“Situated in the Northern Drakensberg, the  Smoking Dragon Festival is hosted by Amphitheater Backpackers in Bergville, KZN, and is surrounded by the gorgeous mountain range bordering South Africa and Lesotho, the highest country in the world. The area is home to the world’s largest consolidation of cave paintings, the second highest waterfall on the planet and the biggest indigenous forest in the Berg. But once a year, this premier hiking destination comes alive with the sounds of the country’s best local talent performing across a few different stages.” - Lauren Melnick

This year, Smoking Dragon Festival collaborates with EDM entertainment giant, OneLove Productions, to bring you a five-day dual-festival showcasing talent from all over the country. From the 29th until the 2nd of January, the Amphitheatre Backpackers Lodge will play host to OneLove Productions’ Connexion Festival and Smoking Dragon’s annual NYE Festival. Connexion will be a showcase of the best EDM and psytrance acts the country has to offer while Smoking Dragon showcases the best alternative and underground music acts. Connexion’s main floor is set overlooking the dam with The Amphitheatre panorama as its backdrop, and its second floor will be a Drum n Bass stage set right next to the Amphitheatre pizzeria. Connexion’s headliners are ARJUNA (Italy/India), KLIMENT (Bulgaria), Flooting Grooves (South Africa) and Once Upon A Time (South Africa).

During the day until 6pm from the 30th Smoking Dragon Festival will showcase a live music stage curated by Black Labone, another beloved entertainment giant based in Pretoria. The Ripple Zone as we know it will be hosted by the pool area instead of the dam for some intimate daytime festivities spanning DJ performances and art activities facilitated by iMibala Foundations until 6pm daily. Thereafter another stage known as The Dragon’s Cave will begin its night-time discotheque program until 6am in the bar/restaurant indoor area which is also where Smoking Dragon’s opening and closing Pink Parties on the 29th of December and 2nd of January respectively will be hosted and headlined by Nicky B, Les G, Kanii Axtro, DJ Biskit & Ugin The Muzikal Freak. Sex-positive, kink-positive and pleasure-centric, The Pink Party is a space supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community.

And that is not the last of it: this year Smoking Dragon Festival introduces a pop-up listening bar experience upstairs at its newly installed Cannabar for the introverted audiophiles who enjoy underground sounds on a warm soundsystem. This is where you’ll find dub & reggae, free jazz, maskandi, boombap, and any other left-wing sonic expressions by some of the best underground selectors you won’t normally find on a regular event bill. The Cannabar is a Hi Lounge and Cold Start Dab Bar with an “Amsterdam-style” coffee shop set up for the loungers and conversationalists. Here you will find the Green Side Kiosk selling a range of delectable baked treats, warm and cold beverages, superfood smoothies, CBD products and cannabis accessories.

Here are some frequently asked questions:

1. How do I purchase a ticket?

By clicking on this link NEW YEARS ENTRY TICKET | Smoking Dragon - Tickets & Events

2. How much is a ticket?

R1300 for a ticket which includes 5-day camping and access to both the Connexion Festival and Smoking Dragon’s NYE Festival entertainment programs.

3. Do I get a camping tent when I purchase this ticket or do I have to bring my own tent?

You have to bring your own tent for camping.

4. Are there any other accommodation options to explore apart from camping?

You can book 2-sleeper Safari Tents or chalets at the Amphitheatre Backpackers Lodge in groups of 6 and 8. Click here for more info NEW YEARS ACCOMMODATION | Smoking Dragon - Tickets & Events

5. How do I get there?

You can drive there, fly privately or take a bus to Harrismith and connect with a local shuttle service from Harrismith to Bergville.

6. Who else is playing at both festivals apart from the aforementioned headliners?

Relative Theory, Mason The Artist, Phoenix, Ebb & Flow, STU Black, Dr Bops, Thorne & Boogy Monsta for Connexion Festival; The Tidal Waves, Blakka Yut, Black Labone House Band, Black Villain, Sumthin Brown, Hanwah (Eswatini), Reina’R (Botswana), Rivoningo & Masai Sepuru for Smoking Dragon Festival. Click on link below for the full line up for both festivals.

