Jerm joins eNCA.com as the editorial cartoonist!
Oct07

Jerm joins eNCA.com as the editorial cartoonist!

Jeremy Nell, otherwise known to South Africans as Jerm, is joining eNCA.com as our official editorial cartoonist. His first cartoon will appear on eNCA.com from Tuesday, 08 October. Jerm began his cartoon career in 2005 after leaving his corporate job and he went on to win a number of awards. He’s also been recognised as one of the ‘Top 200 Young South Africans’ and one of the ‘Top 40 under 40’ media personalities during 2013. Jerm’s work has appeared in a number of newspapers, magazines and online publications. He now joins South Africa’s biggest television news network, eNCA. Says Timothy Spira, GM of eNCA Online: “Our association with Jerm slots nicely into this dynamic, providing visual content that will work across both TV and online. It is also a step forward in our ambition to bolster our opinion content, building on a strong base that already includes regular contributions from the likes of Jeremy Maggs and Fred Khumalo. I am tremendously excited to be working with Jerm. His work reflects the same ethos of unflinching examination of contemporary society that has become the hallmark of eNCA”, Says Jeremy Nell, Editorial Cartoonist: “While print media dwindles, I am chuffed to be at the forefront of South Africa’s growing digital cartooning landscape. And it’s even better that eNCA see the value in digital media. I am pretty excited to be working with eNCA”. Jerm’s cartoons will appear on Tuesdays to Fridays on eNCA.com. eNCA.com FACTS eNCA.com is now just six months old and we’re delighted with the performance of the site. In September eNCA.com passed the milestone of half-a-million unique browsers (UBs), with 538,000 total UBs and 395,000 domestic UBs, placing us ahead of news sites that have been around for many years. Our combination of original text and image content, combined with extensive video coverage, is clearly hitting the mark with the South African online news consumer. We’ve also benefitted tremendously from the interplay between TV and the website by providing additional context to TV stories that give viewers a reason to go online. We recently extended this even further with the launch of a new Video section containing all of our online videos in a format that is easy to navigate, and which provides users with access to all current affairs and news content that has run on eNCA’s TV...

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VODACOM IN THE CITY TAKES JO’BURG FESTIVALS TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Oct07

VODACOM IN THE CITY TAKES JO’BURG FESTIVALS TO THE NEXT LEVEL

“Jo’burg a-r-e you ready?” screeched spirited front-woman Skin to a sea of 11,000 indie rockers at Friday’s Vodacom In the City in downtown Jo’burg’s Mary Fitzgerald Square.  As Cass’ bass-beat pulsed through the bodies of the sweat-streaked fans, the air was filled with thousands of cellphones held up to capture Skunk Anansie’s long-awaited return to South Africa. As the unofficial headline act of the evening, they thrilled the crowds with Skin’s crowd surfing, cementing the iconic British band’s performance as one of the best ever seen in SA. The whole vibe of the festival was electric!  As the only local act on the line up, Al Bairre played an outstanding opening set, so it’s no surprise that they’d won the Vodacom ‘Open the City’ competition that saw over 18,500 votes from the public. Alternative UK indie rock quartet alt-J were welcomed in traditional alt-J fashion with the crowd displaying the band’s triangle ∆ symbol with their fingers.  When the opening chords of their hit single ‘Tesselate’ echoed off the stage, you couldn’t even hear the band for the crowd singing along. Charismatic Swedish rockers The Hives stole the show in their custom tailored mariachi outfits.  Previously quoted as saying that they ‘hoped the crowds would go crazy’, they were not disappointed – who wouldn’t go nuts to The Hives’ highly rated live show?  ‘Go right ahead’ and ‘Walk Idiot Walk’ were clear favourites and vocalist Pelle Almqvist’s showmanship and scissor kicks went down a treat. The final act of the evening was German DJ Boys Noize, who closed the festival with his techno EDM beats and one final burst of party energy. Presenting sponsor Vodacom’s concert-first free Wi-Fi, recharge stations, sound-proof phone-boxes and photo booths were a hit, as were Jose Cuervo’s Watering Holes that were dotted around the square.  Those who tweeted a hashtag of themselves being a party animal stood the chance to win a signed guitar. Revellers flocked to GWM’s recently launched quirky C20R hatchback for the opportunity to win a tablet with Vodacom data.  Wrapped in the event’s branding, the affordable crossover added a level of fun to the night. Seed Experiences, the award-winning company behind the event, pulled out all the stops to ensure the best consumer experience ever.  Not only did they put the best production and security teams in place, but they installed a 140m bar and booked 300 bar staff to ensure minimum time queuing for drinks to give fans maximum time in front of the stage. Recognised as one of the edgiest and most anticipated music events on the South African calendar, Vodacom In the City 2013 has taken Jo’burg festivals to the next level.  Keep your eye on facebook.com/InTheCityJHB...

