(Maya Kamaty, who will
appear on the programme)
(Interview by Latoya
Newman, courtesy of The Tonight)
The Zakifo Musik Festival 2016 launched in Durban recently
with a programme boasting some of the finest international and South African
musos in the industry. The event takes place at the Durban Natal Command site,
opposite Battery Beach, on May 27 and 28 with artists from France, Reunion, Mozambique,
the US, Mali, Ghana, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and South Africa.
The Tonight touched base with Andy Davis, one of the
festival organisers/partners at Zakifo (Pty) Ltd.
The Zakifo Fest is a sister festival to the Sakifo Fest
which started 13 years ago in Reunion Island.
“Sakifo is Reunion Island’s biggest music festival,
attracting between 20,000 to 30,000 people each year on an island with less
than a million inhabitants, so it is hugely influential. Beyond that, the line
up is culturally relevant: a mix of contemporary pop, rock and reggae artists
and the very best African, Francophone, Indian Ocean and World artists.
“Most interestingly, Sakifo has played a crucial role in
responding to Reunion Island’s cultural needs and strengthening the island’s
creative industries and their export markets, while attracting loads of
tourists.
“It was obvious that the concept of a diverse,
multi-generational music festival underpinned by an incredibly relevant
international, African and local line-up would work exceptionally well in South
Africa. The Indian Ocean link made Durban the obvious destination, that and the
fact that Durban really needs a strong cultural injection and a big destination
festival that appeals to everyone in the city and not the standard old market
segments.”
Davis said he first visited Sakifo in 2007 as a journalist
and met the founder, Jerome Galabert. “We almost immediately started batting
around the idea of bringing the festival to South Africa. I met baba Sipho
Sithole, from Native Rhythms, at the Indian Ocean Music Market and Sakifo in
2012 and things just clicked between the three of us, because we all had the
same idea of bringing this incredible festival back to Mzansi. It took a bit of
time, but in 2015 we managed to deliver our first Zakifo in Durban.”
He said they want to inspire the people of Durban, and South
Africa, with a festival that offers something fresh and different. “But at the
same time, responding to the cultural and social needs of the city and the
country. Zakifo does not obey those old festival rules of having to bring out
big American artists to pull crowds, because you can get that content on the
radio or the TV and it doesn’t really speak to who we are and what we are
facing in our lives as South Africans. The objective of Zakifo is to inspire
hope and courage in the people. ‘Zakifo’ in Creole means ‘what you need’.”
This year’s programme has a strong focus on outspoken,
innovative, boundary-defying women performers: “South Africa has a horrible
story of gender inequality and violence towards women. Dealing with this is one
of the most serious issues we face as a people. We want to make sure that in
everything we do, as Zakifo, from the artists we put on stage to the team that
delivers the festival, women take the lead and create and affirm powerful,
successful role models. Not because they are women, but because they are
incredible musicians and festival professionals.”
Last year, Zakifo attracted more than 3,500 people a weekend
and it is anticipated this figure will increase this year.
Book at www.webtickets.co.za For more information, and for
the detailed programme, visit www.zakifo.com – Latoya Newman
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