LINE UP (smokingdragon.org)

7. Is the event cashless?

No, the event is not cashless.

8. What other facilities will people have access to and enjoy?

Campers will have access to toilets, showers, and communal self-catering kitchens housing refrigerators, gas stoves and braai areas. Those in chalets will have their own kitchens and bathrooms inside the rooms with fresh bedding daily. Festival goers will have access to a plateau of greenery to lounge on during the day, bars and food trucks to buy from, a pizzeria and cannabis bar upstairs, a pool, jacuzzi and a sauna.

Two dams and a river are on site, and there are multiple nearby outdoor activities that festival-goers can also partake in like cycling, fishing, quad biking, kayaking etc. The eco-friendly location has a grey water plant and zero plastic policy. Water is from a borehole and is solar-heated.

9. What should I bring?

✓ festival ticket
✓ tent
✓ blow-up mattress / sleeping bag
✓ torch
✓ pillow(s)
✓ camera
✓ clothes
✓ umbrella

✓ water bottle

✓ sunscreen

✓ phone charger
✓ inflatables
✓ blankets
✓ camping chairs
✓ cooler box
✓ a towel
✓ toiletries
✓ gazebo

And most importantly, don’t forget your booze and ice! If you run out, there is a shooter bar and a shop just down the road called Die Outspan that sells overpriced ice to the desperate and needy.

10. What to wear?

✓ Flip flops for the day and closed shoes for the night

✓ A light jacket for the evening

✓ Swimming costume

✓ Sunglasses and a hat

“Our music is a gear of the warrior” - Itu Neter on D.E.T.O.X by Cool Affair

I know what you’re thinking, and what you’re thinking is not what it actually is.

He doesn’t play the saxophone, he does not sing in pidgin, and he certainly does not have many wives. Sibusiso Ntombela aka Cool Affair is a young South African music producer, sound engineer and DJ based in the South of Johannesburg. He makes broken beats, Nu Jazz and Afrobeat, and has collaborated with various African thinkers, scholars and Black Power activists such as David Letsoalo, Tehuti Itu Neter, Azah, Dr Baba Buntu et al to further disseminate important messages pertaining to Blackness, Whiteness, masculinity, violence, death & immorality within the African context. Conscious, awake, bold in his lyricism, passionate and a true African patriot, Cool Affair channels the spirit of Fela Kuti in that he sings and speaks to power.

As a fan of his music as far back as the early 2010s, I have watched Cool Affair transform from being just another musical genius (we have plenty of those in Africa) to being one of the most important thinkers/speakers of our generation. When I first encountered his music 11 years ago, it was simply because I was a staunch house music head and I was particularly interested in South African music producers’ take on this style of music I grew up listening to, thus I interacted a lot with his music and many other compositions by his contemporaries like Nini Maluks, Clere Soulful, Griffith Malo, Louis Lunch and many others. This period (2010 - 2012) in South African dance music history is arguably the impetus to the rise of the Amapiano movement as we know it today, and Cool Affair is arguably one of the founding fathers of this style of house music fused with instrumental melodies dominated by the piano (or keys). Music producers like Brazo Wa Afrika and the late DukeSoul reached celebrity status as the purveyors of this style of house music, and for the first time in South African history we witnessed young black house music producers gaining respect and relevance as composers rather than as compilers and DJs.

One of Cool Affair’s classics titled Blue Note 1 from his Blue Note EP, which was a take on traditional jazz notes against the backdrop of Bruk beat, is an example of where the Amapiano sound started, before Kabza de Small, before the log drum and way before amapiano beats were accompanied by vocals. Music producers like Louis Lunch and Tekniq Ntuli followed suit borrowing from that Cool Affair sound to formulate and popularise what people eventually dubbed “Broken Beat Ya Mamelodi”, and boy did we have some mighty good times with those sounds in clubs and at kasi festivals. Fast forward to a couple of years later, Cool Affair is still the Prince of Broken Beat, but it seems to me that it wasn’t registered just how much he contributed to a style of music that many are now celebrating and building music careers on.

