Ringo Madlingozi Concert at Cape Town City Hall

Celebrate Africa Day eKapa with impassioned performances by the Afro-soul star and special local and international guests

Drop the name ‘Ringo’ north of the Mediterranean Sea and west of Cape Verde and you’ll have people humming ‘Yellow Submarine’ and feeling all nostalgic about the renowned, mega-famous Beatles drummer. Drop it on the African continent, and the masses will start swaying to the Afro-pop tunes of multi award-winning phenomenon Ringo Madlingozi. You see, there’s only one ‘Ringo’ in the motherland, and he’s celebrating Africa Day along with two supporting acts with a special performance at Cape Town City Hall on Sunday, 25 May 2014.

Part of the City Hall Sessions, a series that looks to instate the Mother City’s former government building as a cultural focal point, this particular concert not only kicks off the year’s sequence of transformative gigs, but it also pays homage to the founding of the African Union (AU) and the continent’s togetherness.

And who better to sing a few odes to the vibrant landmass than a man who has a following that reaches from the sweet waters of Simon’s Town to the dry dunes of the Sahara desert? Ringo, as he’s more commonly known, has captured the hearts of audiences near and far with his unique blend of traditional isiXhosa rhythms and contemporary instrumentations. He won a Kora Award (the African equivalent of a Grammy) in the category ‘Best Male Vocalist on the Continent’ just before the turn of the millennium, and he’s gone down in history as a love crooner who’s also produced for greats like Miriam Makeba.

Alongside Ringo, the Africa Day concert bill includes the likes of Ntombethongo and the Imperial Tiger Orchestra. The former is an Eastern Cape-born guitarist who went from sangoma to the stage, giving up his role as a traditional healer in his tiny village to follow another sort of dream. The isiXhosa musician hasn’t looked back since, enthralling audiences as far as Canada with his energetic performances and securing a South African Traditional Music Award (SATMA) in 2012 for ‘Best isiXhosa Album’.

On the other hand, the Imperial Tiger Orchestra plays jazz and funk inspired by Ethiopian sounds from the 70s - it’s the kind of music that’ll have you jiving whether you planned to or not.

Tickets for the Ringo Madlingozi & Friends Africa Day City Hall Session

Tickets for the concert are on sale via Webtickets.co.za for R100p/p; students and pensioners pay only R75p/p with presentation of a valid ID. The show starts at 7:30pm.

What are the City Hall Sessions all about?

The musical events aim to reposition the City Hall as a thriving cultural space where Capetonians and tourists alike can take in a range of diverse local and international musical talents. While these inner-city concerts enliven this grand historical space, the established and up-and-coming acts also bolster Cape Town’s reputation as a cosmopolitan city at the forefront of cultural innovation and appreciation. 

---
Use our events section for an up-to-date overview of happenings in Cape Town. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, join our Google+ circle, connect with us on LinkedIn and check out our Pinterest boards for updates.