The World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) Cape Town festivities will take place over the Heritage Day weekend, from Saturday September 23 to Monday September 25 between 2pm and 8pm at the V&A Waterfront.
Free concerts will be performed by a selection of artists from Cape Town and around the world. There will be a range of music and dance performances, workshops and a buskers showcase over the three days.
Themed concerts include the WOMAD Indigenous Artists Concert Aboriginal singer-songwriter Shellie Morris with her all-women song and dance group Yarnumamalya Ayangkidarrba-langwa from Groote Eylandt in Australia; rapper Neill Morris aka DRMNGNOW also from Australia; Eufronio “Kech” Sanchez from the Andes mountains in Bolivia on Saturday; the World of Flamenco with Anabel Veloso and Gabriel Perez (Spain) joined by the Rosa Jiminez and Montoya Spanish Dance Theatre on Sunday – and Rappers Delight headlined by local hip-hop sensation YoungstaCPT together with Bravo le Roux, Mr Heinz and a collaboration with DRMNGNOW (Australia) on the Monday.
Other international artists include “the Jimi Hendrix of the kora” N’Faly Kouyate’ (Guinea); master percussionists Daewon Lee, Ho Kim, Chaebin Oh and Geomungojari (Korea); an African focus with Takura Terry (Zimbabwe), Simba Morri (Kenya) and Adamu da Silva (Angola) and tango music and dance from Portenos (Argentina).
The Beyond Words concert takes the audience on a journey that celebrates the artists’ heritage, migration stories, and profound connections to the continent of Africa. It includes Zimbabwean-born artist NIASHA, South African-born artist Ceeko, African American giant Craig Calhoun collaborating with Zimbabwean guitarist Sylent Nqo, and the newly formed band Tamvela.
Local artists include The One Who Sings (Zolani Mahola) and The Feminine Force; Mansoor Joseph; Ernestine Deane, Steve Newman, Wendy Oldfield and Ashish Joshi; Albert Frost, The Electric feat John Ellis; Empire Alight and Jonny Blundell’s Masala group playing a selection of classic South African songs.
It’s a WOMAD festival tradition to present live collaborations between international and local artists. The festival weekend features two of these – Cuban icon Alfredo Hechavarria with Cameron Ward and his band in a vibrant afro-cuban mix of cultures and Albert Frost with kora master N’Faly Kouyate’.
Conceived in 1982 by British musician Peter Gabriel, WOMAD has since taken the sights, sounds and rhythms of the world to 32 countries and an audience of millions. The inaugural WOMAD South African Safari took place in 2022.
Apart from the musical line- up, interactive workshops will be presented by the international musicians at Ferryman’s Guinness Lounge at the V&A Waterfront, Kronendal Music Academy in Hout Bay, On the Blocc in Ottery and the Ubuntu Centre in Noordhoek. Langa’s 100-year anniversary will be celebrated at the Bridges Music Academy.
For information on artists and workshops, visit www.womadsa.co.za
WOMAD will also include the !Khwa ttu Heritage Day Festival 2023 on Heritage Day, Sunday September 24, from 10am to 6pm at the !Khwa ttu SAN Heritage Centre in Yzerfontein on the West Coast.
Attendees will be treated to the musical talents of San dance groups including traditional musician Dizu Plaatjies, and the beats of Drumba Drumming. The festival will embody a spiritual celebration, uniting SAN artists and the WOMAD Indigenous First Nations artists Shellie Morris and Yarnumamalya Ayangkidarrba-langwa (Australia), DRMNGNOW (Australia), Eufronio Sanchez (Bolivia), Gabriella Ghermandi (Ethiopia), N’Faly Kouyate’ (Guinea), King Kapisi (New Zealand) and The Iskwew Singers (Canada).
The performances will touch upon ancestral beliefs, heritage, healing, the role of women, land issues, and modern influences. Presale tickets cost R100 for adults; R60 for children aged 6 to 12 years and pensioners; and children under 6 enter free. Ticket prices on the day are R150 for adults R150 and R95 for children.
Contact Bianca Tango on 022 492 2998 or email Bookings@khwattu.org to book.
