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Live music, fireworks, giant puppets, fire trucks, marching bands, radio and television personalities, soccer stars, My City busses, City services vehicles and over 80,000 people all in one place, this was the scene when City of Cape Town hosted the annual Switch On of Festive Lights event on Sunday 4 December 2011.

As the sun rose over the City centre on the day, hundreds of members of the City’s services department, traffic officials and event production teams worked tirelessly to put the finishing touches in preparation for one of the oldest traditions in the City, that of kicking of the festive season.  

The Cape Town Station Forecourt and Adderley Street was filled with a festive and family atmosphere as young and old enjoyed performances by local and national artists Hip Hop Pantsula, Jozi, Ruffest, Heavenly Quartez, Heal the Hood Hip-Hop Showcase, Larry Joe, Die Campbells, Lady Liscious (ex La Vuvuzela) and the Festive Lights Showcase – an ensemble led by Camillo Lombard and featuring leading Cape Town musicians and vocalists including Karen Kortje, Alistair Izobell and Loukmaan Adams.

New to this year’s Switch on celebrations was the introduction of “live television” on Adderley Street. This saw an interactive four hour show where celebrity reporters interacted through live camera crossings with audience members during the event. This was relayed on LED screens and speakers placed along the street ensuring that all are included in the day’s celebrations.

The evening saw City of Cape Town Executive Mayor Alderman Patricia de Lille joined on stage for the switch on moment by a number of celebrities including radio personalities Soli Philander, Guy MacDonald, Irma G as well as television personalities Christo Davids, Elana Afrika and Chantal Stanfield. 

Addressing those gathered, the Executive Mayor called on residents and visitors to work with the City to ensure a restive and safe festive season.

“Let us all take time this festive season to rest, but most importantly take advantage of the time at home to spend with our families. While we enjoy ourselves this festive season, let us also make sure that we keep our children safe. Thank you to all those who have worked so hard, particularly the City’s service departments, to make sure that this event is a success but also for ensuring that as a City we are ready for the festive season”.

With a countdown led by Soli Philander together with the audience, the big moment arrived when with the waving of an illuminated wand, the Executive Mayor set off a burst of fireworks and festive explosion as Adderley Street irradiated with some of the best lights instillations ever seen in the over 40 year history of the lights.

According to City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Marketing, Councillor Grant Pascoe, this event was the start of a series of events supported by the City over the festive season.

“The level and type of events we host as a City speaks to our pride in being Africa’s Grandest City, events we are proud to be behind including amongst others the Volvo Ocean Race 2011/2012 Cape Town Stop Over, Kirstenbosch Concerts, Minstrel Carnival, J&B Met, Suidoosterfees, CT Carnival, Cape Argus Pick and Pay Cycle Tour, ABSA Cape Epic and the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.”

The Switch On of the Festive Lights also saw audience members win a number of prizes through an on-site SMS and Facebook competition. The following have each won a family trip to Table Mountain courtesy of the City of Cape Town: Helio Lobo, Nombasa Feti, Thabisa Kunyani and Laeqah van Reenen while the following have each won an HTC ChaCha cellphone compliments of HTC: Jonathan May, Kamal Achmed, Hendrina Snyders, Nombuliso Brookwe and Marcel Claasen.

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Out the Box Productions has been engaged to produce the 2011 edition of the Moshito conference and exhibition: Africa’s only annual music market takes place from August 31st to September 2nd at the Sci Bono Discovery Centre in Newtown, Johannesburg.

The 2011 event features over 30 sessions of panel discussions, information sessions and workshops. Music industry and related specialists from South Africa, Africa, the USA, Spain, Canada,  Colombia and several other countries will be taking part in the three-day programme.

The project includes a 3-day conference and music industry stakeholder  exhibition.  Music showcases across 5 venues in Newtown including Bassline, Shikisha, Sophiatown , Sci Bono Auditorium and Nikkis.

The opening concert on the August 31st at Bassline, Newtown features Colombia’s Sidestepper Sound System; multi-talented SAMA-award winner Nomsa Mazwai; Spain’s Luis Giménez and Toguna from Reunion Island.

Africa Unites concert on Friday 2nd September features ASA from Nigeria, Eric Wainana from Kenya and Nkulee Dube from SA.
An additional 25 artists will be performing at showcases at various venues across the Newtown Precinct.

For a full programme of events go to www.moshito.co.za

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Post Event Media

Out the Box Productions (OTB) has been commissioned to produce the Cheesekids Mandela Day Live event taking place at Johannesburg’s Innesfree Park on Sunday 17th July 2011.

On Mandela Day 2010 Cheesekids for Humanity 2010 enabled over 2,000 South Africans to spend 67 minutes performing services at 9 simultaneous events in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

This year’s event has grown significantly in scale, with coordinated service activities planned for 3 cities and 15 service sites in underprivileged or under-serviced areas.

