The second edition of the Silala Music Festival may have ended, but memories linger of the energetic performance by Dalom Kids - one of South Africa's most enduring and popular female dance troupes.
Founded by the late Dan Tshanda of the band Splash, Dalom Kids captivated fans on Saturday, 12 July, at the Berea Madzonga Resort in Niani. The group, led by Dan's widow, Sylvia Tshanda, made its first appearance at the venue since his passing. Dan Tshanda, born Daniel Ndivhiseni Tshanda, was the lead vocalist and bassist of Splash, which became a staple in South African disco music
The festival, billed as an African showcase, featured headline acts including Makhadzi, Zozo and Zimbabwean icon Alick Macheso, but it was Dalom Kids whose performance truly lit up the night.
Sylvia Tshanda reflected on the experience: "Ours was a special performance, a first after the passing on of my late husband Dan and also the first at the venue. We were on fire and the show was electric. We dished out old greats and hits of all time like Ndincedeni and when we performed Keneilwe, we nearly brought the house down. Fans could not have enough of us and kept asking for more. This was one of our greatest shows in a long time. Our fans loved every minute of it and we really thank our fans and the promoters for having faith in us and we are looking forward to future performances in this part of the country."
Sylvia also teased that new music might be on the horizon: "We are now busy with another hit single with Wanitwa Mos, talking about teenage pregnancy. The song, titled Girl Child, will be released in the first week of August. On the single, we worked with the likes of Harry Cane, Droppa and EeQue to come up with this excellent piece. We hope our splendid performance that left fans eating from our palms will attract promoters and we have more shows in Vhembe, which is like our second home. By the way, the festival also afforded us the opportunity to visit my late husband's family at Matangari," she said.