Cape Town South Africa

The 2010 Cape Town International Jazz Festival might still be way off in the distant, faintly glimmering future (the date is set for Saturday 03 and Sunday 04 April – coinciding with Easter), but the organisers have already whet our appetites by releasing the line-up of impressive artists who will be performing at the 11^th annual festival.

Although every single performer on the list is exceptionally talented and of a world class calibre, let’s drop the superstar names first and introduce veteran jazz pianist and winner of multiple Grammy Awards, McCoy Tyner. Renowned in the 1960s for playing piano for saxophonist John Coltrane and featuring on many of Coltrane’s recordings, 71-year old Tyner is a prolific recording artist in his own right – having released three CDs in the last two years. He has also been credited for being one of the first jazz musos to reintroduce African rhythms into jazz.

Also gracing the stage at next year’s jazz fest will be jazz violinist Regina Carter and jazz songbird Rachelle Ferrell. But not all the acts will be imported. Part of what has made the festival so successful thus far is its nice blend of international and local acts. Therefore some of our own greats will also hit the stage to represent the homeland and at what has been touted to be the continent’s Grandest Gathering.

South Africans that will be performing include pianist Tete Mbambisa, guitarist and crooner Jonathan Butler, Amanda Tiffan, The Glenn Robertson Jazz Band, Iridium Project, Musa Manzini, Sammy Hartman Project with Robbie Jansen & Ezra Ngcukana, Selaelo Selota, Stix Hojeng and the man otherwise known as “The Voice”, Vusi Mahlasela.

Internationals include US trumpeter Rick Braun, Scottish saxophonist Richard Elliott – both of whom will perform with our own Butler. Toots Thielemans will come out from his native Belgium, Mezzoforte from Iceland will melt our hearts and Michaela Rabitz & Robert Pawlik Quartet will be here from Austria.

The rest of the line-up will be announced at the beginning of 2010. Ticket prices will be R330 for a single day pass and R485 for a weekend pass. Patrons who wish to attend concerts on the Rosies stage will have to pay an additional R25 for every act they wish to see on that stage.

The lucky thirteenth annual Cape Town Comedy Festival - this year sponsored by that chicken franchise with the funny ads, Nando’s - is taking place until the 4th of October 2009 at the Baxter Theatre in Rondebosch.

The event is the largest comedy project in Africa and among the top five comedy festivals in the world! Therefore it is definitely to be taken… well… seriously.

But there will be plenty to laugh about too. South Africa’s favourite comedians, along with some international stand-up comics such as Canada’s Angelou Tsarouchas and Kira Soltanovich from the USA, will surely have audiences doubling up with mirth courtesy of their professional wit.

According to Cape Town Magazine, the festival’s success can be attributed to the fact that it tries to cater to everyone’s taste by incorporating a number of unique features with separate programmes. 

Ticket prices are a laughable R100 - R150. For more info, call 021-685-7880.

Okay, we know that it’s common knowledge that the residents of the Mother City is by far the sexiest of all South Africa’s metropolitan citizens. However, surely you must’ve noticed that our quota of Beautiful, Skinny People With Chiseled Bone Structure has almost doubled over recent days?

That’s right folks. We’re being graced by those most ethereal of species known as "the model". This sudden surge of gorgeous creatures loose on the town is all thanks to the ongoing Arise Cape Town Fashion Week - which kicked off at the Cape Town International Convention Centre yesterday and will last until this coming Sunday (the 23rd of August).

In case you don’t have plans for the weekend yet, you can always go down and brush shoulders with the human clothing hangers, as well as with the rich, the famous, the infamous, the wannabe’s and - last but not least - the designers who wish to wow us with their outrageous and or sublime creations. We’ve heard that almost every designer and his dog will be there… But no is going to be more literal about that than designer Craig Port, who will be employing some furry, four-legged models to strut their stuff on his runway tonight.

Port has teamed up with Cesar gourmet cuisine to design some doggie duds under his label Craig Port and Miss Port couture. According to an iAfrica article: "Models will be sashaying down the catwalk accompanied by four highly pedigreed and meticulously groomed and coiffed Westies, which are the same breed famously featured on the Cesar packaging. The dogs will be stepping out in designer gear like scarves, collars, coats and accessories to complement the human couture and the theme of the show."

Dogs taking over the catwalk! It seems so poetic, doesn’t it?

Later, at the exclusive VIP after party to take place at the Table Bay hotel in the V&A Waterfront, the models and the dogs will be on the red carpet to meet and greet guests and pose for photographs.

But despair not. If canine couture isn’t your thing, the line-up includes plenty of stuff that will appeal to human-folk too. To see the complete line-up for the rest of the weekend, visit the official website.

If you’re still looking for something to do tonight, rush on over to The Vineyard Hotel and Spa on Colinton Road in Newlands where Wine Concepts is hosting its seventh exclusive Seductive Sauvignon Festival.

