Thursday, May 17, 2007
Big music festival for 2008
I received my regular Bizcommunity newsletter this morning, and was pleased to read about a big music festival being planned for the beginning of 2008, The Zandrivier Music Festival. Here is the press release:
Zoom Advertising has been appointed official marketing partner for what is already being dubbed ‘THE event'. A massive music festival, the first of its kind in South Africa is set to rock the country in February 2008 and MTV Europe Foundation has signed up as one of the festival's global media partners.
Featuring more than 200 bands over two days on seven different stages, the festival takes place on a beautiful farm at the highest point in the Western Cape. Twelve major international headline acts, a line up of international DJs and a huge number of local artists are appearing at the Zandrivier Music Festival. MTV will broadcast a documentary about the Festival as well as cover the event live as it happens.
“The Zandrivier Music Festival presents a new and exciting platform for sponsors to reach discerning and affluent audiences who prefer to discover a brand rather than have it sold to them.”
Around fifty thousand tickets will be sold to the event, which has widespread appeal because it offers so much including an enormous range of music genres, food, drink and retail villages and so on. With more areas of entertainment still being finalised, the seven stages confirmed so far are:
• The main MTV stage – international headliners
• Dance Arena
• Jazz/Folk
• Latino
• Future Shock
• Reggae
• New Bands Metal/Rock
The Festival is being organised by Lily UK, which has been involved with the Glastonbury Music Festival in the UK, Exit in Serbia as well as MTV's road shows and other mainstream music events around the world.
Twenty per cent of the festival's profit will be ploughed into projects to assist rural communities and provide sorely needed education and life skills, especially among young people. The Zandrivier Trust has been established, the trustees of which are political, entertainment and industry VIPs.
Let's hope they are able to build it into a successful annual event, because we just have far too few quality music festivals in South Africa, and I have seen far too many good idea's hit a speed-wobble before the race has even started!
Zoom Advertising has been appointed official marketing partner for what is already being dubbed ‘THE event'. A massive music festival, the first of its kind in South Africa is set to rock the country in February 2008 and MTV Europe Foundation has signed up as one of the festival's global media partners. Featuring more than 200 bands over two days on seven different stages, the festival takes place on a beautiful farm at the highest point in the Western Cape. Twelve major international headline acts, a line up of international DJs and a huge number of local artists are appearing at the Zandrivier Music Festival. MTV will broadcast a documentary about the Festival as well as cover the event live as it happens.
“The Zandrivier Music Festival presents a new and exciting platform for sponsors to reach discerning and affluent audiences who prefer to discover a brand rather than have it sold to them.”
Around fifty thousand tickets will be sold to the event, which has widespread appeal because it offers so much including an enormous range of music genres, food, drink and retail villages and so on. With more areas of entertainment still being finalised, the seven stages confirmed so far are:
• The main MTV stage – international headliners
• Dance Arena
• Jazz/Folk
• Latino
• Future Shock
• Reggae
• New Bands Metal/Rock
The Festival is being organised by Lily UK, which has been involved with the Glastonbury Music Festival in the UK, Exit in Serbia as well as MTV's road shows and other mainstream music events around the world.
Twenty per cent of the festival's profit will be ploughed into projects to assist rural communities and provide sorely needed education and life skills, especially among young people. The Zandrivier Trust has been established, the trustees of which are political, entertainment and industry VIPs.
Let's hope they are able to build it into a successful annual event, because we just have far too few quality music festivals in South Africa, and I have seen far too many good idea's hit a speed-wobble before the race has even started!
Labels: jazz, MTV, music, rock 'n' roll, Zandrivier Music Festival
Monday, November 06, 2006
Freshlyground win MTV Africa award!
What a beautiful Monday, after a little bit of a cold front swinging past the Cape this weekend. It also seemed to affect the internet, as we were down for most of it, which is why it was quiet from this side.But just because I am quiet doesn’t mean the world stopped turning - there was so much happening; Freshlyground becoming the first South Africans to win the MTV Award for Africa on Thursday night in Copenhagen; Australia drawing against Wales in rugby, but then utterly destroying the West Indies in India during the Champions Trophy final; Saddam Hussein being sentenced to death by hanging; and our very own shaky Shaik's having his appeal turned down! Lots to keep us entertained!
