Mary Fitzgerald Square will hum to the sights and sounds of music and dance from South Africa's diverse cultural groups tomorrow.
CULTURAL groups from across Gauteng will be exploring their cultural heritage through singing and dancing, in Newtown on Saturday, 25 April.
Zibondiwe Traditional Music and Dance will take place at Mary Fitzgerald Square, in the suburb. Presented by the Newtown cultural precinct and African Cultural Music and Dance Association (Acumda), it is the second such day. The first was held on Human Rights Day, on 21 March.
Get ready for the Zibondiwe Traditional Music and Dance in Newtown
"The majority of performers are based here in Gauteng but come from different provinces in South Africa. There will be two divisions of performers, 10 promotional groups and 10 other separate groups" said the Acumda spokesperson, Benjamin Mfabe.
Mfabe said officials from the national Lottery and the National Development Agency would be there, as the company hoped to get them on board in future. It also wanted to attract private investment.
People were welcome to bring along picnics and snacks, but alcohol was not permitted. As with the first Zibondiwe Traditional Music and Dance day, people were expected set up stalls selling traditional clothes and other items. However, Mfabe said this selling was not a formal part of the day's festivities.
South Africa is a diversified country in terms of culture, race, and ethnicity; Zibondiwe Traditional Music and Dance is aimed at creating an optimistic picture of a society striving for a spirit of togetherness, while acknowledging and embracing its cultural diversity. It is an initiative of the Newtown Management District in partnership with Acumda.
In a press release from the publicists, Mfabe said the event was aimed at uplifting and preserving African indigenous dance and musical heritage, deepening cultural integration and ensuring that people embraced each other as Africans, regardless of nationality, race, creed or religion.
Newtown was a regular host of cultural programmes, such as Africa Day, Arts Alive and Diwali, said its events manager, Manqoba Mkhize. "Our aim is to keep the public places in Newtown alive with cultural activities and sometimes sport to complement the precinct's indoor venues."
Zibondiwe Traditional Music and Dance begins at 10am and ends at 5pm; entrance is free.
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