Acoustic guitarist and songwriter Cosmiq (aka Mike Twala), plays soulful and melodic yet gritty songs about life and love

RELATED LINKS: Heart of Sandton reborn as Sandton Central The need to give Sandton a specific identity has led to the creation of Sandton Central, a hub of businesses in the area bounded by Grayston and Sandton drives, and Rivonia Road. Read more Sidewalk entertainment in Sandton Lunch breaks in Sandton now come with a side order of entertainment, as various artists prowl the pavements performing for passers-by. Read more Heart of Sandton buzzing with activity Sandton Central, the urban management team responsible for upgrading Joburg's key business district, is going from strength to strength. New weekend markets, public spaces and informal trading stalls are just some of the developments planned for 2005. Read more

Out for lunch in Sandton The Open Street Sessions in Sandton Central are the hot menu items for office workers and shoppers heading out for a spicy lunchtime treat. November 6, 2006 By Tammy O'Reilly THE Open Street Sessions taking place in Sandton from midday onwards give a whole new meaning to the term lunch break. As hundreds of office workers step outside for their midday meals, they are greeted by mimes, musicians, singers, clowns and contortionists at street corners and mall entrances. The shows make the time spent outdoors that much more enjoyable. The Open Street Sessions is an initiative of the Sandton Central Management District, the urban management team that's in charge of the upkeep of the area. They run on weekdays and Saturdays until 18 November, from midday to 2pm. Entertaining Sandtonites since September, the street sessions take place at areas where there is high pedestrian activity, such as the Fifth Street Taxi Rank, Nelson Mandela Square, Maraschino's on Maude Street, M&A and Burgers Walk. Dikwa Session, a dance collective featuring Dinkies Sithole and four young Soweto performers, creates a fusion of tap, flamenco, breakdance and African rhythms, backed by musician Shoba In the line up are seasoned local performers as well as up-and-coming artists who have been pulling out all the stops to make an impression. Some of the highlights for the remainder of the programme are Moofy and Boofy, on Tuesday, 14 November. Using comedy mime and pantsula dance, this duo, played by Phillipa de Villiers and Vuyo "Lassie" Ndalela, try to marry themselves in public - with hilarious consequences. A special commission by Sandton Central is the town crier bouffant who, with her sidekick, each day makes her rounds and reads out announcements from residents and businesses. Members of the public are invited to post notices of any kind in the red postbox on the Maude Street side of Village Walk. "The general feedback so far has been very positive, with people becoming more inclined to interact with the acts," says Cara Reilly, the marketing manager for the district. "We see it as a major benefit for the area, giving people a reason to be on the streets and creating a place that's alive. "With such a tremendous response, we hope to put on such a programme every summer and we are looking for sponsors to make this possible." For more information on the remainder of the programmes, log on to the Sandton Central website. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za