
Ahmedabad India, dropping some heavy electronic Bollywood beats.
Festival Director, Jerome Galabert, says: “Sakifo means
‘what is needed’ in Creole. When we launched the festival in Reunion 12 years
ago, our intention was to respond to the unique needs of the island’s cultural
community. With Zakifo Durban our intention is the same. We want to start
answering the call of the city’s creative voices; strengthening ties between
the cultural communities of the Indian Ocean, from India to Australia to China
and of course Reunion, Madagascar and Mauritius. Through our world-class
line-up we strive to inspire and create lasting opportunities for
collaboration; cross cultural exchanges; economic opportunities and skills development.
“Most importantly, we’ve kept the ticket prices very
reasonable,” Galabert adds. “R150 for the VIP opening night at Durban City Hall
and just R80 for each night at the Beer Hall. We’ve done this because we’re a
new festival and we want the people of Durban to come and experience Zakifo to
be truly entertained and excited, so we can build powerfully for 2016 and
beyond!”
Sipho Sithole, one of the festival partners and founder /
owner of Native Rhythms, says: “This partnership with Reunion Islands has been
a dream of mine. I have attended a number of music festivals internationally
and there was no better choice and fit than Zakifo to bring to South Africa,
particularly my home town and province. Zakifo is a destination festival, a
people to people encounter and we guarantee you that over the years this
festival will become part of travellers’ annual calendar coming from all over
the world.”
Zakifo Muzik Festival, Durban has been made possible by the
generosity of international partners, Alliance Française de Durban; Institut
Français; Reunion Island's Conseil Général; Air Austral and Scènes Australes. KZN
Tourism; Durban Tourism eThekwini Municipality, Red Bull and Castle Lite Lime should
also be applauded for their support.
Tickets available at Computicket outlets at Shoprite
Checkers nationwide, or by phoning 0861 915 8000 or online at www.computicket.com
For more information, and for the detailed programme, visit www.zakifo.com or email info@zakifo.com or phone 031 332 0119.
Additional information is also available on South African music, culture and
reality magazine at www.mahala.co.za
Zakifo Muzik Festival, Durban is active across social media
platforms – for regular updates, follow / like the festival on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zakifo-Muzik-Festival/1424193651227518?fref=ts
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