Needless to say, it is not his pioneering spirit that reminds me of the late great Fela Kuti.

The year was 2020, like many others, I witnessed Cool Affair going through a rebirth of some sort during that period. While many of us went back into writing and starting businesses we were initially too afraid to start, Cool Affair went back into himself to gift us with music I believe was more intentional and far more radical than pioneering a music style. With countless official and unofficial releases under his record label, Cool Affair Records, it is the year 2020 that I first saw Cool Affair taking on what he called “a robust approach to music” in that he began to boldly address matters of Black importance through lyrics, vocals and speeches by Black thinkers in his Oedipus Complex EP released in May 2020. It didn’t end there. By the end of 2021, Cool Affair had transformed into the kind of musician people would love to hate but couldn’t. By 2021 the same Cool Affair who had been educating us on groove theory and breaking beats was now urging us to think, to detoxify our minds, teaching us things about ourselves as a Black nation, as Black women and most importantly as Black youth. Self-transformation, Truth To Power, Divine Frequency, Bantu Intelligence, Black Femininity & Black Masculinity, Mind Control, Spiritual Power are some of the themes (read: track titles) Cool Affair now explores through his music.

In the words of Tehuti Itu Neter Makale, the first volume of Cool Affair’s Detox, Give The Enemy Back His Bullshit (2021) series “is the musical heralding of Afrikan-centred restorative voices that mainstream media maligns and occludes. It is an ensemble of Afrikan-centred scholars and Black Power activists who have positioned themselves to use their voices to call the Black Race to a place of self-reflection and introspection, and to create an energy space that will help the race reinvigorate itself by ridding itself of all forms of alienation resultant from a long psychohistory of consciousness falsification and cultural misorientation exerted by the invader race enemies of Mama Afrika and Her children. Along with these voices, Cool Affair muses over the losses Black people have endured over the centuries and urges us to think anew and to fight against neoliberalism. He urges us to awaken to things we have been sleeping on, to love ourselves as divinity intended, and to use this love for self and thy neighbor as a weapon of mass destruction.

Cool Affair is currently still in the South of Johannesburg working as a community leader, sound engineer, music producer and DJ. As a community leader he has founded VukaSouth which is a community organization aimed at unifying the Johannesburg South Populace. He is also a community developer at Afrikan Ubuntu Institution.

In August of 2023, Cool Affair assembled an array of exceptional musicians to bring us the Cool Affair Band Experience at Untitled Basement in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

Nakhane, who has made waves internationally as a singer, songwriter, novelist, and actor, expresses their excitement about returning to South Africa for this exclusive performance. With their latest album, 'Bastard Jargon,' serving as the focal point of the show, Nakhane aims to connect with the audience through the music that was deeply influenced by their South African upbringing. While Nakhane promises to deliver old favorites, the description of the upcoming show hints at a performance that is more than just a musical journey.

Supported by ALTBLK Continua, Nakhane will be joined by two talented local artists Gemma Fassie and MUNEYI.

Muneyi is a traditional indie singer, songwriter, composer and guitarist from Thohoyandou, Venda, who draws inspiration from the ikes of Oumou Sangare, Ali Farka Toure, Thandiswa Mazwai, Sonah Jobarteh and many more. In 2019, he was the winner of the Afropunk Battle Of The Bands, which led to the release of his debut album in 2020 via Africori. He has shared stages with some of South Africa’s most relevant artists namely, Sho Madjozi, Msaki, Zoë Modiga, The Muffinz, Nduduzo Makhathini, Buhlebendalo, Nonku Phiri to name a few. With collaborators such as Kekelingo and Leomile, he is focussed on building a community, which can support each other and allow a new movement of Folk artists to take their message to the world.

Gemma Fassie is a 23-year-old singer-songwriter from the Southern suburbs of Cape Town.

