Earthquake tonight in Soweto!
It’s been so wonderful watching the rise to fame of John Sithole and his label “Earthquake” over the past few years. Many of you will remember helping him out right at the start with the Lotto Jeans project, others would have caught him scooping up the honours on Fashion Your Future – either way, the boy is kicking some serious touche. Get to Soweto tonight where his range will open the Joburg Fashion week as part of the young designers collection. You go Buddy! Soweto’s position as one of the creative powerhouses of the new South Africa will be re-affirmed with the hosting of the first day of Joburg Fashion Week, which runs between the 21st and 25th August. Organised by African Fashion International, conveners of Cape Town Fashion Week and the new talent showcase MTN Durban Fashion Week, the hosting of the first day of a major international fashion week is a potent symbol of the rapid transformation of Soweto. The Soweto Collections are the first major fashion week event to be held in the area. The event will feature designers from the area and represents some of the unique young talent that Soweto has produced. Designers showcasing spring/summer collections during the day include Mzansi Designers, Nhlanhla (also known for her singing career with Mafikizolo), John Sithole (Earthquake), Sibu Msimang Designs and Malikah. They will also be joined by David Tlale, Thabani Mavundla and Thula Sindi who have recently returned from exhibiting at Paris Fashion Week. The event will be hosted at Walter Sisulu Square, Soweto in front of a specially invited audience of South Africa’s key fashion media, VIPs, fashion industry leaders and members of the local community. Following the event, Joburg Fashion Week will then move to Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton where designers such as Marianne Fassler, Sun Goddess, David Tlale, Spero Villioti, KlukCGdT, Hip Hop and Habits will showcase spring/summer collections amongst many other leading South African designers. “Soweto played a key part in the birth of the new South Africa and is a potent symbol of the evolution of our country. Township culture is entirely unique and has become the driving creative force of our country. Holding the first day of the newly launched Joburg Fashion Week in Soweto is an important part of our commitment to supporting all areas of South African fashion,” said Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Chairperson of African Fashion International. The event is part of a broader strategy of African Fashion International to support emerging talent, particularly from township and rural communities and provide a world-class platform for their work. The Soweto Collection will be produced by expert show producer Deon Redman and...
Represent is Loving: LeTigre/BUGZ/DJ Vitalic/Mara
It may be the beautiful sunny mornings we keep on waking up to, promising that winter is but a bad memory (but we won’t speak too soon)… or it may just be LOVE in the air, but we’re listening to and loving so much awesome music lately, we just have to share the lurve with you darling Representers. It may just refresh your music collection like it has ours… Thanks to Aquoibon, Antoine and Harinie for the leads….Represent! Ps: This goes out to all the Selectah’s in the Represent Family – you know who you are DJ’s. First up let’s get you in a funked up mood with Le Tigre’s hilarious cheesy home-made video (featuring BA Baracus in shorts!!) of their song DECEPTACON – we’re not sure what we prefer – the crappy video or the song!: [youtube]P1almETqkkU[/youtube] Then we just can’t get enough of Uk based BUGZ IN THE ATTIC – In’it – especially the song MOVE ASIDE featuring (we believe) Bembe Segue on vocals. If you’re living in London, catch them this month at the Jazz Cafe although it’s prob sold out already. It’s one of those albums that has something edgy, sexy and catchy about it, but after a few listens, you slip into the beats and feel right at home. Expand your music experience and check out the video for MOVE ASIDE: [youtube]sXUztMEUHGA[/youtube] Staying in the North, we move to France onto DJ Vitalic, wow – this Frenchie electro dj and producer is cooking up a serious storm, if you’re into new beats and want something deliciously fresh, get your hands on his new album “PONEY”. Check out his sexy site here – here’s some background: With his debut four-song ‘Poney EP’, first released in late 2001, the Frenchman Pascal Arbez aka Vitalic tore through dancefloors across the world. This year, he has released his long-awaited debut album, ’OK Cowboy’. Pascal describes the album as a mix of “dance music, experimental, organs and French music”. A selection of musicians Pascal admires: Daft Punk, Sparks, Crash Course In Science, Valerie Dore, Giorgio Moroder, The White Stripes, Belgian composer Wim Mertens, Fad Gadget. He’s not a big record buyer and doesn’t know the names of lots of his favorite tracks. His first love, when he started making music as a teenager, was Belgian new beat. Vitalic’s Poney part 1 Video featuring dogs (chiens) is absolutely gorgeous, even if you’re not into electro, check out the visuals:[youtube]F52dx9Z0L5k[/youtube] And lastly back to the UK as we break this down to something totally slow and chilled – the amazing vocalist Mara Carlyle, her style is best described in an interview with the UK Guardian when they talk about her album as combining...
