Revisiting Abundance.
Opening your heart up, is painful. But so necessary. By Sarah-Jane Boden Whenever people ask me why I started SoulProviders, I always smile and say ‘for my sins.’ But we know that’s just posturing, because everyone that knows me knows how much I love being the founder and owner of young, flighty SoulProviders and that running a vibrant ‘couture content marketing’ agency is a dream I have long held. I remember in the good old hippy times doing a moodboard around 2004 visualising the kind of business I wanted to build one day and when I look around me, I know, and am incredibly grateful for the fact that we’ve somehow managed to actualise what seemed to be a mostly blurry, ethereal vision, into a real evolving, growing, exciting organisation. Not without a considerable amount of blood, sweat, tears, sacrifice and wine-fueled evenings, of course. And, let’s be real, growing a small business has not been tear-free either. Running SoulProviders has been and continues to be a roller-coaster ride of emotions, with every week knocking us about with new learnings, new highs and new lows that leave us battered, bruised, patched up and lop-sidedly grinning every Friday afternoon as we wander on home. The real reason for why I started the business is because I essentially wanted to have a ‘balanced lifestyle’ and importantly, as a new Mom and a ‘creative’, have the freedom to live the life I wanted to live and try to shape the kind of business I would want to work for. I have always been entrepreneurial and I wanted to do content better than I had ever seen it done; and to work with young talent in telling authentic, exciting African stories, online. And of course I had been enthusiastic about digital for a while and really wanted to be more of a future-forward ‘digital native’ as my dear friend Nkuli calls us. And as we approach three (ahhhsome!) years of our content business, I find that every now and then I have to revisit the inspiring and clean spirit in which we launched SoulProviders, which was, as I so often used to say ‘An Abundance Mentality’. I can’t remember where I learnt about it or read about it, but it was such a powerful notion that a few years ago it became infused in everything that I did or planned to do and I reshaped it to shape my own meanings — which is always easy to talk about in retrospect. But, as with any heyshoowow-ish, lofty aspirations, it’s not always easy to be 100% true to them – hence making sure we always try to ‘revisit abundance’. An abundance mentality for me starts with...
African Metropolis Short Films to Premiere in Europe and USA
Directing talents from six African countries invited to festivals in Rotterdam and Santa Barbara African Metropolis premieres in Europe on 26 January 2014 at the renowned International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). On top of that, the short film programme revisits North America in February for their USA premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in California. The compilation of six short fiction films, set in six major African cities, tells urban tales about life in African metropolises. Besides the screenings and a panel discussion in Rotterdam, Marie KA, one of the African Metropolis directors, will talk about her experiences at Berlinale Talents 2014, the Berlin International Film Festival‘s annual platform for the most promising emerging filmmakers. The African Metropolis Short Film Project is an initiative of the Goethe-Institut South Africa and South African executive producer Steven Markovitz, with support from Guaranty Trust Bank and the Hubert Bals Fund of International Film Festival Rotterdam. With short films set in Lagos (Director: Folasakin Iwajomo), Abidjan (Philippe Lacôte), Dakar (Marie KA), Johannesburg (Vincent Moloi), Cairo (Ahmed Ghoneimy) and Nairobi (Jim Chuchu), the filmmakers’ work shows the face of a modern and cosmopolitan Africa and challenges long-standing clichés about the continent. Gertjan Zuilhof, International Programmer and Peter van Hoof, Head of Short Film Programme of IFFR, say: “Big city films from African big cities is just what we have been waiting for. It is about time we move on from pre-colonial nostalgia. The best would be if this project could work as a model for the future.” www.africanmetropolis.com Facebook: AfricanMetropolis Twitter: @Africanmet Dates: International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR): 26.01.2014: – Boost! coproduction workshop with Steven Markovitz – Premiere Screening, followed by a panel discussion – Party hosted by African Metropolis and Boost! Berlinale Talents: 08.-13.02.2014 (exact date tba): – Participation of director Marie KA as an expert in a session focusing on “filmmakers that ‘broke some rules’ in their films, making things visible in their stories that hadn’t been seen before, setting things in motion by doing so and using their films to make people think” Santa Barbara International Film Festival: 06.02. + 08.02.2014: – Screenings For screeners, visual reference and more information please contact: Ben Keuffel Goethe-Institut South Africa pr@johannesburg.goethe.org Phone: 011 442 3232 Cell: 082 769...
Breathe Sunshine African Music Conference & Unity Jam 2014
Cape Town Gets Ready for the BreatheSunshine African Music Conference & Unity Jam 2014 “Pioneering and growing the African music industry” Following the huge success of 2013’s inaugural event, the second BreatheSunshine African Music Conference will catapult the nation’s music into the spotlight in February 2014. This year’s event is set to give back even more in the way of empowerment, inspiration and interactive learning, with a brand-new Unity Jam event to be held in the township of Langa on the final day of the event. Powered by Black Mango, the event brings together a wide range of artists, producers and leaders across the music industry with the aim of building and unifying the industry. International reggae superstar, Gentleman from Germany will be taking part in the conference and will also be performing for the first time in South Africa at the Unity Jam, as part of an African tour schedule organised by the Goethe-Institut. The multi award winning artist has been spreading his reggae music across the globe with his shows and is now one of the biggest international reggae headliners in the world. This year the conference is supported by a sizable German contingent and will include Gentleman’s manager, Volker May (Germany) – Vice President of IMMF (International Music Manager Forum Europe), Hannah Kupfer (Minus Records – Ritchie Hawtin’s label) as well as Detlef Schwarte – Co-Founder of Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg and Director Reeperbahn Festival Conference in Hamburg. Reeperbahn is now the largest event of its kind in Europe and their visit to the conference will further cement the strategic partnership that the two conferences share. As part of the on going relationship, Black Mango will be hosting a South African panel and a live showcase at Reeperbahn at the end of 2014. Gentleman’s and Volker May’s trip is being supported by the German cultural body the Goethe-Institut and with Germany now being the biggest music market in Europe, the German presence at the conference will go a long way to further support an already growing interest in South African music. This year’s conference also sees the addition of BreatheSunshine Connect, a part of the conference dedicated to the digital space. Headed up by African Dope Records founder Roach Roth, Connect brings together the sharpest minds in the digital media world and music industry to explore the current landscape and how the industry can better leverage the space for success. International charity Bridges for Music will host a space on electronic music. There will also be live technical demos along with exclusive invite-only Producer Pow-Wow sessions that offer one-on-one networking between township and city producers. A...
