MUSIC, SPORT, AL FRESCO CUISINE HALLMARK ABU DHABI’S VOR DESTINATION VILLAGE SOUTH AFRICAN DAY
Abu Dhabi, UAE, 18th December 2014: The vibrant music, passion for sport and outdoor dining culture of South Africa comes to Abu Dhabi’s Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) Destination Village on the Corniche Breakwater this Monday (December 22).
The celebration – led by the South African Embassy in Abu Dhabi – is named Shosholoza after the Ndebele folk song which has become the republic’s second national anthem.
The village beach will be alive with traditional South African sporting activities including Boersports – the traditional South Africa field and beach games, such as a kind of hockey – and volleyball as well as Saracen’s Beach Rugby. There’ll be interactive drumming circle sessions throughout the day and visitors will also get the chance to try South African food delicacies, including biltong and boerwors from Springbok Butchery and The Grand Grill live cooking and sampling BBQ demonstrations.
In the afternoon, The Trash Gang – an eight-piece band which makes music using household items – will take to the unique ‘floating’ Skyline Stage, which has Abu Dhabi Corniche as its backdrop.
In the evening, one of South Africa’s rising singing sensations – Thuli Scott –takes over the Skyline Stage, for a concert of her hot raga infused music which is riding high on the Republic’s air waves. Thuli, who hails from Soweto and began singing in a church choir at the age of 15 and has gone on to support some of South Africa’s biggest musicians, will play two live set from 7pm.
The evening will round off with South African DJ Richard Smith playing a live set of the best hits from the Republic from 10pm.
Abu Dhabi’s VOR Destination Village is the centre of the UAE capital’s hosting of the hardy, Volvo Ocean Race fleet and a celebration of the emirate’s rich, maritime heritage. It is packed full of family fun, sports, concerts and challenges and open, free-of-charge, to the public 10am to 9pm on weekdays and 10am to 10pm on weekends. Timings differ on December 25th when the village will be open from 4pm until 10pm.
The village will be open until January 3rd when the VOR fleet leaves for Leg 3 of the round-the-world epic to Sanya in China. Organisers are planning a major, send-off celebration to which all the public are invited.
To find out more about what’s happening at the village log on to Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Facebook page, www.abudhabievents.ae or www.volvooceanraceabudhabi.com.
