Saturday night was exhilarating as the Ottomans overwhelmed the massive crowd that attended this year’s annual Cape Malay Choir Board Top Eight. The professionalism and utter commitment to detail was obvious. The passion and energy was electrifying as the eight teams sung to the absolute joy of the crowd. Every member of every team sung with such confidence that they deserve salutation.
Shafick April and his board must once again be commended on hosting and organising a magnificent effort under very difficult circumstances. Sadly the festivities were moved from its traditional historic home at the Good Hope Centre of many decades to the very distant Velodrome in Bellville.
Since our national broadcaster SABC have decided that 90% of all music must be local content, I wait in great anticipation to hear the sounds of the Young Caballeros, Boarding Boys and others reaching the length and breadth of South Africa. For far too long, the talent of local choirs have been denied a national audience because of financial constraints.
Once again, thanks to the Ottomans who proved that “If music be the food of love, play on”. This is the first line of the play Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare where he is asking for music because he is frustrated in courtship and wants an excess of love so that he may lose his appetite for it.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress