‘An intimate evening with Gregory Porter’ tour already a major success

An intimate evening with Gregory Porter at the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset concert. Picture: Martin Myers/TWITTER

An intimate evening with Gregory Porter at the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset concert. Picture: Martin Myers/TWITTER

Published Jan 25, 2023

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The first Summer Sunset concert for 2023 was one for the books. An intimate night with Gregory Porter was sold out.

The support for Porter was outstanding from fans across South Africa, and some were lucky to still have been in Cape Town to enjoy one of the greatest voices of our generation.

Whilst enjoying the atmosphere as the sun set, I heard a young lady say: “Joburg could never”, and I could not help but giggle.

The fact that nature and music merged so beautifully was a moment to really look at the beauty that is left in this cold world; a reminder that people are still able to come together peacefully.

The show, surrounded by the Constantia Neck mountains, opened with Zolani Mahola, and she was honoured and excited to welcome Porter.

‘'Welcome home Gregory, welcome home,“ said Mahola.

Mahola performed her latest work but the crowd requested “Doo-be-doo”. And they sang along.

Fans gathered to watch one of the greatest voices of our generation, Gregory Porter. Picture: Supplied.

It was no surprise to see familiar faces like radio host Chad Saaiman, who enjoyed the concert alongside his fiancé and other family members. Saaiman said his favourite song for the evening was, ‘’No Love Dying”.

‘’The vibe at Kirstenbosch is always special. I’ve performed on that stage a few times, and as magic as it feels on stage, it’s the same feeling in the crowd. Feels intimate even though there are thousands of people attending,’’ Saaiman added.

Chad Saaiman at the Gregory Porter Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset concert. Photographer: Gary-John Sylvester

Porter took fans to Harlem with some of his favourite hits, including popular hits, “Hey Laura” and “Take Me To The Alley”.

Porter told “Cape Talk” days before the show that he was genuinely awed by the response from South Africa with regards to his tour.

‘’In many ways, I feel a special affinity for South Africa, for many reasons,’’ he added.

Porter still has shows lined up for Johannesburg, but they are also sold out and those who missed the ticket sales are feeling the FOMO.

Fans can expect hits performed by Porter and his amazing band members, such as “Hey Laura” and “Take Me To The Alley”, which are crowd favourites. The Johannesburg tour is still to take place at Montecasino’s Teatro on January 26, 27 and 28.

The last tweet posted by Porter read: ‘’Cape Town was Magical. Jo'burg, are you ready?’’