Cape Town Waterfront Events

Summer Concert Series December 2012

The Cape Town Waterfront events are always a hit with locals, tourists and expats alike. Everybody loves coming to this major Cape Town attraction.

Have you already heard about this summer’s awesome Cape Town Waterfront events happening this December? The V&A Waterfront Summer season concert line-up is certainly an impressive one!

All lovers of great entertainment can look forward to a great summer of free events at the revamped V&A Waterfront amphitheatre. Some of South Africa’s greatest bands will be playing at this most scenic venue in Cape Town. The official opening of the re-vamped amphitheatre will take place on November 17, 2012. The photo below was taken during the WorldCup 2010.

Come around to one of the city’s best attractions, experience the great atmosphere and enjoy the festive season with these Cape Town Waterfront events!

All Cape Town Waterfront events will take place at the V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre and will take about one hour, if not otherwise mentioned. Concerts at the Amphitheatre are free. Seats at first come, first served.

Summer Concerts: Cape Town Waterfront
Events in December 2012

December 1, 2012 Melanie Scholtz and the Love Apples

18h00: The Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz 2010, Melanie has performed with the who's who of the South African jazz scene, as well as acclaimed international musicians such as Norwegian Band “Inkala”, Belgian jazz pianist Jack van Poll, Al Jarreau, Bobby McFerrin and Joe Mcbride. This South African artist will continue to captivate listeners with her original and unique sound.

December 2, 2012: Vicky Sampson

18h00: Vicky Sampson is the magical voice behind “My African Dream” – the song that inspired a nation and a continent when she sung it at the opening and closing ceremonies of the African Cup of Nations Football Competition held in South Africa in 1996. The song has won various awards and has since become an unofficial anthem, speaking to the hopes and dreams of the people of South Africa and Africa as a whole.

December 8, 2012: Larry Joe Live

18h00: With combining elements of soul, Afro pop and R&B, this band will grab you and make you want to dance with its infectious melodies and unforgettable songs. With a range of material, as diverse as the musicians themselves, this band is unforgettable.

December 9, 2012: Jess Yallup and The Jack Mantis Band

18h00 – 18h30: Jess is an indie/folk singer-songwriter, best known as a finalist on South African Idols. She conveys her experiences and feelings in honest lyrics shaped by dynamic melodies, with her distinct, warm and raspy vocals.

18h30 – 19h15: The Jack Mantis Band is a musical journey, oriented around acoustic guitar with energy-driven grooves, performing soulful songs about love, relationships and living today. The music of the Jack Mantis Band has South African flavours entwined with rock, blues, jazz and world groove.

December 10, 2012: Cherry Vinyl and The Nick Turner Trio

18h00 – 18h40: Cherry Vinyl is a Cape Town band that debuted in May 2008 and are regular features at Long Street’s Zula Bar and Grand West Casino’s Jackson Hall. At home on any stage, Cherry Vinyl are also regular performers at the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival (KKNK) and now in this Cape Town Waterfront event series.

18h45 – 19h30: Accomplished singer/songwriter and guitarist, Nick Turner was a founding member of Sons Of Trout in the late 1990s, and later one half of Mikanic, with fellow Trout violinist Mike Rennie. Nick’s music effortlessly spans genres, with influences ranging from rock, reggae and African to hip-hop, ghoema and jazz. Lyrically powerful, relevant, humorous and energetic, his music has a wide appeal, with shows that feature virtuosic musicianship, funky grooves and catchy tunes.

December 11, 2012: Mamela and Urban Groove

18h00 – 18h30: Mamela has been the longstanding resident band at the Plaasteater and is playing a combination of standards and original tunes with great stage presence and dynamics. In Xhosa mamela means “listen”, and you can’t help but do just that when this jazz band starts to play. Their combination of sultry vocals and technical proficiency forces you to stop and take in their modern sound.

18h45 – 19h15:Urban Groove started in 2010 and has rapidly made strides in and around Cape Town. All the band members are students and ex-students of Cape Music Institute.

December 12, 2012: Stan1 and Can Skylark

18h00 - 18h20: Bold enough to stand out from the crowd, Stan1 broke onto the South African music scene with his hit recording, “Why Did You Go?” – a collaboration with Ernie B. St Clair.

18h30 - 19h15: Candice Malander-Thorne, better known as Can Skylark, started her musical career at the tender age of 13 years singing in church choirs and Gospel bands in and around Cape Townhe has performed on various stages since then. She performs regularly, paying tribute to some of the musical greats such as The Bee Gees, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel and Celine Dion.

December 13, 2012: Dane Taylor Trio and Kevin Floyd Band

18h00 – 18h40: The Dane Taylor Trio is a power-blues/rock band from Cape Town, made up of Dane Taylor (vocals), Steve Deck (bass) and Justin Mark (drums). Heavily influenced by great artists such as Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Raconteurs, Kings Of Leon and John Mayer, the trio portrays a keen sense of melody and groove which keeps them honest and energetic.

18h45 – 19h30: Kevin Floyd returned home to South Africa after 11 years abroad with his band, Dorp. Kevin has always thought of himself as a blues guitarist at heart and has jammed with greats like BB King and Gary Moore.

December 14, 2012: Carols by Candlelight

This one of the Cape Town Waterfront Events is taking place at 19h00, Duration of event is 2 hours.

Join the 50-piece Philharmonia Choir of Cape Town, backed by the Solid Brass quintet, for a selection of your favourite carols and Christmas songs.

