Crime, love, corruption, freedom: It’s all centre stage in riveting new Mzansi Magic homegrown drama series
The mix of crime and love and corruption and freedom that has come in the wake of the birth of democracy in South Africa takes the spotlight in a brand new, homegrown drama series on Mzansi Magic. Saints and Sinners, a 13-part drama kicks off in August. It is a gripping family drama centered on the lives of two very different families, living in the south of Johannesburg. The show is being produced by Penguin Pictures and stars a superb line-up of acting talent, including, Nthati Moshesh, Tumisho Masha, Nomphilo Gwala, S’dumo Mtshali, Tshepo Maseko, Warren Masemola, Sibulele Gcilitshana, Yonda Thomas and Siyabonga Radebe. Inspired by a quote by Nelson Mandela (“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others”) Saints and Sinners focuses on the new struggle faced by South Africans – an inner quest that revolves around economic freedom, issues of identity, the fall of traditional family structures, and lack of cohesion within the nucleus and community at large. The two families at the heart of Saints and Sinners represent this struggle in such a compelling way that the series is likely to become essential viewing alongside other homegrown Mzansi Magic dramas like Rockville. “We are excited about the debut of Saints and Sinners which follows on the huge success of Rockville. Our dramas tell poignant, resonant stories that allow the viewers to self-reflect as much as they are entertained. We aim to tell stories that are rooted in character driven narratives with a meaningful edge, speaking to the state of our country from an individual perspective. Saints and Sinners will showcase how we are connected as people through the choices we make, which affect others” says, Nkateko Mabaso, Director of Local Interests Channels at Mnet. One of these families is the upwardly mobile Khumalos. Headed by matriarch Mamohato and her two attractive daughters, Phindi and Boni, the Khumalo family lives in the upmarket suburb of Bassonia. The other family is that of hard-working Lulama and Thabang Moloiswa who live in a modest home in Diepkloof with their adored son, 12-year-old Tshepiso. The Khumalo and Moloiswa families present two contrasting South African ideals. Driven by a fear of poverty, the Khumalos’ aspirations appear to be entirely materialistic, and they are not averse to bending the law to achieve their ends. Meanwhile, the Moloiswas’ driving force is to alleviate poverty in their community, and to share their knowledge and expertise to create a better South Africa for all. But their altruism will be sorely put to the test during the course of the...
South Africa’s rock heavyweights added to the TribeOne Dinokeng Festival line-up
The TRIBEONE DINOKENG music festival has announced more of South Africa’s biggest rock heavyweights confirmed for the Thunder Valley Main Stage, performing throughout the weekend of the 26, 27th and 28th September at what is set to become Africa’s biggest music festival. The Thunder Valley Main Stage is one of the TribeOne Dinokeng main stages and musically has a focus on Rock, Pop, Alternative and related music genres. The producers are currently planning a mind-blowing line up of rock, pop, alternative, metal, and other music-genre-related acts to fill all three days on this stage and will be announcing new acts on a weekly basis. The first line up of local rock acts have been confirmed and include some of the biggest rock heavyweight acts including Fokofpolisiekar, Gangs of Ballet, Zebra & Giraffe, Black Cat Bones, Van Coke Kartel, Shadowclub, Taxi Violence, Wrestlerish and Al Bairre. The festival, which has already confirmed massive urban superstars such as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Nicki Minaj, J Cole, Kid Ink, D’banj, Wizkid, Fally Ipupa, Sarkodie, Khuli Chana, Keko, AKA, Redsan, Alikiba and Xtatic to name a few, and will also be catering for rock lovers with the Thunder Valley Main Stage – a stage for the best in local and international rock music acts. The stage runs all weekend, starting early afternoon on the Friday until after midnight and again from early morning until just after midnight on the Saturday and Sunday and are set to be jam packed with the best in local and international acts. The Sunday lineup will end slightly earlier to allow festival to depart should they wish to and for fans that wish to stay on and depart the Monday, they can migrate to the Dance Village which runs non-stop 24 hours a day from the Friday right through to the Sunday. More acts will be announced over the days ahead, so keep watching this space for more info. Fokofpolisiekar is Francois van Coke (lead vocals), Hunter Kennedy (guitar), Johnny de Ridder (lead guitar), Wynand Myburgh (bass) and Jaco Snakehead Venter (drums). The band has become known for their explosive live performances and raw on-stage energy. Controversial and ever questioning in their lyrics as well as their lifestyle, the band has generated much controversy in the South African media. Five times SAMA nominated, MTV MAMA award winning band, Gangs of Ballet is a Durban band comprising of four musicians and friends – three of which have undertaken studying Music at University level. Their sound cannot be pinned down to one specific genre but rather experiments with an eclectic mix of alternative, melodic, anthemic, and electronic and dance. Gangs...