Festival goers will be able to taste and compare over 60 of the 2009 vintage Sauvignon Blancs. Cabernet Sauvignon lovers will also be able to sample new vintage releases. If you’re seduced by what you sample, you’ll be able to purchase the showcased wines at discount prices.

It is tonight only, so hurry up! Tickets, available at the door, are R80 per person. Each ticket also includes a glass and light snacks. 

Poets have always been inspired by the oceans and the creatures lurking within its unfathomable depths, so perhaps it is only apt that some of poets are going to come face-to-face with some of those creatures of the deep. 

An aquarium is therefore also not such an unusual place to have a poetry slam. The Two Oceans Aquarium at the V&A Waterfront is indeed going to be the location of the event DEEP: A Night of Creative Currents featuring Sharks, Poets and other Endangered Species tonight. The event will see the launch of Hyphen, a debut collection of poems by Tania van Schalkwyk and also feature works and appearances by Gus Ferguson, Justin Fox, Sarah Lotz, Helen Moffett, Malika Lueen Ndlovu, Henrietta Rose-Innes, Rebecca Townsend, Colwyn Thomas and others. Books and art will be on sale.

Tickets cost R40 and includes entrance to the aquarium and a free glass of wine upon arrival. It starts at 7pm.

Our beloved former President, Nelson Mandela, turns 91 years old tomorrow!!

The day has officially been declared Mandela Day around the world with a host of performances planned around the world in honour of Madiba. South Africans lucky enough to be in New York City tomorrow will be able to attend a special concert at Radio City Music Hall where artists the likes of legendary Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban and Alicia Keys will perform. Even heart throb actor Matt Damon is apparently going to make an appearance! But since the most iconic South African of all time is being honoured, the concert will definitely have a local flavour as well with Freshly Ground and the Soweto Gospel Choir representing and showing the world how awesome our homegrown talent is. 

Those of us NOT in the Big Apple needn’t despair. The Mother City will also celebrate Madiba Day in style at Mandela Rhodes Place where we will get to rock out to some of the finest South African artists at the Ubuntu Festival from 18 – 19 July. The line-up includes Coda, Claire Philips, the Pop Idols (including the very first one, Heinz Winkler) and Natalia da Rocha, to name but a few. 

For more information, call 021 422 1418

Happy birthday, Madiba!

The only consolation we are deriving from winter spewing its icy breath on our Mother City right now, is that it is at least providing us with the perfect excuse for escaping to the movies.

Luckily for us and all fellow flick fans, the Encounters South African International Film Documentary Film Festival will soon grace us with its entertaining presence at the V&A Waterfront.

Now in its 11^th year, the festival has survived a recent near cancellation (due to a last minute withdrawal by a cash-strapped sponsor) and has moved to Cape Town from its former base in Johannesburg. Encounters is renowned for showcasing the doccie making prowess of both local and international film talent. Ever since its inception, the festival has screened over 1 241 films. This year’s line-up will include a record 14 South African films making their world débuts.

Award-winning full-length features and documentary shorts from as far afield as Afghanistan, the UK, the USA, Canada, Cuba, France, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Senegal, Israel and Cameroon will also be screened.

Encounters will take place from 2 – 19 July 2009 at the Nu Metro, V&A Waterfront. Apart from attending the screenings, festival-goers will also be able to participate in workshops, panel discussions and master classes. Visit the fest’s official website for more information. We hope to encounter you there!

Intellectuals, scribes and readers from all over Africa and the rest of the world are about to descend upon Cape Town for the fourth annual Book Fair.

The Cape Town Book Fair is the largest book related event in sub-Saharan Africa. This year, more than 50 000 visitors are expected to attend the event where 250 exhibitors from across the global publishing industry are going to be showcased.

Despite the international presence, this year’s fair will shine the spotlight on African literature. As host country, South Africa in particular will be well represented. Award-winning South African author André P. Brink will read from Touch, a compilation of essays by leading South African writers.

The fair begins tomorrow, 13 June 2009, and will last until the 16th at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

For more information, visit the event’s official website. 

In both 2007 and 2008, over 350 000 people across the globe voted him the world’s best DJ. Now Armin van Buuren is bringing his mad spinning skills to the Mother City.

For one night only on Monday, 15 June, he will wow Capetonian fans with the Godskitchen Boombox at the Bellville Velodrome. This enormous, rectangular structure is over 16 metres wide, 8 metres high and six metres deep. It contains state-of-the-art DJ equipment which Armin will control. The Boombox is a large screen onto which lighting and visuals are projected, turning the entire event into a huge musical spectacular. According to Cape Town Magazine (www.capetownmagazine.com), "Godskitchen has become renowned for combining the biggest DJs on the planet with groundbreaking production values that bedazzle crowds in excess of 15 000."

Ready to be entranced by this Dutchman who has had a lifelong passion for dance music? Then book your ticket today for what promises to be Cape Town’s concert of the year! Early bird, general tickets are available for R190.