BY SIPHOSETHU MABUZA
MANZINI– For a concert built around bringing different art forms together, the experience does not have to begin when the main performers step onto the stage. For Sunset Concert, the build-up is moving into social spaces where audiences can encounter the music and people behind the production before the main event.
The George Hotel in Manzini is scheduled for a poolside activation on Saturday, October 17, with live music, poetry and other performances forming part of the afternoon programme. The activation comes ahead of the fourth edition of Sunset Concert, scheduled for November 21.
Ceceboy, who has been associated with previous editions of Sunset Concert, is a familiar face in Eswatini’s live performance scene. The concert has previously brought together genres including classical, opera, jazz, pop and African music, while its latest edition was reported to be expanding its focus to include poetry and visual art.
With Mkhatshwa hosting the build-up himself places him at the centre of the connection between the event and its audience. Instead of waiting for the main show, the activation offers a smaller setting where people can encounter the creative spirit behind Sunset Concert before the November gathering.
That wider creative direction gives the activation relevance beyond a poolside performance. Poetry and live music can reach people in different ways, while the informal setting may introduce the concert’s approach to people who have not attended its previous editions.
The October 17 programme is scheduled to begin at 3pm and continue into the evening. While the activation provides an early encounter with the Sunset Concert identity, the November show remains the main event around which the wider programme is building.
For local creatives, the value of such platforms lies partly in creating more opportunities for audiences to experience different forms of expression outside conventional concert settings. Whether the smaller gathering translates into greater interest in the main show will become clearer as the November date approaches.
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(Courtesy Pic)
