Joburg frolics in Rio style carnival
 The 2008 Gauteng Pale Ya Rona Carnival was a bee-hive of activity on Saturday as artists got ready for their much-anticipated march from the Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown to the Johannesburg Stadium.
Amidst a blaze of colour, thundering music and dance, bringing to life the streets of Johannesburg, the approximately 15 000 participants took to the streets parading through the 3.5km route in one of the most spectacular events lined up for Heritage Month.
With Gauteng’s Premier Mbhazima Shilowa and foreign dignitaries leading the march, participants were soon adding more complex and vibrant dance steps to their themes, as masses of spectators cheered them on.
Organized by the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, MEC Barbara Creecy said “This year we began to finalize and expand on our training initiatives and skills transfer programmes. In March 2008, we implemented our first international skills exchange programme with Stephen Derek, one of the leading exponents of the cultural art form of carnival costume design and construction in Trinidad and Tobago.”
“Stephen spent two weeks at the Sibikwa Community Art Center in Ekurhuleni, transferring these skills to 30 young carnival practitioners from our carnival camps. The large costumes that he assisted in designing and building were featured in the carnival.”
She said that the carnival parade was the culmination of months of hard work from community groups, artisans and artists across Gauteng. It was a choreographed presentation of the stories gathered from each region, told in terms of costume, dance and music.
Creecy said “The carnival also gives an opportunity for employment, economic growth and community development.”
The Tourism Department of Trinidad and Tobago had also brought 22 Court Sound Specialists of Laventille Steel Orchestra Trinbago Steel Pan Band, to participate in the carnival, who is their current reigning medium band champion.
Also joining the parade was the French Institute, The Afrikaanse Volkspele, Scottish, French, Portugese and Tamil Federations, the Royal Thai Embassy and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China who brought their lion and dragon dancers.
The carnival was a showcase of South African artistic talent, also allowing for artists to learn from their experienced counterparts of China, who were eager to impress upon the participants the importance of creative arts such as this.
First Secretary of the Royal Thai Embassy, Kajtiti Wiwatwanont said “This is the first time that Thailand is participating in this carnival, and we hope that the Arts and Craft structure that we have created will help all South Africans who enter this field.”
Upon arrival at the Johannesburg Stadium, artists continued to parade their beautiful and imaginative creations, for those spectators who had missed the road parade.
Article by Fathima Jani |
