Bespoke African karaoke night hosted by South African Afrobeats DJ, Spokenpriestess, has found a brand new home. Founded in 2021 under a different name, Afri-Sauti Karaoke officially launched earlier this year, following three years of conceptual planning.
The much-loved event, which started out at a karaoke bar in Melville Johannesburg, is now moving to the creative hub of Rosebank, at a tapas and cocktail bar called Omen Rosebank.
Nestled at The Zone near Rosebank Mall, Omen promises to give Afri-Sauti Karaoke patrons a perfect blend of nightlife and karaoke fun. The venue spots the biggest television screen in the area and comes with perks such as a shisha bar, underground parking, proximity to the Gautrain station, as well as security in the surrounding area.
With the clever move to Rosebank, the karaoke night will fall on the First Friday of every month from the 2nd of August 2024. As it is National Women’s Month, the relaunch at Omen Rosebank will celebrate African women in music, in partnership with the female-focused organisation, Women In Music South Africa (WIMSA). Attendees can expect to sing songs by the likes of Angélique Kidjo, Brenda Fassie, Lebo Mathosa, Makhadzi, Shekhinah, Tiwa Savage and many more.
Where African karaoke is concerned, Spokenpriestess has sought out to create a platform for Africans to sing in their mother tongues, as it is uncommon to find several African artists on the playlist of any karaoke night.
To close the gap, the DJ oversees the playlist to include various African Pop sounds, especially classics from South Africa, offering karaoke lovers an opportunity to belt out their favourite local hits.
“With the word, ‘Sauti,’ meaning ‘sound’ in KiSwahili, the name is a perfect description to the crux of the African karaoke offering. The aim is to one day encompass as many African songs as possible in various languages spoken across the continent to fully represent the vastness and diversity of its people”, says Spokenpriestess.
Afri-Sauti Karaoke takes place this Friday, 2 August 2024 at Omen Rosebank, The Zone from 19:00. Tickets are available for purchase at R100 on Quicket - www.quicket.co.za