This show is presented by Bassline Summer & sponsored by the SAMPRA Development Fund (SDF) and Bassline. The SDF is a Corporate Social Investment arm of The South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA) that was established to meaningfully contribute to the development and sustainability of its members, music promoters, and the entire South African Music industry.

Tickets from R250 can be purchased here

As part of the ISCM World New Music Days Festival 2023, the Auditorium of Goethe Institut Johannesburg will host an electronic music concert in the afternoon of Tuesday 28th November with a program consisting of fixed electronic music works (with no performer) and a few solo instrumentalists that use electronics. The program includes ten pieces selected in the ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music) Call for Works for this year's festival.

The ISCM World New Music Days festival is an annual global celebration of contemporary music, showcasing cutting-edge compositions from around the world. In a historic milestone, this year's festival will be hosted for the first time in South Africa, scheduled to run from November 24th to December 3rd. This festival carries historical significance on two fronts: it marks the centenary of the ISCM, celebrating 100 years of the organization's existence. Moreover, it stands as the inaugural World New Music Days held on African soil. World New Music Days 2023 will not only honor ISCM's century-long legacy but also serve as a platform for global connections and cultural exchange through the medium of new music.

The World New Music Days Festival is set to take place over 10 days in Johannesburg, Soweto, and Cape Town, and promises an exhilarating and diverse program that spans various musical genres, from orchestral and ensemble performances to quartets, trios, duos, and solo concerts. The festival's lineup includes celebrated South African artists and ensembles, such as the renowned Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and the Odeon String Quartet, who will take center stage. Additionally, the festival will feature international talents hailing from countries as diverse as Angola, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Germany, Hungary, France, Italy, the United States, and Spain, contributing to the grandeur of this musical celebration.

With a strong Pan-African focus at its core, the program is designed to promote creative exchanges with Europe, facilitate access to international markets, and honor the significant contributions of the diaspora. This groundbreaking event is poised to be a remarkable celebration of musical innovation and cultural exchange, where the dynamic spirit of contemporary music will shine brightly on the global stage.

For the full festival program, click here

About New Music SA:
NewMusicSA is a non-profit arts advocacy organisation that promotes the
creation, performance, and enjoyment of South African new music. Founded in
1999 and operating formally since 2003, NewMusicSA is the South African
section (and current only African section) of the International Society for
Contemporary Music (ISCM). The organisation supports and amplifies the
sounds of tomorrow by nurturing the creation, performance, and appreciation
of new music for adventurous listeners in South Africa and beyond; and plays a
key role as a national and international supporter, connector, and advocate for
the whole new music community in South Africa.

“Think of them as galleries for audiophiles” (Exberliner, 2023), a space where you can actually stop and listen to the music, and have conversations around it. Unlike most establishments like bars, cafes, and clubs, listening bars are designed with the perfect sound system in mind for the ultimate sonic geek. This concept is said to have begun in Asia, Japan to be precise, in the 1950s, with side street coffee houses that embraced the idea of listening more and dancing less (Financial Times, 2023). Since then, the world over has caught up to this tradition and has gone as far as designing their sound systems according to Japanese standards for HiFis that are acoustically designed to enhance the enjoyment of music using precision-made speakers and the highest-quality turntables and amplifiers. In Europe and in the US, listening bars have become an increasingly favored way of consuming music in recent years, and this influence has trickled all the way down to the South. In 2021, South Africa and the rest of the African continent recorded its first ever account of a listening bar in Cape Town known as One Park Listening Bar.

Set in a hundred-year-old building housing The Other Records store, The Other Radio, which is an online radio station, an eatery and gallery, One Park Listening Bar sits on the first floor of the building otherwise known as simply One Park Precinct on One Park Road, Cape Town. Furnished and fashioned after Japanese listening bars, formerly known as Kissaten meaning tea-drinking-shop where artists and griots could meet and discuss topics related to their work over a cup of tea or coffee, One Park Listening Bar is a place for meet-ups and music of all kinds curated outside the pressures of dancefloor/DJ culture and is paradise for introverted record collectors and audiophiles who enjoying savoring the feel and taste of music on a high-fidelity sound-system void of any distortion or coloration.