Apart from that, we are still coming to terms with the passing of P.W. and whether he deserved to have our flag flown at half-mast in his honour; we wait in anticipation to see whether the NPA will be bringing new charges against Jacob Zuma; and finally whether the Americans have finally come to their own Rubicon and will vote the Democrats in…
Ultimately – I think we should celebrate Freshlyground and what they have achieved. It’s a milestone, and one that we should all be proud of - even if Doo Bee Doo irritates the hell out of me. I like it that they beat a whole lot of Nigerian artists. Damn, they actually beat a whole lot of African artists to get there!
So today I will let you enjoy one of their newer videos – I’d like. I’d like to see more and more South African groups making it internationally, but in the meantime, groups like Freshlyground, Goldfish, Seether and Just Jinjer are paving the way!
Labels: freshlyground, goldfish, Just Jinjer, MTV, Seether
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Jerusha reveals!
I don’t know why more artists don’t make a stand against HIV/Aids, and spread the word about how, as former President Nelson Mandela states, we are facing the biggest Human Rights issue ever.Jerusha, one of Cape Town’s pop sensations, who also happens to be a Medical Doctor, is one artist who has made a stand.
Jerusha first hit the South African airwaves with her debut album Got to have it, from which she had three chart-topping tracks (including two number 1 hits) in 2002. Are u the One, her first big hit, was produced within six months of her arriving to cut a demo with Craig at Mama Dance in Cape Town, just when she was in the final year of medical school.
As she grew in fame, she was also working for community and country, and even spent three months as a military doctor in war-torn Liberia as part of the United Nations humanitarian effort.
She was one of two South African Acts chosen by MTV for the road show to promote the prestigious Nelson Mandela “46664” Concert in 2004 to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, a world health issue that is close to her heart.
In late 2005, backed by her world-class band, Jerusha performed in London in the SA Solidarity Festival in benefit of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. In May 2006, supported by her band and backing vocalists from the Oxford gospel choir, Jerusha was one of the headline acts at the World Fair Trade Fashion Show held in Oxford; hosted by the Ethical Fashion Forum and UNICEF.
She is currently based in Oxford United Kingdom, working with some top producers, where she is focusing on her sound and looking forward to releasing further chart-topping hits! As I said earlier – she has made a stand against HIV/Aids. Jerusha was chosen by Love Life in 2005 (South Africa’s largest HIV/AIDS Awareness Organisation) as a role-model for South Africa’s youth and featured as an icon in the “Get Attitude” campaign, which I feature here.
We should all make more noise, get on our soap-box’s and shout out to all who can hear – HIV/Aids is our problem, let’s do something about it!
Labels: 46664, Jerusha, Love Life, MTV
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Lungelo with Kanye West
FIRST SNOOP DOGG NOW KANYE WEST FOR SA’S LUNGELOThis week Big Concerts enlisted the services of the sensational new R&B/Hip Hop producer/artist Lungelo, to perform at the Kanye West concert in
The big question everyone in
On the streets, in bars and clubs the secret that is Lungelo is spreading like wild fire. Who is this guy that jumps from gigs on the street to stages in front of thousands of fans with the worlds biggest international super stars in the space of only two months? He clearly has fans all over the country as thousands voted for him to perform at the Snoop concert a couple of months ago.
His first claim to fame was as a finalist on the Coca Cola PopStars Television show. He followed that up with a hit song called “
With his list of accomplishments mounting steadily many wait in anticipation for his debut album later this year. His hot music video “Dirty Girl” is definately guaranteed to spice things up and will also be aired shortly on MTV and Channel O. Amidst the several radio and Tv interviews, he has also been producing for Prokid, Black Noise and even did the theme song for the new Tv comic series Supa Strika.
All those attending the Kanye West concert in