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Introducing The First Official Beats By Dre Party “In The City”

The first official Beats By Dr Dre Party will be held in Johannesburg on the 12th of October 2013 at Shikisha, Newtown. Expect top names and explosive beats from artists such as Warras, Sol Phenduka, Thea Lazarusman, Clive Bean and Jerah, as well as a live performance by Pam M. “With Beats, people are going to hear what the artists hear, and listen to the music the way they should: the way I do.” – Dr. Dre Formerly known as Horror Café, Shikisha in Newtown is the perfect place for this extraordinary event in the heart of Johannesburg. The location is superior, lying right next door to the legendary Turbine Hall (the setting of many premier events during Johannesburg Fashion Week). One of the many big talents to be showcased at The Beats in the City includes Warrick ‘Warras’ Stock a.k.a the Shady Lurker. Born in Durban, he attended primary school there while staying with his grandmother. He then moved to Johannesburg as a teenager and quickly adapted to the fast-paced environment. Warras has become one of themost popular music personalities around. Former Yfm Programming Manager Vukile Zondi gave him an opportunity to become a jock in 2007. Starting as a DJ with a new line-up in April 2008, Warras continued to grow ever since. As a reputable DJ and host of Live AMP, this young go-getter is poised to take on the industry. Solomzi Phenduka, also known as Sol Phenduka is a man of many talents, but the one that has grabbed the South African crowds is his music. Sol Phenduka has been making music for close to a decade. Even without anysingles released, the popular YFM breakfast radio jock has created a buzz – getting people talking and dancing to his music. His brand of house music is a verysoulful African sound with influences of Afrobeat and Nujazz. With house music being a very popular genre in South Africa, Sol has always strived to set himself apart and take the road less travelled when approaching his music. Thea Lazarusman is a young poet from Johannesburg, spending years performing in some of the city’s supreme poetry events and venues. He then decided to chase his love for electronic dance music. His 2009 release with Diynamic mainstay Martin Stimming turned out to be a very prosperous debut. The track ‘Funk With Me’ was followed by ‘Change’, and since then Thea Lazarusman has not looked back. He tries to bring a level of seclusion and warmth, offering personal and life experiences that everyone can relate to through his music. Rarely writing down any of his own lyrics, he thrives on free-styling...

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BIG SEAN LIVE IN SOUTH AFRICA.
Sep26

BIG SEAN LIVE IN SOUTH AFRICA.

