African cultures are commemorated at Busy Corner
EBONY PARK – Community members come to show off their style at the Busy Corner Cultural Day held on Heritage Day.
Ebony Park restaurant Busy Corner held a Cultural Day event on 24 September, calling on some of the well-known musicians who perform cultural music.
On the day guests and musicians arrived in their traditional attire.
Develd Monyai, the spokesperson for the restaurant and food lounge, said they were celebrating their local cultures musically as well as African cuisine.
“Once we all know where we come from, we know where we are going. That is why our theme is ‘Sibanye, Remmogo (We are together)’. Looking at the current situation we had, the unrest, we at Busy Corner say that if we are Africans we need to have tolerance and peace and live in harmony.
Day hosted by Busy Corner. Photo: Ofentse Ditlopo
“We have a lot of artists such as Benny Mayengani from Limpopo, Pleasure, Makhazdi, Vhavenda cultural group and many others, so it shows how rich we are in terms of promoting culture.”
Monyai added that the youth must take this as a starting point and then listen to their parents because they are the ones who pass the legacy on to them. “Whatever the youth do they must just say that will be the start of understanding the roots of where they come from and then we take it from there and progress with that.”
The Midrand Reporter also got a chance to speak to singer and activist Nomdakazana ka Dlamini (Mpondo) who is a Xhosa singer representing the Mpondo clan.
Dlamini said that heritage defines her being herself, “My culture, my roots, my sense of belonging and my representation of who I am, ancestrally, my lineage, and in everything that I stand for as an African woman or African soul.”
When asked if she still sees cultures of Africa embraced, she replied, “Yes, we do still take pride in our culture as Africans because when you are in this genre it is always about the representation of your culture.
“It’s a pity, though, because lately we focus more on dissing each other rather than passing the message on. As for myself, I fight against women abuse through music, that is what I stand for. I am the ambassador for Women of Substance South Africa, and do a lot of international tours representing South Africa.
“Music to me is a calling, as you can see, I am a spiritual child (traditional healer) and my spirituality I use to heal people through what I sing.”
Related Article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/midrand-reporter/225042/piccolino-day-care-celebrate-their-heritage/
