South Africa Blog

The Heritage Awards 2009: Sat 19 September @ 7pm: ICC Durban – The Heritage Awards, a high-profile annual event which sees six phenomenal South Africans honoured for their contribution towards the preservation and promotion of South African heritage and culture – takes place on Saturday 19 September at 7pm at the ICC Durban at a glittering function.

This significant elegant awards evening is believed to be the only major annual award to honour leaders in the field of Heritage specifically, and their contribution to the cultural traditions and legacy of this country. The awardees were carefully selected after contribution from The Premier’s Office; BASA; NAC; Independent Newspapers and Kizo.

Photograph: Centre for Fine Art, Animation and Design’s Nanda Soobben

This year the awards will be going to: Alfred Nokwe (late) for theatre; Johnny Clegg – music and social cohesion; Noria Mabasa – an accomplished sculptor and wood carver; Bheki Mseleku (late) for music; Nanda Soobben – Durban based animator and arts educator and Jay Pather for dance.

The Awards will be a glittering affair as part of the city’s Celebrate Durban heritage season and will be held for the first time at the ICC. The guest speaker at the awards will be Advocate Mancotywa (National Heritage Council CEO). MC is living treasure Gcina Mhlophe. Entertainment is co-ordinated by Mbongemi Ngema and Committed Artists.

The Gateway Theatre of Shopping and Kizo Art Gallery’s annual Heritage Art Festival is once again an ambitious multi-layered, forward-thinking festival of 20 art themed events which will be held throughout Heritage Month at the Kizo Art Gallery and the Gateway Theatre of Shopping. The Heritage Awards is one of the major events of the annual Heritage Arts Festival line up.

Kizo wishes to acknowledge its valuable partners for The Heritage Awards function: Provincial Government; Independent Newspapers; ICC; BASA; NAC; Celebrate Durban, SMG Durban, Beverley Hill Hotel, Paul Cluver Wines, and Committed Artists.

Contacts:
Nathi Gumede – Head Curator – Kizo Art Consultants or
Sharon Crampton – General Manager – Kizo Art Consultants
Tel: (031) 566 4322/4
Fax: (031) 566 2494

Heritage month – time for the eighth annual Celebrate Durban events showcase which features 40 plus eclectic participative events which are on offer this year during September in recognition of heritage / tourism month. The season once more sees a comprehensive calendar with a clever mix of social, family, heritage, sports, arts, culture, health, environmental and spiritual events to celebrate our city’s cultural diversity.

Among the many highlights of the season is the anchor event: MMINO MusicMix “A Boundless Experience” to be held on 24 – 25 September in the ICC Arena. This musical extravaganza features Johnny Clegg, Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mtukudzi, Hugh Masekela, Thandiswa Mazwai, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Ray Phiri. Musicians from nine SADC countries and Etran Finatawa (Niger) will collaborate with the MMINO Boundless All Star Band led by Neill Solomon to symbolically break down musical barriers and create music without frontiers. The festival includes free workshops.

The MusicMix festival marks the culmination of a four month Boundless Southern Africa Expedition, led by National Geographic explorer Kingsley Holgate to raise awareness of the nine SADC countries and transfrontier parks. An exhibition which showcases the nature, culture and communities encountered on their journey, will be held in the ICC foyer and includes a talk ‘around the camp fire’ with Holgate, beautiful photographs and video footage. The event also includes free workshops and Kingsley Holgate’s Boundless exhibition in the ICC Foyer. More info can be found www.musexchange.co.za.

Another key component of the season is the Heritage Arts Festival – an exciting ambitious festival of 23 art themed events which will be held throughout Heritage month of September primarily at the Kizo Art Gallery and the Gateway Theatre of Shopping. The Heritage Awards is one of the major events of the annual Heritage Arts Festival line up, which takes place at the ICC on 19 September. A major exhibition will be held at Kizo Art Gallery throughout the season, opening on 1 September and curated by resident Kizo curator Nathi Gumede. Entitled A Known Heritage it celebrates the region’s rich multicultural heritage.

