“White gang hits Soweto”
Everywhere we drove around “the streets of Soweto” (thx Lauryn Hill) yesterday we were confronted with newspaper headlines “WHITE GANG HITS SOWETO”– living in such interesting times in SA, we just had to find out what this story was all about. Published by the SOWETAN newspaper, which has an AWESOME new website with all the tricks and toys that you must visit, it turns out that it’s a MIXED gang of three ‘mlungus’ led by a Black guy who pose as cops and hit on tavern owners. We’re not sure how the gang leader got forgotten in the tabloid headlines but they certainly worked and had us looking for the story. Here’s an intro to the article written by Simon Nare and you can read the rest here if you’re really interested. Black-led mlungu gang hits Soweto shebeens A gang of armed whites, led by a black man, is terrorising Soweto. The gang’s main target is said to be taverners and motorists. One of the victims, shebeen queen Matlala Mabalane, says she suspects the gang might have connections in the police force. She said that they impersonate police officers. “The gang leader boasts that he will never go to jail because he has connections,” said Mabalane. The gang leader was apparently arrested late last year but was mysteriously released . Police spokesman Lindiwe Mbatha said a senior police official has promised her the docket would be available today. Shebeen queen Mabalane said: “The black guy came here as a patron for three weeks. He would plead with me to drink inside the house saying because he was a police officer he didn’t want to drink with members of the public. I refused,” she...
Is HipHop really dead?
Check out this article from the interesting website AlterNet that poses the question “Is HipHop really dead?”. Alternet is a “syndication service of the alternative press, featuring stories from alternative newsweeklies, magazines and Web publications from across the globe”. The author suggests that HipHop artists in the states are forced by record company execs to stick to the now tired “bling sex and honies” formula to keep up record sales to the largely white mainstream fans who BUY the records. Artists are tied into record deals and payola issues that prevent them from breaking out of the cliched HipHop mould. Here’s a snippet but read the full article here: Hip-hop icon Nas made the provocative statement, “Hip-hop is dead,” in September and set off a firestorm of controversy. It was intensified by the January release of his album bearing the same title. Many questioned why Nas would say hip-hop — a worldwide phenomenon that has generated billions of dollars — could be “dead.” After all, more hip-hop albums are being released then ever before, and the music’s influence extends to movies, corporate marketing and theater. That it’s dead seems absurd — until you realize Nas was looking beneath the surface. He was speaking of the corporate side of the music and the mentality of executives more interested in turning a quick buck than nurturing rap culture. Nas realized sex, violence and bling, as themes for the music, had pretty much run their course. Album sales had plummeted, and ratings at hip-hop radio stations in New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere had hit all-time lows. A number of people, including this writer, also had spoken out about mediocre product coming from some of the genre’s biggest stars. Yet such talk was rebuffed by so-called industry experts, who blamed digital downloading and satellite radio. We critics, however, were vindicated by a study published earlier this year by the University of Chicago. Data from the “Black Youth Project” indicated that while 58 percent of blacks between ages 15 and 25 listen to hip-hop daily, most are dissatisfied with it. They find the subject matter is too violent, and women too often portrayed in offensive ways. Such feelings hint at a dirty little secret of the music business: Blacks are used largely to validate musical themes being marketed to the white mainstream. In other words, while 90 percent of commercial rap artists on TV and radio are black, the target audience lies outside the black community. Paul Porter, a longtime industry veteran and former music programmer at BET and Radio One, is now with the watchdog organization Industryears.com. He says the University of...
Turn the lights off on Sat 31/03 at 7:30pm
This one goes out to the eco-warrior in you. Have you heard about Earthhour? We have received endless mails about it (Sharpile!) and despite it being an Australian based project, judging from all the mails it seems South African’s are joining in… All you have to do is turn off all your lights for one hour on Saturday night from 7:30 to 8:30pm and make a huge difference to the planet! So run a bath, get the candles out and listen to the nightlife while taking it dark and slow…The Ozzies will be snoring away by the time our hour hits but hey, let’s do whatever it takes to make a difference to our environment. Good on ya mate! Earth Hour is a fabulous opportunity for you and your family to do something about climate change. On one night, in one hour, more will be done, more will be demonstrated, and more will be learned than through a hundred ‘talk-fests’. And you can help make it happen. What is Earth Hour? It sounds simple, but it is very, very dramatic. At 7.30pm on March 31st 2007, we will be encouraging companies, government departments, individuals and families to turn off their lights for just one hour. If we meet our objectives during the first Earth Hour, the savings in green house gas emissions will be the equivalent of taking 75,000 medium sized cars off the road for one whole year! Now that’s something worth doing. Why? The facts are alarmingly clear: * The climate is changing! The 10 hottest years on record have occurred since 1990. In fact 2005 was the hottest year since record keeping began. * More than 95% of the Great Barrier Reef will have been destroyed by 2050 if carbon dioxide emissions aren’t reduced. (WWF-International) * One million species worldwide are facing extinction due to climate change. But not everybody listens to the facts. Earth Hour is your opportunity to demonstrate how a simple change in our way of life could change, and help save, our planet. The goals of Earth Hour: Households : Most of us use unnecessary electricity. Appliances on standby, old style light bulbs, lights left on when we’re not using them. Earth Hour will help us all to realise just how simply we can make a dramatic impact upon global warming (and our own power bills). We will see it in action. Companies : We want companies to be involved. If every company turned off its lights when the buildings weren’t in use, and combined it with energy saving technology, we would save between 2 and 4 million tonnes of greenhouse gasses...
