ST CYPRIAN’S CHURCH FETE

 

(Pictured getting ready for the fete are St Cyprian’s Fr Dane Elsworth and Shiela Naidoo, Kerr House Social Worker, with items made by Kerr House residents. Pic: Illa Thompson)

 

One of the city’s most anticipated market events: the annual St Cyprian’s church fete, takes place on Saturday morning, June 27 on the church grounds in Umbilo.

Enjoy a fun morning of market stalls, family activities, food and drink, and a beer garden with live music, while supporting one of the city’s most hardworking, community-spirited churches.

The fete has an extensive white elephant stand; tables of book and music; jewellery; pre-loved garments and accessories; jams and preserves; crafts and homemade goods.

Come hungry as they are also known for their market fare, tea and cakes and beer garden.

A key element of the fete is support for Kerr House, which celebrate 75 years of service this year. The Durban Hospice for Women established in 1951 as a shelter for “Women in Crises.” Kerr House accommodates up to 15 women and children who are mostly victims of Gender Based Violence. They receive professional help from a full-time social worker while house mothers ensure the smooth running of Kerr House.

The residents are taught skills and the craft items made are sold at the St Cyprian’s annual fete.

St Cyprians is at 603 Umbilo Road and the fete takes place on Saturday June 27 from 08h00 until 14h00.

Kerr House relies entirely on donations. The monthly running cost of Kerr House is R110 000.

Support in cash and kind is greatly appreciated.

The bank details are:

The Durban Hospice for Women;

FNB Cheque Account;

Branch Code: 220526;

Account No: 50741035022

 

Contact details are saintcyprian@telkomsa.net

Tel: 031 2053710

 

JAZZ AT THE BEAN BAG

 

Well-known performing artist Lu Dlamini of The Headroom announces that they have been invited by the Durban Tourism through Phambili Media to perform amongst some of the City’s loved and legendary giants in the music industry.

This will take place on June 28, this coming Sunday.

Lu says: “We feel honoured at receiving an invite to share on a South African Story of hope, honour, love and resilience.

“Tickets only available at the door. I will arrive early at the venue on Sunday to reserve tables for my friends who have confirmed. Those still to confirm can WhatsApp the guest name and the number of guests in the table.”

 

Events Details:

Date: June 28, 2026

Venue: The Bean Bag

Time: 15h00

 Admission: R150. 00

 

Phone: 0837166990. The Headroom is located at 21 Bridlington Road, Sea View, Durban

For more information contact www.ludlamini.co.za

 

MY CAPE TOWN BY PAT PILLAI

 

(Pat Pillai. Pic supplied)

 My Cape Town by Pat Pillai

My Cape Town - Written and Told by Pat Pillai

Music by Melvin Peters

South Africa, Ireland, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand.

 

The Editor of My Cape Town community newspaper explores the best stories of the last 40 years. He reveals Rylands and wider Athlone’s charming, quirky characters who made life extraordinary – and still do.

Pat Pillai’s hilarious, heartwarming and nostalgic stories of Rylands, Athlone in Cape Town in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s! Vibrant storytelling – accompanied by live piano, double bass and drums. A fusion of dramedy, music and song.

Audiences have been enthralled!

The Cape Flats is a part of Cape Town that is most ethnically and culturally diverse – with people and cultures from around the globe interacting for hundreds of years.

A diverse Hindu, Muslim and Christian community shaped a unique cultural identity. In the 70’s, parents and grandparents had just been evicted from District Six and found themselves having to make a new life on the sands.

In My Cape Town by Pat Pillai, meet Donavan Selveraj (the curious news editor); Oliver Shakespeare (the classical artiste); the mischievous Auntie Khadijah; Vikram Singh (the romantic mechanic); Lionel (a brilliant pianist); Mr and Mrs Jansen (sweepstakes winners); Uncle O’Brien (who lives in a shack); Umesh Lala (who defended his mother); Mr Murugadas (the charming waiter); Taxi Benny; Jimmy Jingles (the nervous MC); Yongama Bala (the boxer); Little Chubby Singh; Igsaan (the enforcer); – and many more.

