The Minstrel Carnival competition at the Athlone stadium (in Cape Town) has kicked off. Cape Town’s Athlone stadium is abuzz with the sound of Ghoema drummers and banjos on Saturday afternoon.
Over the next five weeks, 15 Minstrels troupes will battle it out for the bragging rights of best troupe.
The competition is on the back of the return of the Tweede Nuwe Jaar parade on January 2nd after a 2 year break due to COVID-19. On Monday, about 20- thousand Minstrels in their colourful signature costumes were in the Cape Town CBD.
Over 80-thousand curious onlookers filled the streets of the Mother City to experience the Minstrels street parade for the first time after two-years.
The chairperson of the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association, Muneeb Gambino, says troupes are competing in three main categories.
“This is the nursery school for our new musicians and dancers in our communities. Often they push through and they become professional dancers and musicians. The elements today is the Klopse jol, best dressed, best drum major, best junior drum major and really the exhibition part of carnival. Next week we move onto the choral elements and the single singing elements and also the best band elements.” says Gambino.
