South Africa – The Modena City Ramblers at the WOMAD Festival
The WOMAD – the renowned “World of Music, Arts & Dance” international festival founded by Peter Gabriel, celebrates 40 years of existence in 2022.
Big names of South African and international music will perform in Cape Town, Soweto, and Johannesburg, and a series of unique events known as the WOMAD South African Safari 2022 will be presented around the country.
On this prestigious occasion, the Italian Cultural Institute of Pretoria, in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in South Africa and the WOMAD Festival, invited the Modena City Ramblers to represent Emilia-Romagna – a region that has always been deeply involved in the struggle against apartheid, intolerance, and social injustice: all themes that can be found in their music.
In the seventies and eighties of the last century, the Emilia-Romagna region was the epicentre of an influential strategy of solidarity with the liberation movements of South Africa, Mozambique, and other countries in the region. The relationship with the city of Reggio Emilia in particular has been a long and significant one, with the city actively participating in the promotion of the anti-apartheid movement abroad and in the support of struggle exiles such as Oliver Tambo and Anthony Mongalo.
In line with this historic solidarity, and with the intention of cementing the collaboration between Italy and South Africa, the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Pretoria have organized a special concert, entitled ITALY FOR SOWETO, in which the Modena City Ramblers and the Sowetan group Sisonke Bafo will perform (on October 6, 06:00 pm, at the Uncle Tom Community Centre in Soweto). Sisonke Bafo’s music pays homage to the 1985 album “The Indestructible Beat of Soweto”, which has been a main inspiration for several international artists.
The Modena City Ramblers will also make a stop in Cape Town, with two concerts on October 1st and 2nd (at the V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre, 06:00 pm), and in Johannesburg on October 6, in the "Grand Finale" concert at the Paterson Park (from 01:00 pm to 10:00 pm).
In the last live performance of the festival, collaborations between international and local artists can be experienced live.
This is a vital part of the WOMAD experience that comes from the recording studio. The Modena City Ramblers were also involved, and together with The One Who Sings – musical project by Zolani Maola, singer, storyteller, and actress very famous in South Africa and beyond – they will record some pieces at the Flame Studios in Johannesburg.
The Emilian band’s “Safari Tour” is curated by BPM Concerti in co-operation with ATER Fondazione.
WOMAD 