2021 is almost in full swing and the entertainment industry is once again struggling to find their feet, although there is a much more positive vibe around this year.
One of the biggest events we are looking forward to is the annual minstrel competition which has been moved to June.
The second wave of the Coronavirus pandemic might be at its peak, but artists have learnt to deal with it and have realised that it will most probably be with us for most of 2021 and that they will have to create events that suit the conditions we are currently living in if they want to survive this tough period.
I caught up with a few of Cape Town’s favourite local producers and directors to ask their take on the year ahead.
Songbird Salome says: “I'll be doing more work in the studio and you are the first to know that Marc Lottering has written a new song for me so I'm excited about that.
“I'm looking forward to doing some collaborations with other artists and all I hope and pray for is that Covid will go away so I could get into doing shows with a live audience; for now I'll just keep safe.”
Singer Mujahid George, aka The Boy from Bo-Kaap, says he has high hopes despite the challenges ahead: "2021 will bring hope to our industry, I think we will see our Malay culture in their vibrant colours, maybe not in June as we were told but definitely in this year.
“I also know that producers are planning big festivals and concerts for December, so for that I'm very excited to see our singers, dancers, musicians and artists find their way back into theatres and arenas for good.
“We hope and pray to see light at the end of this very long tunnel.
“Artists at the moment are still using every opportunity to create an income or work for anything just so that they can feed their families, which is quite sad to see.
“This pandemic experience has now gone on for almost a year in South Africa, and we are feeling the brunt of it harshly.
“This year I believe will bring new life to our industry, but for now we should stick together and hopefully our families, friends, supporters and fans will continue giving of themselves and always support us.”
Entertainer Jamie Barthus has become a household name for his online songs and geite and currently has 98 000 followers on his Facebook page and close to 40 000 on Tik Tok.
He says: “This year it’s all about staying safe, protecting our family, friends and spreading the word through music because people tend to love music so what better way to spread awareness.”
When lockdown Level 3 was announced in December many artists were forced to cancel events. One of them was Cape Flats author and influencer Yusuf Daniels, who halted his show at the Baxter Theatre.
Yusuf says: "I think for the next six months we’re going to have to go online because during these tough times we need to think out the box even further.
“We’re speaking to a few producers for a possible movie because we need to keep our people smiling, and then we are hoping for The Living Coloured show to return to the Baxter.
“We do trust that our audiences will support us as they have during the toughest and most shocking period of the virus.”
The show’s director, Loukmaan Adams, who was probably one of the busiest people in the industry in the midst of the pandemic, adds: "It’s difficult to say what’s going to happen in the future, but I do know that The Living Coloured for now is not going online.
“For the artists, we are back to where we started basically, this is like Level 5 (of lockdown) for all of us.
“I am currently working on a Valentine’s Day show and it will also have to be online, so we can only but hope for the best.”
Entertainer Alistair Izobell says performing online is not the same as doing it in front of a live audience and he hopes things will return back to normal soon.
"Navigating through the online expression of performances, having to experience no applause from an audience that normally embraces one has been the most harrowing and disempowering experience.
“I pray that the Almighty will allow us to experience yet again the sound of an applause, the gift of song that changes lives and that we will be able to get to a point of earning power that is sustainable while also serving audiences and fellow musicians.”
With that said, please support all these artists online by following them on Facebook and other social media platforms.