September 3, 2007
By Ndaba Dlamini
JOBURG welcomed spring on a harmonious note this weekend, with the Afro-Cuban jazz maestro Omar Sosa stealing the show at the Arts Alive Grand Opening and singer Sibongile Khumalo wowing crowds at the annual Jazz at the Lake music concert.
The opening of the annual Johannesburg Arts Alive Festival was held at the Johannesburg City Hall on Friday, 31 August, with Sosa performing alongside Miagi Orchestra. He appeared again on Sunday, 2 September at the ever-popular Jazz at the Lake at Zoo Lake.
The day-long concert is a fixture on the Arts Alive calendar, and Sosa, Khumalo and a host of other artists dished out jazzy sounds to appreciative crowds.
Grand opening
Dressed in his trademark brilliant white outfit, Sosa opened the show at the City Hall with thumping Cuban jazz rhythms that set the mood for a great evening. But before he took to the stage, the member of the mayoral committee for community development, Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, officially opened the show.
Speaking about the annual month-long Arts Alive, she said the advent of September heralded that time when Joburg "came alive". "This is a festival that boasts an array of compelling artistic offerings for Joburg residents to indulge in.
"This annual festival, hosted by the City of Johannesburg, has become synonymous with an exceptional, accessible and engaging artistic programme that harnesses artistic talent from various parts of the world, to create an incredible smorgasbord of cultural events."
Miagi followed Sosa, playing the music of the legendary Chris McGregor. Tony McGregor, the artist's brother, introduced the orchestra with a brief word on the life of his sibling. His music was not heard much in his home country, South Africa, even though he was a legend internationally.
"Chris's music is a story of our lives. It is the expression of the pain of South Africa - a lived experience. But out of this mess that is our lives something special always arises and what we are witnessing this evening is one of those special moments."
The orchestra played songs like Mandisa, Dakar, Maxine and Amasi, and the show came to an end with the crowd clamouring for more.
Jazz at the Lake
And more was to be had - Sunday dawned a beautiful, sunny spring day, a perfect day for an outing. At Zoo Lake in Parkview, the venue for the Jazz at the Lake, umbrellas dotted the grounds, giving splashes of colour among the sprouting greenery.
The day-long concert, featuring an array of local and international jazz musicians, promised to be a humdinger and artists like Khumalo, Sosa, Bheki Khoza and Indian music group Mrigaya did not disappoint the crowd of about 10 000 people.
It was a scorcher of a day and those who didn't bring along umbrellas crowded under trees trying to get a bit of shade. Others pitched their gazebos on the open ground in front of the huge stage.
Mrigaya opened the day with Let's Rock, a pulsating song that got most people tapping their feet and nodding their heads. Then it was Feya Faku's turn, playing soothing South African jazz, followed by Khoza, who strummed beautiful tunes on his guitar, much to the delight of the crowd.
Next on stage was the inimitable Sosa, who staged a brilliant show. Relatively unknown to most of the crowd, Sosa proved himself a force to be reckoned with, performing antics on the grand piano.
The annual Jazz on the Lake concert at Zoo Lake attracted about 10 000 people
And then it was time for the lady with the golden voice, Sibongile Khumalo. With the crowd warmed up and some revellers - who had been regularly visitors to the beer stalls - beginning to sway and stomp their feet, Khumalo kept the tempo up and the crowd let out a big, collective groan when she announced the end of her show – and the end of the 2007 Jazz at the Lake.
Immediately Khumalo stopped singing, a mass of security guards and police on motorbike and horseback swooped down, urging people to pack their belongings and hit the road.
"We are only beginning to enjoy [ourselves] and now we are told to pack and go," said one irate woman. "This is not fair." Her party had only set up a gazebo and camping chairs 30 minutes before the end of the show.
However, for many it was a good day's outing and many, who still wanted some more jazz and fun, headed for the after party at Kippies in Newtown.
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