A Delightful Evening in Centurion: 23 April 2016 @20h00

“When we focus on creating a sustainable world, when we let it sing from every village and every town, from every city and every country, we will be able to join hands and leave sustainable footprints for our children” 

- Pops Mohamed, Arts Director of iStart2.

Join us in celebrating the power of some of South Africa’s most important musical icons in a showcase of the magic that happens when musicians with seemingly different cultural backgrounds take hands to create and play music together. Pops Mohamed, Coenie de Villiers, Andries “Roof” Bezuidenhout, Dudu Majola and the beating drums of Sankobo Afrique are lined up to create a magical evening of beautiful music on Saturday 23^rd April 2016.

Acclaimed musician and producer, Pops Mohamed, has been playing, protecting, and nurturing traditional ways of making music in South Africa for the last 30 to 40 years. Mohamed sees his commitment to preserving traditions as “futuristic”. He explains this view: “It’s the same as if you’re having a problem with your hard drive. If we don’t back up things, we lose them. It’s the same with culture. If you don’t know where you’re coming from, you’ll never know where you’re going to".

Coenie de Villiers is known as the foremost writer/performer in Afrikaans, and has won numerous awards for his music including two SAMA awards for musical excellence. He is universally acknowledged as one of the most challenging and original singer/songwriters in South Africa.

Poet and musician Andries "Roof" Bezuidenhout explores matters of identity and belonging against the backdrop of changing South African landscapes. Bezuidenhout is looking forward — "... too much a part of this country to quit…” Fred de Vries describes Andries’s songs as having “a bleak, almost tinny sound… that tell tales of leaving, murder and ecological disaster. Discomforting tunes for an uncertain age, but always with a touch of humour.”

Dudu Majola

Dudu Majola, a young artist from Soweto released her first single, Nitshayelwa Nyimani recently and it features on the iStart2Sing Album. Dudu wrote the lyrics and performs it with composer Pops Mohamed. Sankobo Afrique, a drumming trio that forms part of the famous Amandla Cultural Ensemble, mesmerizes audiences with their haunting performances.

 

VERY SPECIAL GUEST from NAMIBIA

!Gubi Tietie, 87 year old Shaman and musician from Namibia will be performing the mystical sounds from the Kalahari ... unique in the world ... an experience you will never forget!

iStart2Sing (from the Mountain Side) is a unique indigenous musical experience that will fill your senses with ancient and indigenous sounds from Southern Africa; immerse yourself in the exquisite sounds of the kora, the mouth bow and the marimba. Challenge your senses with these extraordinary collaborations, never heard before.

Artists, organisations, charities, the media, the disabled community, and anyone who is serious about creating a sustainable world for all who live in it are invited to unite, join hands and celebrate the soul of Africa, in what promises to be a remarkable event. All are welcome.

The iStart2Sing Event is a collaboration between the iStart2 Foundation, iStart2Global and the Artists. It takes place on 23 April 2016 at the iStart2 Hub in Centurion from 20h00 to 22h00. Tickets cost R150 per person and can be purchased from www.iStart2.com or cash at the venue on the day.