There’s something shifting in music right now. People are starting to lean back towards songs that feel honest. Less overproduced noise, more real emotion. Into that space steps Dylan Tori with ‘Light Up Your Soul‘, a track that doesn’t try to be bigger than it needs to be. It just feels real.

Released on 24 April and produced by Mark Beling, the song carries a warm, familiar energy. You can hear the influence of Motown, blended with Americana and a touch of country blues rock. It feels classic in places, but never outdated. It sits comfortably between old and new without forcing the balance.

At its core, ‘Light Up Your Soul’ is about showing up for someone when it matters. Not in a dramatic way, but in the quiet moments that often mean the most. The message is simple. Be there. Stay present. Offer something steady when everything else feels uncertain. It is the kind of theme that lands because it is real.

Vocally, Dylan keeps things grounded. He does not overreach or try to impress for the sake of it. The emotion comes through naturally, and that makes it believable. You get the sense that he understands the story he is telling, and that gives the performance weight.

The production follows that same thinking. It is polished enough to sound complete, but not so polished that it loses its character. There is space in the track, and that space allows the emotion to breathe. It feels like a collaboration where both artist and producer understood what the song needed, and more importantly, what it did not need.Looking beyond the track, it does raise a bigger question. Where does music like this fit in the current South African landscape? Are audiences making room for songs that value honesty over hype? Or are we still leaning towards what feels safe and commercially predictable?

With years behind him, Dylan Tori sounds like someone who has stopped chasing trends and started trusting his own direction. The question now is whether listeners are willing to meet him there, and whether there is still space in the market for music that chooses substance over noise.

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A Show That Lives Up to Its Name

Titled “88”—a nod to the 88 keys of the piano—the show is anything but ordinary. Even with two pianos on stage, the duo pushes the limits of what can be achieved in live performance. Joining them is South African guitar virtuoso Mauritz Lotz, adding another layer of brilliance to an already extraordinary musical experience.

A Journey Through Sound

The repertoire is a playful, unpredictable mix: from boeremusiek to Bach, blues to ballads. Longtime fans will hear old favourites reimagined, while new compositions and original word art make this performance completely fresh. Despite their different styles, Rocco and Coenie share one thing in common—a deep love for the piano—and that love resonates through every note.

And yes… It’s family-friendly

No need to worry about age restrictions—everyone is welcome. And don’t expect Coenie in shorts, he jokes—this is a show with flair, not casual attire.

Performance Details

• Dates: 4–15 March 2026
• Times: Wed–Fri @ 7:30pm | Sat @ 4pm & 7:30pm | Sun @ 3pm
• Venue: Pieter Toerien MonteCasino Theatre, Main Stage
• Tickets: Webtickets or Theatre Box Office (011) 511 1988

On Stage:

• Rocco de Villiers: Piano & Keyboards
• Coenie de Villiers: Piano & Keyboards
• Mauritz Lotz: All Guitars

The Creative Minds Behind “88”

Both text and music are crafted by Rocco and Coenie, who also direct the production. Presented by Rocco Rocco Music Pty Ltd/CDV Market Ideation (Pty) Ltd, this is a true celebration of South African talent, collaboration, and the joy of live music.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to their music, “88” promises to be a show that delights, surprises, and reminds us why we fall in love with music in the first place. Can two pianos and one guitar really create magic? You’ll have to see—and hear—for yourself.

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Johannesburg, 1 December 2025 | South African pop sensation Lee Cole is gearing up for one of the country’s most beloved festive traditions as he joins the star-studded lineup for SPAR Carols by Candlelight with Jacaranda FM. Known for his powerhouse vocals and heartfelt songwriting, Lee is ready to help families welcome the Christmas spirit with an evening of music, meaning and magic.

The annual event, held in partnership with SPAR and Jacaranda FM, brings together top local artists to raise funds and collect toys for children in need via Santa’s Shoebox, a cause especially close to the artists’ hearts. With an orchestra, choir, and thousands of voices joining in, it’s one of the most anticipated live festive concerts on the calendar.

