Cape Town Festival begins today

MEC for Cultural Affairs and Sport, Dr Ivan Meyer, will attend the festivities. The concert will feature performances by well-known Cape Town artists, including The Rockets, who will give a preview of their performance at the main festival on Sunday, 20 March. The CTF invites all Capetonians to come dressed in their cricket, football or rugby jerseys and to fly their South African flags in support of our national cricket team, the Proteas, who will be playing their final group game against Bangladesh in the Cricket World Cup on Saturday, 19 March.

A series of concerts

The CTF will feature a series of concerts in the Company's Gardens and performing artists will include: Judith Sephuma, Jesse Clegg, The Rockets, Vicky Sampson, Allistair Izobel, The Dirty Skirts, Chad Saaiman, James Bhemjee, Emo Adams, Nne-Vida, Nomfusi and The Lucky Charms, Virtual Jazz Reality, Die Heuwels Fantasties, Isabel Novela, the Glenn Robertson Jazz Band, Loukmaan Adams, Tucan Tucan, Jax Panik, Watoto Children's Choir, the Delft Youth Big Band, the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, PANSA, and a host of community performances selected at the recent Community Festivals in Delft, Gugulethu and Atlantis.

Human Rights Day Address

The Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Alderman Dan Plato, will deliver an official Human Rights Day Address on Monday, 21 March, as part of the formalities honouring the day.

"The City of Cape Town is proud to support the 2011 Cape Town Festival," endorsed Alderman Plato, "It is my hope that the 2011 Festival will promote better understanding, respect and co-operation between people from different cultural backgrounds who share this City with one another," he urged.

Religious/Cultural Ceremony

In the spirit of creating tolerance and intercultural understanding, the three-day programme incorporates a Religious/Cultural Ceremony on Human Rights Day, in which leaders from various religious and cultural persuasions - including Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hari Krishna and African Traditionalist - are invited to recite inter-faith prayers.

A wide range of musical genres

This year's musical bill has a line-up of South African and African performers offering a wide range of musical genres, including: Afro-pop, world music, rock, Afro-beat, jazz, RnB, urban-pop, hip hop and soul.

"In line with the vision of the Cape Town Festival, we strive to ensure that our musical content reflects the full spectrum of musical genres and appeals to a cross-section of the city's population," said Fisher.

The headline act is jazz and Afro-pop SAMA Award-winner Judith Sephuma, who will perform on Human Rights Day. Other artists include: Johnny Clegg's son, Jesse Clegg; Chad Saaiman; Vicky Sampson; The Rockets; Nomfusi; Tucan Tucan; Emo Adams; Die Heuwels Fantasties; Isabel Novela; The Glenn Robertson Jazz Band; Loukmaan Adams; The Dirty Skirts; Virtual Jazz Reality; 2010 SA's Got Talent winner James Bhemjee; Jax Panik; The Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda; the Cape Philharmonic Youth Orchestra; and The Delft Youth Big Band.

Performers from the Performing Arts Network of South Africa (PANSA), who have their roots in Africa, will usher in each day's programme with a display of traditional instrumental, dance and vocal performances in true African style.

For more information, go to www.capetownfestival.co.za or email az.oc.lavitsefnwotepac@ofni