Johannesburg - The Eastern Cape’s finest exports will host the 12th annual Buyel’Ekhaya festival this Christmas.
The event, which takes place on December 26, will feature Master KG, Sun El Musician, Prince Kaybee, DJ Maphorisa and Kabza de Small, Ami Faku, Mafikizolo, Ringo, Vusi Nova, ShaSha and Simmy.
Hosts, YouTuber Mihlali Ndamase and media personality Moshe Ndiki, are both products of the province who have paved the way for up-and-coming stars through their social media channels. They will be joined by Somizi Mhlongo as the third host.
Singer Ami Faku is one of the artists performing on the night and she has had a solid year in music with her own releases, as well as featuring on some of the hits of the biggest artists in the country.
For her performance, Faku said her fans can expect an honest experience.
“Preparing for it is always different because it’s a virtual experience and you have to sing to the cameras.
“I enjoy myself any time I get to sing, and appreciate these opportunities because things have been really tough when it comes to gigs. I always do the best I can. I know watching these performances on TV feel like a foreign concept but I hope the fans will enjoy it and see the hard work put into it.”
She said this year was still a good one for her career. “Regardless of how this year went, a lot of things were meant to shut down. In terms of my career, there were a lot of obstacles that I managed to overcome and there’s been a lot of growth because I worked really hard this year. I feel like I have grown, but at the same time there has been a huge negative impact on my personal life,” she said.
Faku is hoping the new year will be better. “If people comply with the rules, we can move forward as a country. I feel like this state we are in has been constant and there just hasn’t been a lot of changes in terms of coronavirus. Workwise, there is music I will be dropping and I feel like people will really enjoy that music, so I am really excited for 2021.”
Faku was trending at the weekend after former US president Barack Obama listed her feature on Prince Kaybee’s Uwrongo as one of his favourite songs of the year. The song also features Shimza and Black Motion.
“I couldn’t believe it, I had to double check that account. It was a random beautiful moment and it is so motivating because you never know with this industry. It is very surprising, so for me that’s what keeps me going. This one I did not expect. I hope we manage to reach higher levels, I hope this is the beginning of such a milestone and not the end.”
Due to lockdown regulations, the Buyel’Ekhaya festival will be available for viewing to fans on Mzansi Magic at 9.30pm for a two-hour broadcast.
Founder Hlubi Mazwai said it was important for the festival to keep up with the times. “We’re going back to ingoma, from eKomga to KwaNongoma, every lounge eMzansi will be taken on a journey celebrating the amalgamation of our beautiful past with an exciting digital future. Given our commitment to our loved and loyal fans and the tens of thousands of people who journey to East London each year from all corners of our beautiful country for the festival, we have evolved to ensure that our brand gives our loyal fans an experience worth remembering.”
Mazwai added that the festival was a “momentous celebration of who we are as human beings and how our cultural identities have merged seamlessly with an exciting digital future, all in a two-hour magical music spectacular”.
The Star