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In the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg, there has been one event that has stood not only the test of time, but also even the test of Covid-19, and on February 11, I got to celebrate Valentine’s Day with them in style.
Narowbi Events has become a popular platform for alternative subcultures to break bread with one another and experience the joys of alternative culture.
Founded by cultural entrepreneur and event curator Vuyo “McGlad” Tangweni, Narowbi has quickly risen to prominence all through the magic of word of mouth. Tangweni and his team have spent the last five years bringing large and small groups of people together and have given creatives a space to share their gifts.
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In true Narowbi spirit, their Valentine’s Day event on February 11 was packed, fitted with event tags that would indicate whether you’re single, taken, in a complicated situation or simply just don’t care. This isn’t usually customary for a Narowbi event, but there are two things you can always count on when you walk into the Narowbi space: first is the top-tier fashion looks and second is the packed crowd.
Tangweni started his journey in the creative industry with a rap group called Righteous Mobb. There, he discovered his unwavering passion for supporting talent and begin his journey of creating one of the hottest event spaces to come out of Johannesburg.
“I don’t really think I am a creative person, but my journey led me to find a new passion. I remember looking around in Johannesburg and on social media, and not really finding events that were inclusive of young talents. I wanted to create something for the youth to express themselves,” he said.
“That was in March 2019, and I didn’t know it at the time, but because of the pandemic, I only had a year to really get this thing off the ground. I decided to post on my WhatsApp status and ask people if they would come to an event if I hosted one, and the response was overwhelming. I then made the decision to go with it...” he briefly paused... “For the first event, I used my NSFAS stipend as the budget, which was R5 000,” he laughed.
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Narowbi Events is doing a brilliant job at cultivating a community. There are no VIPs at Narowbi, every person, regardless of social status, gets to walk in and feel an overwhelming sense of warmth and love.
The platform has two incredibly popular events at the moment, Soundcheck and Narowbi. Soundcheck is a far more intimate affair, with set designs and artists who perform their songs on a small and personal stage. On their roster so far, they have had artists, including Alma Del Nino, a young budding musician whose sound is fuelled by depth and emotion, and Sergiodeartist, who you might recall has had a feature on #Trending before.
Their Narowbi event is often a day filled with festivities and doubles down as a market for independent designers, food connoisseurs and green initiatives. Their Valentine’s Day event was aptly titled Love Letter and you could definitely feel the love in the air.
“Love letter was all about love, from the performances of Arrange, a very good band that played for all the live acts, to the DJs, who played RnB and old-school jams that got people dancing. Our goal was to celebrate love.”
Tangweni spoke more about the plight of alternative South African artists and the tricky positions they often find themselves in without real platforms for a creative outlet. The entrepreneur added:
“It's a frequent misperception among South African creatives that you need connections or an ass to kiss to succeed. Social media has demonstrated its ability to help many people grow.
Narowbi is not only a place to connect, but it is also an innovative platform for creatives to thrive, and in South Africa where creative opportunities are few, platforms such as Narowbi show their compassion for alternative creatives and their lived realities.
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Tangweni closes off by telling us some of his plans:
“The process is always controlled by the creator. We have survived a lot and so for the most part, we are running with what we feel will be successful and often is. I’m leaving room for a few impromptu plans, but I truly believe Narowbi will undoubtedly become of Africa’s largest festivals.”