This listening bar includes a one-of-a-kind DJ booth and a specialized speaker set designed by Phil Kramer. One Park's system is both classic and modern, using restored Altec cabinets from a 60s movie theatre, brand new CNC'd biradial horns and biamping. It's a hybrid approach that sounds as good as it looks and delivers a realistic and natural sound to the listener. In such a space, nobody cares if the DJ matches beats or sequences the songs accordingly, it is only the music that takes center-stage and not necessarily how it is curated or by whom.

One Park Listening Bar is not the only indicator of this rising trend in the South. This year, a production outfit based in Johannesburg known as Broaden A New Sound began experimenting with what they've dubbed as a pop-up listening bar; they call it Listen In. Through this initiative, they have been circuiting their pop-up listening bar across venues in Johannesburg and sort of slowly introducing this relatively novel concept most venues haven't really caught up to, or arguably cannot afford to set up yet. Broaden A New Sound is an events and sonic landscaping passion project by Colleen Balchin & her partner, Ri.

After 8 years of running, one of Pretoria's most popular and cherished venues is closing its doors on the 4th of November 2023. African Beer Emporium, the brainchild of the founders of Capital Craft and Park Acoustics, is situated right in the center of the city's central business district and is the spearhead of the 012 Central initiative which is a conglomerate of venues and small businesses placed within a single enclosed space. This precinct houses the Foreal Music Academy and Wing Republic franchises and has been home to various events and corporate functions by different key players like Easy Agency, Black Labone and Homecoming Events. ABE, however, has always been the most popular shop at the precinct and is arguably the reason behind the kind of pull the precinct is popularly known for. African Beer Emporium has been the home of acclaimed events like Tshwanefontein, The Breakfast Club, Black Labone, Trancemicsoul Sessions, Mogale Festival & Corona Sunsets Festival Pretoria, and it has hosted local and international acts like Atjazz (UK), Rocco Rodamaal (FR), Msaki, Bongeziwe Mabandla, Nadia Nakai, Riky Rick, and many more. Apart from events, ABE has been a firm favorite in the CBD for hosting corporate and private functions, with the venue boasting amenities like boardrooms, projectors, outside patios, an indoor garden, smoking lounges, Wi-Fi, two large bars and an open kitchen.

As an avid audience member at this venue and precinct attending several shows like Black Labone, Mogale Festival & Market@thesheds, and also as a freelancer whose favorite restaurant to host meetings at was The Wing Republic, I mourn not only the loss of this important and historic space but the ideas that will most likely take a serious knock due to the abrupt drying of this glue that kept all together, flocking in unison. I mourn the loss of creative agilities that flourished in this space, the anxieties and existential crises that were kept at bay, the businesses that grew through weekly and monthly markets hosted there, the love affairs that evolved into beautiful flowers, the talents that flourished and reached greater heights, and the general brevity of creatives I always sensed whenever I was there. Only a few venues give you that, be it as an ordinary partygoer or as a creative with ambitions of working in the creative industry.

I wonder what is next, and who will be a vessel through which brave ideas get to have a place to call home, the same way Trancemicsoul Sessions and Black Labone have both had a place to call home since 2018, subsequently growing into entertainment giants cemented in the history books of Pitori entertainment and culture forever. Whatever the case may be, I pray and hope for better days for us lovers and supporters of the arts in the city. Perhaps, as the saying goes, when one door closes another will indeed open.

Keep the faith, and may peace be upon you.

A musical concept inspired by the music of James Brown

James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," was a prolific singer, songwriter and bandleader, as well as one of the most iconic figures in funk and soul music.

Date: Sunday, 30th April 2023
Time: 12:00pm until 09:00pm
Venue: Sunward Park in Boksburg, Eastrand
Enquiries: soul@amuseafrica.co.za or nomi.tshabalala@umdoko.com

Entry plus food

Menu: Grills, Lettuce leaves, Garlic bread, Sweet corn, Potato wedges or Vegan

Buy for R250

Frequently asked questions

DATES: 2 APRIL  2023 - 16 APRIL 2023

This leads to further exploration into the criticisms surrounding portraiture and the dichotomy of self-taught and trained artists. An ongoing conversation as the barriers of entry into our industry become more obsolete.