My Cape Town by Pat Pillai is nostalgic, hilarious, yet deeply human - and wonderfully revealing for those who did not grow up there.

Classic storytelling, music, laughter – and poignant moments that are universally human.

Pillai says: “News reports of life on the other side of Cape Town, the Flats, are often dire, but life is so much more than the bleak. But on the Flats - in fact all over South Africa - people find a way... they love, build, create, celebrate and dream. We capture these vibrant and uplifting stories.”

Pat Pillai was born and raised in Athlone, Cape Town. As a professional, Pillai went on to study and work in Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town and abroad.

 

Audience impressions…

“A universal and nuanced exploration of hope and defiance in a Cape Town setting.” Dr. David Balfour

“At times heart wrenching, at times humorous and whimsical; My Cape Town takes you on a journey into the lives and homes of characters so rich, you feel you’ve always known them.” Dr. Varushka Bachan

 

The vibrant Cape Flats in the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s!

2026

CAPE TOWN • DURBAN • JOHANNESBURG

Produced by FireDog Skyy Productions

 

BIOGRAPHY

 

Pat Pillai:  Writer & Storyteller

Pat Pillai was born and raised in Rylands, Athlone, Cape Town. His elders lived in Tongaat, UKZN and District Six, Cape Town. He went to Rylands High School.

He studied at the University of Durban-Westville, living and working in Durban for 10 years. He performed At The Edge by Ronnie Govender to over 600,000 people nationally and around the world, to critical acclaim (Edinburgh Festival, Toronto, London, South Africa).

In Johannesburg, he was a television broadcaster and news anchor for 20 plus years (SABC 3, e News Prime Time, e News Channel).

He retired from television in 2014 to focus on his writing and business interests in South Africa and Europe. In 2024 he played Capulet in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet at the Maynardville Open-Air Festival.

 

(Left: Melvin Peters. Pic supplied)

 

Melvin Peters: Musical Director & Pianist

Melvin is a renowned jazz & classical pianist with 40 years’ experience: composer, arranger, educator and church organist: SA, Europe, USA 1984 – present.

Melvin Peters has worked with several leading South African jazz musicians. Career highlights include performances with such jazz luminaries as Herb Ellis and Ginger Baker, as well as the opportunity to share the stage with the legendary Dave Brubeck at Harvard University in 1999.

He has collaborated with Abdullah Ibrahim in the formation of the Cape Town Jazz Orchestra, for which he was appointed Music Director. He has performed and tutored regularly at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.

Other major performances include collaborations at the Joy of Jazz Festival and the Hilton Arts Festival. He has made several appearances with the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra and performed in the premiere of Noel Stockton’s Invictus with the Free State Symphony Orchestra.

 

AUDIENCE IMPRESSIONS

“From laughter to tears and back again, this one-man play is a masterclass in performance.” Jeannie Ross

“My Cape Town - one man, one stage, a whole world. Funny, sad, and unforgettable. Laugh, cry...remember...” Adrian Mallitte

"I did not leave the theatre with the memory of a solo performance, the stage was alive with people, all brought so vividly to life by Pat with each captivating story...” Margie T.

 

For more information, contact: pillai.pat@gmail.com

JOHN OF JOHN: REVIEW

 

"John of John" is an impressive and generally satisfying book. Stuart is a writer to watch out for. (Book review by Margaret von Klemperer, courtesy of The Witness)

 

Douglas Stuart won the Man Booker Prize for his debut novel, Shuggie Bain, and he is rapidly establishing himself as a major literary figure. Born in Scotland, he currently lives in the USA, but his fiction is set in his native land where he explores the lives of ordinary people. He deals in difficult circumstances and tragic events – and John of John is no exception.

Here we have Cal, unemployed and broke having finished his degree at art school in Edinburgh and being pressured to return to his family home on the remote island of Harris by his father John on the pretext that his grandmother is unwell. And so Cal returns. His father, a domineering figure, is a weaver of the famous Harris tweed, a small-scale sheep farmer and a staunch member of the local, rigidly Calvinist, Presbyterian church. It is not a society in which Cal is going to find himself able to relax. He is gay and distinctly uncomfortable with his father’s beliefs.

