Nthatuoa Koeshe
LOCAL artistes are ready to pick themselves up and start recovering from the losses they suffered during the prolonged Covid-19 break when they have been barred from musical performances, artiste Nthako Mongali has said.
The event will be held at Victoria Hotel’s pool side on 29 November 2020.
Mongali told the Weekender this week that he is planning to host a mini jazz festival to stimulate artistes’ income and give them a chance to start working again.
Local artistes have been idle since March this year when the government enforced a national lockdown after the outbreak of Coronavirus (Covid-19).
Dubbed Jakobo Music Event, the festival will feature artistes like Bhudaza Mapefane, Majisto, Selimo Thabane, Sipho Lekhele and Mongali Nthako.
“Because of Covid-19, the entertainment industry has been closed and local musicians have not been getting any income because they have not been able to perform or host events which is their only way of making money,” Mongali said.
Now that restrictions have been lightened, the Jakobo Music Event will give them a chance to get income again.
The festival is expected to be attended by at most 500 people who will be forced to adhere to Covid-19 regulations that include sanitising and wearing masks.
The majority of local artistes are breadwinners who rely on musical performance for income, hence it is imperative that they resume performances.
So dire is the situation that some artistes have sunk into depression because of lack of income, he said.
“We are not hoping to get handouts but we want to start picking ourselves up and make money again. We have secured a licence for this event and we are raring to go.”
The event will start at midday and end at midnight.
