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Weight loss for wedding not as secret as her backstage demands
Pop superstar Mariah Carey hasn’t touched down in South Africa but the concert promoters who are bringing her here have admitted that they already have their hands full.
On Friday, when City Press asked Justin van Wyk, the CEO of Big Concerts, about any backstage demands the singer may have made, he replied by email: “I’m not at liberty to disclose them but I can say that Mariah Carey is the Diva of all Divas.”
The multi-Grammy award-winning singer, who will be coming to South Africa for the first time, kicks off her Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour at the Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday April 26.
Carey is well-known for her outrageous backstage demands which, at one concert in 2009, included 20 white kittens and 100 white doves. However, despite the demands Van Wyk has hinted at, he did say Carey was looking forward to coming to South Africa.
Tickets for the highly-anticipated concerts, in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, have cost fans between R340 and R1 415 each. For these amounts, they will hear all her popular songs including hits such as Hero, My All, and One Sweet Day. When asked whether fans should expect any surprises from Carey, Van Wyk said: “There are a few surprises in the show but we would spoil the fun if we shared it now.”
It is not known whether Carey will be travelling to South Africa with her four-year-old twins, Morrocan and Monroe.
Their father is her former husband, the rapper, actor and comedian Nick Cannon. After their highly publicised divorce, she enjoyed a whirlwind romance with Australian billionaire James Packer. He placed a R109 million diamond engagement ring on her finger in January, after less than a year of dating.
“Mariah Carey will be exploring our beautiful country, but no doubt she’s going to try our wines, food and everything we’ve got to offer,” Van Wyk said.
On Tuesday morning, Cape Town station KFM’s Breakfast presenter, Ryan O’Connor, had a telephonic interview with Carey. She told him she was looking forward to sampling some of Mzansi’s traditional dishes. “Bring me something traditionally South African to try,” she said.
O’Connor coached her to say some isiXhosa and Afrikaans words, and she shocked fans after nailing phrases such as “Goeie môre, Wes-Kaap” (Good morning, Western Cape) and “enkosi” (thank you).
She would be wise to steer clear of the magwinya (vetkoek) because she is on a strict diet preparing for her wedding. Fox News reported that she planned to shed 9kg before she marries Packer in the Caribbean.
Carey will be performing at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban on April 29 and at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg on May 1 and 2.
“We’re expecting each of the shows to sell-out,” Van Wyk said.
Although there are a number of tickets available for the Cape Town concert, they are selling fast in Durban, where there were a limited number of tickets left on Friday night, and in Johannesburg for both shows.
The cheapest ticket was selling for just more than R1 000.
