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The sounds of Reunion will be heard at Newtown's Bassline in the fourth Afrophonie festival, which offers collaborations between musicians from the island and South Africa.
Thandiswa Mazwai, the South African Afro-jazz singer, will perform some songs from her recently released album, Ibokwe
TOGETHER with its partners, the French Institute of South Africa and Promusica, the City will present Afrophonie 4 in May, a fusion of sounds from South Africa and the French African island of Reunion, in the Indian Ocean.
With the first concert taking place at the ever-funky Bassline in Newtown on Friday, 1 May, it is the fourth Reunion season in South Africa.
Afrophonie 4 runs for one-and-half weeks, and performers include Lindigo, a band from Reunion on stage with Via Katlehong, a dance pantsula group from South Africa; Danyel Waro, also from Reunion, who will also be sharing the stage with South African rapper Tumi; and Thandiswa Mazwai, the South African Afro-jazz singer.
Lindigo was formed in 1999 and is considered one of the best Maloya-style bands. Its sounds are a compound rhythm that embraces the island's past - one of slavery - and its cross-cultural mix of Africa, Madagascar and Asia. The end product is a vibrating and unique modern sound, played with traditional instruments and using Malagasy polyphonies.
A blazing Maloya-Pantsula by Lindigo and Via Katlehong will open the party.
Waro, who lives in Saint-Paul, also teams up with Tumi. Both are poets and musicians, and have already combined their art - in Reunion during the Safiko Festival, which takes place every August, and at the Le Sechoir Theatre.
Mazwai will bring her sweet voice to the party. She has recently released a new album, Ibokwe, meaning "a goat" in Xhosa.
Poet and musician Danyel Waro will travel from Saint Paul to share the stage with South African rapper, Tumi
Lindigo with Via Katlehong, Waro with Tumi, and Thandiswa Mazwai will be performing on 1 May at 9pm at the Bassline in Newtown. Doors will open at 8pm. Tickets are R80 each from Computicket, on 083 915 8000 or 011 340 8000, or through the Computicket website or at the door.
But before the concert, Lindigo and Via Katlehong will combine their styles to create a choreographical fusion, or creative residency, which will be performed at the Bassline Studios between 27 April and 1 May. Waro and Tumi will again feature at the Bassline Studios from 4 to 7 May.
"There will be young performers from Radio 99 as well who will be showing their latest releases," said Benjamin Blanpain Montresor, a cultural officer at the French Institute of South Africa. They will perform throughout the festival.
In other events on the Afrophonie 4 calendar, the Soul City B Boys crew will present Haine Terre Rieur at the Market Lab in Newtown on 2 May at 3pm. Entrance is free.
On 3 May, again at the Bassline, the B Boyz will perform, as will Soul City from Réunion; Ubuntu from Cape Town; PsykoSoul Yah Boyz from Port Elizabeth; and Demolition Squad, Fusion Lordz, Roxolid Crew and Shaolin Monkz, all from Johannesburg.
DJ Ready D will be on the decks. The battle kicks off at 2pm. And then, Waro and Tumi will be back at the Baseline on Saturday, 9 May.
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