WeeklySA_AdminBILLED: Tyrese, Mya, RL, Case and Ginuwine join South Africa’s Zonke Dikana for a three-day Women’s Month celebration in Pretoria…
By Priscilla Malinga
American R&B stars Tyrese Gibson, Mya, RL, Case and Ginuwine will join South African singer Zonke Dikana for the second edition of Ndlala Grandeur at Ndlala Arena in Pretoria from August 21 to 23.
The three-day event, staged as part of Women’s Month celebrations, brings together established performers from the United States and South Africa for a weekend steeped in soul and nostalgia.
Ndlala Grandeur was launched in August last year, when Joe Thomas and Donell Jones delivered powerful performances in the luxurious and intimate arena. Joe was also honoured with a star on the Walk of Fame at the Ndlala Mall precinct.
This year’s programme opens on August 21, with RL, Mya and Zonke. Case and Ginuwine take over on Saturday, while Tyrese closes the weekend on Sunday with a selection of his best-known songs.
Tyrese’s career spans more than two decades in music and film. Born in Watts, Los Angeles, he first attracted national attention in a 1994 Coca-Cola commercial before signing with RCA Records in 1998.
His self-titled debut album went platinum and earned him his first Grammy nomination. He later released 2000 Watts, I Wanna Go There and Black Rose, which reached number one on the Billboard 200. He was also part of R&B supergroup TGT alongside Ginuwine and Tank.
On screen, Tyrese made his film debut in John Singleton’s Baby Boy in 2001. He later joined the Fast & Furious franchise as Roman Pearce and appeared in the Transformers films as Sergeant Robert Epps. He is also the New York Times bestselling author of How to Get Out of Your Own Way.
Friday’s line-up includes RL, whose full name is Robert Lavelle Huggar.
The singer, songwriter and producer is best known as the lead vocalist of NEXT, the multi-platinum group behind late-1990s and early-2000s hits such as Too Close, Wifey, Butta Love and I Still Love You.
RL has collaborated with Deborah Cox, Ginuwine, Tyrese, Snoop Dogg and 2Pac, and has written songs for performers including Luther Vandross, Usher, Jaheim and Jamie Foxx.
Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and actress Mya also performs on Friday. She gained international recognition with Case of the Ex, It’s All About Me, My Love Is Like… Wo and Free. Her contribution to Lady Marmalade, which won a Grammy, further expanded her global profile. Her career across music, film and television now stretches beyond 25 years.
South Africa’s Zonke Dikana adds her distinctive Afro-soul sound to the opening night. The singer-songwriter and producer has earned several South African Music Awards and an MTV Africa Music Award, while building a catalogue of acclaimed albums and live performances at home and abroad.
Saturday brings together Case and Ginuwine, two defining voices of R&B’s late-1990s and early-2000s era. Case Woodard began as a backing vocalist for artists including Usher and Christopher Williams before Russell Simmons signed him to Def Jam Records.
His 1996 self-titled debut featured Touch Me, Tease Me, with Mary J. Blige and Foxy Brown. He followed it with the gold-selling Personal Conversation in 1999. His commercial breakthrough peaked with the 2001 album Open Letter and its hit Missing You, which spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B chart. The song and his Ja Rule collaboration Living It Up contributed to his two Grammy nominations.
Ginuwine, born Elgin Baylor Lumpkin, rose to prominence in the 1990s through his work with producer Timbaland. His catalogue includes Pony, Differences, So Anxious, In Those Jeans and Same Ol’ G. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he has released several platinum-selling albums and, like Tyrese, performed in TGT.
The weekend’s format gives each night a distinct character. Friday pairs RL and Mya’s turn-of-the-century R&B hits with Zonke’s home-grown Afro-soul; Saturday centres on the enduring catalogues of Case and Ginuwine; and Sunday’s finale places Tyrese in the spotlight.
Together, the bill traces several strands of contemporary R&B while giving Pretoria audiences a rare opportunity to see the veteran artists within one three-day programme.
Organisers say Ndlala Grandeur II will build on the success of the inaugural edition by bringing leading international and South African R&B talent to Pretoria in an intimate setting.
Tickets are available at www.ndlalaarena.co.za.
