Last week, on September 24, our heritage was celebrated throughout the Cape.
It was Heritage Day, and around every corner people were expressing their respects, love and admiration to an era of bittersweet memories.
You heard famous songs like Rosa which to this day is still a favourite at wedding ceremonies, the Dutch folk songs were on full display to a packed 2 000-seater venue, the comic songs aka the moppies got the audiences up on their feet, and the ghoema songs rocked the night.
My first stop on our special day was the beloved District Six, where festivities were in full swing.
I was greeted by hundreds of supporters who waited in anticipation for their entertainment.
Audiences expressed their love through deep storytelling that brought many to tears, while others would speak jovially of the memories that they are still able to celebrate.
People embraced each other with koeksisters, hertzoggies, samoosas, and the icing on the cake was the klopse teams parading through the district.
Just around the corner in Terrace of D6, we spoke to Soli Philander, an iconic entertainer who we all know from the original District Six the Musical and other TV shows.
He spoke passionately about the change that is needed in our communities for young talent to surface and grow, expressing how kids are falling to substance abuse and gang violence.
He says the Soli Philander Foundation was established to help people and their latest mission is to assist Eagle’s Nest, a frail-care facility in Matroosfontein which is being run by a mom and her two children.
The centre helps 30 frail-care patients each month, and the foundation has asked for the public at large to lend a helping hand in sprucing up the place again.
They need anything from paint and rhino boards, to doors and windows.
I was then invited to the Daily Voice and Heart FM Sybil and the Soul Sisters concert at GrandWest, where I felt that true Cape Town cultural experience.
The 5 000-seater Grand Arena was packed to capacity and our local soul sisters performed at the highest level and didn’t disappoint.
Amy Jones started the show and immediately got the audience to bring out their flashlights, followed by Andrea Fortuin who got the crowd on their feet. These powerhouse singers truly got the parted started.
We saw the incomparable Claire Phillips bring her radio classics to life as she delivered hit after hit.
While the audience didn’t know what to expect when SA’s Got Talent finalist Maddy Abrahams walked on stage after years of silence, she blew the crowd away as soon as she opened her mouth, belting out Whitney Houston classics.
Disco diva Vuvu Khumalo opened the second half with a bang as she walked on with her bright sequined outfit and made sure her presence was felt.
Then the host of the night, Suga, from the mid-morning show on Heart FM, walked out chanting Sybil’s name and the atmosphere was electrifying.
The Love I Lost hitmaker definitely brought her A-Game and spoke about how happy she was to finally be in South Africa after her show was cancelled due to Covid.
She sang all of the favourites, from Don’t Make Me Over, When I’m Good and Ready, to Make It Easy On Me, and the place erupted when the diva performed The Love I Lost.
My last stop on Heritage Day was at the Cape Malay Choir Competition.
Section One was sold out with just over 2 000 people in attendance inside their new venue at the Good Hope Christian Centre in Ottery.
The Red Fez was spotted from a distance and the nostalgic magic was finally felt again.
Despite the short time frame in which the spanne had to rehearse, teams were on top form.
With the official green light given last week by Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis for cultural activities to resume, teams felt the gees and were happy to get the go ahead.
Some mense did feel that the sound checks took too much time, but others were happy to use that time for a bathroom break or get some dite.
Venue manager Mr Grant says: “It was my first time witnessing so many families supporting a community. Generations of supporters came to watch together and generations came to perform together, this to me was a huge highlight.”
“For the longest time I thought that this was more a religious practice rather than a cultural tradition because of the Red Fez, but I saw many religions come together to pay homage to their undying culture,” he adds.
Theatre king Loukmaan Adams was also in attendance, and I was eager to hear what he had to say about this year’s competition.
“I loved the venue, the sound was beautiful, I felt the sound checks carried on too long, but I’m sure it will get better considering it’s our first time in the venue and everyone wants to be their best,” says Loukmaan.
“I loved the huge screens, and the cameras definitely added a very nice touch, you could see who was in attendance and how full the place was, creating a good energy in the room.
“My favourite team on the night was Rangers, everyone was great, but they stood out and they came to win.
“The venue will never replace the dearly missed Good Hope Centre where people could walk around but it had the sense of ‘almal is buite’, you could see everyone enjoying each other’s company.
“I was most impressed by the teams who had so little time to prepare and still brought their A-game,” he adds.
The Rangers made a clean sweep and the Cape Malay Choir Section Two will take place this coming Saturday again at the same venue.
Check out the table below for dates.
The Cape Malay Choir Board – Event Planner 2022
Good Hope Christian Centre
October 15
Top Ten G
Good Hope Christian Centre
October 29
Grand Finale
Athlone Stadium