Happy new year 2014!
Cape Town celebrates 2 New Year each year, on the 1st and on the “slave new year day off” or “Tweede Nuwe Jaar” on the 2nd of January with the COON festival or “Kaapse Klopse”. My favourite is the Coon Festival, because of it local value and the beautiful and dramatic stories behind it. The Coon festival is a total celebration of life, diversity, generosity and freedom. It is always blossoming with cheering, laughter, smiles, grimaces, dances, loud music and colourful crowds.
Today on this 4th of January 2014, the tradition was not broken. The troupes marched from District six to Cape Town stadium in the most delirious parade. Authorities suggested that around 60 bands, more than 40 000 people strong in total would be showing their talents on Darling Street, at the Grand parade and going to Cape Town stadium (Green Point stadium) where a final round would be staged.
Families came from around Cape Town, from Bo-Kaap, Athlone, Manenberg, Hanover Park, Lentegeur, Bontheuvel, Woodlands, Rockland, Mitchel's plain, Atlantis and many other places to see the coons. They set tents by the road not to miss a glimpse of the spectacle.
This year, it seemed that the very youth was on stage, offering the cuteness, the joy of life and the astonishing creativity which only toddlers are capable of.
An important but rather friendly security cordon was deployed, with policemen and other security personnel containing the joyful crowd and redirecting the traffic, with fences everywhere to prevent the crowd from overstepping on the parade way, and with health emergency units on alert on site.
At Parade, the square mile facing the iconic city Hall, a stage was raised, a food market was created and toilet section was arranged.
Giant screens were out, television cameras were out and the voice of the master of ceremony was demanding applause and more cheers out of gigantic speakers.
It was an amazing spectacle like only Cape Town can offer.
Can't wait for next year....
