August 7: The curtain raiser will be the kwaito group MBS followed by Ithemba Lethu – a Maskanda group led by Musa Chamane.

August 14: The curtain raiser will be The Kwaitos, followed by the gospel group New Addition led by Mandla Pharathi.

August 21: The curtain raiser will be the gospel group Unity Revival followed by Rhee Thusi & Friends who will present Afro Music. Rhee Thusi started singing when she was eight years, singing in church and at school as a soloist in the school choir. After matric, she sang with adult choirs and later joined Dan Kapuejah’s band, then Zanusi. In 1996 she worked with Madala Kunene as a vocalist and a choreographer, eventually promoting his CD where she sang with Busi Mhlongo. Rhee Thusi has appeared several times on the City Hall Steps programme. In June, she performed at the BAT Centre with Freddy and Alan from DRC and Kennedy from Zimbabwe (pictured above). Rhee’s music is a mixture of umbhaqanga, Afro jazz, disco, maskandi, reggae and gospel. She is now working on a youth project called Umthente Young Artist Development.

August 28: The curtain raiser will be the gospel group Circle of Friends followed by the maskanda group Inkinga led by Khanyisile Blose. Born in 1961 at Inkandla, KwaMagwaza, Khanyisile has had a love of singing since she can remember. In 1990, joined a group called Amagugu which later became known as Osenzeni. She performed with this group in various venues in and around Durban, such as the ICC and The Playhouse before moving to Pretoria to join the group Isikokela. However her desire to form her own group and produce her messages through her own music in a different style saw her returning to Durban in 2001 to start the four-member group Inkinga. The group appeared at the Durban Beachfront Festival in April as well as part of the Playhouse Test drive in June.

More details about the City Hall Steps programme from Patrick “Big Boy” Zungu at Durban Arts on 031 312-1236.