Photo : Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens
Every Sunday between 25 November 2007 – 6 April 2008 there is a Summer Concert at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. The concert takes places between 17h30 and 18h30 and if your trip to Cape Town happens to coincide its a wonderful way to spend an evening.
Dress warm as it does get cold and remember to bring a blanket or pool towel to sit on ! Tickets to all Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts will be on sale on the Friday and Saturday preceding each concert from the Kirstenbosch Visitors’ Centre Ticket Kiosk only. On Sundays concert tickets will be available at all the entrances.
The performances of the season include :
25 November 2007 : VUSI MAHLASELA
Singer-songwriter and poet-activist Vusi Mahlasela has been called ‘the Bob Dylan of South Africa’. An accomplished guitarist, percussionist, composer and global performer, his sound is a hybrid of folk, world, blues and soul – one that connects South Africa’s turbulent past with its promise for a brighter future. His Kirstenbosch appearance follows hot on the heels of a UK tour with Ladysmith Black Mambazo to promote his latest album ‘Guiding Star’.
2 December 2007 : OLD MUTUAL ENCOUNTER: CHRIS CHAMELEON & NEO MUYANGA
Chris Chameleon is one of South Africa’s most versatile singer-songwriters. The former front man and bassist of Boo!, he went solo in 2004 with his critically acclaimed release ‘Ek Herhaal Jou’ – a composition of 60’s poet Ingrid Jonker’s poetry. In 2006 he released his first English rock album ‘Shine’ and a second Afrikaans album ‘7 de Hemel’, a collection of songs performed by Chameleon as the popular character Liam on the SABC 2 soap opera ‘7 de Laan’. He is also the recipient of the Huisgenoot Award for ‘Favourite Contemporary Artist’ for 2006 and two Vonk awards for ‘Best Male Artist 2005’ and ‘Best Male Album’ for ‘Ek Herhaal Jou’.
Neo Muyanga is a founder-member of the acoustic duo, Blk Sonshine, popular throughout southern Africa for their soul and jazz-infused roots music. He is also a prolific composer whose work includes music for choir and dance productions and film and television scores. He performs on nylon string guitar, acoustic piano and mesinko (a traditional Ethiopian bowed instrument).
9 December 2007: LOVE JONES
Pop-rock sensation Love Jones exploded onto the SA music scene in 2006 with their self-released debut album of the same name. Influenced by the classic rock of Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and the Foo Fighters, they also admit to a soft spot for commercial pop la Britney Spears.
13/14/15/16 December 2007: CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT
Traditional Christmas Carols, accompanied by the Cape Town Concert Brass Band and the Cape Town Male Voice Choir, organised by the Rotary Club of Kirstenbosch. Please note the Carols start at 20:00, gates open at 17:00. The entrance fee on 13 December is R35 for adults and R10 for children and R40 for adults and R15 for children on 14/15/16 December. Entrance fee includes a candle and song-sheet.
23 December 2007: FLAT STANLEY
Flat Stanley have topped the success of their debut album ‘Of Secrets and Wine’ with their follow-up album ‘Between 2WO Worlds’. With one of the country’s best vocalists in lead singer Andrew Mac and flawless song-writing from band mates Clinton Gahwiler and Neil Potgieter, Flat Stanley bring together melody and lyrics in a unique way to create their special brand of accessible melodic rock.
30 December 2007 : PLUSH
The acoustic rock band Plush have fought back from tragedy following the shocking death of lead guitarist Chas Smit in 2005. Rhythm guitarist and singer Rory Eliot, bass player Emelio Gassibe and drummer Ben Peters have emerged from a temporary, cathartic return to performance as Rory Eliot and the Reason to record their third album ‘Rage On’. With their debut single already at No.1 at radio stations around the country and an inaugural sold-out tour of the UK behind them, Plush are back!
31 December 2007: NEW YEAR’S EVE CONCERT FRESHLYGROUND & DR VICTOR AND THE RASTA REBELS
94.5 Kfm and Drostdy-Hof have brought together two of South Africa’s most loved bands for their annual New Year’s Eve concert at Kirstenbosch.
With an appeal that cuts across age and culture, Freshlyground’s rise to the top of the SA music scene has been meteoric. Their second album ‘Nomvula’ went double-platinum and their single ‘Doo Be Doo’ was the most played song of 2005. Then they made history as the first South African musical act ever to be awarded an MTV award when they were voted ‘Best African Act’ at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards. Their latest album Ma’Cheri, released in September 2007, looks set to be another chart-topper.
Freshlyground’s unique sound defies classification and ranges from up-beat Afro-pop, folk, mbaqanga and jazz to gentle ballads. Performing on a mixture of instruments including violin, flute, sax and mbira (traditonal African thumb piano) and with lyrics in English and Xhosa, this seven-piece band deliver a high-energy, exuberant performance that is unmistakably of South Africa.
One of the busiest bands in the country, Dr Victor and the Rasta Rebels grew up on a diet of American R&B, reggae and traditional African music. Veterans of the local tour circuit, they have also backed such luminaries as Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Lucky Dube, Paul Simon and Tina Turner. Their Afro-pop sound includes covers of reggae and R&B classics as well as their own original compositions.
Booking for this concert is essential (booking will close once 5 000 tickets have been sold). Seating is unreserved and on the lawn. Tickets will cost R190 and will be available soon from the Kirstenbosch Ticket Office.
Gates open at 19:00 on December 31, 2007. Please note that the concert will go ahead irrespective of weather.
