Luna Paige performs in Stellenbosch

Singer-songwriter Luna Paige is set to perform in Stellenbosch next month as part of Big Folk Africa, a collaborative showcase of African folk music.

The event will take place at the Daisy Jones Bar on Sunday, August, 3 at 3pm and will feature performances by Paige alongside fellow singer-songwriters Nick Turner, Stanley Sibande, Divine Mahara and Avril Mkansi.

Each artist will perform with just their instrument and their voice, telling stories through song. The musicians will also incorporate their home languages into their sets – including English, Tsonga, Afrikaans, Shona, and Bemba – bringing a personal and diverse flavour to the performance.

The concept for the show originated from a conversation between Nick Turner and Kevin Ramage of Sit the Folk Down, following their viewing of the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.

Mr Ramage said: “Big Folk Africa is, in essence, music with no frills or hiding behind anything. Taking things back to their roots, as it were. We even toyed with the idea of leaning more on the ‘Roots’ aspect, but for now, Big Folk Africa still has a nice ring to it.

"The idea was to approach a handful of amazing singer-songwriters we’ve either worked with or have heard about, and run this show based around singer-songwriter/storyteller-type music. Ideally, we’d love to keep building on it and ultimately bring in more of the incredible folk and roots musicians we have in this country.”

Turner, also one of the event’s organisers, will not only perform his own songs but will also accompany Divine Mahara and Luna Paige during their sets, creating a collaborative experience.

In tribute to Bob Dylan, Paige and Turner will perform a duet originally sung by Dylan and Joan Baez. The show will end with a group performance by all five musicians.

“There are definitely highlights I look forward to with the show,” said Ms Paige. “For me, the privilege lies in sharing the stage with younger musicians who write the most beautiful songs in their native tongue. I love to see how they blend their own unique sounds with modern-day influences and represent a new generation of songwriters. All these musicians have beautiful spirits and stories to tell.”

Audience members can expect short sets of three to five songs per performer, with collaborative moments woven throughout the afternoon.

Table bookings for groups of four to six people can be made via WhatsApp on 064 968 2015. Tickets are available through Quicket at R160 per person, with door tickets priced at R190.