Activities - Cultural Entertainment

FOLK MUSIC & DANCE

At the heart of our culture is certainly our music, yes, it is our identity, our ‘soul’ if you will. It is therefore not surprising that the development of indigenous performing arts and music is pivotal to the cultural activities at Matsamo.

Entertainment at Matsamo is more than a performance. Yes you will experience the best of African Folk dance and music but you will join in the fun and dance with us. You will feel the rhythm, the joy and the passion with which Africans entertain and play.

No matter where you come from or where you call home, Matsamo is where you will want to be.

A performance usually consists of around 40 members and is divided into two parts. The first part consists of a variety of dances performed by the senior ladies, the young woman, the girls and of course the men with their well-known African foot stamping dances. The second part consists of folk song and music with authentic African instruments followed by keen participation by guests.

The selection of dances and the passion and precision with which they are performed, insures interesting, colourful and exciting entertainment. Africans are known for their beautiful voices and natural sense of rhythm, displayed by Matsamo with enchantment. Vast exposure to tourists visiting their centre, offers the people from this rural community the opportunity to understand the importance of time management and good contact with audiences. It assisted Matsamo to develop outstanding entertainment and communication skills.

MATSAMO FOLK MUSIC AND DANCE GROUP

Matsamo Folk Music & Dance Group, formed in the year 2001, concentrates on Swazi folklore music, song and dance. At their Matsamo Cultural Centre in Mpumalanga, a province of South Africa, the members study, practice and teach cultural music and dance. The aim is to create cultural awareness with the youth and to help preserve their African heritage.

The Centre has more than 100 full-time musicians and dancers and during weekends and school holidays, talented children from surrounding schools join the group in cultural activities. In this manner folk music & dance is popularised with the youth and new talent is always introduced.

Participants include senior ladies and men but consist mainly of young people and teenagers, all performing different cultural dances related to the Nguni and more specifically the Swazi culture of Southern Africa.

Since the middle of 2003, Matsamo started giving outside performances on request and in a short period of time earned the reputation of a group which renders excellent entertainment and keeps audiences gripped.

Tens of thousands of international tourists and many South Africans, especially school children visit Matsamo annually to enjoy themselves or to learn more about Africa and its people.

The Group will participate in World class Festivals in Europe during the European summer of 2006 and considers it a unique opportunity to interact with people from other areas of the world and learn to understand and respect their respective customs and traditions. It is after all through the understanding of each other that we can help promote peace in the world.

A career in performing arts and a sustainable income for student members leaving school in the next year, will be possible as a result of this strategic expansion programme.

Songs And Their Meanings

Artistic Program