Cape Town Carnival

For those of us who may have gone underground, and have missed the memo, this weekend brings the inaugural Cape Town Carnival.

Cape Town Carnival 2010

In South African sidewalk-style, performers and performance artists flood into the citybowl to celebrate Cape Town in carnival fashion.

Thursday kicks off festivities with fashion shows at The Lookout - the V&A Waterfront. The catwalk will boast celebrity models and big-name South African designers – think the likes of hip-hop, Carducci, Kobus Dippenaar and Rosenwerth, all staged under the glass marquee of the Aston Martin rooftop.

Then in the heart of the city – our own Greenmarket Square - live local acts throw down this Saturday the 20th. As of 6pm, local loves Locnville, Loyiso and Emo Adams will be performing. But this is just the pre-party, anticipating an 8pm parade of unprecedented proportions – in excess of 2 000 bejeweled singers, dancers and musicians will storm Long Street, performing to Cape Town’s six official songs, before a backdrop of festivities and floats.

So if you’re a loyal local, or just visiting Cape Town and looking for something to do (and a place to crash?),  Cape Town Carnival is it.

Time to get into the spirit of things

SWINGTIME ON BROADWAY

Starring ALISTAIR IZOBELL and LOUKMAAN ADAMS
Musical direction and arrangements by SHAUN DEVRIES

TUESDAYS to SATURDAYS from 09th to 27th MARCH 2010

Following the success of WHERE THE BOYS ARE  the extraordinary talents of award-winning performers Alistair Izobell and Loukmaan Adams come together at On Broadway once again from Tuesday 09th March 2010.  The synergy that these two have is electrifying – both have voices that will melt your heart, coupled with Loukmaan’s suave attitude and Alistair’s energy, which is enough to light the Cape Town stadium, this is a show that you cannot afford to miss.

Alistair and Loukmaan have decided to move away from their conventional type of show and tackle one of the most exciting genres of music – swing music – which they both have a deep fondness for, and are at the mature age where they are able to express what the great songwriters tried to capture when penning them.

SWINGTIME ON BROADWAY promises to be an evening of top class entertainment that will have you singing along and tapping your feet to classics which include ‘Straighten up and fly right’, ‘That’s life’, ‘Paper Moon’, and ‘L.O.V.E’, amongst others.

Tickets cost R85.00 each.

The J&B MET

Attracting an attendance of over 50 000 people, this race has become one of the gold-starred, red-circled, ear-marked events of Cape Town’s social calendar – and this year the theme, Full Colour, encourages a full voltage experience.

The highly fashionable, enjoying gourmet food, artful cocktails and top shelf spirits, will be there, this Saturday, bets in hand. The J&B MET holds back on nothing – marquee dining, top of class DJs and, always memorable after-parties and the penguin-suit/city-Cinderella glamour of the fashion show. In the fashion sphere, the annual award for best-dressed couple and best marquee will be given, with competitors taking part by invitation only.

Still, the main attraction are those short, breathtaking moments in which we’re mesmerized by the movement of the pedigree beauties, tearing up the emerald lawn.

Pocket Power, who has won the last three events, as well as the last four L’Ormarins Queen’s Plate events,  is favoured by many to win Saturday’s 2km dash. Still, experts claim that favourable weights, Kapil, Smart Banker, Buy And Sell, Ivory Trail, Strategic News and Rudra, will give him a run for his money, and ensure an exciting race. Meanwhile. Big City Life - last year’s Durban July winner, is hoping to break his recent unlucky streak at the J&B Met.

Entrance to the MET is R150.oo per person (plus some dress to impress), inclusive of a R10.00 betting voucher. However, a VIP ticket at R350.00 per person, provides VIP parking, 5 complementary drink vouchers, access to the open-air sound and lighting rigged performance area, as well as the VIP J&B MET lounge – and last but not least, entrance to the official 5fm J&B MET afterparty. This notoriously wondrous state of affairs, promises us Roger Goode, DJs Ryan Dent, Craig Massiv, and DJ Fresh.

For those seeking a safe haven during it all, be sure to ring 17onLoader – Cape Town’s premium guest house.

200 days to go!

On Sunday, 22 November it will be 200 days to the 2010 Soccer World Cup kick off.

Capetonians are being invited to learn their official 2010 dance – called the “Diski Dance” at the V&A Waterfront, Amphitheatre starting at 2pm on Sunday.

To see what this dance is all about, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fML326GXJPY

17 on Loader Guest House will be there to learn the new moves!

Divine De Waterkant: Buena Vista!

image courtesy of capetowndailyphoto.com

Spitting distance ( but don’t try it) from 17 on Loader guesthouse and straight off of the Somerset Road sidewalk, through a dimly lit corridor and up the staircase – the muffled sounds of chatter and salsa, with heady aromas of good cigars and the fine food of the Americas, engages your autopilot right up the steps to Buena Vista Social Cafe`. Buena Vista, meaning good view, bejewels Somerset Road – the good view now enhanced by the lights of Greenpoint Stadium at night.

Image © Joanne 2009

There is an understated grandeur and seduction about the well-worn wood and wicker chairs,heavy, tactile tapestries, dimly-lit, smoky air (of the smoking area) and flirtatious Latino music, that made us revoke the silly feeling of being characters in a sultry, sepia film.

It doesn’t matter what age you are, Buena Vista is a place that feels like what we all wish home would be. The clientele are friendly and the staff a little languid, but patrons know to enjoy the comfort and calm of the pace. Not a place I would go for a three course meal, but their absurdly reasonable nachos nourish like slow food should, and are the only variety that I know of which can be accompanied by spiced chicken, spiced beef or lamb and feta. The best bet here is tapas – the mezze platter (Diablo’s, chicken strips, olives, feta, aubergine, taramasalata, tzatziki, humus, bruschetta and Cuban Bread) or the diablos con pollo starter are about the only things that can put me in a state of silence after the onslaught of really food Mai Tais.

Buena Vista has that laid-back Havana mischief that discreetly sets a norm of delicious imported cigars (Holland, Dominican Republic and Cuban) and keep-them-coming cocktails or cognacs.The food is good and the cocktails are good  – but when we get down to it it’s the vibe that keeps you going back there. The place just has this effortless, put-your-feet-up-and-still-be-gorgeous charm, that swings into the thick of it for their Sunday night Salsa.

• If you’re staying De Waterkant way and want to take a safe, Summer night stroll to dinner…
• If you want to rustle up some friends for classy BUT CASUAL Cuban experience of tapas and drinks…
• If it’s been another late night in Cape Town and you need a kitchen that stays open til the carriage turns pumpkin…
• If you want to go somewhere guaranteed to be alive and ambient…

Then Buena Vista is the place to go.