Dance Workshops In KZN – Starting tomorrow!
Swiss style and sensuality for SA dance stages. Brilliant news for dance aficionados is that the award-winning Swiss contemporary ballet work NILE will be touring venues throughout Southern Africa for two weeks in July. Created by choreographers Laurence Yadi and Nicolas Cantillon, with original music by Sir Richard Bishop, NILE scooped the prestigious Swiss Award for Dance and Choreography in 2011. Now, this sensual and beautiful work is winging its way southwards. It will be presented in South Africa and Mozambique by Company 7273, a Swiss/French contemporary dance outfit, and supported by Pro Helvetia, the Swiss arts council. NILE can be seen at the Transnet Great Hall at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown on 5, 6 and 7 July 2014, before it heads to the Franco-Mozambican Cultural Centre (CCFM) in Maputo on 15 July 2014, and then to the Wits Main Theatre in Johannesburg as part of the 969 Festival on 17 July 2014. In between these performances, from 9 to 12 July, Company 7273 will be in KwaZulu-Natal to present workshops and master classes for professional and semi-professional dancers, as well as for parents and children interested in contemporary ballet. These classes will be held in partnership with the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as local dance companies Flat Foot and Siwela Sonke. Company 7273’s choreographers and artistic directors, Ms Yadi and Mr Cantillon, worked extensively as performers and choreographic assistants at the Ballet Jazz Art in Paris, the Geneva-based Alias dance company and Rui Horta in Lisbon. In 2003, they started branching out to choreograph their own work, first with the piece La Vision du lapin, followed bySimple Proposition (2005) and then Climax (2006), which received the Lietchi Foundation’s Award for the Arts. After En Concert and Laï laï laï laï, Listen & Watch (2009), the third installment of a trilogy exploring the relationship between dance and 1970s American folk music, marked Company 7273’s first artistic collaboration with experimental American musician Sir Richard Bishop – a composer, guitarist and singer who, in the early 1980s, co-founded ethnic-improv pioneers the Sun City Girls. In 2011, this meeting of three creative minds came to potent maturity with the creation of the award-winning work NILE, which is now set to grace Southern African stages. Acoustic guitar music and the sounds of the region where the river runs, move these five dancers in a way that can be described as sensual and layered with emotion, and combines with the choreography to create a subtle, sexy energy. Rich with allegory and abstraction, NILE conjures emotions that overtake the physical reality of the river to which it alludes. It is no longer just a river on a map, but a reservoir of imagination, a way to explore movement...
Students given the opportunity to learn all about the music industry
Standard Bank’s Geleza Kleva and Learn series of day-long workshops start in July as part of the build-up to Standard Bank Joy of Jazz which takes place from September 25 to 27. As part of the events’ development programme and contributing back to the various communities, Geleza Kleva and Learn has been specially designed to give learners the opportunity to learn more about the music business, and highlights the different careers available as well as the challenges in the industry. The programme aims to assert the music Industry’s role as an important role player to broader society. The festival believes that there is an indelible role that the industry can play in the social transformation and education of our youth. Well known performer Concord Nkabinde, who also owns a music company, will facilitate and coordinate the workshops. Youngsters often dream about a career in the music industry but have little knowledge and understanding of how the industry works. This is what Geleza Kleva and Learn – the successor to the successful Joy of Jazz Camps in previous years – aims to address. Geleza Kleva and Learn takes the form of a day-long workshop providing learners with an opportunity to learn more about the different careers in the industry, how to access them and what the challenges are. A highlight will be a visit by an established artist who will share their stories with the learners. The workshops focuses various key role players within the industry including • The songwriter, producer and publisher • The musician • The events producer, artists management and booking agents • Behind-the-scenes including technicians Geleza Kleva and Learn takes place at the Soweto Theatre in Soweto on Friday, July 11; the Orange Farm Multipurpose Centre in Orange Farm on Tuesday, July 15 and the East Bank Hall in Alexandra on Thursday, July 17. The new-look 2014 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre from September 25 to...