Naturally, more questions arise when discussing these topics, questions about repetition and similarities in artist's work, questions of originality and quality and purpose of contemporary artworks made by black artists. The most important question is why do we get so bothered by it all?

Is there an underlying insecurity about seeing too much blackness in art? So how do we honour ourselves and celebrate our existence without imposing on others or triggering peoples limiting beliefs or appearing self-centered or worse overconfident? The truth is we can't, being SEL-FULL encompasses all of the above. The word "selfless" has left us feeling used and taken advantage of and we choose not to resonate with the word "selfish" because of the negativity it carries.

Being SELF-FULL is a true act of self-love. An unyielding decision to take better care of oneself, to put your needs, wants and yourself first before everything else, to confidently express yourself and your talents, to be more self-aware, to fill your cup first and share what overflows with others without guilt, judgement or shame.

The term SELF-FULL is the perfect way to describe and title a group exhibition of black portraiture. As blackness stands firmly at the core of contemporary culture, portraiture and the representation of blackness in art cannot be viewed as a trend. The saturation of black portraits in the art market is not only intentional, its necessary and corrective in rewriting history for a generation that's liberal and proud to be Black.

SELF-FULL features works by Ennock Mlangeni, Dario Manjate, Greatjoy Ndlovu, Malose Pete, Mandlenkosi Mavengere, Percy Maimele, Thabiso Dakamela, Thokozani Madonsela and Siyabonga Mlambi. The Exhibition is open for public viewing at DK's Project House, on the 5th Floor of Ellis House Art Building, 23 Voorhout Street, New Doornfontein.

The album dropped on Friday, March 31.

The “Fall” hitmaker revealed that “Timeless” would feature South African amapiano stars Musa Keys and Focalistic.

Keys is set to feature on “Unavailable”, while Focalistic will feature on the final track, “Champion Sound”, which was originally released as a single back in 2021.

“It's almost time,” he posted. “I bring to you the official tracklist for my upcoming album #TIMELESS, with Spotify. Get ready @spotify @spotifyafrica @spotifyuk.”

It has been more than two years since Davido released his previous album, “A Better Time”.

Released through his global deal with Sony Music, that project was positioned for international penetration with features from the likes of Chris Brown, Young Thug, Nas, Nicki Minaj and Lil Baby.

The album cover on “A Better Time” saw Davido embracing his son, Ifeanyi Adeleke, who tragically drowned last year.

Davido has been off the radar since the three-year-old’s death in November, making the odd public appearance here and there.

But with an album to promote, Davido seems to be back in action again. The 30-year-old is in South Africa on a media tour with alcohol brand Martell, with whom he has a long-standing ambassadorship.

Davido was here in Mzansi and was spotted on Wednesday night at various nightspots across the country, including Opera Bar Lounge and Alto 234 Bar, alongside Focalistic and other members of his crew.

Isibuko, which translates to “mirror” in isiZulu, is Sjava’s third studio album following the release of Umqhele in 2018. The afro soul album was released under 1020 Cartel, a record label he started with his longtime producer, Ruff.

The album comes after a five-year hiatus since Sjava released a solo project. During that time he released the EP Umsebenzi in 2020 and was featured on numerous singles. In a press statement, he explains:

This album is a reflection of my journey over the last few years and speaks to my experiences and growth as a person and as a musician. Musically it is a continuation of the process that began with the Umsebenzi EP/Deluxe, and I hope my supporters enjoy the body of work

According to zimoja, Sjava, Ruff, Delayde, Webmoms and Vuyo Manyike laid the foundations of the album during a retreat in February 2022. They worked together endlessly to conceptualise the album’s nature before they started recording the initial music and vocals. Sjava described the idea for his album as:

Music that one would listen to during their quiet moments alone, whether it be at home, in the car or on trips outside the city.

