DURBAN ARTS
DA LUNCH-HOURS
Every Wednesday at 13h00 Durban Arts presents free lunch-hour concerts on the City Hall Steps.
These provide a platform for new and often untried talent: May 2: MANESI CELE. Well-known
gospel singer Manesi Cele leads this group founded by Knowledge Simelane in Umlazi in 1994. The five-piece group
specialises in gospel singing and dancing. It has three top-selling records to its credit.
May 8: AVANTE. An all-male singing group from kwaMashu led by James Langa.
Avante write their own compositions and perform to backing tracks.
May 15: HLANGANANI TRADITIONAL ORCHESTRA. The group was formed in
kwaMashu with the aim of developing and preserving traditional African culture. Stemming from the Youth
Organisation of Unity (YOU) which ran creative workshops and performed, Hlanganani has developed a repertoire
of Ingoma, Gumboot dance and songs featuring such traditional instruments as drums, marimba, amadinda and
percussion. The groups has performed widely around Durban. Goodenough Madlala is the organiser and Di Miller
the manager.
May 22: REVELATION RASTAFA-RIANS. This reggae music group comes from
kwaBester squatter settlement and is led by E Nkosinathi who is also the lead singer. They will sing and perform their
own compositions on two guitars, an organ and drums.
May 29: HOT FIRE. A combination of American and African sound best des-cribes
the type of gospel music sung by this group of 10 singers with guitars, an organ and drums. The group comes from
kwaMakhutha near Amanzimtoti.
For details contact 23-1236.
NEW POINTERS
Durban Arts is looking to arts lovers throughout the Metropole for new pointers. In other words,
where do we go from here?
Having merged with the NCC (the largest black arts body in KZN), installed a fully-representative
board and reconstructed the spread of its funding, Durban Arts now stands as the major arts funding organisation in
KZN. However, it is still strives to operate with less than the amount awarded as grant-in-aid by the Durban City
Council in 1994/95.
ENSURE
To ensure future funding, we must cover all fields in the arts. To this end, we hope to put back many
centre city pro-jects which have had to be cut and to invite suggestions for new projects.
What we need from readers are fresh ideas: New directions for Durban Arts. Which art forms are
most vital today? Which most deserve money right now?
After members of the newly-elected Metropolitan Council take their seats after the end of May we
plan to unveil a new vibrant model of Durban Arts. We want our organisation recognised as the most dynamic cost-
effective agent for handling funds voted by the Council to promote the arts fairly and equally among all communities
in Durban.
We have been doing this for 13 years. Believe me, if we are not used to do the task we have spent
so many years learning, voluntary arts in Durban must fall into confusion and decay.
NOEL FAIRHURST
DIRECTOR OF ARTS
Submit ideas in writing to Durban Arts at 316 Avondale Road, Durban, 4001, as soon as
possible. Fax: 23-2073.
For more details on the Durban Arts lunch-hour concerts contact Patrick `Bigboy' Zungu on 23-1236.