His home life is difficult. John hates Cal’s long hair, his tatty clothes and his reluctance to settle down with a godly island bride. Cal’s grandmother Ella, who raised him after his mother (Ella’s daughter) deserted the family and ran off with his father’s brother, is a tough ex-Glaswegian, but devoted to Cal, even to the extent of being a suffocating presence. In Ella, Stuart has created a fascinating character who, as we learn more and more about her through the novel, becomes someone the reader cannot help relating to.

John is a man with secrets of his own, which we can begin to guess at early on, but are slowly revealed. He can be brutal, and violent, but he is essentially a figure of tragedy, and not an entirely unsympathetic one. His confrontations with Cal are inevitable, and very real. Cal looks for affection, but there is little to be had even as he turns to his father’s oldest friend Innes.

Stuart has created an intriguing portrait of an isolated society where people see themselves as at risk of damnation for any deviation from the strict Calvinism they feel compelled to follow and also at risk from the all-seeing eyes of their neighbours in a remote and dwindling community. There are wonderful scenes set in John’s weaving shed where he and Cal match the colours that create the patterns in the tweed they weave – there is plenty of sensitivity amidst the harshness and cold practicality that surrounds them.

The writing is nuanced and appealing, and the slow reveal as the novel progresses is very skillfully done. Which is why the rather sudden tidying up of loose ends and the neatness of the denouement seemed rushed, almost as if the author has had enough of island life. But John of John is an impressive and generally satisfying book. Stuart is a writer to watch out for. – Margaret von Klemperer

John of John is published by Picador - ISBN 978-1035-086962

 

JOSEPH CLARK & THE MUSIC OF QUEEN

 

(Right: Joseph Clark. Pic supplied)

 

Joseph Clark returns to Durban with The Music of Queen for three performances at The Playhouse Opera in July and August

Joseph Clark continues to entertain and mesmerize audiences, keeping the spirit of Queen's music alive for a whole new generation of Freddie Mercury fans.

After two shows in 2024 and by popular demand, Joseph returns to the Opera Theatre stage at The Playhouse, his artistic home as a ballet dancer, actor and singer and where his legendary status began with Queen at the Opera.

This year's concerts will feature soprano Lizzy Phisane in the unforgettable Barcelona as well as local choirs joining the stage for some of Queen's most iconic songs. With his charisma, style and extraordinary vocal power, Joseph still leaves fans screaming for more. His Queen journey took him and his band beyond the borders of South Africa: Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the Middle East, the United States and across Africa, including Eswatini/Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi and more recently, Freddie Mercury's birthplace, Zanzibar.

The extensive song list features favourites such as Somebody to Love, Another One Bites The Dust, Under Pressure, We Will Rock You, We Are The Champions, Made in Heaven and, of course, Bohemian Rhapsody. To the delight of diehard Queen fans, the duo also delivers high-energy classics including Dragon Attack, Headlong and Tie Your Mother Down.

A favourite among Queen fans in the Netherlands, Joseph's highlights include starring in The Queen Experience at a sold-out 30,000-seat GelreDome Stadium in Arnhem. With a career spanning more than four decades as a dancer, singer and actor, he has also appeared as a soloist in numerous symphonic concerts throughout South Africa and with the Noord Nederlands Orkest.

"Joseph's the champion, my friend! He's one of the few around the world who can do the mercurial, legendary Queen vocalist justice with panache, style and the glory that was Freddie Mercury in full roar." — Daily News, Durban

Joseph Clark says: "I'm not a believer in impersonating great artists but giving an audience a taste of their music, as a humble tribute and compliment to their genius. I try to create an atmosphere of magic; nostalgia for some and a new discovery for others."

Lovers of Joseph Clark's performances should not miss this powerful and unforgettable live concert experience.

