Music icons Ludacris, Ne-Yo, Mi Casa & Shaggy to get PE pumping

World On Press 

Ian Jindela

International superstars Ne-Yo, Shaggy, Ludacris and Protoje will join Shoelace and three-time SA Music Award winners Mi Casa for the first MBay Mega Fest at Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, 2 June 2012.

This spectacular line-up of South African and international music talent is set to position PE as a significant player on the country’s festival circuit, while providing a much-needed boost to the Eastern Cape economy.

This all-day festival, starting at 10am, will feature non-stop entertainment across two stages. The headline acts will dazzle the crowds on the main stage with essential grooves ranging from reggae and house to R&B and rap, while the secondary stage will host an electrifying array of local DJs and artists from the region to keep the party pumping.  

Triple Grammy-winning R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo has taken the music world by storm over the past seven years, after penning Mario’s smash hit single Let Me Love You. Ne-Yo has since gone on to earn acclaim in his own right, with a number of multi-awarded albums spawning hits such as So Sick, Sexy Love, Because of You, Closer, Mad and Miss Independent.

Rapper and actor Ludacris has won three Grammy awards (with a mammoth 17 nominations) as well as a Screen Actors Guild award and three MTV video awards. He has notched up several hit singles from his multi-platinum-selling albums, including Southern Hospitality, What’s Your Fantasy, Stand Up, Splash Waterfalls, Money Maker and Runaway Love. He is due to release his eighth studio album, Ludaversal, during 2012.

Jamaican-American reggae singer and rapper Shaggy remains an enduring favourite with a broad cross-section of audiences. Over the past 20 years he has notched up global hits with tracks such as Oh Carolina, Boombastic (his album of the same name won a Grammy), It Wasn’t Me and Angel. Over the past few years Shaggy has embarked on cross-cultural collaborations with the likes of Japanese reggae artist Iecca, Balkan group Sahara and Egyptian star Tamer Hosny.

Jamaican singer-songwriter Protoje (aka Oje Ken Ollivierre) is a rising star on the reggae scene, whose debut album The Seven Year Itch spawned the single Rasta Love featuring Ky-Mani Marley, one of Bob Marley’s sons. The album reached the top five in Canada, the USA and France in 2011.

The South African acts on the bill include sensational soul house trio Mi Casa, fresh from their astounding victory at the 18^th annual South African Music Awards, during which they picked up a phenomenal three trophies – for Best Duo or Group, Best Dance Album and the highly coveted Record of the Year for the single These Streets, which was voted for by the music-loving public. Singer/composer Joao da Fonseca hails from the Eastern Cape region.

“Port Elizabeth is a sophisticated music-supporting market and offers world-class infrastructure, and by hosting the MBay Mega Fest we are hoping to put the Friendly City firmly on the map as a destination of choice for large international festivals of this nature,” said Andrea Wessels, festival director and CEO of Zeranza SA, the independent PE-based events management company that is staging the event.

“Our aim is to decentralise large festivals of this nature from the usual major urban areas in South Africa, and bring major national and international acts to emerging cosmopolitan centres such as PE,” she added.

“We are also committed to contributing toward job creation and stimulating the GDP of the local economy with this annual celebration of music. With gold-standard international and local acts and top-drawer production values, we’re looking forward to an all-day party to remember!”

Bookings for the MBay Megafest are now on sale at Computicket.
With 9 Grammy’s, 3 SAMA’s and multiple award winners represented at the June 2 festival at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth the one SHOW only is sure to be a sell out.
Book online http://www.computicket.com/ or at an outlet near you

3 Quarter Live at Last

World On Press

They are two super sassy girls with linked mind and soul. They are music, they are the beat and they are indeed movers on stage. A voice of new sound soaring from African shores to Global arena. The girls answer to no-one but their passion for performance and entertainment. The girls are born performers who've been creating their own spotlight since they could barely walk - singing, dancing, and twin-talking as friends and bringing light with their infectious energy.

Known for its talent and prominent leaders, Eastern Cape introduced another power packed Duo of female singers from The Nelson Mandela Bay. 3 Quarter, as a women duo has managed to share International and Local stages with the likes of the late Stompi Mavi, Thandiswa Mazwai, Siphokazi, Phinda Mtya, Ringo Madlingozi and George Benson to name the few. In less than few years in the music scene the duo has finally settled in and soon will be releasing their first album.

3 Quarter consist of two beautiful ladies Nomabotwe Mtimkulu and Bulelwa “KiKi” Gahe, both hail from the friendly city-Nelson Mandela Bay. These girls they both grew up singing in church and from a musical family background. 3 Quarter is influenced by the environment and their community. According to the girls their sound has a touch of afro feel. Musically they are influenced by Gloria Bosman, Phinda Mtya, Y’ssou Ndou, and Gill Scott. Besides shopping the girls enjoy dining in style, business networking and motivational talks.

3 Quarter is made up of powerful musicians who have made a mark respectively. On stage the girls are joined by a six pierce band including keyboard player; drummer; bassist and lead guitar with two Brasses and 3 backup vocalists. 3 Quarter is a packaged product aimed at instilling the spirit of Entertainment to the community, government, and corporates and also to their fans.

“The question is not whether 3 Quarter is ready for the big time; it's whether the big time is ready for 3 Quarter.”

Are You Ready for 3 Quarter?

Nomhle earned two SAMA 18 nominations.

World On Press

Ian Jindela

The album titled Ikhwezi “Morning Star” came to reality, as Nomhle the singer, songwriter and performer earned two SAMA 18 nominations. Best African Adult Album and Best Female artist. Port Elizabeth born Nomhle is overwhelmed by the nominations. This was announced this morning at Turbine Hall, Johannesburg. As the singer was about to step out of the glittering venue Mzansi's media couldn't resist her charisma.

On Best African Adult Album, Nomhle is up against music giants Somizi; Unathi whom she worked with for years as the backup singer and her home girl Zonke. On Best female, she will battle up against Zahara amongst.

In less than a year of her album release, Nomhle toured Lesotho, Mozambique and West Africa. Her struggle to get recognition in South Africa has been her strong point. Ingane Kama kelwane featuring Zulu Boy is getting airplay on BBC Africa and Jamaican local Radio Stations including UK. Her album sound is influenced by the rich culture that Africa beholds, as you can clearly identify different sounds from all around the continent, mainly from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mali, etc.

According to Sisa Sopazi, manager and producer this is just the beginning of what is to come. Nomhle’s music will forever set hearts on fire and keep stimulating our minds on issues that people would rather ignore. South Africa has given birth to a new born star. She will set world stages with her beautiful music and culture caring the legacy of great legends like Mama Miriam Makeba, Jabu Khanyile and Mama Busie Mhlongo.

“I am grateful and humbled by the news, it is such an honor for me and my music is finally getting recognition. Thank you to my fans and friends for the endless love and support.” Concludes - excited Nomhle.