The season sees favourites like the annual Coca-Cola Bunny Chow Barometer; the Flavours of Durban Sister Cities Cuisine Festival and the Independent on Saturday Design Durban’s Drink. There will be dance events (Vodacom Yebo Millionaires Ballroom and Latin American Dance Championships and Phansi Phezulu Dance Fest); theatre (What’s Funny in SA?; Freedom Valley and Red Eye: Ready?); literature (Creative Writing and Story Telling and Dancing Pencils Book Fest); fashion and beauty (Miss eThekwini and Durban Young Designers Fashion Extravaganza); sports (Celebrate Durban Ward Based Sports programme and MTN Coast to Coast Cycle Challenge); heritage (Living Legends Awards; Out of Step: ECC 25th Anniversary Commemorations; the Heritage Awards; Back To Africa; Heritage Day event for traditional healers and Separate is Not Equal exhibition)

Of course there will be festivals within festivals (Glenwood Community Festival; Shared Histories: The Indian Experience in SA; Healthy Lifestyle Expo; the Float Street Parade and Durban Blue Lagoon Indian Ocean Festival) and much music (KZN Music Imbizo; MMINO MusicMix “A Boundless Experience”; Emerging Sounds of Durban Festival; Isicathamiya Festival; Cell C Durban Music School Street Festival; Cardinal’s Concert; Renee Fleming in Concert; KZNPO Spring Season; SATMA Awards 2008 and Durban International Blues Festival).

A major component of the season is the eleventh SMME fair which takes place at the Durban Exhibition Centre provides a platform for small businesses to create linkages and networks with each other and with big businesses and service providers. Interspersed with the events will be a strong presence from the Clowns Without Borders.

DURBAN has once again put together a diverse, engaging and participative programme for September to which city residents and visitors are warmly invited to share.

Contacts:
For more information, contact the Department of International and Governance Relations in the eThekwini Municipality on tel 031 311 2104, or for the whole season visit www.durbanexperience.co.za

Related Links:
To book your accommodation for Heritage Month visit Durban Hotels or, if you prefer to stay at a Bed & Breakfast, Guest house or Self catering option see Durban Accommodation for hundreds of options.

Celebrate Oktoberfest at Paulaner Bräuhaus in October from 16 October – 01 November 2009

Capetonians can once again experience Germany’s best-known beer festival, “Oktoberfest”, from 16 October to 01 November 2009 at Paulaner Bräuhaus in the V&A Waterfront. Beer lovers, families, young and old gather to enjoy the true taste and hospitality of Bavaria.

The festival follows the annual Oktoberfest in Munich which takes place from 19 September to 04 October. Oktoberfest started in Munich in 1810, when the citizens turned out to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. It has since grown into what is claimed to be the world’s largest festival attracting over six million people each year.

In keeping with tradition, Paulaner brewmaster, Wolfgang Ködel, will brew a special Oktoberfest beer which will be available once the festival has been officially opened. The festival opening takes place on the evening of Friday, 16 October 2009 when the first barrel of Oktoberfest beer is opened with the words “O’zapft is”.

The Oktoberfest beer is brewed according to an old recipe resulting in a dark amber-coloured beer, smooth in taste. To compliment the beer, Paulaner boasts traditional hearty Bavarian cuisine such as Pretzel, Bratwurst and their specialty, crispy Pork Knuckle. A Bavarian Oktoberfest band will entertain the crowd with live ‘Umpah’ music periodically during the festival, and live contemporary bands play nightly.

The festival, also known as Wies’n, is popular in Cape Town both among locals and visitors, drawing crowds to the Paulaner Bräuhaus and its beer garden opposite the Nelson Mandela Gateway and V&A Clock Tower. Paulaner is also well known for their live coverage of major sporting events and for being one of Cape Town’s best live music venues.

Customers can see the up-to-date list of sporting events and bands playing at http://paulaner-braeuhaus.com/capetown

“It’s a great cosmopolitan atmosphere and a fantastic way to spend a lunchtime or evening,” says Ködel. “Paulaner is the ideal venue to enjoy parties all year round, but the Oktoberfest brings that extra Bavarian flair to your private or corporate event.”

