Exciting marimba and steelpan fest heading your way
It’s that time of the year again – the International Marimba and Steelpan Festival is upon us.
This event is curated by Education Africa in partnership with the St Dominic’s Catholic School for Girls in Boksburg, reports the Boksburg Advertiser.
This event takes place over two days, July 29 and 30, and promises to be a great family weekend out.
The main focal point of the festival is a series of competitions, which includes about 2 000 performers this year with over 250 performances.
There are bands from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa.
This is a well-rounded event, with fun activities for the whole family.
If you have any interest in learning how to play a marimba or steelpan, djembe drums, mbira (thumb piano), various dance forms etc., this is the best place to do so, as there will be workshops from beginners well into advanced players.
That’s not all – the festival has a flea market where one can purchase interesting musical items as well as all sorts of crafts and meals.
The marimba and steelpan competitions, which form the main event, are divided into various age groups and categories. Hands-on workshops on a variety of traditional music topics make up part of the fringe festival.
A massed marimba and steelpan experience in the main venue is not to be missed, as well as performances on marimbas and steelpans by leading artists in various other venues.
If you have always wanted to be part of a drumming team-building event, then the massed drumming experience is for you.
Music brings people together and builds bridges of understanding, respect and tolerance. This is why the International Marimba and Steelpan Festival is the best place to come and learn about different cultures and meet different people from all over Africa and the world at large.
Two of the many highlights of the festival include massed drumming and the massed marimba and steelpan performance. These are symbolic as they serve as a vehicle of social cohesion and inter-social relationships.
The vibe and atmosphere is electric during these sessions as everyone is excited to be part of such a large gathering of oneness and unity.
This year the festival will be held in Boksburg at St Dominic’s Catholic School for Girls. For more information visit the website www.internationalmarimbafestival.org or call 011 685 7300.
Read the original story on www.boksburgadvertiser.co.za
