Afropop group The Soil to set stage alight at Heavyweights Live Concert
The concert on Saturday features a heavyweight lineup of music icons Sjava, Big Zulu, The Soil and Ntokozo Mkhize.
'This isn't only another concert, it's a journey through music. It's a storytelling experience that reflects who we are as a people, where we come from and where we're going,' said Richard Ramudzuli, event manager at Thikho Events.
'We wanted to create something that celebrates our roots our culture, and our stories in a way that resonates deeply, specially on Youth Day weekend.'
Ramudzuli said the carefully selected lineup reflects a rich tapestry of local voices and narratives.
'Sjava and Big Zulu are modern-day poets. They speak to the struggles and victories of ordinary people. Their lyrics carry the weight of lived experiences, wrapped in sounds that fuse tradition with innovation.
'The Soil brings a spiritual and soulful energy that touches the heart. Their harmonies uplift. Ntokozo Mkhize represents the new generation of storytellers, proving the future of South African music is in strong, talented hands.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Sweet Guluva's next act: 'Big Brother' star takes on 'Black Gold' drama
Sweet Guluva, the breakout star of 'Big Brother Mzansi' season 5, is making waves in the entertainment industry with his acting debut in BET Africa's new telenovela 'Black Gold'. Image: Instagram Since being crowned 'Big Brother Mzansi' season 5 winner earlier this year, Sweet Guluva (real name is Akhonamathemba Mbele) has wasted no time turning his reality show fame into a multi-faceted career. From securing brand partnerships to stepping into music and now making his acting debut, the 23-year-old is steadily building on the ambitions he spoke of after his R2 million win. Guluva has joined the cast of 'Black Gold', BET Africa's latest telenovela series, which promises a gripping mix of betrayal, legacy and the fight for power in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal. At the centre of the story is media personality Nomalanga Shozi, who plays Amandla Zungu, a principled daughter of the soil whose life is shattered after being falsely accused of her father's murder. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Her stepmother, Florence, portrayed by Dawn Thandeka King, is behind the betrayal, conspiring alongside Sello Maake KaNcube's character Tom Motsepe. The cast also features Nomsa Buthelezi, Warren Masemola, Zamani Mbatha and many others. 'Black Gold" is a celebration of African storytelling at its finest, rich in culture, layered in emotion, and driven by a stellar cast that brings these powerful characters to life. "At BET Africa, we are committed to showcasing narratives that reflect the beauty, strength, and complexity of black lives. 'This series is a tribute to black resilience, black love, and the unbreakable spirit of our communities,' said Monde Twala, Senior Vice President and GM of Paramount Africa and Lead for BET International. Mandla N, executive director at Black Brain Pictures, added: 'Creating 'Black Gold' was a game-changing experience; it shook us as much as it will shake the audience. "Partnering with BET on this co-production is more than just making a show; it's about reinvesting in our industry, breaking barriers, and taking a bold step forward for local storytelling and long-term growth. 'Black Gold' is raw, emotional, and unapologetically authentic storytelling.' In addition to his acting career, Guluva is also making waves in the music industry. In June, he collaborated with DJ Zinhle on a single titled "Sweet Guluva", which also features Nokwazi and Ndloh. DJ Zinhle revealed that the collaboration stemmed from her admiration for him and a personal connection, as she attended school with his mother, Bongiwe Zwane. The song's isiZulu lyrics celebrate his rise to fame, with a refrain that playfully asks, 'Umuntu onjani lona? Uhlanyisa umhlaba wonke madoda' ('What type of person is this, who captured the hearts of so many?'). When he left the 'Big Brother' house, Guluva shared with 'Independent Media Lifestyle' that he is gunning for every corner of the entertainment industry, from voice-overs and presenting to radio and music. Less than a year later, he is already ticking those boxes, making the most of his moment in the spotlight. "Black Gold' is set to premiere on BET Africa (DStv channel 129) on August 18 at 6.30pm.
