April 21, 2005
By Lucky Sindane
FOUR words describe the MTV Base 100th Live! Concert - "It was a bomb".
The night belonged to Will Smith
Traffic came to a standstill in Selby as about 10 000 music lovers, dressed to impress, flocked to the Ster-Kinekor Top Star Drive-in on 20 April for the party.
And party they did - to the sounds of the multi-talented Will Smith, rap star Ludacris, kwaito "Drama Queen" Lebo Mathosa, South Africa's kwaito king Mandoza, and Nigerian afrobeat sensation Seun Kuti.
The excitement grew at the main entrance to the drive-in, where people queued for buses to transport them to the top of the hill. "Just let us in," screamed one woman at a security guard checking tickets prior to allowing people on the bus. "I want to see Will Smith."
As the bus reached the top of the old mine dump, the people aboard gasped at the huge stage lit by ever-changing colours.
MCs DJ Fresh, in black and red shorts and white t-shirt, and DJ Bad Boy T, in white, had the crowd pumping even before the show began - then the party of all parties took off, with the audience dancing, screaming, crying, and even taking off their shirts.
Mandoza and Lebo gave their all. Ludacris had the who's who of the local entertainment industry rocking in amazement, while South African hip-hop outfit Skwatta Kamp made a surprise appearance performing "The Clap Song" from their latest album "Wash'umkhukhu".
Skwatta Kamp shared a stage with Ludacris on his 2003 Summer Vibes tour to South Africa. "I love what Skwatta Kamp is doing, that is why I called them back," said Ludacris after his performance.
"They have the energy and so do I that is why I like them. History has been made tonight."
But the night belonged to Will Smith. And the fans made sure he knew it, yelling, dancing and waving their hands.
And the Joburg crowd partied: the MTV Base 100th Live! Concert at the Top Star Drive-In
Just before going on stage Smith, wearing a red cap and t-shirt and black jeans, made a brief appearance at the media tent. "I'm excited to be here in South Africa and I feel comfortable to be involved with MTV." He spoke of meeting Nelson Mandela the day before. "We talked about the role which MTV plays in the lives of the children of Africa."
And the music and dancing continued to midnight. Kwaito artist Mshoza said it all: "This is the best party ever."
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