Ahead of Lee Cole’s performance at the show this Thursday, the singer opens up about his favourite festive memories and gives insight into his new single ‘Palace Of Dreams’.

The festive season is right around the corner. Why is this the most wonderful time of the year for you?

“Christmas is without a doubt my favourite time of the year. Being with family and connecting and resetting is just special. There’s a pause in your life for a few days, and it feels so natural.”

What are some of your favourite Christmas memories?

“There’s probably a few too many to mention, but I would say just the food and the fact that, as a kid, you’d always look forward to everyone coming to your house. There was always a sense of togetherness.”

What’s a small Christmas tradition that means a lot to you or your family?

“Well, we actually have a tradition of opening gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve. It’s fun and a little different.”

What’s your go-to holiday comfort movie or series when you want to switch off?

“I wouldn’t say I have any if I’m honest, but musically, I would say Michael Bublé and Mariah Carey.”

What’s your favourite Christmas carol to perform and why?

“‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas’. It’s just a song that is smooth and suave. Gets me in the Christmas spirit every time.”

You’re taking part in SPAR Carols By Candlelight presented by Jacaranda FM this year. What are you most excited about the show?

“There’s so much to be excited about, to be fair. I think working with Adrian Paulson and the host of world-class talent we have on the night gets me fired up the most. The line-up is incredible this year.”

What can audiences expect from the show this year?

They can expect high energy, good vibes and all of their favourite Christmas carols sung by some of South Africa’s best musicians.

You’ve also just released your new single ‘Palace Of Dreams’. Tell us a little bit about what inspired the song?

“‘Palace Of Dreams’ is one of my favourite singles I have released to date because of the vibe. It, in a way, complements this festive season in energy and feel. It’s essentially about dancing through unknown territory and learning to face fear, I suppose.”

As the year draws to a close, what can fans expect from you in 2026?

“2026 is going to be a year of growth for me. You can expect a lot of new music, and I am so excited to share it with everyone!”

TICKETS SOLD OUT — HERE’S HOW TO WATCH

While tickets to the live event are officially sold out, fans across South Africa can still tune in to experience the magic from home. SPAR Carols By Candlelight with Jacaranda FM will be livestreamed on jacarandafm.com at 7 pm on Thursday, 4 December 2025, allowing every fan to join the celebration.

For those who want to relive the festive cheer or enjoy the concert during Christmas preparations, the full event will be rebroadcast all day on 24 December on jacarandafm.com, providing the perfect musical backdrop to Christmas Eve.

The post Lee Cole Reveals His Most Personal Christmas Memories appeared first on Stage and Screen.

Back with more beats, more flavour and even more vibe, BIG DAY OUT 2025 promises to build on last year’s unforgettable experience by once again bringing together the best of SA music, food and of course culture. Set in the heart of Johannesburg, the festival will be a vibrant fusion of heritage and modernity, showcasing legendary artists, the hottest current acts paired with a culinary lineup as rich and diverse as the sounds on stage.

Following the overwhelming response to the 2024 edition, which saw thousands relive the golden era of kwaito and dance to decades of house hits, Oskido will again focus on the nostalgic magic of yesteryear while turning up the volume on new school flair.

Festival Goers can expect an immersive lifestyle experience complete with deliciously curated food zones, interactive installations and show-stopping performances from some of the country’s most iconic artists as well as some newer young talent. 

      “The response to the first Big Day Out totally blew the team and I away,” said Oskido. “In 2025, we’re taking it to another level – more artists, more music and more ways to celebrate the diversity of the South Africans we are. This festival is for anyone who’s ever danced to a kwaito beat or lost themselves in a house groove. It’s our story, told through sound, taste and style. See you in November!”