 

Dates & Times:

Friday, July 31 2026 at 19h00

Featuring Joseph Clark, Lizzy Phisane, Durban Girls' College Choir and Axe Lourens

 

Saturday, August 1 2026 at 15h00

Featuring Joseph Clark, Lizzy Phisane and Axe Lourens

 

Sunday, August 2 2026 at 15h00

Featuring Joseph Clark, Lizzy Phisane, Clifton School Boys Choir and Axe Lourens

 

Tickets:           Webtickets JOSEPH CLARK - THE MUSIC OF QUEEN

 

 

FOM PRESENTS WIEN AMY LUO IN RECITAL CONCERT

 

(Weien Amy Luo. Pic supplied)

 

The Friends of Music organisation has announced that it will be hosting the first full recital concert of Durban Prodigy – the fabulous Weien Amy Luo.

The concert will take place on July 12 at 14h30 at the Durban Jewish Centre.

Tickets R150 (available at the door)

Eighteen-Year-old Weien Amy began piano at age four with Philippa Greenwood and currently studies with Professor Mario Nell at Stellenbosch University. Though she is also an accomplished violinist studying with Dr. Suzanne Martens, today’s programme is dedicated entirely to her first love: the piano.

Weien Amy brings a lyrical, singer‑like quality to the keyboard, influenced by her years of playing the violin. Weien Amy was a well-rounded student during her 14 years at Crawford School. She was a top academic achiever. A member pf the SA National Maths Olympiad, a winner of an international art competition, and captain of the school swimming team.

Weien Amy has shown her talent and passion for music over the years. She played with the KZNPO at the age of 5, only six months after her first piano lesson. Since then, she has been chosen to perform with the orchestra in the Young Performers Concerts almost every year, playing either piano or violin.

Weien Amy states: "I am thrilled to have my first piano recital here at the Durban Jewish Club. The piano feels like an orchestra under my fingers. I am able to paint beautiful phrases with the notes as every note has a unique timbre. Thank you to my piano teacher, Professor Mario Nell and my violin teacher, Dr. Suzanne Martens for their guidance and support. Most importantly, my family for their constant encouragement for both instruments, which started from our living room."

The programme will include music from Bach, Beethoven, Johnstone, Chopin, Kreisler/Rachmaninov and Prokofiev.

The Prelude Performer will be Weien Amy’s younger brother Xizhi Aiden Luo.

For more information contact millark.millar@gamil.com or phone Keith at 0715051021.

The Durban Jewish Centre is located at 44 KE Masinga Rd, North Beach, Durban.

 

KALEIDOSCOPE MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

 

Music, collaboration and youth development at the heart of 2026 festival.

Set against the extraordinary backdrop of Prince Albert, the Kaleidoscope Music & Arts Festival returns this August for a weekend where world-class music, rising young talent and the creative spirit of the Karoo come vividly to life. From August 21 to 23, the festival brings together leading South African and international musicians, performers and artists for a programme of concerts, collaboration and community celebration.

Founded by violist Dr Louise Lansdown, the festival builds on the success of its inaugural edition in 2025, expanding beyond chamber music to include a broader range of musical genres and artistic disciplines.

Highlights of the 2026 programme include performances by acclaimed guitarist Guy Buttery and internationally-recognised classical guitarist Derek Gripper, alongside a wide range of South African artists and ensembles.

Lansdown says: “The festival is rooted in artistic excellence, but also in opportunity, education and connection. It brings established professionals and young musicians together in a shared creative space, while supporting long-term music education in Prince Albert.”

The festival directly supports the ARCO–PACT Strings Project, which provides violin, viola, cello and double bass tuition to more than 100 children across local schools in Prince Albert. This year, the festival will involve more than 250 young musicians through performances, workshops and side-by-side collaborations.

Participating youth ensembles include the ARCO-PACT String Orchestras, Grey High School String Orchestra, Music Sprouts Access Program Violin Ensemble, Frank Pietersen Music Centre String Orchestras and the Rustenburg Girls’ High School String Quartet.

Additional festival artists include Jan-Hendrik Harley, Chanda Bupe Lupambo, Sifiso Mbatha, Mariechen Meyer, Tony Alcock, Nina Fourie-Gouws, Tiaan Uys, Ché Adams, David Bester, Lieva Starker and Jivaan Luttig. Works by poet LyricL Nkechi and photographer Karl Schoemaker will also feature in the programme.

Festival highlights include the Kaleidoscope Mass Youth Orchestra performance at the Prince Albert Showground on Saturday August 22, and the closing performance, Confluence, on Sunday August 23.

