The seventh annual People's Bank Steel Drum Festival will take place at the Durban Botanic Gardens on November 24 from 10h00 to 18h00. An estimated 3,000 children from six community steel drum centres and some 22 individual schools in the greater Durban region will compete for this year's trophies. The children will be bussed to the venue from diverse townships and districts including Chesterville, Umlazi, Inanda, Montclair, Tongaat and Hillcrest.

"The top bands will compete at professional level," says Bryan Clarke, Steel Drum Foundation Director. "Each band gets to play just two tunes and has about six minutes to make their mark. Each will be accompanied by professional drummer Mpho Mathabe.

"Thanks to the whole-hearted commitment of our sponsors Nedcor Foundation, each single child will get to share in the benefit of prizes totalling R120,000," says Clarke. "In addition, each child receiving transport to and from the festival will be provided with food and beverage during the day."

Spearheaded by Clarke and his co-director, Dobri Paliev, the Foundation is run with the help of six teachers who have been trained to work at the organisation's community centres.

The festival will feature a special guest appearance by the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra who will perform between 13h00 and 14h00.

Tickets R10 (R5 children).