BY HELEN HERIMBI
The DStv Delicious Fest, presented by Nedbank, will feed the souls of music lovers this weekend.
The two-day event takes place at the Kayalami Grand Prix Circuit on Saturday and Sunday. As is tradition, a concert element over the two days lives alongside a market-style experience of a variety of food stalls as well as live demonstrations by chefs and celebrity chefs.
And although we love ourselves a good meal, what we’re really looking forward to is the music line-up. Over the years, Louie Vega and Elements of Life have managed to give this affair a grown and sexy vibe.The live house music is so smooth, but so engaging, that one can’t help but do a little jig without feeling the pressure to break it all the way down like the old chick at the club.
American, um, singer, Macy Gray, will also be hitting the stage. The singer with the grof voice really stuck it to the establishment and the fact that she is still touring the world with that voice is testament to that. Blasts from the past, Arrested Development, will also perform. The US group aren’t the only ones from oorkant coming to visit. The multi-genre veteran, Roy Ayers, is also coming through.
Wouldn’t it have been a real treat to have Janet Jackson make an appearance? The singer and dance blueprint for your faves is pregnant, so yeah, there goes that idea. But the next best thing from that royal family of music is The Jacksons. And they will all be hitting the stage this weekend. Maybe they’ll do a little Janet number, but we know they can’t get on that stage and not acknowledge the King of Pop.
Anyway, those aren’t the only Americans who have made people sit up and take notice of this year’s fest. Grown-ups who are still those hip hop kids at heart almost collectively jumped for joy when it was announced that the legendary De La Soul were headed to Mzansi. The trio haven’t been all that active for a few years. It would have been fine if they were coming here on the strength of the nostalgia effect – people love De La! But they did us one better. They dropped a brand-spanking-new album called De La Soul and the Anonymous Nobody in the middle of this year and of course the die-hards have already learnt the words to all the songs so they can rap and sing along.
The crowd will probably treat the local line-up the same way. After all, this selection also keeps in line with that cool, but grown and sexy vibe. Expect to see the legendary Hugh Masekela in action. On the more contemporary front, Lira will hit the stage as will Judith Sephuma and MiCasa, among others. Who are you looking forward to seeing?
The DStv Delicious Festival takes place at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Gauteng on Saturday and Sunday. Book at TicketPro.