Mama Africa passes the baton

With the passing of legendary singer Miriam Makeba, South African music is once again in the international spotlight. Perhaps this is an opportune moment to reflect on the chorus of local music that is taking shape in the build-up to 2010.

In 2000 when a FIFA delegation first visited these shores to assess SA’s readiness to host the world’s biggest single-code sporting event, they were welcomed by Vicky Sampson’s My African Dream.
We may have lost the rights to host the 2006 edition of the tournament (by the narrowest margin in FIFA’s history), but the seed had been planted. Since then, hundreds of local artists have been preparing for the grandest stage of all.

The SABC has begun significantly increasing its domestic music quota on 13 public broadcasting service stations in the lead-up to 2010. As the official SABC radio broadcaster for the tournament, Radio 2000 is already promoting the tournament on a daily basis.

The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown has also announced plans to stage music festivals during the World Cup.

In addition, Johannesburg is organising a number of parallel events during the tournament, including a football-related musical, The Boys in the Photograph, which will run at the Nelson Mandela Theatre.

Love them or hate them, vuvezalas will play an integral part in this country’s 2010 celebrations. FIFA has acknowledged this and granted permission for them to be used at the 2010 World Cup “under certain conditions”. Local music educator Pedro Espi-Sanchis is running vuvuzela workshops at football clubs around the country and he hopes to perform at the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Cup as well as the final.

A nationwide hunt is also underway for operatic “mega-voices” to give birth to the country’s very own 20 Tenors. South Africa’s answer to The Three Tenors is expected to perform concerts in all nine host cities prior to kick-off. Choreographer Ian von Memerty is working on a repertoire, which includes an “iconic anthem”.

Grammy Award winning South African rock star Dave Mathews (who has been based in the US for decades), says he plans to perform in his native land during the tournament “when the whole world will be here too”.

In addition, hundreds of choirs, groups, bands and singers are likely to create a chorus, which would have made Mama Africa proud of the musical heritage this country offers.