Talent of
NWU staff is mesmerising
Dirkie Nell, lecturer at the NWU’s School of Music, was part of the Artéma band that accompanied the contestants.
The annual Pukki Talent Festival was once again a spectacular event that showcased the many talents of staff and students. This was the first year that the popular festival was held over the course of a week and ended with a top-class gala event at the Sanlam Auditorium on the Potchefstroom Campus.
“It was the second year that the Pukki Talent Festival featured a staff category,” says Jaco van der Walt, director of Puk Arts. “It was wonderful to see staff and students perform on stage during the sold-out event.” There were 11 entries in the staff category, with the five best artists performing at the gala event.
Jaco says the festival was a great success, attracting a record number of entries from students. “The Pukki Talent Festival is the ideal platform for them to showcase their talents and to be discovered.”
The festival has been hosted for 33 years and previous contestants include celebrities such as Giep van Zyl, Erica Eloff, Katlego Maboe, Anna Davel and Flip-a-coin, to mention just a few.
Yodelling is an art that secured Garth Esterhuysen, food service officer at the Voorhuis dining hall on the Potchefstroom Campus, the second place in the staff category with his rendition of Bles Bridges’ ”Sy leer my om te jodel”. LeRoux Malan, administrative assistant at Puk Arts, handed him his award.
Neill Barnard of the School of Pharmacy also holds a BMus degree. He gave a captivating performance called “Bach and a Fugue others...“
Rochelle shines again
Proving that true talent just gets better and better, last year’s winner in the staff category, Rochelle Langford, administrative assistant at the Faculty of Education Sciences on the Potchefstroom Campus, again walked away as the winner.
“I feel honoured and humbled to be the winner for the second time in the staff category. I had a lot of pressure to not disappoint after being the winner last year. I was nevertheless more at ease on the stage and wanted the audience to enjoy my performance.”
Rochelle says she loves singing even though she is actually a very shy person. “I would like to expand my singing career in future. I am truly grateful for the support I have received.”
Click on the video below to view her performance.
