Someone said she knew some people who looked like normal human beings throughout the year, but turned into “fashion plates and wild party animals” during the Arts Alive festival. This was definitely the case at the eighth free Jazz on the Lake on Sunday. To many it offered the chance to let down their hair and forget about the “whitey neighborhood” neighing with laughter at their outlandish clothes. The crowds gathered from all corners of Johannesburg to form a “rainbow nation” with picnic baskets and cooler bags. Mothers, fathers, children, friends, aunts and uncles danced up a storm to the world-renowned steel-pan sensation Andy Narell, who shared the stage with percussion maestro Roland Guerrero from the United States. Together, the two delivered the well-textured resonance of world-class classical jazz. The sensational young Sani Gamede brought back vivid memories of young singers of the Sixties like Miriam Makeba. Not limited to African songs, her soulful voice turned ballads and pop numbers into magical spells. Once you’ve seen Gamede in action, you are not likely to forget her as soon as you hit the highway. Complementing the jazzy beat of the outdoor concert were the homegrown sounds of Paul Hanmer, Sipho Gumede, Errol Dyers and McCoy Mrubata. – Luvuyo Kakaza