Canonball Press opening at David Krut tonight
Check out one of our favourite art spaces in Jozi, the visionary David Krut gallery. It’s small but packed with awesome art, books and really friendly curators. Pop in on your way home on Jan Smuts, it’ll take you 5 minutes to visit and you’ll have got your arty fill! Cannonball Press is a New York based woodblock collaborative whose gritty, underground images have made Martin Mazorra and Mike Houston the indisputable kings of scruffy-pirate black-and-white hillbilly printmaking. Cannonball Press has just returned from the Oppikoppi music festival where they participated in the visual art component and an exhibition on their work will open this Thursday, 16 August, at 18:00 at David Krut Projects. While in South Africa they also hosted a woodblock workshop with artists, including Wilma Cruise, Mary Sibande, Lawrence Lemoaona, Bruce Backhouse and Bronwen Findlay. Cannonball Press: New York to Johannesburg will include a collaborative work with the aforementioned artists, as well as an installation and works on paper and canvas. For more on the exhibition, see...
Represent Recommends: Mkonto Sessions
We’re recommending this gig not only because it’s a fresh underground event in downtown Jozi city but also because Nceba, one of the hardest working promoters and arts supporters we know, is in the team behind it. If you love HipHop get down to The Penthouse in central Jozi on Friday for a sublime night featuring one of best emcees Tumi and his Dj Papercut, it will be worth it. Mosdef. Mkonto events were formed in 2002 and the first show done was at Mega music. This event showcased artists such as Tumi and the Volume, Spykos, Goddessa for the first time to a large audience in Johannesburg. Mkonto productions also produced the South African and Swedish exchange program, which saw South African and Swedish artists tour the country (Jo’burg, Durban, Cape Town). It’s a platform for conscious artists that use the music to create awareness about heritage, celebrating what we are today, remembering our culture and highlighting the positives of our history. The sessions showcase the best local altenative music in Johannesburg by promoting both recorded and independent artists. Mkonto 24 August 2007 Tumi and Dj Papercut Two time 2007 SAMA award nominee (Music from my good eye). Tumi launched his second album with The Volume in Canada. He has just returned from a tour in France and has been invited back to Europe. LEVI pon the mic SA dub sensation, fresh from an international tour (Reunion Islands) with 340ml. RHAMNCWA Prolific spaza (vern.) MC. Currently co-hosting Cipher (SABC1, Thursdays). DJ Bionic Pioneer, legendary local hip-hop Dj who has played in Africa and has gone as far as New York City. Suprise acts be Herby Dangerous from Zimbabwe and more.. Date: 24 August 2007 Place: The Penthouse (Corner Fox and Von Brandis. next to Carlton Centre) Time: 8:30pm Admission: R50 Contact: CIA 076-249-4167 Email: meanzit@yahoo.com, brendasix@webmail.com,...
Call for Entries- (RED) Vision@ Vail Film Festival
For those of you familiar with Project RED, you’ll know it’s a movement to raise funds for the fight against HIV/Aids in Africa, one of the main features being the collective of urban brands designing bespoke RED products to fund anti-retrovirals. The brands include Converse, Motorola and Apple iPod. The movement is growing and as part of their program, they’re holding a Short Film competition for the Vail Film Festival in 2008. South Africans this has your name all over it – there are so many up-and-coming film makers around, combined with a subject that is part of our make-up, come on, let’s win this one. Good thing is, they’re not looking for the usual Disney-style Africaaaaah approach or cliches, they’re wanting refreshing, authentic and optimistic stories. Details here and below: (RED) VISION – Fifth Annual 2008 Vail Film Festival (RED) Short Film Category Submission Guidelines An Emergency Every day, 5,500 Africans die of AIDS. That’s the equivalent of two Twin Towers a day, a tsunami every month. More people die of AIDS in Africa every year than in all the other countries in the world combined. What’s more tragic is that millions are dying unnecessarily. AIDS is a preventable, treatable disease. Two little pills that cost 40 cents a day can keep people with HIV/AIDS alive. In Africa, AIDS is a real emergency. We need a radically new approach to help eliminate it. (RED) – A New Approach (RED) was born out of a passionate belief in our collective sense of strength, justice, humanity and love; that together we have the power and energy to make a difference. (RED) inspires, connects, and empowers people and business to do what they already do, shop, and do good at the same time. Buy (RED) and help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Find out more about (RED) and (PRODUCT) RED at www.joinred.com/red. In particular, read the Fact Sheet, FAQ and (RED) Manifesto. The (RED) Short Film Category This year, (RED) and the Vail Film Festival are very proud to offer a special new (RED) Short Film category. Your film of 3-10 minutes should dramatize one of these two (RED) themes: We are the people we’ve been waiting for Be a good-looking Samaritan It should be: Optimistic Empowering Smart Extraordinary Provocative Irreverent Authentic Don’t: Sell a (PRODUCT) RED product Make the viewer feel guilty Be overtly political Be elitist Be sad Be angry Use violence Submission Guidelines RUNTIME Minimum length of 3 mins. Maximum length of 10 mins. COMPLETION DATE Projects completed after January 1, 2007. PLACE OF ORIGIN Projects may originate from anywhere in the world DISTRIBUTION STATUS Projects must not have distribution PRESSKIT REQUIREMENTS...
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