JOBURG GEARS UP FOR A WEEKEND OF FESTIVITIES

Words by Lesego Ntsime | Images: Supplied

If you’re in search of transcendental artistic experiences that endorse community, creativity and empowerment; clear out your calendar for the 24th of June 2023 as Joburg will revel in hosting the annual Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival as well as Fète de la Musique.

Some of the most monumental venues in the city will act as a site for an impressive display of music, art and cultural panache. Basha Uhuru kicks off with a three-day Creative Uprising - a series of workshops and excursions aimed at connecting creatives - and wraps up with the Basha Uhuru Freedom Festival at Constitutional Hill on Saturday. Performing acts include DJ Zinhle, Kwesta, Samthing Soweto, Shekhinah, Thando Nje, Mam’Thug and this year’s Basha Uhuru Music Legacy Award - Thebe. Festival goers will be treated to a day of music, activations and a Curated Market that boasts an array of handmade local goods. 

For headlining musician Thando Nje, music nurtures community and marries worlds. Through this medium festival goers can look forward to a “soulful, breathtaking experience” courtesy of the award-nominated singer/songwriter. DJ and culture curator Mam’Thug hopes to introduce audiences to new sounds and dimensions of music with an eclectic set. 

Tickets are available on Webtickets.

Not far from Constitutional Hill, across three venues, Fète de la Musique will showcase some of the best talent local music and culture have to offer. At Victoria Yards, Newtown Junction and Alliance Française of Johannesburg audiences can expect a curated lineup of established performers and emerging artists who have been selected to perform, promising a bouquet of notable virtuosity. The lineup consists of headlining performances by Morena Leraba, Simmy, Tshepang Ramoba, Nomfusi and Musa Mashiane as well as exciting emerging artists The Charles Géne Suite, Zoe Molelekwa and uKhoiKhoi among many others. 

“People can expect something they’ve never seen before, which is the uniqueness that The Charles Gène Suite brings to every show! Each show we play is something special. We always blend our different styles together in new ways for each audience,” shares The Charles Gène Suite, one of the winning acts that have been selected to perform. 

Musician and winning act Zoe Molelekwa says, ”Audiences can anticipate a moving experience of the music I have written over the years which covers various themes resonant to the human experience, and have been very close to my own  living experience. They will get a sense of who I am and what inspires me.” 

The music festivals offers free entrance at all three venues.