SAVE THE DATE: 29 November 2025

Returning to the picturesque grounds of Linksfield, this one-day lifestyle celebration will once again attract an estimated crowd of 5000+, turning Joburg’s skyline into a backdrop for good vibes and timeless music. With an expanded stage, multiple experience zones and a lineup that bridges three generations of South African music, BIG DAY OUT 2025 is gearing up to be the ultimate year-end celebration.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OSKIDO’S BIG DAY OUT

• DATE: Saturday, 29 November 2025
• VENUE: Huddle Park, Linksfield
• MUSIC: House, Kwaito, Amapiano, Hip Hop
• TIME: 12 pm – 10 pm

Limited early access tickets available now, starting from R495.

• Book your spot HERE 

Oskido’s BIG DAY OUT is not just another festival; it’s a powerful reminder of where we’ve been, how far we’ve come, and the vibrant, ever-evolving culture that makes South Africa shine. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this iconic moment.

Follow Big Day Out on Social Media:

• Website: oskidosbigdayout.com
• Instagram: @oskidosbigdayout
• TikTok: @oskidosbigdayout
• X: @oskidosbdo

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Having to film the music video for Weight Of Desire while under lockdown, Reece and his fellow musicians who are based in different cities across SA, came up with a simple yet very creative solution to film the music video. The music video for this single was planned via a zoom call and filmed in the middle of lockdown. Each person who appears in the video filmed themselves performing their part on their instrument and it was edited and put together by Ric Martins.

About 80% of the Temples And Timebombs EP was recorded by Reece in his own home studio. He then teamed up with Martins to help take it from a glorified demo, to what it is today.

Temples And Timebombs is Reece’s first EP release in over 4 years. Lie Baby Lie, the first single from the EP, has already yielded a number 1 on the Algoa FM Top 30 and a Top 3 placement on the 5FM Indie Top 10. Weight Of Desire is without a doubt another powerful single to keep an eye and ear on.

Fans will get to see Stuart Reece perform live on the 1^st of July and all details are up on his website: www.stuartreece.co.za

Get your Temples And Timebomb right here!

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James Deacon’s career trajectory hasn’t always been the easiest, but the multi-instrumentalist has continuously bounced back from his fair share of mishaps: from an accident that nearly ended his guitar playing, to his recent vocal cord surgery.

His second EP, Renegade, available now, is a 6-track offering that is brazen and brash and shows two solid middle fingers to conformity as Deacon continues to blaze an authentic career path. The EP includes the hit singles Reason, HERO aka Rich and the most recent radio single Rain On Me.

His next single, Shine, is a funkalicious feel-good banger oozing with sex appeal. The bouncy, clap-commanding pop anthem is a disco-infused big-band affair with nods to Jungle, Daft Punk, Justice and Stevie Wonder.

The EP’s title-track Renegade provides James with a chance to flex his rap muscles much more so than ever before, amplified by his passionate vocals willing him to become the person he talks about in the song. Also included on the EP is Mr Misery, a broody, blues-infused tale that serves as a metaphor for James’ darker side and in turn becomes a resilient juxtaposition to latest single Shine.

With HBO selecting his single Son Of Apollo to soundtrack an 8-week movie promo campaign in America, the anticipation around Renegade is palpable and warranted as James is poised to spread his musical message globally.

Stream Shine and Renegade here, or on all platforms.

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Living in Somerset West and influenced from an early age by the likes of The Beatles, Nirvana and NOFX, Julian Bach gives the singer-songwriter approach a clean rock edge that everyone needs to hear right now. Julian has been making music since the early 2000’s and the maturity in his songwriting and incredible vocal power cuts through in his latest offerings: The World and Element.

It’s been almost 6 and a half years since the release of his debut album Man On The Bicycle in December 2013. 2020 can be hailed as a new year and a new start for Julian, as a new album is due this year and a rebirth of his sound and songs.

