Northern Art Festival showcases range of emerging talent

DESPITE a teenager being struck by a vehicle and slightly injured while queuing for tickets, the Northern Art Festival at the weekend was a roaring success.

The second day of the festival kicked off on a high note as the police band led the Boys' Brigade of Cleary Park to the Marrock Road sports field.

They marched the 3km and were then joined by scores of community members.

A range of stalls offered a variety of goods along with entertainment inside the stadium to cater to all tastes. A funfair, talent contest and several live bands were just some of the options available.

Nosipho Maketa was one of many hopefuls to enter the talent contest.

She said her team was able to show off their beautiful ornaments decorated with telephone wires and beads.

"People came from Peddie, Kenton-on-Sea and Mhlontlo to sell their products and also teach people how to survive using their hands," she said.

Freestyle poet and entertainer Bevin Hambury could not contain his excitement over his involvement in the festival.

"It is positively awesome and the atmosphere is vibrant. I hope this will open many doors for me," he said.

The dance group Diversity stole the show with their hip-hop and kwaito moves. Survivals singer Lora Jopkins, who covered two of Adele's songs, had the crowd clamouring for more.

She said it was always a dream to perform at the Northern Arts Festival.

"I am busy recording my debut album, which is a mixture of raw blues, '60s, '70s and fusion of jazz," she said. The Survivals also had a chance to play songs from their debut album, which will be launched next month.

Natasha Fredericks said the festival was a great idea as it brought people together.

"It is also good that they are exploring new talent. I like the fact that they are giving a good platform to unknown artists," she said.