B.I.G Sean is performing in South Africa February 1st  2014. Get ready to sweap the floor. Details after the jump. Hip-hop megastar, Big Sean, makes his first South African stage appearance on 1 February next year, brought to you by Axe, and in association with Channel O. This exclusive and once-off event will take place at Gallagher Estate in Johannesburg on Saturday 1 February 2014. A tremendous feat for Axe, it is guaranteed to be a phenomenal gathering of hip-hop fans from across South Africa to witness the spectacle that is Big Sean. AXE is exceptionally proud to be bringing in Big Sean as part of their debut foray into the music and lifestyle scene.  “Music is an integral part of an AXE Man’s life, and through bringing out international artists, starting with Big Sean, we have the opportunity to create some once-in-a-lifetime experiences for our users” said AXE Brand Manager Vincent Viviers. Big Sean’s first visit to SA and Africa follows hot on the heels of the star’s second studio album, Hall of Fame, selling an impressive 72 000 copies in its first week of release in August. The artist’s career has exploded in the two years since his debut album, Finally Famous: The Mixtape, in 2011. After record first-week sales and raving reviews in Rolling Stone and just about everywhere else, it also spun off crossover hits with, among others, West and Roscoe Dash, Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj. GQ Mag’s ‘Hottest Rookie’ of 2012 now has a Facebook following pushing 3 million, close to 4 million twitter followers and no less than 46 million YouTube views worldwide. The MC from Detroit, Michigan, has come a long way since free styling for Kanye West in 2005. Rapping since his pre-teens, Sean Anderson won an MC contest at a local hip-hop radio station, earning a spot to rap live on-air every Friday night for nearly a year. It was here that he made a lifetime contact in West who agreed to hear his freestyle. Following a mentorship from West, Sean signed with G.O.O.D. Music in 2007, and Def Jam in 2008. Most recent accolades are double Grammy nominations for Mercy, his collaboration with West, his mentor, and which also featured label mate Pusha T and 2 Chainz. Big Sean is currently touring the USA and Canada, with concerts and appearances scheduled in Miami, Atlanta, Toronto, Montreal and elsewhere during October. G&G Productions, the company behind the successful Sensation ‘Innerspace’, NYE Live City Link Up and Space Ibiza South Africa, will be the team behind the production of Big Sean’s performance in South Africa. About the tour venues and dates: Big...

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David Krut Print Workshop
Sep12

David Krut Print Workshop

Check out the printing workshop details by David Krut. Be sure to make a note of the beautiful collectibles you could purchase. It’s been more than 3 years since Senzo Shabangu started printing with the David Krut Print Workshop (DKW) in Johannesburg. Senzo arrived in this African metropolis from Driefontein in Mpumalanga, hoping to become a pilot. However, the route to flying was harder than he expected. The daily reality of people living in Johannesburg also moved him, and he realised that producing art was a means both to making a comment on the situations surrounding him as well as a possible way to support himself. He studied printmaking at Artist’s Proof Studio before starting to make monotypes with DKW in 2010. He is now a regular collaborator with DKW and has not forgotten his dream of soaring, as he is currently taking flying lessons too. Senzo works primarily in the relief linocut method. He has an expressive style of carving that radiates with energy and vitality. This vibrancy is further enhanced by his use of strong and bold sways of colour, that provide the viewer with rich surfaces, thus balancing his expressive mark making. He uses deep scarlets, velvety golds and royal blues. Much of Senzo’s work speaks of his journey to Johannesburg and becoming a resident of this bustling urban environment. These vibrant linocuts therefore echo the African energy that is so familiar to those who have experienced this lively city. Take Me Away from the City III depicts the Johannesburg skyline constructed on top of a suitcase, which can be read to refer to the artist moving to the city, his new home, or constantly carrying the city with him, his new urban identity. Much of this artist’s work is inspired by social unrest and issues that affect the average South African on a daily basis. Vusumuzi Mandlakayise represents a man carrying his possessions with him in a ‘Jozi bag’ in one hand and the burden of three humans wrapped tightly in a towel on his back. The figures being carried on the back refer directly to his mother, his wife and his son. It symbolises the stress and responsibility that he carries by being the breadwinner in his family, as is the case for many men in South Africa. The struggles and battles of daily life are further investigated in Shabangu’s print, Checkmate. The print is dominated by a large, bold scarlet chess piece hovering in mid-air, waiting to be launched in a new direction, on a giant chess board that echoes a Johannesburg landscape. It evokes ‘a game of life’ in which pieces are...

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