The festival is supported by organisations including Wesgro, Mzansi Philharmonic, Fine Music Radio, the D’Addario Foundation and the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust.

The full programme and booking information are available at Quicket.

For more information visit Kaleidoscope Festival or email info@kaleidoscopefestival.co.za.

Follow the festival on Instagram and Facebook: @kaleidoscopefestivalsa @kaleidoscopefestSA

 

THE QUIET FOR NAF

 (Left: Nolwazi Khanyile. Photo credit: Amaciko Kwazulu Art Project)

 

Amaciko KwaZulu Art Project, will be presenting a powerful one-woman theatrical experience titled The Quiet at the National Arts Festival.

Written by Simamkele Sodladla, rewritten and directed by Thamsanqa Simphiwe Khumalo, the production features award-winning performer Nolwazi Khanyile, with stage management by Nothando Cebekhulu. Special thanks to mentor Bongani Mbatha.

Thamsanqa Simphiwe Khumalo shared:

“The Quiet is a haunting psychological journey into the silent battles many women face with trauma and depression. The story follows Asante, a lonely woman who moves into an old, isolated house hoping that silence will bring her peace. Instead, she discovers a mysterious book with her name written inside. As she reads aloud, the stories begin to speak back, forcing her to confront the versions of herself she has tried so hard to bury: the girl who smiles too loud, the child who waited too long, and the woman who swallowed her rage.

“What starts as curiosity slowly turns into terror as the house begins to feed on her suppressed pain. This is not a traditional ghost story. It is about the haunting that happens inside when we choose silence for too long. The audience will witness Asante’s inner thoughts and fractured psyche come alive as physical characters on stage. The Quiet is raw, poetic, and deeply unsettling. It explores how trauma and depression can turn the mind and body into a house that consumes you from within. Through powerful storytelling, physical theatre, and sound design, the piece reminds us that unhealed pain has a voice and if we don’t speak it, something else will speak for us.

“This is more than theatre. It is a mirror. When you sit with The Quiet, you may find yourself reflecting on your own silenced stories, the smiles you forced, and the things you never allowed yourself to feel. It is both beautiful and terrifying.”

 

Performances will take place during the National Arts Festival at Dick's in Makhanda on:

02 July 2026 at 10h00

03 July 2026 at 16h00

04 July 2026 at 12h00

04 July 2026 at 18h30

Tickets: R80

 

Don’t miss this intense and unforgettable one-woman experience.

Bookings through https://tickets.nationalartsfestival.co.za/en/events/1147/the-quiet

BRUCE PAGE FOR ST CLEMENTS

The next Mondays @ 6 programme at St Clements in Musgrave offers an unforgettable evening with ecologist, academic, elephant savant, teller of bush tales, Bruce Page.

From last month’s “elephant in the room”, St Clements trumpets on to elephants in the wilds. Bruce lived in the bush. With elephants. For several years. While researching them earlier in his academic career. He has been studying them for years. As you might guess, from first-hand experiences, from twists and turns and adventures, he has a trove of stories to share. And from his research, much wisdom to impart. Remember to bring all your questions because as we know, an elephant never forgets. 

"If elephants didn't exist, you couldn't invent one. They belong to a small group of living things so unlikely they challenge credulity and common sense." — Lyall Watson, (1939 – 2008) Joburg-born naturalist and author.

Elephants are icons of the animal world. The largest land mammals on Earth. Despite being so recognisable, their populations are in danger. They face serious threats to their survival, including habitat loss, poaching, commercial exploitation — and culling.

Did you know? (Ellie snippets from World Animal Protection.)

-Elephants mourn their dead. When an elephant dies, others gather around the body, sometimes standing vigil for hours.

-Elephants are complex creatures with developed intelligence and the ability to feel empathy. Self-awareness makes confinement particularly harmful, as elephants require space, stimulation, and social connection to thrive.

-Though we associate elephant noises with trumpeting and the occasional rumble or groan, a lesser-known elephant fact is that they actually have a complex communication system. They generate low-frequency rumbles that can travel several kilometres through the ground.

