Crescendo production ‘Kô laat ons dans’ at the Vrystaat Art Festival

Festivalgoers at the Vrystaat Arts Festival can dust off their dancing shoes and get ready to hit the floor with Frazer Barry, Brandon October, and Selby Williams in the Adam Small-inspired production ‘Kô laat ons dans’, which takes place on 18 July at 8 PM at the Creative Kilowatt Kopanong Auditorium in Bloemfontein.

Whether riel, kwêla, sokkie, hip hop, waltz, kotiljons, or toi-toi is your thing, this show – one of the crowd favourites at the Adam Small Festival earlier this year – promises something for everyone.

“Music and dance are universal languages that everyone understands,” says Morné van Staden, executive producer. “The idea behind this production was to choose songs that every South African knows, songs that take people back to special moments in their lives. Audiences can look forward to hits like ‘Ek kan rock in my taal’, ‘Jabulani’, ‘Liefling’, ‘Pata Pata’, ‘Doemanie’ and the Miriam Makeba hit ‘Click Song’.

As the name suggests, a playful twist on Adam Small’s famous poem ‘Kô, lat ons sing’', the show also pays tribute to Small. Barry says Small remains a powerful example of how an artist can use their craft to hold up a mirror to society.

“Through all the mediums in which he worked - whether drama or poetry – he made his voice heard. He never hesitated to speak out against religion, hypocrisy, the government of his day, or injustice against the different languages Afrikaans is spoken.”

Brandon October says he is especially excited to perform PJ Powers’ iconic ‘Jabulani’. “As a child in the 1980s, I can’t help but jump up and dance when I hear it. One of the highlights of my career was performing it live with PJ Powers herself. ‘Jabulani’ always takes me back to my childhood.”

‘Kô laat ons dans’ is produced by Crescendo Productions, with the artists backed by the ever-popular Crescendo Orchestra. The show takes place on 18 July at 8 PM at the Creative Kilowatt Kopanong Auditorium in Bloemfontein. Tickets are R150 if booked through the Vrystaat Arts Festival website, or R180 at the door.