PROGRAMME: Throngs flock to the first day of Joburg’s annual lifestyle and entertainment event…

By Priscilla Malinga

The Rand Show kicked off at Nasrec in Johannesburg yesterday for the Easter weekend with a Public Safety Day programme.

A ceremonial display of guns and cars by public safety personnel was the order of the day with the day’s programme being opened with melodies by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department choir and followed by drill squads and motorcade procession led by Tshepiso Ndaba.

Standing in for the Nasrec’s CEO Craig Newman, the expo’s Ishmael Atanasi welcomed all the guests, adding the rainfall was a sign that everything would go well.

It was the speech by Mgcini Tshwaku, MMC of Public Safety, thanked the JMPD, IIOC, Disaster Management, EMS and Licensing Department for their dedication as they were departments that form the Public Safety Department.

Johannesburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda promised to tackle civic challenges brought to his attention in a bid to make Johannesburg the great City that was meant to be. Meanwhile the Rand Show organisers promise to keep the crowds entertained with various activities, including the rides and display by the SANDF among other attractions.

The first day was already packed with visitors who came to experience the show. There is a dinosaur expo where visitors can go and learn about the existence of life millions of years ago.  Entertainment for kids at the expo centres is galore as are restaurants, food outlets, and products available for sale. The show is also a great platform to visit civic departments to lodge their service delivery complaints.

Other highlights include a brand-new pitching forum for young businesspeople. Called ‘Mzansi Youth Tycoons’, the forum will give young entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their business ideas to a panel of experts and secure R 10 000, as well as receive valuable support services for their business.

Entrants are encouraged to enter by creating a five-minute video introducing themselves, their product or business idea and sending these to the Rand Show directly via Facebook messenger. Ten campaign finalists will be able to pitch their business idea to the panel. “The Rand Show has always been focused on helping to develop business,” says Adele Hartdegen, CEO of the Rand Show.

“We felt that the inaugural SMME Summit, which took place last year in 2023, was an absolute success, and we wanted to add to that this year by giving the youth an opportunity to get involved at a higher level.”

Young entrepreneurs are encouraged to enter by creating a five min video introducing yourself, your product or business idea, and send to the Rand Show directly via Facebook messenger. Ten campaign finalists will be able to pitch their business idea to the panel.

The winner of The Rand Show Youth Entrepreneurial Forum will receive the following:

R10 000 cash prize towards the development of their business; the opportunity to present their business to all the attendees of the SMME Summit; a live interview on Power FM; a three-month social media exposure package developed by the Rand Show Head of Marketing; access to consulting sessions with Financial, Marketing and Managerial experts within the Rand Show team and affiliated companies.

For music lovers, there will be live performances daily with different artists performing each day. Tickets range from R70 to R110 and R320 for a family package and are available via Ticketpro.

World-renowned cellist set to enchant Cape Town

STORYTELLING: Fresh from successful overseas tour, Dr Thokozani Mhlambi to present next week his new musical masterpiece , which celebrates Africa’s rich heritage and artistic excellence…

By Own Correspondent

Musician, songwriter, cellist, and cultural intellectual Dr Thokozani Mhlambi is set to mesmerise Cape Town audiences with his latest musical production: Hail to the King! A Musical Story.

Fresh from a successful tour of the USA and Canada, Mhlambi brings a new production to town: a celebration of Africa’s rich heritage and artistic excellence. Hail to the King promises to be an enjoyable performance for the whole family, incorporating storytelling elements, classical music, and African izibongo (poetry).

Mhlambi is an honorary research fellow at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Archive and Public Culture Research Initiative. Written, performed and produced by this multi-talented musician, this hot-property musical genius is ready to take the stage at the Baxter Theatre, on a three-day must-see show from April 4 to 6.

The 37-year-old KwaZulu-Natal composer is known for incorporating art with music, having held an artistic residency at the prestigious Cite International des Arts in Paris, France, and having his music used as a soundtrack for an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

In this concert, Mhlambi will present a body of work fusing African and classical elements. It ffeatures himself on baroque cello and voice, plus other orchestral instruments. The cast also includes a vocal ensemble.

Hail to the King! A Musical Story is based on a site visit to the ancient Zulu capital of King Dingane. The story is a retrieval of the aura of the ancient capital of King Dingane, the Zulu emperor, in the 1830s. His capital, Umgungundlovu, was a site of fascination for African communities and European settlers alike. Reports of the capital travelled as far as the kingdom of Basotho, the Cape and many other places.

Mhlambi said his compositions to be showcased culminate years of work researching and developing the music. “This work was inspired by my involvement in the Five Hundred Year Archive project at UCT. For the music, I had to look at the works of historical predecessors like the late icons Prof Mzilikazi Khumalo and BP Tyamzashe – who were great composers in the African tradition, fusing the old and new, African and modern elements, towards a whole new sound,” he added.

After a Fellowship in Germany, Mhlambi presents a suite of new music composed for himself on the baroque cello, plus other instrumentalists and vocalists.

The work is made up of three main sections, including a meeting of the elephants, the unveiling of the royal woman, and the king’s dance.

“This is the first arrangement of my music for a full-string ensemble and vocal consort. Cape Town people are in for a treat, with me playing cello, singing, and directing the ensemble while the important historical message is told on stage,” said Mhlambi. The work is proudly supported by UCT, the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences, and Afropolitan Explosiv.

So what makes the show different?

“This is a full theatrical-dramatic production, which is different from Mhlambi’s usual offering of music. It shows my vision on a larger scale, which helps give visual imagery to the musical work unfolding. The show is highly  interactive and uses lighting design,” concluded Mhlambi. – Report sourced from the University of Cape Town