Main partners include Old Mutual and 5fm

This year, Cheesekids plans to accommodate 6,700 volunteers at 15 different projects including:

* Building houses for dwellers of informal settlements

* Painting, gardening and beautifying schools of underprivileged and disabled children

* Providing vocational guidance and inspirational chats with high schoolchildren

* A hackerthon for application developers to develop educational tools &utilities

* A cook-out for food to be distributed to homeless shelters

* A kiddie-zone to play with and spoil children from various orphanages

* Planting vege-gardens at homeless shelters and orphanages

* A sports clinic to teach kiddies your sporting skills

Mandela Day service activities will conclude with the Cheesekids Mandela Day Concert at Innesfree Park in Johannesburg.

Featured artists will include Jozi, Tidal Waves, Nothende, Josie Field, Khuli Chana, Zebra and Giraffe, AKA, Good Luck, Mi Casa, Roger,  Ihashi e’limhlophe, Tira, Big Nuz, The Muffins and HHP.

Youtube video introducing Cheesekids & what Cheesekids Mandela Day is all about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akioleAZzt0

OTB has joined Cheesekids’ team to manage the event production and site logistics for this year’s event at Innesfree Park.

Please visit http://www.cheesekids.org.za to register (at no fee) for an unforgettable 67 minutes to action – the Cheesekids way!

SKAFTIEN is a recurring community-based meal that generates and democratically awards micro-grants for creative, experimental and innovative arts projects in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. At each SKAFTIEN, attendees purchase a ticket for which they receive a meal, a ballot, and entertainment.

During the meal, the diners listen to five proposals so as to cast up to two votes for their favourite project/s.  The winner of the popular vote is awarded a grant funded by the proceeds of the event, and is asked to present the manifestation of the project at the next event.

OTB is proud to support SKAFTIEN Kaapstad, its inaugural event in Cape Town.  Featuring performances by Jazzart, Khanyi, Nosipho, Boeta Gee & Ntone

“This is a step towards independent progressive arts self-funding. Please support and find out how to get more involved. It's a totally open format….an experiment in independent cultural philanthropy” – Evan Abrahamse.

Date: 29th May 2011

Time: 15H00 till 19H00

Venue: FAWU Hall @ FAWU Head Office

Vuyisile Mini Centre

Cnr NY 1 & NY 110

Gugulethu

7750

Tickets  R60 for whole event including ballot rights

OR R20 for live concert (starts at 18H00)

For tickets and more information, please contact event organiser Evan or visit www.skaftien.org

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This day commemorates the first democratic elections held in South Africa on 27 April 1994 and is celebrated annually as a reminder of the struggle for a free and just South Africa.

This year, we celebrate 17 years of freedom and democracy in South Africa and the achievements we have made as a nation.

We witnessed the electrifying consolidation of our national identity during the hosting of the 2010 World Cup, supporting the class of 2010 and even volunteering during the Public Service strike.

It is this passion that must be maintained and built on.
Freedom Day provides a milestone for all South Africans to collectively participate in the commemoration of the pain and struggle to build a non-racial, democratic and free South Africa in which we all have the freedom to prosper.

More info

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The Harmonica Jazz Foundation appointed OTB to provide production services for the inaugural Harmonica concert which celebrated the Music of Benjamin Tyamzashe. 

Affectionately known as B-ka-T, Benjamin Tyamzashe’s composition Zweliyaduduma came at the peak of his music career. The song was presented by a mass choir combination of 3 000 voices, conducted by B-ka-T himself, to entertain the British royal family during a stopover in Umtata while they were visiting South Africa in 1947.

Two concerts took place on the 4th and 5th March 2011 at the Theatre on The Track in Kyalami.  The international artists which headlined the shows were Lenora Zenzelai Helm (USA), Carmen Lundy (USA) and Roberto Fonseca (CUBA).

Prince Lengoasa’s conducting skills and big band directorship fused the talents of classical, jazz and choral musicians who were accompanied by a star-studded band.

Since May 3rd 2009, Jason has “attacked” a whirlwind of appearances, gigs and tours playing in almost every town and province in SA and Namibia. His band consists of his brother Scott on drums and vocals and his father, Sam on guitar and vocals, as well as a bass player. His Idols single, “Break the Silence” made it to number 1 on radio stations throughout SA as well as the Nokia top 40 SA.
Jason`s debut album was released in October 2009 and is produced by Sony SA.

DJ's Toby2Shoes and Regan stumbled into a musical duel in the middle of the dusty Karoo in 2007 and in one filthy sidelong glance they began plotting and planning a new approach to dancefloor hooliganism. No genre is out of bounds and every beat is selected for pure dancing lunacy, smiles and laughs. Lekker!
 

He has achieved in a few years what others spend a lifetime working towards and his continued success is built on a solid foundation of perseverance and good work ethics.  This coupled with his fun and ambitious personality make for a winning combination and is the reason that Euphonik is currently at the cutting edge of the house music scene in South Africa.

Soon after Afrotainment was born – which started off as an events company and ultimately ended up as a record label. DJ Cndo was the stable’s first artist and to date they’ve produced hit makers like Dj Fisherman, Afro Soul and 2010 South African Music Award winners Big Nuz.