For more information or to book an event during the Oktoberfest, contact:
Paulaner Bräuhaus at 021 418 9999
visit http://paulaner-braeuhaus.com/capetown

Other useful Links: To book accommodation in Cape Town visit Cape Town Hotels or see Cape Town Accommodation for B&B’s, Guest Houses and Self Catering options in Cape Town.

Having spent the past two years touring abroad and working on his new album, acclaimed singer-songwriter Farryl Purkiss is upbeat about performing to his home crowd at next month’s White Mountain Folk Festival, running from September 24-27. Now based in Cape Town, the Umhlanga born and raised surfer-come-acoustic songwriter is currently recording his second full-length album, ‘Fruitbats and Crows’, and festival-goers can expect a taste of some of his brand-new material.

It’s been a long time coming for Purkiss, whose last big KwaZulu Natal show was at White Mountain in 2007. “Last time it was a solo show,” he recalls, “but this year I have a full band and we’ll be playing some new tracks off the upcoming album, which should be good fun!” 2009 has been all about creating for Purkiss and has seen him commuting between Cape Town and Durban to work on the album, which he describes as “more mature”.

“I’ve definitely matured as a songwriter. The first album was compiled over 11 years and was my first foray into songwriting. This album took two and a half years to write and contains a lot of the influences I experienced from being on the road for so long. I’m very happy with it and hope people are going to love it,” he said.

2007 and 2008 were landmark years for Purkiss, with his catchy singles ‘Ducking and Diving’ and ‘Better Days’ climbing the charts on local airwaves. He also toured the UK, France, Germany and Australia, performing to massive crowds at Perth’s Big Day Out and Byron Bay’s Blues and Roots festivals, and enjoyed international playlisting on a host of radio stations including Japan’s Tokyo FM.

Purkiss has also toured and shared stages with international acts like Jack Johnson, Donovan Frankenreiter, Ben Lee, Bob Evans, Missy Higgins and, most recently, Canadian duo Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland. Right now though, he’s looking forward to touching base with his KZN fans at the upcoming White Mountain Folk Festival, where he’ll perform alongside the likes of Cito, Rambling Bones, The Simon van Gend Band, Bertie Coetzee of Zinkplaat, Josie Field, Larry Amos, Gary Thomas, Laurie Levine, Redhand Blues Band, Joshua Grierson, Andra, Barry Thomson, Peter Hoven, Flowing Water Band, Shannon Hope and Catlike Thieves, among others.

Coinciding with Heritage Day and the start of the school holidays, the festival is held at White Mountain Lodge near Giant’s Castle, only 200km from Durban and 430km from Johannesburg on tarred roads. It offers four days of live acoustic music in a stunning setting, arts and crafts, a beer market, assorted food stalls, plus lots of fun outdoor activities for the whole family. Festival-goers can also make full use of the lodge’s facilities, including a restaurant, pub, games room, swimming pool and satellite TV.

Tickets are available at Game stores in KZN (R400), Computicket (R450) and at the festival gate (R500). The price includes camping for the entire festival and children under 12 pay R50. For more information and the full programme, visit www.whitemountain.co.za or contact Pedro at 082 892 6176.

It’s time to get creative again at the fourth uShaka Marine World Body Art competition. It all happens at uShaka Village Walk on Saturday September 12. The theme is “Dangerous Creatures” and artists are encouraged to pull out all the stops as they take their inspiration from uShaka’s Dangerous Creatures Exhibition featuring a variety of scary snakes, spiders, scorpions and frogs.

Artists will be competing for the cash prize of R5000 and the chance to go into the uShaka’s hall of fame. Entrants must submit an A4 storyboard illustrating their idea using a medium of their choice with an 80-word concept explanation to uShaka Marine World Management Offices by September 7 at 2pm.

There will be loads of entertainment on the day as well as great prizes to be won and fun for the whole family. And all guests visiting the park on the day sporting a tattoo will get an uShaka Marine World combo ticket for only R10.