BET Awards 2014 Winners List
It was a night full of electrifying performances, emotional speeches and unforgettable moments at the “BET Awards” ’14 — also known as the “Black World Cup,” according to hilarious host Chris Rock — which aired live from the Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE last night. Pharrell Williams opened the show with an energetic rendition of “Come Get It Bae” surrounded by a bevy of cheerleaders, and was joined by surprise performer and fellow Virginia native, the amazing Missy Elliott, who brought the crowd to their feet to “Pass That Dutch.” Williams became a familiar face on the stage after winning both “Best Male R&B/Pop Artist” and “Video of the Year,” and again coming on to present music icon Lionel Richie with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Young Money andBeyoncé took home the most trophies with three awards, as did acclaimed film “12 Years A Slave” which swept the film award categories. See the winners below: Best International Act: Africa Davido (Nigeria) Best International Act: UK Krept & Konan Best Female R&B/Pop Artist Beyoncé Best Male R&B/Pop Artist Pharrell Williams Best Group Young Money Best Collaboration Beyoncé f/ JAY Z – Drunk In Love Best Male Hip Hop Artist Drake Best Female Hip Hop Artist Nicki Minaj Video of the Year Pharrell Williams – Happy Video Director of the Year Hype Williams Best New Artist August Alsina Best Gospel Artist Tamela Mann Best Actress Lupita Nyong’o Best Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor YoungStars Award KeKe Palmer Best Movie 12 Years a Slave Subway Sportswoman of the Year Serena Williams Subway Sportsman of the Year Kevin Durant Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice Award August Alsina f/ Trinidad Jame$ – I Luv This Centric Award Jhené Aiko – The Worst FANdemonium Award Beyoncé Images from Getty...
Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Artist to watch in 2014
Non-commercial artists make the best music because it’s all about the art of telling stories. It’s all about the music and not the charts and sales. Vancouver Sleep Clinic is a project by 17 year old Tim Bettinson from Australia. The name itself conjures up imagery of long cold winters, of isolation and remoteness and the sometimes self-imposed reclusiveness in all of us as the days get shorter and we move into the bitter months ahead. Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s debut EP consists of soaring falsetto vocals built upon progressive synthetic instrumentation to create an ambient vessel of emotional connection. Bearing messages of sorrow, humility and hope above all else – songs are written from the heart alone. 1. Your voice/sound is so atmospheric, it sort of creates a scenario, like chilling at a balcony with a glass of wine reminiscing the good times you had with a lost lover. Is this your style of music? I suppose it could be something like that! Haha. I think the idea behind this project is for it to be completely open to each person’s individual interpretations. I’m not trying to define a specific sound or push a certain scenario, I just want to make music that I love and that I hope all people can connect with and relate to in their own situations. 2. Your melancholic vocals remind me of Bon Iver with a bit of London Grammar, yet you’re still different at the same time, who are your musical inspirations? I definitely take my musical inspirations from a wide variety of sources. I actually didn’t really draw my voice from anyone in particular – I’ve always felt most natural singing in falsetto so it’s just a sound that evolved over time. Musically I’ve been brought up listening to a lot of traditional folk, but more recently I’ve been loving the creativity of artists such as FKA Twigs, The Weeknd, The XX & Oliver Tank etc 3. When did you start making music? I’ve been fiddling around with instruments since I got my first drum kit at 6, but I’ve really only been taking my writing seriously for a year now! 4. What inspired the name VANCOUVER SLEEP CLINIC? I want my music to be able to help with relaxation & calming, so in essence that’s the sleep clinic part. And Vancouver is a beautiful place that I feel matches the atmosphere I want to create through the music. 5. You’re only 17 but your sound is matured, did you consciously choose this genre or it was influenced by the kind of music that you listen to? To be honest, I didn’t really have any vision for this...
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