Ready for his sophomore album, The World and Element are the first 2 singles to drop from the forthcoming release. This album is the result of a three-year home recording adventure and will be his most honest and insightful work to date, all while keeping the music creative, powerful and catchy!

Julian’s new music captures a quality of songwriting entirely unique to him; his writing is insightful, creative and sometimes a bit strange, but somehow still manages to sound familiar.

Get The World and Element Here!

The post Julian Bach Releases Two New Singles In 2020 appeared first on Stage and Screen.

Many will have seen Urbani in the leading roles of hit musicals like The Rocky Horror Show, Rock of Ages and Chicago or on TV in Scandal, Isidingo and Ashes to Ashes. But he loves the recording studio as much as the stage, so when composer and music producer Mark Cheyne pitched the idea of creating some original pop tracks, he didn’t think twice.

Urbani and Cheyne first worked together in 2003 and have been collaborating in musical productions on and off ever since. The downtime that came with being in lockdown provided the perfect opportunity to take this partnership to the next level.

I Might Like It is now available on all major music platforms. The official video will be released soon, as well as more brand new tracks.

Listen now:

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‘Fire Is The New Black’ marries a royal African drum to an alternative rock progression in a high-energy sonic ceremony. Loui is swerving past blockades in star-ship, speeding to the concert which he’s headlining where he serves us a booming staccato rhythm under an electrifying flow that saliently disobeys the hip-hop, rock and RnB. By the time you reach the chorus, Loui implores us to “… get it while it’s hot” as the intensity peeks. This record sees the man aflame unapologetically seduce the listener into not just playing with Fire, but scorching alongside it.

‘Fire Is The New Black’ is a statement you that makes you sit up and listen attentively.

The music video for ‘Fire Is The New Black’ is shot in a unique in-between poses editorial style featuring Loui Lvndn (London) putting his radical art on a pedestal – on display for the world to bear witness.  The grade and colour treatment is the sexual factor in this visual. Everything is black and white with keyed out moments of hue. The use of black and white speaks to the two opposite ends of the colour spectrum in South African society and that brings us together in the cause of progressively approaching art in the years to come.

Listen to ‘Loui Lvndn – Fire Is The New Black’ on your favourite digital platform now – https://africori.to/fitnb

The post Loui Lvndn’s Releases Music Video for ‘Fire Is The New Black’ appeared first on Stage and Screen.

“As we find ourselves in a state of surreal melancholy, we need to remember the positive and focus on the small victories which might uplift us in our time of need. Although these songs were written long before the outbreak of CoVid-19, I still hope that they will find you in the best of spirits. I am hopeful that in a small way my music offerings can bring some kind of relief and escape from these uncharted circumstances that we find ourselves in.”

“Midnight Screams” and “Erupt” are two singles that will form part of a 10-part collage of music that Arno will continue to release over the course of 2020. The previous releases of 2019, which include the tracks Lift my Spirit, Empire of the Night (a finalist in the globally acclaimed 2019 International Songwriting Competition, out of the USA), Don’t Let it Be and Out of the Blue, will be included in this eclectic collage of music.

Although not a studio album in the traditional sense, Arno’s intention is to present a complete body of work before the end of the year, with the understanding that sometimes “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. The bigger picture connects Arno’s love of energized alt pop production on one side of the spectrum, with his ability to craft anthemic acoustic driven ballads on the other.

Arno streamed a special live concert on Saturday 21 March via YouTube and the response from fans and the industry was overwhelming. Those who missed it, can still support local and grab a ticket on Webtickets here https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Event.aspx?itemid=1501794393

Arno will also be streaming to fans from his Facebook page periodically, to provide entertainment while we’re all stuck at home.  You can follow Arno’s page here for updates on when to tune in https://www.facebook.com/arnocarstensmusic/

The singles are both available for streaming and download everywhere.

1. Midnight Screams: https://lnk.to/z0a2Gg
2. Erupt: https://lnk.to/BU0NMN

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