Award-winning storyteller Napo Masheane will host the inaugural Folklore Festival on October 1 at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg as a celebration of African culture, customs and community.
The festival marks the end of SA Heritage Month with a diverse Pan-African creative offering from North, South, East and West Africa.
South Africa Music Awards award-winning storyteller and festival founder Pilani Bubu said: "We would like to announce that our MC and on the main stage is thespian and poet Napo Masheane."
Folklore comprises the traditional beliefs, customs and stories of a community passed from generation to generation by word-of-mouth. Contemporary folkore encompasses forms of creative expression such as folk art, song and dance and children’s rhymes.
Aside from music, the Folklore Festival has a diverse cultural offering.
"Our kids area, in partnership with Ethnic Kids Books, has announced our programme of young African authors at the Book Fair this year.
We have youth activist and author of My Coily Crowny Hair’ Zulaikha Patel, HIV activist and author of I am still Zuri, Nozi Qamngana, 10 year-old child author of Enough Bullying, Siyavuya Mabece, author of My Family of Superheroes; Zinhle T. Matthews, Editor, translator and author of Chulumanco; Tumelo Moleleki, Amanda Mahlangu and Nonkululeko Nkosi, co-authors of Khanya's first day at the park.
The kids area will also include performance workshops in indigenous instruments, uhadi, drumming, performance and play with Toys with Roots and its own market with children’s literature and inclusive toys for African children," said Bubu.
The National School of the Arts students will perform their highly anticipated African Reflections.
This celebratory musical journey of African and Pan-African music piece will be staged in collaboration main stage artists.
Food is a major component of the festival and vendors will participate in the festival. "We are also calling on African Food and Crafts Market vendors with unique and distinct local products to send in their profiles and products to apply for our market, that celebrates innovative small business owners and informal traders.’’