Shekhinah Cites AKA’s Supa Mega Show As Inspiration For Rosefest

In an interview with Nandi Madida for Apple Music’s “Africa Now Radio,” Shekhinah revealed that she was inspired to create her own music festival, Rosefest, after seeing the success of major shows organized by her male counterparts. Specifically, she cited AKA’s “Supa Mega Show” and Cassper Nyovest’s “Fill Up The Dome” as the catalysts for her ambitious project.

Shekhinah explained that she felt a desire to create a space for herself and other women in a male-dominated industry. Acknowledging the success of iconic male artists and their independently owned festival properties, she felt it was important for women to have a sense of ownership as well. Rosefest, an all-female music festival, was her response to this need. She saw it as an opportunity to set a trend, empowering other women to take control of their own businesses and create their own platforms.

After a hiatus of a couple of years, during which she focused on online events, Shekhinah expressed her gratitude for the overwhelming support from her fans. She highlighted that the festival had sold out, a sign of its importance and the community’s enthusiasm. Shekhinah conveyed her appreciation for the public’s warm reception, promising a beautiful day of music and celebration. The festival’s return and its success demonstrate that her initial ambitious idea, sparked by the likes of AKA and Cassper Nyovest, has blossomed into a powerful and much-loved institution for women in the South African music scene.

“Shekhinah tells Apple Music why her festival Rosefest remains so important to her.
I wanted to have some sort of ownership as a woman in our industry. We have so many iconic males – and there were so many properties also dominated by males. There was the ‘Supa Mega Show’, ‘Fill Up The Dome’ etc and I felt like, okay, if I have one, maybe I’ll start the trend for other women owning their own spaces and taking the business into their own hands too. It was really just an ambitious kind of thing. I’m grateful and a big thank you to everyone for buying tickets and also for welcoming us back. I know we haven’t been around for the past couple of years. We’ve been doing a lot of online things and  I’m really grateful that people received us so well and we are sold out and we’re going to have a beautiful day! “