Some of Port Elizabeth’s best-loved musicians will come together to celebrate Worker’s Day in true artistic style at Pata Pata Lifestyle in New Brighton on May 1.
Arts In Union – A Worker’s Day Celebration promises a soulful Wednesday with Ikati Esengxoweni, LoveChild, DJ MissJay, Lefa Mosea, Songo Songo, Docta Musiq and Safe Cutz on the day’s lineup.
The event, which is the brainchild of Dipuo PR and Entertainment, Sam Jam Sessions and Bay musician Blaq Tye – is being staged not only to celebrate workers but the unity of artists in the Bay through music.
“Artists are also contributing to the country's GDP and what other way do they know how to honour and celebrate all the workers in the world besides doing what they do best, which is through music?”, event co-founder and PE DJ Miss Jay said.
Another goal of the event was to emphasise creativity, whether in the coroporate or musical fields as a form of employment, Miss Jay said.
“We came up with this concept to celebrate different kinds of art forms, to promote self-employment through the creative industry and to teach people that the arts is also a full-time job,” she said.
The show boasts a lineup of some of Port Elizabeth’s most celebrated musicians.
Docta Musiq wears the hats of singer, producer, songwriter – and DJ among others.His more than 20 years’ experience in the industry has seen him hopping from hip-hop, RnB to doing kwaito collaborations before pursuing a solo career from 2016.
Miss Jay is one of the Bay’s long-standing female DJs who kicked off her career in the city in 2009. She is often heard playing predominantly hip hop sets, although incorporating various genres into her performances.She is the founder of Sam Jam sessions, a regular music and arts session.
Jazzman Lefa Mosea recently celebrated 10 years in music where he performed on some of the SA jazz community’s biggest stages, including The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival, the Ugu Jazz Festival, National Arts Festival and Ebubeleni Festival. Mosea launched his solo career in 2017 with the release of his single Amabele for which he soon became known on local and national radio stations.
Established three years ago, duo Ikati Esengxoweni has become one of the Bay’s most progressive bands and bagged a spot to perform at Afropunk Johannesburg in December 2018. The pair have performed at festivals in France and Spain and had their song featured as a soundtrack on Mzansi Magic prison drama series Lockdown .
LoveChild has been among the city’s hardest working self-starters since quitting a stable job to pursue music in 2013. The Standard Bank Ovation award winner was recently voted by the public to perform at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg.
SafeCutz is a local DJ with an interest in skills development in the music industry.
RnB and soul musician Songo Songo has been singing since primary school and has shared the stage with the likes of Moneoa, PoeticSoul and Thokozile Makamba. She recently performed a back-up role for Moneo at the Ebubeleni Music Festival.
Arts In Union – A Worker’s Day Celebration will run from 2pm to 11pm. Tickets are R100 at the door.