The South African Air Force Band to Make their Debut Tattoo Performance this Summer

Joining the line-up of the 2024 Spasskaya Tower Festival is the South African Air Force Band. All the way from Tshwane, the capital of South Africa, commonly known as Pretoria, the ensemble will hit the iconic cobblestones of Moscow’s Red Square to show off some of their vibrant national customs, hues, and tunes to our audiences. The musicians will be making their debut appearance at the Spasskaya Tower Military Tattoo.

The South African Air Force (SAAF) Band is the crown jewel of the country, known as the Rainbow Nation for its wide range of official languages (as many as twelve), skin tones and confessions. Over the span of nearly seven decades, the ensemble has mastered a diverse range of musical genres and styles, including classical wind and military marching pieces, as well as indigenous African melodies.
Formed in 1946 by Captain Harry Phillips as a military marching group, the SAAF Band has been continuously promoting the image of the South African Air Force both at home and abroad. The group activities are varied. While actively engaged in covering state-related and official occasions at different levels, the ensemble has also been pursuing the objective of boosting the spirits and camaraderie among the South African military personnel.

Major Sipho Stephen Ndlovu is currently in charge of the ensemble. Always passionate about music, he joined the church choir as a young man. He later graduated from a musical school majoring in trombone and arranging. In 2004, Ndlovu joined the SAAF Band as a senior musician. His exceptional abilities and dedication to his job got him promoted to the position of the ensemble’s music director in May.

The Sixteenth Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival will unfold on Moscow’s Red Square from August 23 to September 1.

In 2023, the Spasskaya Tower Festival won the second grant contest from the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives.

It’s being carried out following the Order of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, under the aegis of the Public Council headed by Mr. Alexander Zhukov, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, and enjoying the long-standing support of the Russian MoD, MFA and Moscow’s Department of Culture.