Mohalenyane Phakela
FAMO veteran, Apollo Ntabanyane (Ntate Apollo) and his sons stole the show at the inaugural Africa Picnic and Camping (APICA) festival which was held at Khotsong Lodge in Thaba Bosiu last weekend.
The fiesta was supposed to have started with a picnic at Molumo Nthuse on Friday, however, it had to be put on hold due to the heavy rains that poured in the area on the day.
With the skies clear on Saturday, the weather allowed performers and revellers to party the night away. As if to compensate, the partying continued on Sunday afternoon till the wee hours of Monday.
Ntate Apollo went on stage at around 10pm on Saturday and the 76-year-old oozed with energy that defied his age belting out hits like Lipelepele, One Ole Kae and Qheku la Madala among others.
Besides captivating the audience with his singing skills, his trademark Honye dance where he wraps a blanket around his waist making it appear like a tail enchanted the revellers.
The dance, among other stage antics, has won him international recognition for the four decades that he has been in the industry.
Ntate Apollo’s five-piece band is made up of his three sons and two grandchildren. One of his sons, who helped with the vocals also captivated the crowd with his guitar and accordion skills where he would roll on the stage floor while playing.
The polished performance also set the bar high for ensuing artistes like Zagro Deejays who also put up a scintillating performance through the bongo drums incorporated in their set. They also took the opportunity to introduce their debut album, Unison, and they got the opportunity to introduce the tracks to the crowd.
One-on-one set of Tedozdj and France hailing DJ Rocco who appeared as if they had rehearsed together before due to the way they were able to blend in songs.
The much-anticipated performance by Zimbabwean-born Bekezela also lived up to its billing while South African outfit, Mango Groove, brought the Sophia-town experience to the stage and had the audience reminisce with dances from back in the day.
DJs Khotso Molapo, South African, Tabloid, as well as Jazz maestro, Mongali Nthako, also ensured that revellers were kept on the dancefloor.
The party continued on Sunday evening boasting new performers like US songstress, Monique Bingham, Lesotho’s Pablodj, Lady Dee, Tedozdj and NINE24.
Mavele and actor Tseko Monaheng were the hosts on the two days.
