April 21, 2006
By Lucky Sindane
SOUTH Africa's hottest artists are set to join the star-studded line up of international hip-hop and R&B heavyweights at the Premier Foods Peoples' Celebration Concert set to rock Johannesburg Stadium.
Zola, Hip-Hop Pantsula (HHP), Jamali, Freshlyground, Loyiso and Morafe are some of the local artists; the international crew comprises hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg, the headliner act, dancehall superstar Sean Paul, Pharrell Williams and Mario.
The concert will take place on Thursday, 27 April, Freedom Day, at the Johannesburg Stadium in Doornfontein.
Rihanna, who was on the bill, will no longer perform because of record company promotional commitments.
Zola, the poet, actor and musician, holds top honours as the superstar of kwaito. Yet he has not forgotten social needs and the under-privileged.
He released his first album, Umdlwembe, to massive critical acclaim. It sold more than 180 000 copies, attaining triple platinum status, in less than a year. His second album, Khokhovuka, has sold more than 100 000 copies while his bombshell third album Bhambatha has sold over 120 000 copies.
Ibutho, Zola's latest album, racked up more than 50 000 pre-sale orders. The singer has also won five South African Music Awards, or Samas, six Metro FM Awards, two Duku Duku Awards, a Kora Award, a Diva Africa and Icon Award and a Future Leader Ambassador Award. He was also number 21 on the Greatest South Africans list, as voted for by the public.
HHP started his music career in 1997 as part of a hip-hop group called Verbal Assassins. His style is a fusion of hip-hop and kwaito influences.
His latest offering, YBA 2NW, delivers seriously funky grooves, clever samples and enough beat-driven hooks to keep the hits flowing. HHP received a Sama nomination for Best Newcomer and was Favourite Male Artist at the Star In You Kids Awards.
R&B girls Jamali have beautiful voices, pin-up looks and performing abilities that have already put the group at the top of its game. The girls give a stellar live performance at show.
Freshlyground is made up of seven musicians from South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and is one of South Africa's most successful young acts. The group exudes an energy at its live performances, which include a number of music festivals, such as the Harare International Festival of the Arts, the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Villa Celimontana Festival in Rome, the 2005 Expo in Japan, the Robben Island African Festival and the Oppikoppi Wired festival.
The group's second album, Nomvula, with the hit Doo Be Doo, has gone platinum.
First tasting success with the release of Musukukhala, Loyiso's passion endeared him to the public. By the time he unleashed the single Silky Soft Skin, music lovers were hooked.
An early starter, Loyiso entered the Shell Road to Fame Talent Search at the age of six and was a member of the Drakensberg Boys Choir for six years. Earning a degree in music, he became the youngest conductor of the National Youth Choir and worked with the National Symphony.
He has written music for a number of television dramas and documentaries for Australian, Namibian and American producers, scored the music for the South African series Cha Cha and Sesame Street and toured London, the United States and Asia.
Morafe is a hip-hop group that fuses vernacular rap with a twist of soul and R&B. The music contains messages in Setswana and English, with the beat used to support the lyrics.
Made up of Kgaugelo (Kay-G) Khulani (Khuli) and Lerothodi (Towdee), the band has recently released its much-anticipated debut album Maru a Pula (Tswana for rain clouds). Morafe wrote a song for the hit TV hit series Gaz'lam Two, and featured on HHP's albums Maftown and O Mang.
The group's second album is in production.
The Peoples' Celebration concert is presented by Premier Foods, Metro FM, 5FM, Good Hope FM, SABC1 and Big Concerts.
For more information, visit the Peoples' Concert website.
Tickets are available at Shoprite Checkers Money Market Counters; at Ticketshop or on 083 918 0001; or through Computicket or on 083 915 8000.
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