Preview: Terry Fortune’s Golden Oldies at Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts, February 5, 2023

Preview: Terry Fortune’s The Golden Oldies at Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts, February 5, 2023- the high point of a 30-year legacy at Kirstenbosch

In February 2022, I attended the inaugural edition of Terry Fortune’s The Golden Oldies on the lawns at the Baxter, Cape Town. We were still in lockdown, masks required and social distancing and a jubilant Terry Fortune pledged at that concert to develop The Golden Oldies as a platform to showcase veteran South African artists and harness the extraordinary legacy of artists who have made an impact on the arts industry and who continue to make music. His vision was to develop a musical collective devoted to the “Golden Agers” and in a year, The Golden Oldies has made its mark in Cape Town with sold-out concerts in an array of communities- delighting audiences of all ages. It is fabulous that The Golden Oldies will be on stage at the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts on Sunday – February 5, 2023. It is a legacy and heritage concert- a celebration of Terry Fortune’s three decades in show biz and a celebration of the other artists in the lineup. Some of the artist, like Loukmaan Adams are not seniors but Loukmaan and his brother Emo started out as child stars so they have notched up many years in the industry. All those on the bill, have made an extensive contribution to the arts. A biggie is that Lorraine Klaasen will be singing on Sunday, at Kirstenbosch. She is the daughter of the late, great, Thandi Klaasen. Lorraine lives in Canada. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience the talents of Lorraine, singing with Terry Fortune (yes, he is singing)and the others in the illustrious lineup: Info as supplied:

Golden Oldies: The High Point of a 30-year legacy at Kirstenbosch 

On February 5, 2023, the 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀, in partnership with the 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻, looks forward to welcoming Terry Fortune’s gilded musical collective, 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗢𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀, to the stage. 

Over the past three decades, the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts have become a much-loved tradition in Cape Town. Set in the beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, the open-air music series brings people together from all over the world and provides a platform for local emerging and established artists to perform for a diverse audience.

The Golden Oldies music collective will include South African music legends: Terry Fortune, Madeegha Anders, Leslie Kleinsmith, Vernon Castle, PJ Powers, Lorraine Klaasen, Sophia Foster, the Darryl Andrew’s Show Band, and local entertainers Emo Adams and Loukmaan Adams as the masters of ceremonies on the Sunday afternoon. 

A musical collective devoted to Golden Agers 

Golden Oldies is an initiative by Capetonian entertainer Terry Fortune, who is widely known as a South African music legend. The concert will pay tribute to and honour local legendary performing artists and musicians to thank them for their significant contributions to the music industry and their communities. With the help of Suidoosterfees, the Golden Oldies concert is an opportunity to make the performing arts accessible to all to promote community development and social cohesion.

“Golden Oldies is an evolving brand with a corporate social responsibility aspect that aims to commit to honouring senior institutions through their performances”, says Terry Fortune. By virtue of the Golden Oldies’ and Kirstenbosch’s positive role in the Cape Town community, 100 tickets to the Golden Oldies concert will go out to guests from surrounding Cape Peninsula old age homes, senior citizen groups and disadvantaged communities. Many of these specially invited guests have never been able to attend a show at Kirstenbosch, making this a remarkable way to give back to the Cape community. Music is a common thread that allows multigenerational audiences to connect with each other, and the outdoor environment is the ideal location. 

“Music plays a pivotal role for the elderly, and what better way to place smiles on the faces of our seniors as they sing along to old-time favourites while we gently take the crowd on a journey of the yesteryears? This year, the Golden Oldies celebrates the brand’s one-year anniversary, and we are excited to share this momentous occasion with Kirstenbosch”, says Terry Fortune.

Showstopping entertainment

Terry Fortune has recently received the kykNET Fiëstas Legend award for his outstanding performances and extensive involvement in the music industry. 

Accompanying the Golden Oldies will be a number of talented South African singers. Performer Madeegha Anders started her professional career in 1979, working at one of the top hotels in Swaziland as a singer in the band “Seven Steps” with the late Taliep Petersen. In 1986 she played the lead female role in the hit Musical “District Six”, performed at the Edinburgh festival in Scotland and sang in all the Mike McCullough productions for many years.

Capetonian singer Leslie Kleinsmith earned the title of Grand Performer after a successful number of years on the South African cabaret and music scene. He first started performing in local cabarets, clubs, and television productions and then went on to take over international stages.

Vernon Castle is a South African music legend with national and international performance experience. The singer’s musical career also started on the cabaret scene in the City Of Cape Town nearly 50 years ago.

Lorraine Klaasen, the daughter of the late legendary South African Jazz singer Thandie Klaasen, is one of the few South African artists who have preserved the classic sound of ‘Township Music’, and has gone on to electrify audiences worldwide with her dynamic stage presence.

South African music icon PJ Powers (Thandeka) is an award-winning musician with 12 gold discs, four platinum and a gold CD. Her career started in the 1980s as the lead singer of Hotline, and her solo career took off during the 1990s and 2000s with hits like “There is Answer” and “Jabulani”. PJ Powers has received several honours and awards over her career, such as the award for Peace and Reconciliation and the Top 100 Outstanding South Africans award, to name a few.

Sophia Foster is a legendary jazz singer and a diversified performer that has excelled in all genres of the entertainment industry, from theatre to television, glitz and glamour reviews, to intimate nightclubs and open-air stadiums. For the last four decades, her shining musical talents earned her the title of one of South Africa’s Divas of song.

The Golden Oldies concert’s masters of ceremonies, Emo and Loukmaan Adams, have been acclaimed household names in South Africa for many years. Singer, actor and producer Emo Adams became a leading figure in the country’s creative industry in the early 2000s through his phenomenal song, theatre and production performances. 

Loukmaan Adams, the older brother of Emo Adams, is a South African actor, singer and choreographer best known for his collaborations with David Kramer and the late Taliep Pietersen. His roles in the musicals District 6: The Musical and Kat & the Kings have also added significant credit to his career as a performer.

Supported by the City of Cape Town

“The City of Cape Town is proud to partner with the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts to showcase some of South Africa’s most legendary performers. We are incredibly excited to see the Golden Oldies at Kirstenbosch, mesmerising the crowd at such an incredible setting,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

Enjoy an afternoon listening to a world-class musical performance on the slopes of Table Mountain. Pack a picnic or pre-order from the Kirstenbosch Tea Room or Moyo Restaurant five days in advance with all details on the Kirstenbosch website.

Tickets cost R190/p – R260/p at www.webtickets.co.za or the Kirstenbosch Ticket Office. Please note that Webtickets is the ONLY online ticketing partner. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden cannot guarantee that tickets purchased from third parties will be valid. (Service fees are not charged, so you should only pay the prices quoted above.) 

✳ Featured image of Terry Fortune, at Golden Oldies on the Lawn, Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, February 2022. Pic © TheCapeRobyn/Robyn Cohen. Poster pic supplied. Sponsored feature.