2024 Multi Genre Music Festival keeping arts alive!
The KZN Department of Sport, Arts and Culture led by MEC, Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba, brought Newcastle to a standstill over the Easter weekend with the hosting of the annual Multi Genre Music Festival, previously known as KwaZulu-Natal Cultural and Heritage Experience. This was a 2day fun affair consisting of art, craft, music, cuisine, fashion and dance which saw close to 200 artists getting a much-needed platform for exposer in their respective fields.
The event is part of the drive by the Department, in partnership with Cultural & Creative Industries Federation of South Africa (CCIFSA) KZN, to create opportunities for the creative sector participants to showcase their talent and earn a living. This was the third instalment of the event which started in 2022 in UGU District, then eThekwini in 2023 and this year it moved north to Newcastle.
Day 1, which was on the 30 March saw hip hop, poetry, maskandi and ingoma genres getting the Madadeni people dancing from midday until the early hours of the next morning. The event also gave exposure for 30 upcoming artists who are district winners of the SukaSambe Talent Search competition, which is run by the Department as part of the Talent Identification and Development (TID) programme.
Amahambebuzwa, an Ingoma group from Harding, had the crowd cheering non-stop with their acrobatic display of their Zulu dance moves. The likes of Lihle M, Skywander understood what they needed to do on that stage as they got people singing and dancing along their songs. The night was closed off by the likes of L’VOVO Derango, Duncan and Ntencane.
About 100 exhibitors also got an opportunity of showcasing their beautiful work raging from beads, painting, leather work, fashion as well as publishers who were also present to market their books.
Day 2 on 31 March, saw a more chilled reflective vibe as the programme featured jazz, comedy and gospel. Well known comedians like Simphiwe Shembe, Justice Kubheka, Flymotion and others had the crowd in stitches, while gospel artists Thobekile, Hlengiwe Mhlaba Malusi Mbokazi and Sgwili blasted worship tunes.
TV personalities including Nombulelo Mhlongo (Sne – Durban Gen), Mduduzi Ntombela (Phunyuka – Imbewu) and Thah Simelane also took to stage and mingled with the crowd until the new Best Newcomer Award winner for 2023 UGatsheni wowed the crowd with his performance, with MEC Mahlaba joining in to sing and dance along.
MEC Mahlaba applauded the successful hosting of the event, which has benefitted over 300 artists since its inception.
“The Multi Genre Music Festival is a window of hope for both emerging and established artists. This is part of a series of interventions by this ANC-led government to revive the economy through the creative sectors and to uplift the mood of the citizens through arts and culture. The Department will continue to avail opportunities for our youth to unearth talent from grassroots level and progress it until it reaches the highest level of performance. That is why we have introduced SukaSambe Ward-based Intervention Programme which brings a basket of sport and arts service at ward level,” said MEC Mahlaba.