Regardez les photos de Johannesburg!
ALLEZ-Y! See this amazing photo-story of Johannesburg city from photographer Richard Dobson for French magazine GEO right here. Entitled “The New Barons of Johannesburg” the photographer captures the inner-city dwellers from the roughest of the rough buildings with the poorest of the poor squatters through to the most blinging penthouse apartments of the Bridge Precinct with landlords relaxing in their free-standing bath. Makes you think… doesn’t it. Check out the RED ANTS in action – it’s not just a figment of the inner city imagination: Hope you can read French ‘coz the explanations are all in Francais but the photo’s tell it pretty much like it is anyway. Richard Dobson apparently works for GEO but spent some of his life in South Africa. We found out a bit about him through the publishing company Struik’s website: Richard Dobson Richard Dobson was born in Yorkshire in 1963 and educated in South Africa between 1975 and 1983. His passion for photography began in London in 1984, when a wander through the autumn forest of Hampstead Heath with a roll of fujichrome in his camera produced crisp, saturated slides that got him hooked. Four years assisting London advertising photographers provided the experience needed to step out into the world of professional photography. He now divides his time between Cape Town and Paris, shooting advertising and editorial photography. Clients include German and French GEO, Conde Nast Traveler, The New York Times, Vietnam Airlines, Nokia and Jeep. Enjoy! Merci a Boubou for the...
MATISYAHU coming to SA. Irie Mon!
Have you heard of the bearded Jewish Hasidic reggae artist from the States known as MATISYAHU? He was named Top Reggae Artist of 2006 by Billboard according to his Wikipedia profile here and he is clocking up the charts with his irie music all over da world. Well he’s on his way to SA to perform in CT and Jozi (with 340ml in Jozi – can’t wait to hear the new album!).Here it is: Matisyahu is a Hasidic Jew – and America’s biggest reggae star. Named by Jewish newspaper the Forward as one of the five most influential Jews in America, he is currently America’s most popular reggae singer, bolstering lilting rhythms and quasi-Jamaican vocals with rock muscle. You can catch this unique performer in action with his band for two nights only in South Africa: Saturday 7 April, at The Sandton Convention Centre and Wednesday 11 April at The cape Town International Convention Centre. Since 2004, he has released three studio albums as well as one live album; two remix CD’s and a DVD featuring a live concert and some interviews. Last year’s breakthrough live album, “Live at Stubb’s”, sold half a million copies and his second studio outing, Youth, went in at number four on the Billboard charts. In short, Matisyahu is a phenomenon of modern music that has exploded onto the global scene, and South Arica is next in line to experience this explosion live. Backed up by a full band including drums, guitar, bass and keyboards, Matisyahu performs a unique brand of reggae that is infused with modern music influences including hip-hop, rock, Jewish themes and more. Despite his obvious self-identification as a religious Jew, Matisyahu’s message is not about Judaism or anyone religion in particular and he seeks to promote a message of peace and unity for the entire world. He seeks to improve the world the world by sharing his music and without letting ego or worldly desires interfere in that communication. “That’s what I’m aiming for,” he admits. “I don’t think I’ve fully gotten there, but that’s the goal.” Matisyahu, for two nights only, in South Africa. Come and see for yourself! The Details: Saturday 7 April The Sandton Convention centre Matisyahu with support from 340 ml R300.00 (excl ticketing fee) book through Computicket: http://www.computicket.co.za/ Doors 8pm Wednesday 11 April Cape Town International Convention Centre Matisyahu R250.oo Book through YAD on yad@ctjc.co.za or 021 464...
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