A musical concept inspired by the music of James Brown

James Brown, the "Godfather of Soul," was a prolific singer, songwriter and bandleader, as well as one of the most iconic figures in funk and soul music.

Date: Friday, 28th October 2022
Time: 10:00am until 11:00pm
Venue: Somewhere in Orlando West, Soweto

Come and enjoy the most exceptional live music experience in Soweto at one of Gauteng's most vibrant venues. With a tailor-made ambiance, and cozy space, you'll never get tired of this experience!

We have 3 packages for you to choose from:

Package 1 – Soweto Bicycle Tour + Soul Survivor @ R700 per person
Starts: 10:00am
Limited spots available – be ready to secure your spot by the 26th of October.
The best way to see Soweto by using bicycles – we easily move between the various neighbourhoods making it easy to experience life and culture and to interact with people and at the same time learning about Soweto’s rich history in a fun and relaxing way.
Included: 4-hour bicycle tour, Potjiekos lunch, Soul Survivor general ticket

Package 2 – Soul Survivor + Meal @ R250 per person *popular 🔥🔥🔥
Starts: 4:00pm
Sundowners' and afterwork vibes.
Included: Soul Survivor general ticket, Meal

Package 3 – Soul Survivor @ R150 per person
Starts: 4:00pm
Sundowners' and afterwork vibes.
Included: Soul Survivor general ticket only

Jazz Cats SA

Behind the name “Jazz Cats SA” lies an Afrocentric quartet from Soweto:
Sphiwe Nxumalo on keys
Boitumelo Pitso on vocals
Musa Ngubeni on electric bass  
Molefi Phuroe on drums.
The band is currently promoting their E.Ps., “Moon Travelling” and No Days, as well as continuing to work on new, original material.

They serve Afro-jazz from the new school, tastefully blending it with soul and very subtly incorporating boom bap drum patterns. Their self-titled sub-genre is “Astro” - linked to the concept of astronomy, i.e. an excursion to another world. The musical narratives capture the worldviews and realities of sophisticated African millennials.

Jazz Cats SA has been playing shows in the “artsy” music, festivals and jam session scenes of Soweto, Johannesburg and Mpumalanga, crafting their product for over 7 years now. Keys maestro, Spijo, transformed from DJ and sound engineer to playing the live keyboard at his DJ sets. Craving the ability to create with live instruments, he initially sought the now members of the band for assistance with songs and the band organically came together to form Jazz Cats SA.

Musical influences include: Philip Tabane, Busi Mhlongo, Zim Ngqawana, Jill Scott, Meshell Ndegeocello and the Soulquarians.

Jazz Cats SA’s live experiences allow you to bear witness to their personal vision of jazz: exquisite melodies, subtly experimental, free-souled, vibey, perfectly complimented by skillful bass lines and imbued with unmistakable Africanness. “Amakati’s” musical objective is to reverse stereotypes about what a modern musician from the townships of the southern tip of Africa embodies.

Boitumelo Pitso

Behind the name Boitumelo Pitso lies a very odd artist from Soweto, who was fortunate to have a Mother that spotted her talent from a very young age and had her attend musical/theatrical movements around Johannesburg and the rest is history. A writer, Poet, Lead singer of Jazz Cats SA band, a vinyl fanatic, a selector and also a family member of Gorilla Grave Studios.

Boitumelo Pitso is a Feel Good music enthusiast, so her curation is not defined by genre but she is a funk child at heart.

Ms Elisa The Selector

Her full name is Lebogang Elisa Mabe and her stage name is 'MsElisa The Selector', she believes she is the child of her ancestral Gods, and is named Elisa after her Great Grand Mother, She chose to use her name Elisa as a way of honoring her great grandmother, whom she believes she is the force in everything.  Furthermore she considers herself a Selector/Art curater as opposed to a dj, and that is how she gave birth to the brand 'MsElisa The Selector'

Her inspiration derives from music across all worlds, different cultures and unique sound

MsElisa The Selector plays world music, from jazz, Bossa, Funk, Lounge, break beat, soul, triphop. Award winner for Best Supporting Dj at the  1st Sawubona Music Jam Awards. If it's expensive music then it's in her collection of music.