-An elephant pregnancy lasts around 22 months. This long gestation supports the development of a highly intelligent, large-brained, and physically mature calf. It also forges a strong bond between mother and calf which lasts a lifetime.

-It’s hard to believe that small bees could be such a big threat to elephants in the wild. But they can sting sensitive areas like the trunk and around the eyes, so herds are constantly on high alert for them.

-Elephants are deeply social animals. When isolated for long periods, they can display behaviours linked to stress and depression, as loneliness causes them real psychological harm.

“We admire elephants in part because they demonstrate what we consider the finest human traits: empathy, self-awareness, and social intelligence. But the way we treat them puts on display the very worst of human behaviour.” – Graydon Carter, journalist, former editor, Vanity Fair.

Some links for those interested — to get you in the mood.

-Madikwe reserve and the normalisation of killing elephants

-ConCourt in session to pass judgment on the inclusion of a single word: wellbeing

-Wild elephants give names to those they talk to, study finds.

-The last zoo elephants: Why Johannesburg can no longer justify their captivity.

 

Bruce Page has extensive experience in the field, laboratory and classroom. His first research projects on the relationship between elephants and their habitats was in 1973 and 1974 on the islands in Lake Kariba. He later lived and worked with elephants for several years in the Northeastern Tuli Block and then the Klaserie Game Reserve.

In 1980, he was employed as a lecturer in ecology at the University of Natal and has continued studying elephants in this capacity. He has worked on elephant populations in 21 different localities in southern Africa (including Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique) and has some 50 publications in journals, books and conference proceedings.

Bruce currently runs an ecological research and consulting agency with a focus on conservation and environmental management. He has long been a voice against elephant culling and coexistence between elephants and trees.

When the donation box is passed around, St Clements requests generosity and a minimum of R50 per person.

Weather permitting, the talk will be outdoors.

Bookings limited to diners in support of St Clements restaurant and staff.

Single folk are welcome to book for one person and join a table.

 

Be there in time to open your tab, order at the counter and settle in before the scheduled 18h00 start. Please cancel if you book then can’t make it.

Table Bookings Essential: RSVP ST Clements +27 62 582 0980

 

 

JAMES GRACE & CHRISTOPHER DUIGAN

 

(Right: James Grace)

 

Well-known guitarist James Grace will be visiting KZN to perform with Christopher Duigan’s Music Revival at the end of June.

He will play a selection of new solo guitar repertoire, his standard Spanish favourites and ends with a set of popular piano and guitar music with Christopher Duigan.

 

Tuesday, June 23 at 19h00

ST AGNES CHURCH, Kloof

Tickets: R150 include tea/coffee and other refreshments at interval.

Booking preferred via WhatsApp 083 417 4473 or booking@musicrevival.co.za

 

Thursday, June 25 at 15h30

WOODGROVE - Community Centre, Pietermaritzburg

Tickets: R100 Booking via WhatsApp 083 417 4473 or booking@musicrevival.co.za

This concert is open to all!

 

Thursday, June 25 at 19h00

AMBER VALLEY - Amber Auditorium

Tickets: R100. Booking: Amber office.

(Open to Amber Valley residents and their guests).

 

Friday, June 26 at 19h00

CASA MEXICANA, 35 Montgomery Drive, Pietermaritzburg

Tickets: R200 concert.

Venue opens at 18h30. Performance time approx 60 mins at 19h00.

Secure patrolled parking.

Booking is essential: Book via WhatsApp 083 417 4473 or booking@musicrevival.co.za

Please include your contact numbers in all e-mail bookings.

Includes gluhwein and other refreshments on arrival. Feel free to bring your own wine.

 

Monday, June 29 at 15h00

AMBERFIELD, Howick

Tickets: R80

Booking: Amberfield Office. 033 230 2000

This concert is open to all!

 

For more information on Music Revival, visit https://www.musicrevival.co.za/

AMACULO DRAKIE SUNSHINE TOUR

 

Drakensberg Boys Choir brings the Amaculo Drakie Sunshine Tour to Mpumalanga

Songs of Heritage, Hope and Harmony to resonate across Mpumalanga from July 6 to 11, 2026

Communities across Mpumalanga will have the opportunity to experience the extraordinary talent, energy and musical excellence of one of South Africa’s most celebrated cultural institutions when the internationally-acclaimed Drakensberg Boys Choir embarks on its Amaculo Drakie Sunshine Tour Mpumalanga from July 6 to 11, 2026.

