Klopse association anniversary makes Cape Town Street Parade a double celebration for minstrels

Troupes will perform songs on the ghoema beat using banjos, tambourines, brass instruments and drums. (Photo: Supplied)

By Vincent Cruywagen

29 Dec 2023

All city roads lead to the Cape Town parade on Tweede Nuwe Jaar, when 20 troupes in glittering costumes, with painted faces and vibrant music, will perform before an estimated 100,000 people.

The Hollywoodbets Cape Town Street Parade 2024 coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association (KKKA), making it a double celebration for the minstrel fraternity.

Muneeb Gambeno, director of the KKKA, said: “While our organisation is young relative to the century-old Klopse tradition, we believe that we have already contributed to significant improvements in the history of the carnival – something that we are committed to continuing with, for the benefit of the people of the carnival.”

Gambeno said the city centre between Rose Street in the Bo-Kaap and Hanover Street in District Six will host performances by minstrel troupes from all over Cape Town, continuing the region’s heritage of Tweede Nuwe Jaar, which has been observed for more than 115 years.

Its name was changed to the Hollywoodbets Cape Town Street Parade in December in a deal with Hollywoodbets as the new title sponsor. The KKKA obtained sponsorship of R3.5-million a year for three years from Hollywoodbets.

Cape Town Street Parade The T.V Stars from Heideveld in action during the Tweede Nuwe Jaar celebration in Bo-Kaap. (Photo: Gallo Images / Daily Maverick / Leila Dougan)

The renaming elicited condemnation from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association, with chairperson Sedick Soeker saying at the time that it was unconstitutional and the association had not been consulted.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Renaming of Tweede Nuwe Jaar street parade draws intense criticism from minstrel association

Soeker, as chairperson of the Tweede Nuwe Jaar Working Committee, was also enraged that the Voorsmakie event – which takes place on 16 December, before the street parade – will now be called the Hollywoodbets Voorsmakie.

They claimed that the event is being financially supported by a gambling entity whose current dominance in the minstrel fraternity dishonours their heritage and undermines their historic struggles.

What to expect

Gambeno anticipated that between 15,000 and 20,000 minstrels would take part in the parade on Tuesday.

Troupes will perform songs for young and old on the ghoema beat using banjos, tambourines, brass instruments and drums. The ghoema drum, a small wooden hand drum or wine barrel with an animal skin created by slaves in the Cape during the early 1900s, is still used in the Cape Minstrel Carnival.

The city centre between Rose Street in the Bo-Kaap and Hanover Street in District Six will host performances by minstrel troupes from all over Cape Town. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)

Cape Town Street Parade The Klopse parade builds on the long tradition of Tweede Nuwe Jaar. (Photo: Gallo Images / ER Lombard)

“Spectators can expect another exciting, fun-filled day of colour and the ghoema beat. The yearly celebration is the city’s longest-running carnival and a vital component of its cultural legacy. Marching through the city’s streets are thousands of people dressed in brightly coloured satin and sequin uniforms, matching umbrellas and creative face art while jolling to banjos, trumpets and drums to create their distinctive ghoema music,” he said.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Minstrel associations at odds over betting company’s sponsorship of Cape Town carnival events

“The troupes are arranged such that each performance occurs independently, giving spectators a chance to hear and jol with their favourite troupe. The brass band provides the melody while the percussion provides the heartbeat so that the voorlopertjies or non-instrument players can lead the way with flashy dance routines.”

Shake Your Body, this year’s theme song, took several weeks to complete due to the involvement of numerous artists and personalities. Gambeno explained that the seed was sown six years ago when this novel idea was first proposed. Shadley Schroeder and Clive Ridgeway wrote the 2018 theme song, Kaapse Ding, after a pilot year.

“This song wasn’t recorded until 2019. This side-project began as an organic collaboration with singers, musicians, producers and coordinators from various troupes; it has since expanded. The highlight of the entire production process has been the final product, which is a truly collaborative effort under Taurik Blignaut’s musical supervision.”

The crowd will be entertained by Cape Town-based stand-up comedian Rezah Forbes and performances by Novocaine TheBand, the UNCLE Kim DUO, Shadley Schroeder, IMO-Vee, Milicent Malazi and others will keep the party going all day.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 Minstrels troupes will take part in Tweede Nuwe Jaar on the streets of Cape Town. (Photo: Supplied)

Troupes will perform songs on the ghoema beat using banjos, tambourines, brass instruments and drums. (Photo: Supplied)

Logistics for the day

Buses will drop off the 20 troupes near Russell Street, and the official parade will begin at Sir Lowry Road and Hanover Street. Following the Dhuhr prayer time, the first troupes will begin their performance at 1.15pm.

The organisers reiterated that glass is not permitted at a public event like the parade, and urged attendees to put their snacks in non-glass containers, such as tins or plastic. Alcohol, drugs and dangerous weapons have all been outlawed in recent years, and this year is no exception.

Road closures will be in effect for the event from 6am to midnight, and the City of Cape Town has said a statement outlining the closures will be released in due course. DM

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What to expect

Logistics for the day