The Soil, Napo Masheane and Nicky B join Pilani Bubu, Wanlov the Kubolor and Stevo Atambire from Ghana, Papillion Musa from Kenya and Leomile from Lesotho. Are the artists in place for the inaugural Folklore Festival. That is set to take place at the National School of Arts in Johannesburg on Saturday, October 1.
South African acapella three-member group, The Soil, is a blend of contemporary township style and an eclectic mix of urban contemporary. Which fuses beat box and soul. The trio are Buhlebendalo Mda, Luphindo Ngxanga, and Ntsika Fana Ngxanga. Who strive to fuse their voices to deliver melodic and harmonious messages that aim to uplift and heal souls all around the world.
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Nicky Blumenfeld also known as Nicky B started the World Show in 1997. When Kaya FM 95.9 was launched as the first independent radio station in the newly democratic South Africa. She has been at the forefront of pushing folk music in South Africa for over 20 years.
The Folklore Festival is not just a music festival. It will incorporate poetry, dance, books, toys and workshops. For a jam-packed full day experience including a performance and workshop by Napo Masheane. One of South Africa’s leading black female theatre makers and poets.
FOLKLORE FESTIVAL
The festival is set to close of South African Heritage Month with a celebration that will be diverse Pan-African creative offering from North, South, East and West Africa. A perfect family day experience!
“Folklore is the expressive body of culture shared and preserved by a particular group of people, it is inclusive of the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through the generations by word of mouth, in the form of tales, sayings, dances, proverbs, jokes and music captured through various art forms,” says Bubu.
The festival will be an ‘all ages’ affair with Ethnikids, an online bookstore. Specialising in children’s books that feature characters of colour in various South African languages. Igniting the love of reading in our children and providing diverse material. That more children can relate to and identify with.
Toys with Roots, is a company whose purpose is to create a destination platform for toys.
Bubu continues, “We believe that our African children need to identify with – as well as see themselves and their greatness in – the songs they sing, books they read, toys they engage with and media they consume.”
Folklore Festival is proud to announce Nedbank as a sponsor this year. Buli Ndlovu Executive Head for Retail and Business Banking Marketing at Nedbank says, “In our quest to find alternative ways to engage and understand our clients better, we seek for new noble platforms to partner with.
Being part of a platform that invites the public to do good and showcase emerging entrepreneurs, provides us the opportunity to instil a culture of making better money choices to small businesses who have families.The new noble platform speaks to our brand purpose, which is to use the financial expertise to do good.
With families being the bedrock of society. It is important to leverage off platforms that will help us demonstrate the value of a shared approach to family’s financial wellbeing. Which ultimately makes a real difference in the clients lives, communities and society.
The National School of the Arts will perform their highly anticipated African Reflections. This celebratory musical journey of African and Pan-African music gets its sponsorship by SAMPRA through the SAMPRA Development Fund. African Reflections features the NSA music department and the rebirth NSA Choir under the leadership of Xolani Noveld. This exciting performance will bring the Folklore Festival to a heart-warming conclusion.
“The confluence of ideas and energy surrounding the Folklore Festival speak of the magic of ubuntu. We need to honour and celebrate our cultural roots. Significantly 2022 marks a new era of leadership at the NSA – we are proud to be led by a strong new Principal Mrs Salome Gaelesiwe – the first African Principal; I was appointed new HOD of music at the beginning of the year. It is significant that we are reflecting and honouring our heritage in this way at this juncture of the school’s history. We look inward to reflect and remember. In music, we celebrate the past and the present and look to the future in glorious harmony. This is the NSA’s AFRICAN REFLECTION.“ Says Thabang Phiri, HOD Music, The National School of the Arts.