AXECESS Jozi Featuring Big Sean Announces Full Line-Up
AXECESS JOZI in association with Channel O will be the biggest gathering of the top urban music acts in South Africa this year, featuring international hip-hop megastar BIG SEAN. AXE has bolstered the already impressive line-up with the addition of popular local urban music DJ’s. DJ Feel, P.H, Khenzero, DJ Tiraand DJ Dimplez will be hitting the decks to electrify audiences at Mary Fitzgerald Square on 1 February 2014 alongside the biggest urban artists in South Africa and the man himself, BIG SEAN. AKA, Da Les, Pro, Ma E, Maggz, Khuli Chana, Teargas, Reason and Dreamteam are among the local artists confirmed to perform at AXECESS JOZI. The mega-festival is a pioneering format for all urban music fans as the best and most banging beats will be showcased from early afternoon to the late hours of the night. The heart of the Johannesburg CBD will be electrified as hip-hop and urban music fans will witness the sexiest babes, biggest artists and an outstanding production by G&G Productions. Two different stages will set the scene for AXECESS JOZI creating a unique daytime experience before leading into the opening of the AXECESS JOZI mainstage. The annual event is set to become a firm favourite on the festival calendar of South Africa. The phenomenal gathering of urban music fans will be one to experience, so make sure to get your tickets from Computicket to avoid missing out. Fans should log on and sign up to AXEcess.com to get ‘AXEcess’ to festival experiences not available anywhere else. Follow Axe’s Facebook and Twitter pages closely for announcements on tickets, awesome giveaways and cool prizes. #AXECESSJozi Tickets are on sale for General – R350, VIP – R550 at Computicket. http://online.computicket.com/web/event/axe_presents_big_sean/765261160 www.computicket.com 086 915 8000 Gates open: 13:00 pm Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/627474133957855/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/axesouthafrica Official Website: http://www.axecess.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/axe_sa Join AXECESS.com and claim the VIP-entering, lady-pulling, fashion-strutting, limo-riding lifestyle you deserve. Get AXECESS. Get In. Big Sean links: Official Website: http://uknowbigsean.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uknowbigsean Youtube Channel:...
Bastille SA Tour Sold Out!
BASTILLE TOURS SOUTH AFRICA. PRESENTED BY NOKIA. POWERED BY 5FM. With just days left until UK chart-topping band, Bastille, lands in South Africa for the very first time, Nokia and 5FM are thrilled to announce that the Johannesburg concert date of 11 January 2014 at Emmarentia Dam is officially sold out. The two Cape Town dates of 8 and 10 January 2014 sold out just weeks after going on sale. With Johannesburg selling out, all three of Bastille’s South African performances will be seen by 25 000 South African fans who have been waiting patiently and eagerly to see the UK hit-makers live. Emmarentia Dam will see Bastille take to the stage alongside local talents Bed On Bricks, Matthew Mole and Beatenberg to a capacity audience who will enjoy a day out in the open to witness the sheer brilliance of all the acts on the biggest stage structure ever set up thus far on the African continent. Bed On Bricks will open for Bastille in Cape Town. ‘Things We Lost In The Fire’ has been a recent hit on 5FM and this along with their other hits ‘Pompeii’, ‘Laura Palmer’ and ‘Overjoyed’ will echo through the beautiful and natural settings of Kirstenbosch in Cape Town and Emmarentia Dam in Johannesburg. Line-up times Cape Town: 8 & 10 January 17h00: Gates open 19h05: Bed on Bricks 20h20: Bastille 21h30: Concert ends Johannesburg: 11 January 11h00: Gates open 12h00: Matthew Mole 13h30: Beatenberg 15h00: Bed on Bricks 16h30: Bastille 18h00: Concert ends About the tour venues and dates: Bastille tours SA takes place on Wednesday 8 January and Friday 10 January at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden from 19h15. There will be no bars so fans can bring their own picnic baskets but are reminded that Kirstenbosch is bin free – whatever is brought in must be taken out. No glass may be brought into the concert. Fans are also asked to respect the peace and cleanliness of the residential areas when leaving. Saturday 11 January is a day festival at Emmarentia Dam from 12pm. There will be food and drink on sale, and people can also bring their own picnic baskets. No glass may be brought into the concert. Children are welcome at both events. Cape Town: SOLD OUT Johannesburg: SOLD OUT #BastilleSA https://www.facebook.com/SeedExperiences https://www.youtube.com/weareseed1 @SeedExperiences https://www.facebook.com/NokiaSouthAfrica?fref=ts http://www.nokia.com/za-en/ https://twitter.com/nokiarsa www.5FM.co.za www.facebook.com/thepowerof5FM www.twitter.com/@5FM Bastille links: http://bastillebastille.com/ https://twitter.com/#!/bastilledan http://www.facebook.com/bastilleuk...
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