Lions Parks to host Winter Festival

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Friday March 19, 2010 00:00

 

Since it opened in December of 2008, the Lions Park resort has managed to whet the appetite for things grandiose for its visitors. The amusement centre there has a fancy locomotive that meets visitors at the entrance and takes them around the centre.

Ticket holders to the festival will have the added bonus of enjoying a long slide from either the Super Tube, Speed Slot or the Kiddies Slide, which carry people into the wavy pool.

The amusement park also has merry-go-round, elephant rides, big wheel ride, as well as shells or waltzer rides and cups and saucers rides for children and adults.

But that will be a small part. The resort management are hosting their inaugural Winter Music Festival for 2010, in what they say will be an annual feature at the resort with four events scheduled to run this year.

  The first line-up will cater for lovers of Afrikaans music, as well as English pop, with performers coming from neighbouring South Africa.  They include Kurt Darren, Nicholis Louw, Flip a Coin and Andriette as well as local opening act Take Five.

The marketers of the event hope to attract fun lovers from South Africa to pour in for the spectacle and already robust marketing initiatives are on going in neighbouring towns such as Zeerust, Mafikeng and Lichtenburg, according to Bronwyn Mangera, the promotions manager at Lion Park Resort.

Explaining their line-up, Mangera told Arts & Culture that their artist line-up is very specific and they expect about 3,500 visitors. The promoter describes the performers as richly-talented although they might not be popular in Botswana.

 Kurt Darren is described as one of South Africa's most popular artists.  He has recently released his 15th Album, which went multi-platinum.  Kurt Darren sings a variety of both English and Afrikaans songs, Mangera explained.

Another performer, Nicholis Louw, is presented as a South African songwriter and performer.  'He went platinum on his first solo album and was voted best up and coming performer by his peers.  He is currently one of the most versatile South African singers.  He sings a variety of music in both English and Afrikaans such as rock, ballads, salsa etc.' 

Andriette Norman is described as one of the strongest female vocalists currently on the South African music scene. She was the runner-up in the South African Idols competition.  Her latest album was voted best female contemporary album of the year in 2009.

The other act, Flip A Coin, are known for  accapela.  Mangera says that audiences will find something in their performance that they can enjoy, whether it is the 'move your body' beatbox, the raw energy on stage, the harmonic melodies, the superb solos or the eye candy for the ladies. It's your choice!

Fans hail them as 'a mixture of boy-next-door personalities.' Packed with audience interaction and energy, they sing effervescent music with a 'feel-good vibe'.

Using only their voices, the group generates a live band sound that leaves the audience spellbound to the very end, the promoter says.The local band, Take Five, is presented as a viby local band, singing a variety of our all time favourite classic songs from across the ages.

The promoter explains that on the day of the show the Park will be closed to the general public, but will open its doors to concert ticket holders at 10am for them to make use of the various rides and facilities for the duration of the concert.

The concert will start at 4:30pm and end at approximately 11:30pm with a fantastic fireworks display, shot by an international award winning pyrotechnics company.

There will also be the added bonus of a purely Botswana flea market, where Botswana producers will be invited to sell their wares to a captive audience.

Various sponsors, such as Clover, will be showcasing their products and doing promotions throughout the day, Mangera says. A variety of ticket options are available such as standard adult P200, standard child P100, golden circle P250, and VIP tickets at P500 per person.

'The Lion Park Winter Music Festival is the first of its kind to be held in Botswana, we would like to encourage everyone to attend as there will be something on offer for all members of the family from young to old,' adds Mangera.