Star-studded line-up for Falls Carnival

Langalakhe Mabena

The country’s foremost festival, the Victoria Falls Carnival, which is slated to run from 28 to 30 April in the resort town has announced its first batch of artistes who will grace the stage at the 11th edition of the festival.

So unique will be this year’s edition as it has branched into the neighbouring Zambia as some of the festivities will be held in Livingstone, a Zambian city just 10km to the north of the Zambezi River.

Creatives who have been announced to be part of the performers at the Carnival include globetrotting South African DJ Black Coffee, Lerato Kganyago, Podcast n Chill’s Mac G and Sol Phenduka, Mafikizolo, Black Motion, Botswana’s Han-C, Mokoomba, Enzo Ishall, DJ Rimo, Anita Jaxson and DJ Nitefreak who returns to the list after impressing revellers last year.

Lerato Kganyago is expected to be an MC on one of the events at the Carnival. She is one of Mzansi’s most popular radio and club DJs, who kick started her career as co-host on SABC’s freshest music show Live Amp, now co-hosting Metro FM’s day time show, The Midday Link Up, and hosting Mzansi Magic’s reality show Project Runway.

Apart from Black Coffee who has graced the Carnival on some of the previous editions, Mzansi and Africa’s number one podcast duo of Mac G and Sol Phenduka (Podcast n Chill), are expected to be a major highlight of the annually held event.

The two will be joining forces for a unique blend of soulful, spiritual House tunes on their first appearance in Zimbabwe.
Botswana will be proudly represented by singer and songwriter Han-C who burst into the local Botswana music scene with his chart-topping debut album On My Own.

He has won multiple awards since including the Yarona FM Music Awards (YAMAS) Artiste of The Year four times in a row.
What will give more hype to this year’s festivities is that legendary Afro Fusion group Mafikizolo will be in the mix. Having shared international stages with some of the world’s best performers, including Will Smith, Bono and Queen, and having performed in 17 African countries, Mafikizolo are expected to bring a mature vibe to the Carnival.

In as much as some of the episodes of the Carnival will be held in Livingstone Zambia, the Carnival Director Craig Bright revealed that they were not taking away the traditional Victoria Falls and Zimbabwean flair.

“For the first time in its history, the Vic Falls Carnival will cross the Zambezi to include the Zambian side in a host of standalone music experiences at the beautiful 5-star Radisson Blu Resort, reaching more fans and creating a bigger festival footprint than ever before.

“The spirit of the Vic Falls Carnival remains the same – beautiful locations, competitive packages, a wide selection of artistes from across the continent, and uniting music and adventure fans from around the world in a celebration of all things Africa,” said Bright.