For more information contact Merle Bateman at:
mbateman@ushakamarineworld.co.za or 031 328 8013

Passion, determination and excitement marks the second in a series of action packed mountain biking and trail running events brought to you by Bicycling and Runner’s World magazines. Sponsored by MiWay, the Dirt Festival will take place at Giba Gorge Mountain Bike Park, KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday, 15 August 2009 and is an opportunity for fanatics to test their skills on an incredible range of courses.

Entrants can choose between the 4km and 8km trail run or the 15km and 41km mountain bike races respectively. For the more serious participant there is also the 82km two-man team mountain bike race. Mike Finch, Bicycling and Runner’s World magazines editor, comments: “Our first event in Johannesburg was a stunning success and we are expecting similar in KZN. It’s a great day out for the serious and not so serious. See you all there.”

Organisers have once again ensured a fun, family filled environment that includes refreshments and entertainment for both the young and old. To ensure participation, teams and individuals are encouraged to enter early at www.runnersworld.co.za or www.bicycling.co.za. Online entries close on Wednesday, 5 August and only a limited number of entries will be accepted on race day at an additional cost of R100.

For more information get your copy of the July issue of Runner’s World and Bicycling magazines on sale now!

If you want to escape the city and chill out in a superb mountain setting while listening to acoustic performances by some of the country’s top artists, then look no further than the annual White Mountain Folk Festival.

Coinciding with Heritage Day and the start of the school holidays, this intimate, family-friendly festival runs over four days from September 24 to 27 and is held at White Mountain Lodge near Giant’s Castle in the beautiful Central Drakensberg region of KwaZulu-Natal, only 200km from Durban and 430km from Johannesburg on tarred roads.

Featured acts include Rambling Bones, the alter ego of Jay Bones, frontman for popular ska/punk band Fuzigish; Wonderboom’s Cito, performing songs from his soon-to-be released debut solo album; as well as a rare, acoustic solo performance by Bertie Coetzee, lead vocalist for Afrikaans folk rock outfit Zinkplaat.

Also on the bill are Farryl Purkiss, Josie Field, Larry Amos, Gary Thomas, Laurie Levine, Redhand Blues Band, Joshua Grierson, Andra, Barry Thomson, Flowing Water Band and Catlike Thieves, to name but a few.

Other attractions range from abseiling, paintball and helicopter flips to fishing, boating, hiking and a zip line across a nearby 100m-wide gorge. There’s also a beer market featuring several local breweries, colourful arts and crafts and a variety of food stalls catering for all tastes. Festival-goers can also make full use of the lodge’s facilities, including a restaurant, pub, games room, swimming pool and satellite TV.

Now in its fourth year, White Mountain is KZN’s only acoustic music festival and has quickly become a firm favourite on the events calendar. Tickets are available at Game stores in KZN (R400), Computicket (R450) and at the festival gate (R500). The price includes camping for the entire festival and children under 12 pay R50. For more information and programme updates, visit www.whitemountain.co.za or contact Pedro at 082 892 6176.

To find accommodation for this event see Drakensberg Accommodation.

Telecommunications giant MTN has thrown its weight behind one of the safest but toughest and most grueling cycling events, now known as the MTN Amashova National Classic in Durban Cycle Race.

The MTN Amashova 106km race from the Pietermaritzburg City Hall to Durban takes place on Sunday, October 18, starting at 6.30am as well as the Sunday Tribune Amashova fun ride taking in a distance of 39km from Hillcrest High School, starting at 5.45am, both will finish at the Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World.

And adding another dimension to the event is the MTN Asishove mountain bike challenges which this year will take place at Midmar Dam on Saturday, October 17 over distances of 10km, 35km and 70km.

To ensure that the children are not left out, the MTN Minishova in Durban 1km (3-6 years old) and 5km (7-11years old) events for children takes place at Suncoast on Saturday, October 10 – a week before the main event.

Go to http://www.amashova.co.za for more information to register or call the Shova organizers during office hours on 031 312 8896. For accommodation in Durban see Durban Accommodation and in Pietermaritzburg see Pietermaritzburg Accommodation.