(International
guest artist Fiona Boyes)
“We have a tight selection of artists for
this year’s Durban International Blues Festival,” says co-director and
spokesperson for the event, Tanya van Agthoven Marais. The festival runs from
September 27 to 29, 2018
Unlike many other genres of live music and
festivals, Blues has a somewhat “intimate” feel and the close up and personal
vibe is the preferred one, according to her.
The line-up also takes cognisance of the
audience suggestions over time, for a line up with more local /South African
artists and this year audiences can look forward to listening to firm
favourites and some newer names, some participating in the festival for the
first time.
September 27: Fender sponsors the only free
evening with a line-up of well knowns at 19h00: Sycamore Rock Academy, Tiffany
Sheppard Band, Alchemy, Bobby and the Dynamites and the East Coast Basement
Blues Band. The evening is hosted by Glenwood Village Music.
September 28: The evening opens at 19h30
with the Durban Blues Band which will have been pulled up through the ranks
under the mentorship of DIBF Development and Mentoring Director, Pinkie
Mtshali. “These young artists will have been schooled on the blues genre, given
music workshop guidance and opportunity to rehearse in order to perform on the
billing in front of an audience- and for some, for the first time. The Durban
International Blues Festival has always had a policy to hold these workshop and
mentorship classes as another manner of educating musicians to the genre of
this unique music style: many musicians- accomplished ones too- don’t even know
they are playing the blues or that their music has a strong blues base,” says Mtshali.
The evening rolls out with Them Dirty
Shrikes and Jonathan Peyper – relative newcomers to Durban audiences, but
musicians who must not be ignored!
September 29: The final evening, sees The
Smoke Train return to the stage due to their undoubted success at the festival
last year so if you enjoyed them - be sure to book early at Computicket as
seating is limited and unreserved on all nights.
Following The Smoke Train is the formidable
new band Black Harbour who are reaching for new heights every performance and
who will undoubtedly excite the crowd and get them revved up for Australia’s
Fiona Boyes - the international guest artist who will close the evening and the
2018 festival.
Tickets are on line already at Computicket
and are R150 pre-bought but there will be a limited number of tickets at the
Box office on show night for R160. Seating is unreserved and on a first-come,
first-served basis.
The Durban International Blues Festival has
chosen to perform from their old home of Zacks (at Wilson’s Wharf) where the
menu is affordable and varied and will suit all tastes and a cash bar is
available.
Don’t forget to bring extra cash for CD’s
on sale (R100) and a selection of generic festival tee shirts available while
stocks last –from R150 to R200. There will also be the customary raffle or
auction – so be prepared with extra cash! You wouldn’t want to lose out!
Information can be found on
www.durbanbluesfestival.co.za or by visiting FB pages FRIENDS of Durban Blues
Festival and Durban Blues Festival, Instagram, Twitter and most other online
mediums.
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