This is for the brothers who, I am sure, detest Valentine’s Day because of the dent it leaves in their pockets.
This is for all of you who believe that love is to be shown every day and not with a couple of flowers and some chocolates on February 14.
Forget the flowers or the expensive meal. Instead, take her to the Love and Music concert. It will be the same as the other times you two have gone out, but the difference will be that this show is for the lovers, so bonus points to you.
Swazi Dlamini and her husband, Tshepo Mngoma (pictured), duo Bongi and Collin and Thabo Mdluli and his wife Nonhlanhla will be your hosts for the night.
“It is a show specifically done around Valentine’s Day because we want to use the time to celebrate love with those in love,” said Dlamini, who conceived the idea.
“A few years back I did a bit of research on St Valentine and I discovered that it was a bit of a gloomy story. So I thought it best to have an uplifting concept on the day, or around the day, where married couples in the music industry do a show together that celebrates love around Valentine’s Day,” she said.
The inaugural show was held last year in Pretoria, and riding on that success the concept returns to Pretoria (at the State Theatre) on February 15 and to Durban (Sibaya iZulu Theatre) on February 16.
“Last year was a trial-and-error scenario for us, but people liked it. They loved seeing married couples love together, perform and act silly. It went so well that now everyone is enthusiastic about the second one,” explained Dlamini.
But not everyone believes in marriage or even the idea of love itself. Dlamini is well aware of that and has tweaked the show to appeal to a wider audience.
“We are trying as much as possible to make the show accommodate everyone. We are not only singing to married couples, but to anyone with someone. We want to say to the guy, if you love her, treat her like a lady, and hopefully even inspire him to pop the question some day. Or that girl who is waiting on love, we are living testimony that love does exist and if you wait you will find that special person who was made for you,” she said.
With the question of marriage having been addressed you would probably assume that future Love and Music shows might even have unmarried celebrity couples joining the line-up. But Dlamini is a bit sceptical about that idea.
“We thought of that, but for the moment we think it is more stable to go with married couples. Let’s say, for example, we ask Khaya (Mthethwa) and whoever he is dating at the time to join us. If they unfortunately break up, say, two years from now, then it will just become awkward,” she pointed out.
After learning a few things from last year’s showcase, this installment will see a few more changes in the performances.
“I managed to twist everyone’s arms to dance a bit this time around,” she said, chuckling.
“Also, we added an amazing poet, Tswi, who is a Crown Gospel nominee, and Impact Radio’s Romeo Mabasa, who is also a motivational speaker. So we are hoping to have the singing, the dancing, a little poetry and a little motivation,” she said.
• Gigs start 8pm. Tickets: R150 at Computicket. Buy tickets before Saturday and you automatically stand a chance to win a five-CD Love and Music hamper.