This past Saturday’s golden hour was a promise to melt every stress of 2025 away, and the banks of the river were not just flowing with water but with soulful beats and premium gin as the Second Annual Belgravia Gin Soul Session took over at Dickinson Park, Vereeniging.
The heavy rain, which left the area where the patrons were seated muddy, didn’t spoil the fun, as the crowd adhered to the dress code theme of casual with shades of green.
The vibes were as smooth as the gin, and if you picture it, it’s a lifestyle choice: a day spent by a golden summer sunset, a cool breeze off the water, and the smooth, soulful sounds of a live music session that embraced the crowd.
Event organiser Thikho Events, in collaboration with Belgravia, assembled a carefully curated line-up that worked like a perfect cocktail.
Dyantyis’ sound comforting
Starting smooth with Mandisi Dyantyis, building flavour with Zonke, The Soil wowed the crowd with their soul-stirring garnishing voices, and wrapping up the live performance event was Sjava, who entertained the patrons until the next morning.
Dyantyis, with his trumpet and soulful voice, was the gentle beginning. His sound was the musical equivalent of the sun’s last warm rays on the skin: comforting, moving, and introspective.
Following this, Zonke took to the stage. Her arrival shifted the energy from reflection to connection. She commanded a magnetic dialogue with the audience.
Her powerful, agile voice, an instrument of both immense strength and delicate vulnerability, navigated the stories of love, loss, and resilience in her music.
She didn’t just perform; she testified, and the crowd echoed every emotional high and low back to her, their voices joining hers on anthemic choruses.
She built flavour, adding complexity and vibrancy to the foundation Dyantyis had laid.
Then came The Soil; their entrance was a burst of pure, unadulterated joy. The a cappella trio, with their symbiotic harmonies and infectious energy, transformed the stage into a pulsing, human orchestra.
They were the event’s soul-stirring garnish. Songs like Sedilaka and Inkomo became celebratory rituals, their call-and-response patterns turning the crowd into a single, participatory entity.
Feet stamped on the grass, hands clapped in unison, and voices, untrained but enthusiastic, rose to meet theirs.
It was a profound reminder of music’s primal power to unite, to heal, and to elevate a gathering into a community.
Theo Matshoba of The Soil said: “The Belgravia Soul Session was beautiful, and people came out even in the rain.
“For Ntsika and Phindo, it’s a full circle because it all started here in the Vaal. It’s beautiful for me to experience, and the energy is just wonderful.”
As the darkness of the night enveloped the riverside, Sjava emerged chanting Ukuzibongelela and the buzz of anticipation took shape into a roar.
His signature blend of hip-hop, Afro-soul, and traditional Zulu motifs landed with the weight of ceremony.
The deep, resonant basslines from songs like Umama and Abangani seemed to come from the ground itself, and his rich voice told stories that kept the crowd in a spiritual mood.
This was no mere concert conclusion; it was a cleansing, a powerful release of energy that left attendees buzzing with a shared, euphoric high.
“The core insight was alignment. Belgravia Gin represents refinement and heritage, while soul music speaks to depth, emotion, and storytelling. A riverside setting naturally amplifies calm, reflection, and intimacy.
“The atmosphere absolutely matched our vision; it was relaxed, premium, and emotionally engaging, which is precisely what a soul session should feel like,” said Richard Ramudzuli, the managing director of Thikho Events.
Shared values, quality and class
The collaboration between Belgravia and Thikho Events manifested not in loud branding, but in a consistent, enveloping atmosphere of quality and class.
“The partnership went beyond logo placement. Belgravia was woven into the lifestyle of the event through curated gin-tasting moments, elegant bar design, and hosting experiences that complemented the music and setting.
The focus was on shared values, quality, class, and authenticity, so the brand felt like a natural part of the experience, not a commercial interruption,” Ramudzuli mentioned.
When Sjava’s final echo faded into the night, carried away by the river’s whisper, what remained was more than a memory of songs.
It was the feeling of cool grass underfoot, the taste of juniper and citrus, the sight of emerald under fairy light, and the shared, unspoken understanding of having been part of something singular.
Successfully realised vision
The Belgravia Soul Session proved itself more than an event; it was a successfully realised vision—a perfect, ephemeral world where soul music, golden light, and river air blended into a single, unforgettable summer scene.
Thikho Events mentioned that they plan to evolve the event into a series with different locations and carefully selected brand and music pairings, while preserving the soul and intimacy that define the soul session concept.
As for them, the strong response is a confirmation that audiences are looking for premium, well-curated experiences in unique spaces.
Beyond the music, the magic lived in the interstitial moments.