6 January 2008 : SEETHER
A rare opportunity to see this Los Angeles-based hard rock band who will be playing an acoustic set at Kirstenbosch. Fronted by SA-born guitarist and songwriter Shaun Morgan, Seether launched their US-debut album ‘Disclaimer’ in 2002 and went on to enjoy massive success with the hit ‘Broken’ sung with Evanescence’s Amy Lee. They have just released their third album ‘Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces’.
13 January 2008 : FOKOFPOLISIEKAR
This iconic Afrikaans punk rock band made history when their single ’Hemel op die platteland’ was the first Afrikaans song to be officially play-listed on 5fm. The website sarock.com describes their music as high-quality hard melodic rock with a punch of punk. They released their second album ’Die Swanesang’, including the hit single ’Brand Suid-Afrika’, in 2006.
20 January 2008 : WATERSHED
Having sold over 100 000 albums in Europe, Watershed has become South Africa’s most successful pop rock music export in recent years. They have also enjoyed more than a dozen South African radio hits, with their last two albums both winning the SAMA award for Best Pop Album in 2004 and 2006.
27 January 2008 : MCCULLY WORKSHOP
One of South Africa’s finest pop rock bands, whose hits ‘Buccaneer’ and ‘Chinese Junkman’ dominated the airwaves in the 70’s and 80’s, are back together after a 25 year absence from playing on stage.
3 February 2008 : OLD MUTUAL ENCOUNTER: ISMAL L
The son of a Senegalese civil servant, Ismal L built his first guitar from a cooking oil can and learned to play harmonica and guitar together by nailing his harmonica to the wall. Lo was a guitarist for the mbalax blues band Super Diamano before going solo in a career which has seen him produce 11 albums in the world music genre. With his smooth, multi-textured voice and low-key, folky style, his music addresses important topics in Senegal ranging from racism and respect to immigration.
10 February 2008 : THE PARLOTONES
In the two years since The Parlotones released their album ‘Radiocontrolledrobot’ they have gone gold, won a SAMA for Best Rock Album and signed an international record deal. Their third album ‘A World Next Door to Yours’ was released in September 2007 and has already spawned a top 40 hit ‘Giant Mistake’.
17 February 2008 : THE RUDIMENTALS
This Cape Town Afro-Ska outfit recently did a national tour with reggae greats UB40. They describe their unique sound as a ‘multi-layered musical cake comprising dance-hall raps, reggae rhythms and a back beat of vintage 70’s Ska, with a topping of mbaqanga riffs and jazz and blues tones’.
24 February 2008 : ARNO CARSTENS
Combining a unique voice and exceptional song-writing skills, and with nine No 1 hit singles and five SAMA music awards for Best Album to his credit, Arno Carstens is ‘The Godfather of SA Rock’. He has shared the stage with the likes of The Rolling Stones, The Beastie Boys, R.E.M., Metallica and Ronan Keating and is the biggest-selling singer/song-writer in the South African English rock genre.
2 March 2008 : OLD MUTUAL CHORAL ENCOUNTER
A showcase of the country’s choral talent featuring South Africa’s top choir, the Gauteng Choristers. This choir has won numerous awards, including being crowned national champions in the 2006 Old Mutual/Telkom National Choir Festival. They also made history this year when they toured Europe performing ‘Porgy ‘n Bess’, becoming the first South African choir to perform an opera in Europe. The Gauteng Choristers will be conducted by Sindiswa Sidwel Mhlongo with musical direction from Wendy Oldfield and musical arrangements by Neo Muyanga and Paul Hamner under the band leadership of Concord Nkabinde.
9 March 2008 : GOLDFISH
Both accomplished multi-instrumentalists and Jazz musicians in their own right, David Poole and Dominic Peters have taken their grounding in Jazz and broken boundaries on the dance-floor with their unique blend of deep house grooves, live instruments and hypnotic vocal samples. Voted Best Live Act in 2006 by 24.com, their tracks have been released on compilations world-wide and they can be found performing to thousands on the beach in Cannes, rocking a club in Japan or playing a sundowner set in Cape Town.
16 March 2008 : OLD MUTUAL ENCOUNTER: KAREN ZOID & SELAELO SELOTA
Multi award-winning singer-songwriter, composer, cultural icon and rock diva Karen Zoid started out as a busker on the street corners of Melville, Johannesburg. Since then she has gone on to win numerous awards, headline at most of the country’s major music festivals and be voted one of the ‘Top 6 Rising Stars of South Africa’ by the Sunday Times. She is a prolific songwriter and has written songs for several SA artists as well as a theme for a TV series. She recently released her fourth album ‘Postmodern World’.
Selaelo Selota is one of South Africa’s foremost Afro-Jazz musicians. This multi-talented guitarist, singer, songwriter, composer and producer was the winner of the ‘Best Newcomer’ and ‘Best Contemporary Jazz Album’ categories at the 2001 SAMA awards. His first two albums ‘Painted Faces’ and ‘Enchanted Gardens’ both went gold and his latest offering ‘The Azanian Songbook’ has been released on his own label.
23 March 2008 : CAPE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Under the baton of Iain Sutherland, the Principal Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Scotland, the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra presents an evening of light classics.
30 March 2008 : THE JONNY COOPER ORCHESTRA
The Jonny Cooper Orchestra, South Africa’s premier 19-piece Big Band, recreate the romantic era of the world’s most famous Swing bands and vocalists with tributes to Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and many more.
6 April 2008 : LOUISE CARVER
Trained as a classical pianist, Louise Carver began writing her own songs at age 11 and released her first single when she was 17. She recently released her third album, ‘Saved by the Moonlight’, a collection of songs which she describes as ‘organic rock’.