Season 9
Afro Café is a South African music variety show produced by BonNgoe Productions which combines music videos and features with interviews of up-and-coming artists.
The show premiered on SABC2 on Monday 4 July 2005, at 22h00.
Season 9 premiered on SABC2 on Wednesday 13 March 2013, at 22h00. The season went on hiatus after Episode 13 (which aired on 5 June) to accommodate Season 4 of Jam Sandwich and resumed with Episode 14 on Wednesday 25 September 2013, at 22h00. New episodes broadcast weekly. There are 26 episodes in the ninth season.
Season 9
Afro Café is back with a new season that sees the programme broadcast from a brand new studio with new format inserts introduced to the show and a bigger and better set.
The focal point this season is the performance stage, which has four segments. The new set is flexible and can change shape from one episode to another with ease.
Lighting also plays a big role in the new Afro Café look. It is used to enhance the mood according to tracks performed, all put together to create a memorable experience.
The show has retained presenter Stoan Seate, however this season he is mostly used as a host who introduces the guests rather than being a full-on presenter, as he was in previous seasons.
The newly revamped show speaks directly to the guests, who are now encouraged to tell their own stories. They address the viewers directly, share personal stories and give the history of the songs performed.
Another addition to the show is that Stoan hosts it from different locations all over the country.
In the first episode of Season 9, entitled "Malambule Project": Malambule is a project and album compiled by Sipho Sithole. It's a snippet of his work admired by many, which he has done with certain artists over the years as a producer, composer and a co-composer.
His pseudo producer name is "Malambule".
The artists who appear in this particular episode are the popular female artists Thandiswa, Unathi, Cama Gwini, Pu2ma, Deborah Fraser, Rae and KB. The music is mostly Afro soul, with strong traditional and ethnic roots.
About the Show
Afro Café is more than just a music programme - it blends the best music Africa has to offer with a talk show, interviewing artists and up and coming musicians as part of the show.
Presented in English and Sotho the show aims to showcase new African music talent, with the focus on music breaking down cultural boundaries.
Afro Café is also a vehicle to highlight up-and-coming artists and venues of interest.
Each one-hour edition is a mixed bag of live music, music videos, artist interviews and related inserts.