Presented under the theme, Songs of Heritage, Hope and Harmony, the tour will bring the Choir’s unique blend of world-class choral music, African rhythms, contemporary works and inspirational storytelling to audiences in Middelburg, Mbombela (formerly Nelspruit), Komatipoort and Ermelo.

For almost six decades, the Drakensberg Boys Choir has captivated audiences across the globe, earning a reputation as one of South Africa’s foremost cultural ambassadors. From prestigious international stages to communities across the country, the Choir continues to showcase the transformative power of music while developing young leaders, musicians and global citizens.

The Amaculo Drakie Sunshine Tour reflects the Choir’s enduring commitment to building community connections through music and bringing people together through shared cultural experiences.

In many parts of Mpumalanga, especially among siSwati-speaking communities, the word Amaculo is commonly associated with cultural singing, praise songs, and church hymns. If used in the context of a cultural event in Mpumalanga, the intended meaning is usually something along the lines of “Songs,” “Melodies,” “Voices,” or a celebration of musical and cultural heritage.

Hendrik Bekker, Executive Head of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School, says: “The Drakensberg Boys Choir School is about far more than musical excellence alone. Every day we seek to develop young men of character, resilience and purpose. Music provides a powerful vehicle for growth, leadership and service. This tour gives our boys the opportunity to share those values while inspiring communities across Mpumalanga. We believe music has the power to connect people, build hope and create meaningful impact wherever it is performed.”

Renowned for its exceptional musical versatility, the Choir will present a vibrant programme featuring Western Art music, contemporary choral and secular repertoire, popular music and indigenous South African works. Audiences can expect a dynamic performance that moves seamlessly between genres, cultures and traditions while celebrating South Africa’s rich musical heritage.

According to Jacques Linde, Head of Choral Activity and Conductor, the tour represents an opportunity to showcase not only the Choir’s musical excellence but also its role as a cultural ambassador for South Africa.

“Wherever the Drakensberg Boys Choir performs, we carry a uniquely South African story with us,” says Linde. “Our boys become ambassadors for our country through music, sharing a message of unity, excellence and cultural understanding. The repertoire on this tour reflects who we are as South Africans while also celebrating the universal language of music that transcends boundaries and brings people together.”

A special highlight of the tour will be the Mbombela performance on July 7 at Laerskool Laeveld, where the Choir will collaborate with the Laerskool Laeveld Senior Choir, Nocoré Ensemble and acclaimed soprano Kirsten Blair. This unique performance promises an inspiring celebration of local and national musical talent.

The tour follows a period of significant activity for the Choir, including its acclaimed Music in the City 2026 concert series in Johannesburg from June 17 to 20, 2026, and forms part of the institution’s ongoing mission to share musical excellence with audiences throughout South Africa.

For more information, visit https://dbchoir.com/

THEATRE KIDZ

 

The Westville Theatre Club is now presenting: Theatre KidZ

When an MC for a variety show lets her pursuit of theatrical perfection and power, chaos ensues for the rest of the cast. When everything is against their turn in the spotlight … the show must go on?

Theatre KidZ is a satirical coming of age spectacle, written and directed by Madison Opland, that brings new eyes to the reality of theatre life - the good, the bad and the ugly of staging any show. Familiar, funny and utterly fabulous; the show is certain to keep audiences entertained as they spotlight the characters one finds in real life both on stage and off.

Enjoy an event of song, dance and performance that’s fun for the whole family, fellow theatre enthusiasts and theatre first-timers alike!

Next performances are July 27 at 14h30 and 18h00 as well as on July 28 at 11h00 and 14h30 at Westville Theatre Club at 6 St James Avenue.  Book tickets for Theatre KidZ through Webtickets today.

Webtickets link: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1595384705

Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/wtcchildrenstheatre?utm_source=qr&igsh=djY3bTEza2tqNTI3

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CxZsq7KrN/