Ingoma Choir LIVE@Riverside

ABOUT

The formidable Ingoma Choir from the Imizamo Yethu township in Hout Bay are BACK for two small, socially distanced outdoor concerts on the beautiful lawns of Riverside Retirement Village.

The choir was set up in 2017 to celebrate the beauty of African choral music. and to uplift and unite people through the power of song. They have performed sell-out concerts in Hout Bay, Cape Town and Noordhoek, and have been hired for numerous weddings and other events across the Western Cape.  In 2019 they performed alongside pop-star Majozi at the KFM K-day, and have been filmed for TV for South African and Italian TV channels. There are currently 25 members, aged 17-45, men and women, all resident in Imizamo Yethu.  Many work in, for example, petrol stations, restaurants and schools and others are in secondary and tertiary education.

Their conductor is Samukelo Mhlongo, trained in Music & Opera at UCT and with experience performing with Cape Town Opera and Township Opera.  He was previously deputy conductor and replaces our lead conductor Zamile Gantana who tragically died from Covid in 2020. This will the Choir's first public performance since Zamile's death, and will be an opportunity to pay tribute to him.

For the Thursday concert: Doors open at 5pm, performance will be at 6pm. There will be an interval and the show should end by 7pm.

For the Sunday concert: Doors open at 3pm, performance at 5pm. There will be an interval and the show should end by 7pm.

All seating will be socially spaced between groups. There will be roughly three areas: the lawn in front of the stage where you can lay out your picnic blanket; areas at the sides of the lawn where you can put up your camping chairs; and the slightly elevated area where there will be a couple of rows of seating provided by the venue. All Covid protocols will be in place: screening and sanitising will take place on arrival.

Picnics by Riverside can be pre-ordered here, and they will also be selling some food on the night. You are also welcome to bring your own picnic - but please no alcoholic drinks to be brought. A fully licensed outside bar, selling wine, spirits, beers and soft drinks, will be run by Riverside on the day from 3pm to close.