SOUTH Africa has pulled off another millennium celebration coup in being selected as the African venue for a world festival of sacred music.

This follows the announcement that maestro Yehudi Menuhin plans to usher in the new millennium with a symphony concert on Robben Island.

The festival, initiated by Tibet's exiled spiritual leader and Nobel Peace laureate, the Dalai Lama, aims to start the millennium with joy and harmony and to connect people from different cultures. Its tour of five continents kicks off in Los Angeles in October and ends with a global festival in New Delhi in April.

The Dalai Lama and a choir of monks will visit South Africa to inaugurate and bless the festival's African leg, to be held in Cape Town over three days in December.

Cape Town's mayor, Nomaindia Mfeketo, said: "The presence of the Dalai Lama will help to strengthen the peace and tolerance initiative in the country."

Meanwhile, the South African co-ordinator, Guy Lieberman, spoke of the honour in representing Africa.

"This is an unprecedented African unity initiative, and the festival will include musical representatives from across the continent.

"What we are hoping for is to inspire a true and deep African renaissance, to get back to our roots, to honour them and to educate people from across Africa about the wealth of our musical cultures," said Lieberman.

About 150 African musicians, including about 100 South Africans, will perform at the festival. Although the festival will feature contemporary music from kwaito to pop, it will have a strong traditional and spiritual perspective, including Zionist choirs, Xhosa chanters, Sufi drummers and Mozambican marimba players.

"The aim is to bring in not only well-known performers but to find people in rural areas that people have never heard of and showcase their talent."

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Last updated: 3-Mar-99