The children of Sibongile Khumalo Ayanda Khumalo (L) and her brother Tshepo Mngoma (R) paid tribute to their mother at the Delicious Festival. They are pictured with Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse who also performed at the festival. Picture: tshepomngoma/Instagram
The disappointment of Janet Jackson’s absence was palpable by the number of patrons who attended the Dstv Delicious Festival, but it was South African family ties which held together the two-day festival.
The 11th edition of the food and music festival took place over the country’s coldest weekend at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Midrand and despite Jackson’s unavailability because of a family bereavement, the offspring of Mzansi music legends kept the show going.
The 30 Years of Creative Freedom tribute show, which took centre stage at the festival this year, paid homage to South African music icons, including Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Lucky Dube, Lebo Mathosa, Mandoza and many others.
On Saturday, Mandoza’s sons Tokollo and Harry Tshabalala gave their father a fitting tribute where they performed the late Kwaito legend’s biggest songs including Nkalakata, Respect Life and Indoda.
The older brother, Harry, had the audience wondering if Mandoza had risen from the dead with his mannerisms on stage and spotting a bald head and rocking sunglasses that his father was usually seen in.
On Sunday, Johnny Clegg’s son Jessie performed his father’s classics such as Impi and Scatterlings of Africa.
Jessie, who does English pop music, fittingly sang his father’s ditties that are steeped in Maskandi guitar riffs and sounds, which was appreciated by the crowd.
The 30 Years of Creative Freedom tribute show was sponsored by the National Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture.
Saturday’s instalment of the tribute was hosted by Mzwakhe ‘RobotBoii’ Mbuli Jr. and the tribute show on Sunday was spearheaded by his father, poet Mzwakhe Mbuli Snr.
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Selema Writes, who is the nephew of Hugh Masekela, performed his uncle’s biggest songs. Selema who is also a rapper, belted his uncle’s classic Stimela and also rapped on the song.
Before Selema got on stage, the band, particularly the horn section poignantly performed Masekela’s Grazing In The Grass which displayed Masekela’s unique style of playing the trumpet.
The children of late powerful singer Sibongile Khumalo, Ayanda Khumalo and her brother Tshepo Mngoma paid tribute to their mother with renditions of Thando’s Groove-Ayanda beautifully sang the song; you would’ve thought it was Sibongile herself belting it out. The siblings also performed their mother’s Mayihlome.
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While the aforementioned tributes served their purpose, Saturday’s tribute for AKA was poor, to say the least.
Yanga Chief’s performance would’ve probably irked the late Kiernan Forbes in his grave in how he looked and sounded inebriated and at times forgetting lyrics to AKA’s biggest songs.
While the tribute to ProKid saw the likes of Reason, Touchline, Maggz and Redbutton going through some of the rapper’s glittering catalogue; the tribute to AKA only had Yanga attempting a decent performance.
Robot Boii joined him later on stage, but the tribute to AKA seemed like an afterthought to the organisers. They should’ve had other AKA collaborators on stage to pay homage to him.
Americans’ showmanship is one of their greatest exports and US rapper Busta Rhymes demonstrated this on Saturday night.
The award-winning rapper was roped in as a replacement for Jackson just days before the festival. You would swear that he knew about this gig months before, in how he delivered a great performance.
During his hour-long set, the 52 year-old whose real name is Trevor George Smith Jr. performed Break Ya Neck and Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See.
One of the last songs he performed was a new song, Do the Busabus Pt.2 which has a TikTok feel to it in how it encourages listeners to do the ‘Busta dance’.
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