Promoting arts and culture
Kwatsaduza – Traditional performing arts, gumboot, Kofifi dance and traditional music groups gathered to perform at the Tsakane Hall, during the Ubuciko my Talent – Ingoma Music and Dance Festival.
The event, hosted by I-Afrika Theatre started with an audition round at the Springs Theatre on the June 11, where five groups of different genres were selected to perform at the main event at the Tsakane Community Hall the following week.
“We worked with a lot of people and the Gauteng Arts and Culture Department in getting the groups from all over the province and were pleased to see 40 of them come through to the audition in the first round.
“After that only five of the selected groups representing in the gumboot, modern traditional dance, pantsula, and traditional music and Kofifi dance performed at the main event.
“The main event’s participants comprised of Ntuthuko Arts Production, Young Generation, Siyavuma New Generation, Rethabile Performing Arts and Taxido Arts Production and their performances awarded each group with a performance fee of R15 000,” said project coordinator Mbuso Mpungose.
He said this initiative is aimed at promoting traditional music and dance in Gauteng, more especially Ekurhuleni and that this was another way for I-Afrika Theatre to invest in upcoming performers not only in money but in skill and growth opportunity.
A guest group called Amasiko Entertainment from Duduza, along with school learners, assisted in the day’s events and with additional entertainment.
“Thank you to the schools who accepted our proposal to working with them and the artists who came,” added Mpungose.
Artistic director of Intuthuko Arts Production, Mandla Maseko said when they heard about the festival they were excited as it was an opportunity for them to share their talent with locals after having also gone abroad.
And when they were selected to perform at the main event in the gumboot category, they were thrilled.
“As a local group based in Kwatsaduza we are always in need of financial injection to sustain our group and ourselves as we have families to feed, so we appreciated the money we have been able to win through this initiative,” he said.
MMC for Arts Dorah Mlambo said what these young people were doing was helping in removing them from the corners and wasting their talents.
“These young people need more partnerships as they cannot sustain this on their own.
“We also encourage parents to support them in whatever they do, as they are the ones who can encourage their children best,” she said.
Local actor, director and producer Nhlanhla John Latha said as an artist from Ekurhuleni he was pleased to see the amount of talent.
“Seeing such talent, I know drugs don’t stand a chance with these children. However, if these children continue to be overlooked by the government in terms of infrastructure where they can show off their talents, then we are in trouble.
“This talent needs to be nurtured hence it is imperative for facilities such as local theatres to be created, so these young artists can demonstrate their art and make a living for themselves,” he said.