Mail & Guardian
3 days ago
- Mail & Guardian
Contra.Joburg creates space for art that finds you
Street smart: The Living Artists Emporium, which forms part of the festival on at the end of the month. Pictures: Supplied Johannesburg is a city in tension. It's a city where bricks fall and buildings rise at the same time. Where potholes open underfoot — but murals bloom on the walls. Where people say, 'This city is falling apart,' yet artists continue to create, in spite of it all. And, in the heart of that contradiction, lives the city's most radical visual arts festival. Set to return on 30 and 31 August, this is not your average gallery crawl. It's something raw. Alive. Urgent. It's a festival that dares to ask: 'What if art interrupts you?' 'There's this perception that the city is dangerous; that you don't want to come here,' says Sara Hallatt, founder of 'But then you walk into these studios and people are shocked. They go, 'God, it's so amazing. It's so inspiring.'' For Hallatt, who has been working in Johannesburg's inner city for many years, first with Bag Factory, now with The Art House, that tension is both exhausting and electric. She's seen the city at its worst but also witnessed beauty in places most would overlook. 'We don't want to lie about where we are or what it's like,' she tells me. 'This is our home. This is where our friends are. 'It might be chaotic outside, but inside? It's clean, safe and beautiful.' While many cultural events rely on corporate polish and gallery grandeur, Contra flips that model. Instead of asking artists to bring their work to the people, it brings the people to the artists. Living art: Artist Bev Bukow demonstrates interactive body weaving. This year, over 170 artists, designers and makers will activate studios and galleries spaces across the inner city, places where work is made, not just shown. 'We've always been located in the city,' Hallatt explains. 'And it's never been spectacular in the traditional sense — not for decades. 'But within a 7km radius, we've got an array of artists doing incredibly interesting things.' She pauses, then adds with a smile: 'You've just got to know where to look.' Contra is deliberately hard to define. It's part art fair, part open studio, part social experiment. And that's exactly the point. 'It's more interesting than going to a convention centre,' Hallatt says plainly. 'That's not real. If you want to know what's happening in real South Africa, come see what people are doing with their hands. Ask them. They're just trying to be Africans and do their thing.' So, the festival opens up spaces usually closed to the public: working studios, rooftops, courtyards. It offers intimate access to artists at every level of their careers, from established painters to shoemakers, muralists and designers. 'Very few cities in the world have what we have,' Hallatt says. 'Most places are pushing creatives out of the city because it's too expensive. But here, we've still got this huge concentration of creative energy, in one place.' Contra is also deeply practical. For many artists in the city, accessing formal gallery spaces is difficult. Contra fills that gap by creating both visibility and opportunity. 'We've been excluded from the market,' Hallatt says. 'We're not getting invited into spaces anymore. So, we thought let's just use what we've got. Use the studios. Use our databases. Use our community.' The result? Nearly R3 million in direct art sales since the festival began in 2022 — money that goes straight into artists' pockets. Not gallery commissions. Not red tape. Just real support. And it's not just for established collectors: 'Some people come with beer money, some with bubbly money,' Hallatt jokes. 'We try to make the work accessible. We've even got a shuttle service — all designed to remove barriers. For many Joburgers, the inner city still feels off-limits. Some haven't set foot downtown in 10, even 20, years. But Contra is changing that, one bus ride at a time. 'One woman told me she hadn't been to the city in 25 years,' Hallatt recalls. 'She was horrified but she loved it. She came back the next year.' That kind of return, literal and symbolic, is part of the festival's purpose. 'We're building pathways,' she says. 'Not just for people to see art, but for people to see the city again. To see that it's still alive. Still worth investing in.' Child's pay: Kids get a chance to be creative at Contra is run by a tiny team: Hallatt and two interns. There's no major funding body. No municipal support — yet. But there is vision. There is grit. 'We've had no help from the city,' she says. 'But we know what this could be. You bring 10 000 people into the inner city for an event like this and that's tourism, that's the economy, that's urban regeneration.' She believes this festival, and others like it, could be a blueprint for how culture can rebuild cities from the inside out. 