Fabric Guru

Fabric Guru is a cutting edge and innovative fabric supplier and handbag manufacturer.

Fabric Guru prides it self in bespoke pieces that depict the beauty of SA

Full schedule:

09:30 – gates open

What to bring :–
Bank cards.
– This is a cashless event

Optional:
– Hubbly bubbly

Activities through out the day :–

Bicycle Tour
Live music
DJs
Art exhibition
Wine o'clock
Fashion exhibition

10:00 – Bicycle Tour starts

Music line-up :–

16:00 - 19:30 : DJ
19:30 - 20:30 : Band
20:30 - 21:30 : DJ
21:30 - 23:00 : DJ

23:00 – gates closed! That's all she wrote

Frequently asked questions

Dates: 1 September - 16 October 2022

SculptX is the largest annual sculpture fair in South Africa which takes place over September month. Sculptures from established and emerging sculptors are displayed within The Melrose Gallery and in public spaces throughout the Melrose Arch precinct.

SculptX is a celebration of all things sculpture - showcased not only through annual exhibitions at selected galleries and locations, but as a permanent fixture at the Melrose Arch Precinct. Emerging and established sculptors are welcome to be part of this initiative as we showcase exciting works, regular events and continue to generate a place where sculpture is enjoyed by artists and art lovers alike.

What went down on the opening night

Beautiful folks at Touchbase Jam dish out these monthly sessions.

Nozipho

Nisa Africa and The Juice

More pics on our facebook page

Venue: 13330 Brickfield Spruitview
Date: Saturday, 30 July 2022
Dress code: Black and Gold
Gates open at: 11:00am
Tickets: R200.00 (General) - R500.00 (VIP)

BOOK YOUR TICKET NOW HERE

Table bookings - highly recommended available:
Table for 4: R4,500
Table for 6: R6,500
Table for 10: R10,500

To book table packages and detailed info - contact Brigitte @ 076 023 8169

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The fair is the epicentre of emerging art in South Africa. It presents a space for the showcasing of established and new talent in an environment that is immersive, accessible and inclusive.

What went down on the opening night

Date: 21-24 July 2022

Venue: Oxford Parks, 199 Oxford Road, Rosebank, Johannesburg

Fair Hours:
Thursday VIP Day:  9am-4pm
Thursday Opening Night: 6pm-9:30pm
Friday: 10am – 9pm
Saturday: 10am-7pm
Sunday: 10am-5pm

Tickets:

VIP Preview day: R300 (10am-4pm)
VIP opening Night:  R900 (6pm-9:30pm)
Early bird General Access: R130
General Access: R150. (Online)
General Access (at the door): R180
Students: R60 (Valid on Friday 22 July 2022 from 10am-4pm only)
Kids: R75 (Saturday 23 &. Sunday 24 July only- includes access to kids programme).

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Founded in 2013 by The Forum Company, it is the first accessible and affordable South African art fair aimed at small scale and emerging galleries as well as emerging artists and collectors working toward growing the market for South African Contemporary art. TAF aims to continue to empower, educate, entertain and sell.

The fair provides a space for a range of galleries, secondary market dealers, print studios, artist organisations, collectives and project spaces to exhibit new emerging artists and mid-career artists to exhibit and engage with emerging and established collectors and audiences.

“The public has embraced the ethos of TAF and over the years have built a long-standing, trusted relationship with the fair, which provides a safe and curated space in which to buy art. We believe that there is no better time than right now for collectors to actively support artists and galleries. We also see this as an opportunity to support art schools in ensuring a generation of new artists. Through our special projects we showcase the work of emerging artists at the start of their careers, giving them a much-needed launch pad. We feel that it is vital to keep the art ecosystem engaged during this time and keep the conversations ongoing, and through our planned virtual talks and walkabout programme, we are able to so.”
– Fair Founder, Glynis Hyslop.