Fall in love with nature, art and the blues in the Cradle of Humankind this Valentine’s Day
On Sunday, the 12th of February 2017 NIROX Sculpture Park, in association with Caleo Wealth Management, MINI and the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, invite you to celebrate Valentine’s Day with that special someone with a collection of South Africa’s finest Blues’ musicians, surrounded by the serene beauty of the NIROX Sculpture Park.
The exciting line up of musicians include:
– Albert Frost
– Gerald Clark
– Ann Jangle
– Gunshot Blue
– Tidal Waves
– Manny Walters
The spectacular surroundings of NIROX Sculpture Park offer an oasis in which to enjoy a day of leisurely romance.
One can also take a romantic walk around this scenic venue to view the beautiful art and sculptures on display.
Delicious, healthy and locally sourced cuisine, courtesy of the Epicurian Emporium – a collective of high-end diverse food traders – will be available for purchase. The curated bar will offer champagne, wines, lavish cocktails and local craft beers for those wishing to toast this special day.
Lovers and friends are invited to enjoy a day of fine food, Blues legends, nature and art.
Co-producer of the acousticsNOW concert series at NIROX, Lloyd-Anthony Smith is excited to be hosting this event, following the previous 2 successes. I had the opportunity to pose some questions to him.
How did the ‘Valentines Blues’ idea originate?
Our music programme consists of various different genres – folk, jazz, classical, roots, instrumental guitar – and we had always wanted to host a blues concert: thus Valentine’s Blues was born. A celebration of Love and the Blues. Often two closely related topics.
And from there … how long until the actual event came into being?
Due to our now established music programme, once we have a new idea/theme/concept we are generally able to produce the concert easily from there. By way of example we hosted our first ever opera at NIROX Sculpture Park last month; Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’ was performed in our outdoor amphitheatre.
How did you go about finding such a beautiful, perfect venue?
I see NIROX as a great gift to the World. The Foundation exists to foster the arts and hosts various sculptors, painters, poets, photographers, dancers, musicians, etc from all corners of the globe. NIROX Sculpture Park is a curated space of undulating lawns, meandering waterways and dams and large-scale contemporary sculpture neatly nestled in the Cradle of Humankind.
Why Blues? Why not Jazz … many would argue that it’s just as romantic?
Apart from already having a successful springtime jazz concert ‘Jazz in the Cradle’, Love and the Blues are often entangled in each other. But all musical genres carry a degree of romanticism.
How do you source your participating musicians, or do they request participation?
We look to foster young musicians who we believe should be given the opportunity to perform to a discerning audience. Added to that we also host more seasoned professionals but encourage/challenge them to perform in different formats to their usual set-ups. This balance sets the tone and flow for the day.
Any plans to do ‘Valentines Blues’ in any other cities?
Valentine’s Blues has its home at NIROX…
Why in Joburg? (Not that we’re complaining AT all!!!)
Thanks entirely to the pristine surroundings of NIROX Sculpture Park in the and the Foundation’s kindness in allowing us to host this programme on their premises.
What can people expect when they come to this year’s event if they’ve never been before?
Guests can look forward to a glorious day of Music, Food, Art & Nature in the Cradle of Humankind. Gates open at 10h00 with the music programme commencing at 11h00. Epic festival cuisine will be on offer courtesy of the Epicurean Emporium, as well as other accoutrement including champagne, cocktails, a Bombay Sapphire gin & tonic bar, oysters, desserts, artisan ice-cream, coffees, etc. The festivities conclude around sunset.
And if those attending have attended either of the previous 2 Valentines Blues events, are there any surprises in store? Anything new on the program?
Somewhat ambitiously we are hosting NIROX’s largest-ever artists residency in the preamble to the concert. We have invited the entire line-up to stay at NIROX for the 2 days preceding the concert for a chance for the artists to engage, collaborate and rehearse for Sunday.
In addition, we have invited additional instrumentalist to supplement each set by way of cello, flute, saxophone, harmonica, keys, bass, lapsteel slide guitar and voice to create an entirely unique production.
What’s the over-riding message you’re trying to convey with your event?
The event is first and foremost a showcase of the invited artists. This access to the arts, coupled with a beautiful natural environment and curated food and beverage selections, creates a space for guests to enjoy and engage in the experience.
You must be logged in to post a comment.