'This isn't just about art,' she says. 'It's about economic stability. It's about giving people reasons to come back to the city. Who knows what that sparks down the line?' The festival measures success in many ways: social media buzz, ticket sales, artist commissions and studio visits. But, for Sara, one metric matters most. 'We ask people: 'Are you an art buyer? Or are you just art-curious?'' she says. 'Because, if we can convert the curious, then we're doing something right.' It's working. Some visitors become repeat buyers. Some start supporting artists directly. Some keep coming back, drawn by the energy, the surprise, the possibility of being moved. Joburg isn't an easy city. Hallatt knows that. 'There are definitely days where I'm like, 'What is this madness?'' she admits. 'But there's something so real here. You see both ruin and rebirth. You see people trying, really trying, to make something meaningful.' She reflects on the diversity of the Contra crowd: 'You've got people in their 50s and 60s, you've got 18-year-olds. You've got the queer community, the creatives, the art lovers, the curious. They come together in this very Joburg way and a little wild, a little messy, but full of heart.' And at the centre of it all? A community. A network of artists supporting one another, not for fame or fortune, but for the love of the game. 'We're not making big money. We don't have huge sponsors. But we have each other,' she says. 'We're building something weird and wonderful. It's not perfect, but it's real.' What if art interrupts you? What if, walking through Johannesburg's broken streets, you stumble into a courtyard and hear music? What if you step into a sunlit studio and see something you never expected — a painting, a shoe, a sculpture — and that changes the way you see this place? That's Not an exhibition, a performance, just real people doing real things.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Concerts where you can celebrate Women's Day today around Joburg
Women's Day is being celebrated throughout Joburg today, despite the slight disappointment of the holiday being on a Saturday. Many might have been disappointed that Women's Day fell on a Saturday, leaving them without the perks of a public holiday. However, despite that slight letdown, Women's Day is still being celebrated throughout the country today and for the rest of August. Below are a handful of shows happening celebrating women through music today around Joburg. ALSO READ: Black Labone's Earth Day celebrations underway despite severe thunderstorm alert in Tshwane Shekhinah's Rose Fest Singer-songwriter Shekhinah released her album, Less Troubl, on Friday, a day before her annual Rose Fest concert. The line up of the festival features an array of singers that include Zoë Modiga, Lia Butter, Pabi Cooper and Shekhinah herself. The day-long event takes place at the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens. ALSO READ: WATCH: Makhadzi takes it back to where it all began 15 years ago ahead of December One Woman Show Zee Nation Fest Similar to Shekhinah, DJ Zinhle also owns a festival and Zee Nation is being hosted at the Nasrec Expo Centre. Unlike the Rose Fest, the Zee Nation lineup isn't exclusively made up of female performers like Kamo Mphela and Busiswa. It also includes male artists like Sjava and Oskido with Somizi Mhlongo as co-host alongside Nomuzi Mabena. Such is the demand for the show that tickets have already sold out. Other performers at Zee Nation include Lerato Kganyago, Pearl Thusi and Nomfundo Moh. ALSO READ: WATCH: Anthony Hamilton promises to 'tear his shoes up' for Mzansi Women's Day concert Mzansi Women's Day concert Grammy award winner Anthony Hamilton and fellow US singer Joe Thomas headline the Women's Day concert at Wanderers Stadium alongside his fellow countryman Joe Thomas and Mzansi's Sjava, Zonke and Vusi Nova. Speaking at the event's press conference this past week, Hamilton expressed his excitement. He is thrilled to be performing for a South African audience once again. 'I did my research. I know what Mzansi wants to hear,' the American crooner said with a smile. He hinted at a carefully curated setlist designed with his largely female fanbase in mind. ALSO READ: 'Our music is immortal': Trompies on lighting up the stage at Imbawula festival, new music and more SN Project In a more intimate setting, the SN Project is singer-songwriter Siphephelo Ndlovu's performance of his latest project Pantomime at Artistry in Sandton this evening. In 2020, he released his debut album, Afrikanization. However, SN hasn't released another body of work until now, except for Pantomime Vol 1 in May. Ndlovu, who is the son of famed Muvhango creator Duma Ndlovu, hosted a similar live show at Untitled Basement earlier this year. NOW READ: Siphephelo Ndlovu on his hiatus from music, getting into the family business of TV, as he returns to stage
