After an opening address by Dr Jacob Meiring, manager of the office of Artscape CEO, Marlene le Roux, the words and music started to flow at the Poetry & Jazz Sunset Session hosted by the Cape Cultural Collective on Thursday night, July 23.

A collaborative set between the poets, vocalists and live band made for an intimate evening of entertainment in the jam-packed Innovation Lounge. 

A collaborative set between the poets, vocalists and live band made for an intimate evening of entertainment in the jam-packed Innovation Lounge.

Under the theme “We Are Here Together: A Mandela Month Gathering of Shared Stories and Rhythm”, the concert was an initiative of the CCC’s Writer’s Club. 

The Mamela band had everyone listening intently with the ever-enchanting Charles Louw on keyboard, Clayton Pretorius on bass, and Carlo Fabe, who was celebrating his birthday, on drums. Singers Babalwa Mentjies and Cindy Gibbons also gave individual performances with songs including Areng, Ntyilo Ntyilo and Take Me to the Alley.

As MCs, Vusumuzi Mpofu and Eugenia Zantoto, brought the programme together for an unforgettable night. Writers’ Club member, Shankly B.Farred, a science fiction author, shared his poetry, including a work specially written for the event, about Nelson Mandela. “It felt amazing to see the support and the joy on each and every face in the audience, a world of sound and joy that I was grateful to be a part of. As nerve-wracked as I was, I would do it again,” said Shankly (Read our pre-concert interview with Shankly here).

Poet Rea Mmethi has been performing in and around Cape Town since 2024. On Thursday, she shared three pieces. Familiar Faces explored the precarity of the immigrant identity. “I’ve interacted with many migrants who have described this feeling that they are never safe; they are constantly on the brink of danger.”

Her poem, Global Warming is a Hoax, personified the natural elements that are impacted by climate change. “The goal for me here was to enable people to contrast the harm to the environment to their own internal harm, but also to reflect on that contrast.”

She said her poem Circles of History spoke to how cyclical the struggle for education in South Africa has been. “I contrast the experiences of our grandparents with ours, with the goal of showing how little has changed.”

Rea said she thoroughly enjoyed the concert. “I found it very engaging, exciting and well-curated. The audience was absolutely lovely, the venue was gorgeous and I enjoyed sharing a stage with the very talented band.”

Poet and battle rapper, Riyaadh Sarang, who goes by the stage name Riyo, said he likes to curate pieces that showcase a fusion of poetry and elements of rap. “Last night I performed a poem called Snowfall because it spoke to my struggles growing up and how poetry helped me overcome certain issues. I decided to do that poem because in light of Mandela Day, we also need to remember to keep fighting our own struggles so that we can be ready to help others.”

His second poem, Dada, was a tribute to his grandfather who was an activist and spoke at rallies in his hometown of Lenasia during Apartheid. “This inspired me,” said Riyo. “He was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s so this poem was both an ode to him and an attempt to immortalise his memory.”

Riyo ended his poem with a line that said the man with Alzheimer’s is the reason his childhood was memorable.

“The concert was fantastic, all the artists were so supportive of each other and we really gelled well; the band was incredible. The hosts were warm and (Cape Cultural Collective central co-ordinator) Winslow was pulling strings in the background like a master puppeteer. The audience was also super receptive and engaging – that was the best part.”

The evening ended with everyone on their feet and being transported to another time and place with the song Meadowlands sung by Babalwa Mentjies.

Cape Cultural Collective interim co-ordinator, Chris Ferndale, thanked the band, singers and poets. “The band is very good with supporting the poets. The show flowed and blended well. Charles Louw and the band loved the show and want to be on stage again in October. 

“I really appreciate their style and creative depth of play. Babalwa made the crowd sing and dance and the audience enjoyed and appreciated her excellent style. She managed the audience as if they were a choir. The poets brought conscious content, celebrated Mandela and ventured into meaningful themes on age, gender and the environment. Great stuff.”

Vusumuzi Mpofu, who always knows just how to warm up a crowd, concluded: “The show was a huge success, thanks for the continued support and collective action in making the Poetry & Jazz Sunset Session, all it was.”