Cape Town - Cape Town CBD was showered with seas of glitter and colour as the traditional Tweede Nuwe Jaar minstrel parade kick-started the New Year on Monday.
About 30 minstrel troupes entertained a crowd of thousands who lined inner city streets, eagerly awaiting the sounds and colours of the Hollywoodbets Cape Town Street Parade.
After a forced hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, spectators were eager to welcome back the cultural festival and waited in the sweltering heat – some having camped out for days – as the march proceeded from Hanover Street through Adderley before proceeding to the Bo-Kaap.
Acting mayor Eddie Andrews said the event celebrated the culture of Cape Town.
“We are very excited to have the event back. Pre-Covid just more than 100 000 people attended and we expected a big turnout and possibly to surpass those figures this year.
“It’s not just about the music and the dance but the significance of the day where people had one day to celebrate the new year which was slavery and that is no longer. Now we own our future,” said Andrews.
Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association director Muneeb Gambeno said they were excited to have the event back with the new title sponsor, Hollywoodbets.
“We’re exceptionally happy to have the event back again, especially the troupes and the public who came out in support. It (was) very hot which posed a bit of a challenge, but all in all the day had gone very well. We tried to manage the heat and heat exhaustion challenges, as best we could.
“However, suffice it to say the event is back and all things being equal, we will use this year’s event to build on and amplify it more to achieve the objectives we have set out for ourselves by unlocking the intrinsic value and driving the tradition and culture,” said Gambeno.
For the next month, Gambeno said, five weeks of minstrel tournament competitions would be hosted with weekly knock-out rounds, and while there were fewer troupes than usual, attributed to the pandemic, he said they hoped to revive the troupes to join again next year.
“We have five weeks of competitions coming up, every Saturday of January and the first Saturday of February.
“This will be done in the normal format of the competitions at Athlone Stadium. This will include choral singing, individual singing, dance via the klopse jol and brass band competitions.
“The troupes also get very excited as we eventually get to announce the winners, which is essentially what the troupes and supporters look forward to. (Tweede Nuwe Jaar) is the cultural expression of the day but they really do enjoy the competitions,” said Gambeno.
Devin Heffer, Hollywoodbets brand and communication manager, said: “(We are) honoured to be a part of this iconic event, now known as the Hollywoodbets Cape Town Street Parade, that is a part of the country’s rich cultural tapestry.
“Growth, community development and fun are in the DNA of the Purple Family, and we share these values with the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association.
The partnership comes at a vital time as communities in the Cape are recovering from the devastating effects of Covid-19.
Being a community-focused company, we are excited to be a part of, and add value to, this fun and vibrant event.”
Cape Times