Red Bull Music Festival line-up rounds up with 35 more performers

An additional 35 performers have been included in the line-up for the 2018 Red Bull Music Festival, which will take place in Johannesburg from 3-8 April 2018.

The new additions include South Africa’s live house duo Sai & Ribatone, pantsula dance crew Real Action Pantsula, Tshepo Tsotetsi and Bonj Mpanza, radio personality Glen Lewis, jazz singer Zoe Modiga, Kid X, and Janus van der Merwe.

The Orbit, 73 Juta Street, Fox Junction, Zone 6, Kitcheners, Great Dane, AND Club as well as Republic of 94 are some of the venues that will host the festival.

Braamfontein will host an intimate session with two of South Africa’s most exciting young musicians and vocalists, Langa Mavuso and Zoe Modiga. Titled Khumbula, the performance will pay tribute to the country’s rich historical heritage while they also perform renditions of their current songs that have made them the artists they are today.

Round Robin event

The Red Bull Music Fest will bring back its Round Robin event, this time for its debut in Johannesburg. One musician will start a solo improvisation that will last five minutes and the second musician will join for five minutes creating a duo improvisation. The first musician will leave after 10 minutes to make way for the third musician who will create a five-minute improvisation with the second and so on and so on. A fresh balance of established musicians and up-and-coming talent featuring Clem Carr, Janus van der Merwe, Bonj Mpanza, Keenan Ahrends, Marcus Wyatt, QB Smith, Siskonke Xonti and Tshepo Tsotetsi will perform during this unique evening.

Vinyl collectors DJ Bubbles, DJ Okapi, and Zara Julius will dig into their crates to deliver a selection of records that dip into the past with trailblazing and often forgotten gems that shine a light on eras of music that would do well to be re-celebrated at Surface Noise.

Art lovers will enjoy 1st Thursday with a performance art piece by conceptual performance artist and production company Dear Ribane. The sibling trio will bring their art to TMRW Gallery at Keyes Art Mile.

Newtown Music Factory will celebrate 22 Years of Fire with Admiral & Jahseed and friends aka The African Storm Soundsystem. The night will offer a colourful celebration of Reggae and Dancehall with young ragga acts from all over Africa.

Music journalist Helen Herimbi will sit down with Trompies, one of the groups that defined kwaito 20 years ago. The conversation will delve into the post ‘94 election haze and come back to the 2000s.

Republic of 94 kicks off Waar Was Jy? with Muptee and legendary club and radio DJ Glen Lewis. Real Action Pantsula dancers will celebrate a dance style synonymous with Kwaito, pantsula. Hip-hop act star Kid X will merge the bridge between classic and new age kwaito. Kwaito will be celebrated in its full form with attendees dressed for the night in bucket hats and pantsula overalls.

Kitcheners and Great Dane will celebrate millennial artists who are shaping the sounds and attitudes of today’s clubbing experience. Cornelius SA and Daev Martian will play at Kitcheners. 2lee Stark will bring the house down alongside BrownPepperAnn, Patty Monroe, Bruce Loko and Sean Munnick.

AND Club

AND Club will host electronic music pioneers, Egyptian Lover and The Hacker. The venue does not allow any cameras or use of phones as it boasts one of the best sound systems in the country and all senses are necessary to experience it.

The main event day will be held at Fox Junction and legendary Mozambique band 340million come together to create music once again. Formerly known as 340ml, the band will recreate memories by performing their hits such as Midnight. Buli will join 340million on the main stage.

German DJ and record label owner, Gerd Janson will join the deep house floor at Goodluck Bar next door. Kat La Kat and Sai & Ribatone will compliment him with their deep afro-house sound. The last stage offers everything from future beats by Scott The Girl, Symatics and Deniece Marz to deep house from Micr. Pluto and liquid dubstep from Escapism Refuge.

The final night will honour artists pioneering sounds distinct to South Africa, rooted in tradition and elevated through millennial culture. Durban Gqom producers and DJs, Rudeboyz will perform the music genre that has taken the country by storm. They will share a stage with hip-hop artist AKA, gqom counterparts Distruction Boyz and deep house producer Da Capo.

The full line-up and detailed information and tickets are available on www.redbullmusicfestivaljhb.com.

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