Siswati tradition and culture revived through music and dance in Hazyview

The Siswati Music and Dance Concert on Saturday April 20 received a large amount of support from locals and even from people living outside Hazyview.

Held at the Shabalala Interpretation of Culture Centre near Hazyview, various officials of the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation and the Mpumalanga Tourism Parks Agency (MTPA) attended the event.

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According to the organiser, Goodman Nkosi, the main purpose of the concert was to revive the Siswati culture through music and dance, highlighting the importance and meaning of Siswati traditions. “We had 10 groups from different locations that performed, all dressed in different Siswati attires and taking part in their mother tongue during the song and dance routines. The concert attracted more than 150 guests, proof that people are hungry for something like this,” said Nkosi.

This proved there is so much potential and hope for a better understanding of different cultures. “We are planning to have more such events, but in future we will invite all cultures to participate, as our area has many diverse cultures, all needing to be embraced. We are calling all young and old to be part of the next concert we will organise soon,” he said.

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The MTPA’s CEO, Mduduzi Vilakazi, said such events are needed in communities to boost local economies and for young people to embrace their culture. “I would like to thank the organisers for putting together an event like this where people are reminded where they come from. We must also use our colourful cultures to get people to visit our communities to boost township tourism, since we have a rich culture people don’t know about. This will also create local jobs,” he said.

Vilakazi called on communities outside Hazyview to arrange similar events.