For the first time in Africa, Indian playback singer Sonu Nigam will present the first two editions of his 40-piece orchestral show 'Klose To My Heart', show organisers said today.
The show will be held in South Africa later this year.
"For a long time I have wanted to bring my different concept for a concert to South Africa, which is one of my favourite places," Nigam said in a video message from Los Angeles, where he was attending a family event.
"This is a very difficult proposition to get to any country, because you have such a big group of musicians and technicians to bring in, but we promise an extravaganza of nostalgia which you will not forget in a lifetime," Nigam added.
More than 50 South African dancers will also be involved in the show.
Nigam's show has played at sold out venues in the US, UK and Dubai as he belts out a wide range of his many hit songs joined by an ensemble of talented musicians playing an encompassing array of instruments including violins, drums, keyboards, dholaks and tablas, congos, octapads, guitars, saxophones, trumpets and flutes.
Sun City Managing Executive, Mike van Vuuren, has touted Nigam's show as a coup for Sun City, which has previously hosted sold-out shows of the first IIFA Awards in South Africa and a Bollywood Concert featuring Shahrukh Khan and a host of other Bollywood artists in its 5,500-seater SuperBowl.
"Nigam has a considerable fan base in South Africa, selling out at concerts that he has had here several times in his career," said Osman Osman (sic) of Blu Blood, which has partnered with Sun City for the event.
In Durban the show will be hosted by Showtime Promotions as part of celebrating its 20th anniversary in bringing Indian shows to South Africa.
"It will be the first time ever that South Africans get to see something like this, because there will not just be the usual six or eight-man band, but a full 40-piece orchestra in a spectacle of light and video on stage," said Vinay Hansraj of Showtime Promotions.
Harish Goyal, head of Zee TV in South Africa, said the company was glad to partner for the shows as well.
"We have found a great resonance between the cultures of two great nations like Indian and South Africa and if we can make this audience happy through a show like this, we are happy," Goyal said.
