Kgabalatsane Village will host the magnificent Segarona Arts Festival on 4 February this weekend.
The festival embodies and connects three phases of time, the past (heritage), the present (culture) and the future (modernization). The festival’s motto is ‘ipeleng Ka ngwao’, loosely translated it says ‘pride yourself with your cultural heritage’.
It is hosted this Saturday from 14h00 in Zwavhudi Street, Itireleng.
Segarona is the brainchild of the talented thespian and dancer, Thabiso Pule, a truly talented artist who strives to empower others.
Pule conceptualised the festival during the heady days of the successful FNB Dance Umbrella. He roped in his childhood friend from Pretoria, the internationally acclamed dancer and choreographer in Afro-Fusion, Thabo Rapoo.
Pule organised the festival to stem the migration of artistic talent from his beloved Kgabalatsane to urban areas like Pretoria and Market Theatre in Johannesburg, thus impoverishing underdeveloped areas. According to him, there were too many issues that procrastinated arts development in rural areas. “We wanted to address stagnant issues of development services and projects by hosting rural awareness programmes and workshops for village arts groups,” said Pule. “We will continue to conduct arts programmes at local schools as an outreach programme to encourage locally based productions that will speak not only to local people, but to outsiders like tourists who visit our beautiful area.”
Thus, reckons Pule, the local economy will be enriched through rural arts festivals.”
Since then the festival’s stage has been set alight by Gabriel Saranouffi from Madagascar, Moeketsi Koena, Medleko Meropa ys Afrika, Tshegofatso Lekalakala, known affectionately as “The BassNation”, Boitumelo Bokaba, Tumisang “BaWinile” Rapoo, Thabiso Heccius Pule, Thebe Mmusi, Mabuse *Prof” Tabane and Bafana “Cab” Ndlovu. The local drum majorettes troupes have also taken part in the festivities.
Pule said the festival does not offer any prizes nor medals to participants, but provides honorarium for them.
With the slot for nine performances, this year’s festival promises to be the best ever not to be missed.
For the people of Kgabajatsane it will bring smiles on their faces knowing that the Segarona Arts Festival has put their ramshackle village on the global map.
Kgabalatsane is in the North West province, just on the outskirts of Ga-Rankuwa, in between Hebron and Latlhabile Villages. It is a beautiful village that used to be a grazing land for the Bakwena tribe cattle.
Today the village prides itself through a diversified and rich cultural heritage and a vibrant youth that seeks to position the village as one of the finest in the world to host cultural events.
