Splashy Fenners can look forward to a dedicated Jazz line-up
in the Rainbow Rhythm Sunday set in conjunction with Rainbow Restaurant at
Splashy Fen this year; highlighting a significant development in the rebirth of
the Splashy Fen Music Festival.
The Rainbow Restaurant, opened in 1981, has been staging
music events since 1983. Seven years later, the first Splashy Fen came about as
a platform for artists to share their melodic sounds with music-loving fans.
Huck Auben, de facto mayor of Underberg comments: “This
Easter, two legends of KZN music meet as the Rainbow is finally welcomed to
Splashy Fen. Longevity and culture deep, the proverbial pot of gold. Halala!”
“This collaboration was long overdue” says Neil Comfort,
music programmer at the Rainbow for the past 15 years, “and with the
appointment of Impi Concept Events as event managers of Splashy Fen 2016, the
Rainbow has been welcomed with open arms”.
Historically, due to its client profile and geographic
location in the Pinetown taxi rank, the Rainbow has always staged its high
profile shows on a Sunday afternoon. Fitting into the natural ebb and flow of a
multi-day event such as Splashy, it is almost a perfect fit to have the Rainbow
Rhythms Sunday session added to this years' event.
The showcase, starting at 12h00 is opened by maskanda act,
Umfulongashi from the Underberg area. They are followed by reggae band, The
Meditators who have performed at the Rainbow on a number of occasions. Then it’s
into the Rainbow showcase proper, curated by Comfort to give festival goers a
taste of the rhythms that have sustained the people of the Rainbow for 35
years.
At 14h00 are the young guns, the Unity Band featuring
bassist Ildo Nandja and guitarist Seb Goldswain, products of the excellent
music program at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. They epitomise the future
promise of great music coming out of KZN.
Then it is the turn of maskanda giants, Shabalala Rhythm,
fronted by Sibongiseni Shabalala who keeps this project going despite now also
having to take the lead role in Ladysmith Black Mambazo, since the retirement
of his father, Dr. Joseph Shabalala. Joining them for one song will be
Zimbabwean legend, Oliver Mtukudzi whose self-styled brand of Tuku Music takes
him on regular international tours.
This is followed by a solo set from the legend himself,
Mtukudzi to give the audience a chance to catch their breath after the high
energy dance moves of Shabalala Rhythm. Closing it all down from 17h30 will be
the infectious guitar riffs of Louis Mhlanga and his quintet.
Comfort explains: “There were a couple of things that
directed me to put together the programme like this. For Africa Day in 2014 we
hosted a line-up that featured Ethiopique band Akale Wube from France, Mtukudzi
and Shabalala Rhythm. The energy, passion and joy that afternoon was almost a
tangible thing that you could touch and it whipped things into such a frenzy
that the afternoon closed with all three acts on stage in an impromptu jam.
With Mhlanga having worked with Mtukudzi on many occasions over the years and
with Mtukudzi being a regular collaborator with Shabalala, I am hoping that a
bit of that Rainbow magic finds its way to Splashy, to give Fenners something
special, something different.”
Rainbow Rhythm Sunday takes place on March 27 at Splashy
Fen. Doors open at 13h00. Tickets can be purchased tickets online at www.splashyfen.co.za
for R750 pp for the full four-day festival. There is also a day pass option for
March 27 at R200.