December 15, 2012: The LG Factor

Inspired by Roy Hargrove's "RH Factor", the LG Factor explores the sounds of contemporary music. Performing original compositions by their leader, Lwanda Gogwana, as well as celebrating fallen legends like Moses Molelekwa and Miriam Makeba, the band also honours current greats like Roy Hargrove, Hugh Masekela, Lira and Jill Scott.

December 16, 2012: Simba Saini and Afristorm

Born in the heart of Zimbabwe in a town called KweKwe, Simba Saini playedwith one of Zimbabwe’s biggest exports – the Four Brothers. Simba andAfristorm perform original compositions as well as covers of popular Zimbabwean tunes, with their own unique African flavour.

December 17, 2012: Choral and Brass Festival: Gugulethu Tenors

Described as South Africa’s Il Divo, Pavarotti’s Children and “the Diamond of the Township”, the Gugulethu Tenors enchant the concert halls of South Africa with their inherent love of opera and performance. By incorporating contemporary and subtle ethnic elements into the traditional Opera idiom, they have made the genre their own, capturing the hearts of audiences across South Africa with their raw talent. The quartet consists of four self-taught young musicians, Mpendulo Yawa, Siyabulela Gqola, Xolani November and Loyiso Dlova and their performance is guaranteed to get the audience on its feet every time.

December 18, 2012: Choral and Brass Festival: The Cape Town Highlanders

The Drums and Pipes have been part of the Cape Town Highlanders regiment since its inception in 1885. Bandsmen have been involved in all the major campaigns of the Regiment. In peace time, the Band supports the Regiment in its ceremonial and recruitment parades.

December 19, 2012: Choral and Brass Festival: Omega Brass Ensemble

The Omega Brass Ensemble was established in September 2004 as a voluntary non-profit organisation with a mission to combat crime and violence in their area. The club was initially meant to serve the Lentergeur area and surrounding areas but draws youth from Bridgetown, Kensington and as far away as Woodstock.

December 20, 2012: Choral and Brass Festival: The AFM Gospel Choir

A choir of the Apostolic Faith Mission, the AFM Gospel Choir aims to use music to provide a platform to create opportunities for their community members.

December 21, 2012: Choral and Brass Festival: The Salvation Army Band and Choir

The Salvation Army Brass Band has a vibrant musical tradition. The Salvation Army uses their musicians to reach out to fellow young South Africans and help face community challenges such as drug addiction and poverty.

December 22, 2012: Choral and Brass Festival: The Cape Town Gospel Choir

Founded in 2010, the Cape Town Gospel Choir exists to promote unity in the city, with a strong focus on social responsibility and unity across racial, ethnic and economic barriers. Directed by Colin Peckham, the choir has performed across the Mother City since it started, drawing in members from many different communities and ages.

December 23, 2012: Choral and Brass Festival: The Apostle Choristers

The Apostle Choristers was established in 1995 to enhance choral music within our community. The choir is managed by the Ithemba Cultural Society, and musically directed by Camillo Lombard. The choir is divided into 3 regions: Cape Metropole, Boland and Swartland.

Read on for more great Cape Town Waterfront Events to be staged after Christmas.

These fabulous Cape Town Waterfront Events will be:

December 26, 2012: Hot Water

Hot Water’s live performance is a dynamic and often spontaneous tapestry of inspired songs from their three albums. The music brings people together across ages, cultures, races, gender, and borders. Stylistically, Hot Water’s music incorporates elements of traditional African music such as kwela, mbaqanga, maskandi and kwasa kwasa, with folk, blues and indie-pop rock.

December 27, 2012:MACSTANLEY

Like all truly world-beating bands, MACSTANLEY is greater than the sum of its parts. It started with the simple beginnings of big dreams, two chance meetings and a humble song-writing competition in Cape Town, and has grown to encompass sold-out shows across South Africa and Europe, pioneering work with a full orchestra, radio hits and a growing global fan-base.

December 28, 2012:Selim Kagee

18h00 – 18h30: Cape-Town born and raised Selim Kagee. Part Borcelli, a smidgen of Groban, with a slice of Pavarotti and a bead of Bublé – Kagee is fast putting hisinimitable signature on a sound the world continues to love and support.

18h30 – 19h30:Sterling EQ

Sterling EQ, the premiere all-girl electric orchestra, is one of the most successful instrumental bands South Africa has ever produced. Bringing virtuosity and glamour together in a breathtaking showcase of stylistic fusion, the four-piece supergroup has performed at SA’s most coveted events. Juxtaposing “diverse”musical styles like classical, Latin, house, Baroque and kwaito, keeps Sterling’s audiences on their toes and on the dance floor!

And some more great Cape Town Waterfront Events during the last days of the year.

December 29, 2012:The Rudimentals

The band thrives on the fact that they defy compartmentalization into a particular musical genre and are really proud that their band of music carries the“unique” South African label.

December 2012, 30: The Ard Matthews Affair

As the front man of Just Jinjer, Ard Matthews led the band to the success of their debut album, ‘All Comes Round’, becoming one of the biggest selling albums of all time in South Africa . Travelling frequently to countries all over the world with Just Jinjer, Ard and the band played to audiences across Europe, Australia, and the United States, and returned to SA in 2009. In July 2012, he releases his debut solo album, ‘First Offerings’.

December 31, 2012: New Year’s Eve at the Amphitheatre

Time: 19h00 –02h00, Duration of event: 7 hours

Line up includes DJ’s, Grupo Tren Latino, Mtika Afrique and The Black Ties

Source for Cape Town Waterfront Events: Thanks go to Rozitta de Villiers

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