The fourth instalment of the Annual Ebubeleni Music festival promises to be even bigger, better and LOUDER! Yes people dust off those camp chairs, take out your cooler boxes, Summer is here.
This year’s festival is sure a big cultural tourism attraction for Nelson Mandela Bay and Eastern Cape . The event will be held on Sunday, 27 December 2015 in Port Elizabeth. The growth of this festival has seen its support by revellers, primarily and initially from the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro increase to a national event seeing revellers from all over the country’s nine provinces trek down to Port Elizabeth to enjoy the festival. As a result of this growth in popularity and numbers, the organisers, Mahambehlala Communications and their partners Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, have agreed to abandon the smaller venue, Adcock Stadium and move this year’s festival to the much bigger world renown international St George’s Park Cricket Stadium.
The event forms part of Nelson Mandela Bay’s Summer Season Programme and is the city’s flagship event. Other sponsors include the National Department of Arts and Culture’s “Mzansi Golden Economy” with its vision that goes beyond social cohesion. MGE believe that arts, culture and heritage play a pivotal role in the economic self determination and skills development of people.
Economic Benefit for the Bay is that all service providers of this event are sourced from the Nelson Mandela Bay, from accommodation (hotels and guest houses) ; technical – stage and sound; caterers; infrastructure (marquees and toilets) and vendors are provided stalls at the stadium to sell their wares, be it Food ; Ice Cream; Glow In The Dark; Same Time Pictures; Arts and Crafts etc. The Bay’s Local artists will also showcase their talents whilst sharing the stage with the country’s well-known national artists and icons.
Ebubeleni Music Festival is positioned as a yearly get-together affair for Eastern Capers who work and or study in different parts of the country. The festival provides an opportunity for old friends and former schoolmates to meet after a long time. Those that are not from P.E are encouraged to embrace the event as part of the reason to holiday and spend part of their festive season in the friendly City of Port Elizabeth. Ebubeleni means friendly place, PE is known as a welcoming city because of the hospitality of its people even towards strangers.
What has marked this event’s uniqueness from the other motley of music festivals around the country is its family orientated theme – a homecoming event with a picnic feel and the fact that it is during the country’s Reconciliation Celebrations. Another insistence of the organisers is all inclusiveness of the event wherein all genres across all races are accommodated in terms of performing artists thus embracing the spirit of togetherness.
This year’s line up has been carefully selected to cater for young and old and it includes Mzansi’s award winning artists, Zahara ( with her recent platinum status album, ‘Country Girl’); Don Laka; Donald; Thandiswa Mazwai; Ricky Rick; Vusi Nova; and for the first time in the Ebubeleni line up is an international artist, a New York born Steelpan Jazz musician and composer, Andy Narrel; Mzansi’s Kwaito godfather – Mdu Masilela; Dr. Victor & the Rasta Rebels; Mobi Dixon; Moneo, L-Tido; Kid X; DJ Vigilante and the cherry on top is the breath of fresh air in the music industry – Nathi, the Nomvula hit maker who has been making waves in the music industry with his new album titled Buyelekhaya.
Event organiser and Project Manager for the festival, Marc Mahambehlala said: “In drawing up the line-up, we insisted on bringing an international act, leading a long list of national acts some of whom have international profiles.”For this fourth event we brought this lineup because we wanted to thank our loyal supporters” he added. “What I liked about Andy Narell is the fact that he travels alone from the USA and uses an all-South African band” for me that is real empowering” said Marc.
Tickets are still very reasonable although the line up is so beefed up, for a mere R160 general ticket one can get to see their favourite artists, R200 for Golden Circle and R700 for VIP tickets which can all be purchased from Computicket and Shoprite Checkers.
Gates at St Georges’ Park Stadium will open at 11:00am and the festival will start from 12:00 until late. Bring your picnic basket, camp chairs, umbrellas and come enjoy music by Mzansi’s best.
Alan Straton
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