BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
EZULWINI – The rain did not put a damper on the Ekwetsembeni Special School fundraising show.
The event, which was dubbed ‘Jazz Meets Opera’ was held at The Residence on Friday and the show was a success, as a number of people came out to enjoy the show.
The fundraising concert was held to raise funds for Ekwetsembeni Special School. The concert organised by the Jazz Gallery was held at the British High Commission Residence No. 15 at the Royal Villas.
The concert was an initiative by the Jazz Gallery to help raise funds for the special needs school.
When reached for comment, Nelisa Lawton shared with this publication that despite the rain, people still came out to enjoy the show. “People came through despite the rain, and I was surprised. It started raining after the band had just played four songs, and we had to move to the veranda. Thankfully, it was big enough to accommodate us,” Lawton said.
When asked if they raised enough funds for the school, Lawton said: “We raised quite enough, but we are yet to add up how much was made in total. It was also great to see that the principal of Ekwetsembeni Special School, Lindiwe Dlamini, also come through and gave a loving speech. It was sweet.”
Lawton added that because of the rain, they will have a follow-up show on April 30 on International Jazz Day at their regular spot at Mountain View, as their band couldn’t perform live after the rain. “We will give a discount to the ones who came through just to make up for Friday,” she said.
Lawton shared that they have been visiting Ekwetsembeni School every Thursday as part of their programme to teach music to the children who have special needs. They have been running the programme for a while, also playing music for them. They have now formed a choir with some of the pupils. The funds raised will go towards buying music equipment like the PA system, drums, guitars, and keyboards for the students.
(Pics by Sandile Simelane)
