An exciting initiative on the Durban music scene has reworked the familiar Battle of the Bands concept to make it purely for acoustic music.
To make matters more interesting, the event takes place not in a sweaty bar but in a contemporary art gallery. The final round of the competition takes place this week, and the winners of each round will battle it out in the finals on December 12.
In action in round four are Corn Meyer, the Trees, the Lace Guns and Luminati. It will be particularly interesting to see what Luminati do in the acoustic idiom, given the strong rock element in the duo’s usual shows. Blending the minimalist progressive sound of Slint and Codeine with the rock-hop of TV on the Radio, while singing and rapping in isiZulu and English, Luminati are as enigmatic as their bio suggests — their music is described as “something that reminds you of old newspapers and cigars but also smells as fresh as a lemon tree”.
The Collective, 48b Florida Road. December 5 at 7pm to 10pm. Entrance is R20. Entrance to the finals on December 12 in the same venue is R30.
? Fans of 2009 Idols co-winner Jason Hartman and wild animals can enjoy both while helping to save Africa’s endangered elephants and rhinos. All the proceeds from the R200 ticket price go to Celebrate Life 2012, an extraordinary fundraising initiative by a group of ordinary women hoping to raise R1-million for the Tusk Foundation, which is dedicated to saving the continent’s imperilled pachyderms. Hartman is a passionate conservationist, having recently performed in Monaco to raise funds for Conservation Guardians, an organisation that helps fight the war against rhino poaching. He recently released his new single, Say My Name, and plans to do his second album early next year.
The Italian Club, 82 Fairway, Durban North, on December 5 at 6.30pm. Guests are invited to bring picnic baskets and enjoy the cash bar. Tickets are limited and advance booking is essential. Tel: 082 440 1730.
? The world-renowned Drakensberg Boys’ Choir present their famous annual Christmas spectacular, Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
Conducted by internationally acclaimed Icelandic maestro Bragi Thor Valsson, the choir performs a wide range of popular seasonal music from around the world. Another exciting feature on the programme is the performance of Beethoven’s Quintet for Piano and Winds, which was inspired by Mozart’s Quintet. It features a young, all-South African team of soloists from the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra — Kirsten Sayers on clarinet, Maggi Deppe on oboe, Marian van Duyker on French horn and Anele Mnguni on bassoon. Christopher Duigan joins them at the piano to play this celebrated and most magnificent of compositions.
Audience members are invited to join in the singing of carols performed by the choir and accompanied by the Pietermaritzburg City Hall organ. The conductor will be available after the performance to do voice tests for boys who wish to join the Drakensberg Boys’ Choir.
Pietermaritzburg City Hall, December 5, at 7pm. Tickets are R100 in advance from the Dulcé Café at Parklane SuperSpar.