Afropunk goes on without Solange
Alast minute cancellation of American singer, Solange Knowles’ appearance as headline act at the maiden edition of Afropunk Johannesburg did not dampen the spirits of the free spirits who thronged the Constitution Hill, Braamfontein, Johannesburg venue for the two-day event.
Advertisement
A beautiful and varied collection of firecrackers,loud music and rapturous cheers went up the Johannesburg skyline when the clock struck
midnight on Monday, January 1, in South Africa’s largest city.
Solange had announced her absence from the festival four days earlier in a lengthy Instagram post.
The 30- year-old explained that she has been battling with Autonomic
Disorder "the last five months"and that doctors had not cleared her for the long flight to South Africa and to perform shortly thereafter.
She added that "I give you my ABSOLUTE WORD I will come back with AfroPunk and deliver this performance.....as it is so extremely Important to me to connect with the people who have so closely inspired me in so many ways."
This seemingly bad news on the cusp of an historic event on African soil, coupled with a hailstorm that lasted for almost two hours didn’t dampen the spirits of either the artistes or those who turned up to express themselves at this international festival that originated in New York in 2005.
The huge number of revelers who had turned up earlier in the day on Sunday, December 31, in anticipation of climaxing the year and the night when 2017 gives way to 2018 had waited for that moment at the Afropunk Fest Jo’burg and cheered, hugged,kissed, danced and cartwheeled in celebration of New Year.
There was performance after performance from some of the known artistes who play rock,funk,punk and alternative music as well as local and
international DJs all coming together to give a show to the many who had gathered for the experience.
For the two days, artistes and DJs such as Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals, Laura Mvula, King Tha vs BLK JKS, Theo Parrish, Black Motion, Okzharp & Manthe Ribane, Blitz The Ambassador, Nakhane, TCIYF, Spoek Mathambo and Petite Noir rocked the audience.The Afropunk festival was created from a documentary by American, James Spooner, which explored the lives of black people in the punk culture and it has been going on for more than a decade
