Represent’s ♥’s Everyday Tweeple – Meet @_Thanda_
In our new series, Represent’s ♥’s Everyday Tweeple, Represent will be introducing you, dear Representah’s to some of the magical everyday tweeple that we follow on our Twitter stream… which if you don’t know already can be followed fervently @sisiwami … Editorista in the mix live and loud from Belgium where she is currently being held. We ask all our questions based on tweets we find intriguing and reveal who’s behind the often mysterious 140 characters… If there’s someone you think we should follow…and interview, hit us up! Represent! First up is Thanda Kunene, better known on Twitter as @_thanda_ he’s from Location: Planet Joburg Bio: Elemential well-beings are united through life. Sketch artist, Design techno geek, Eclectic music adorer, Meditator of most sorts… (Karma Shall Deliver) So what’s an elemential well being? Basically, a human being has a sense of wellness inside and out of them. The type of well being I am is composed of many elements, which is how I conned the term of being elemential. Please can you share some of your sketches with us? Yeah… In due time. Still busy (Haha), I promise though. (see below and above for some graphic work) What are the top 5 tracks you’re listening to right now? 1) Q-tip ft Gary Thomas – Do You Dig U? 2) The Cinematic Orchestra – Ma Fleur 3) Dj Cam ft Cameo – Love Junkee (J Dilla Dub instrumental) 4) Yesterday’s New Quintet – Sunrays 5) Kwani Experience – Dipula Can you give us an example of some meditating you did recently? Basic Yoga and Meditation. Just being in silence. Also reading and drawing. Why did you hate matric at school? I felt locked in the “system”, I never liked the classes and I always felt that it limited my creativity and expression. Who are the ideal guests for your 23rd birthday? Whenever it comes, it shall be just a few friends (Not more than 12), good home cooked meal and wine with a lot of music, too much music actually. And conversation, lot of that good talking… Who is your celebrity crush on? Ah man! (Haha) Ummm, Estelle. Especially with her goofy teeth and dark complexion and that structure, did I just say that? Besides Adidas, what other brands are super-legendary? It depends on the scenery, for me as a complex dude I’d preferably say the following do it for me 1) Supra 2) Nike SB (SB only) 3) Hello Kitty 4) Sony PlayStation 5) Energie You’d rather draw, skate or do anything else besides deal with racism? Explain please. Racism is a matter of the different races to actually...
Represent Review: Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2010
Between bracing the Cape winds, running between stages and having dinner with Bilal (coughcough), our two fabulous Jozi representer’s Lebogang and Akona (you’re always a Jozi girl for us) still managed to cover the Cape Town International Jazz Festival for us this year… and with such panache… What can we say besides a massive Sharpile. Watch your snailmail for your thank yous 😉 See Lebogang’s gorgeous photostory of the event here and read Akona’s review below: Represent! This year’s 11th annual Cape Town Jazz Festival, which took place last weekend, once again got it’s stamp of approval for being one of the grandest music festivals in the country, I also think this event, previously known as North Sea Jazz Festival, is one of the better organised festivals out there save for the crazy Cape Town wind trying to get it’s time in the spotlight. The line – up was incredible, the most exciting part for me are the number of fusion artists I had never heard of – you see, the Jazz Fest for me is the place I go to be introduced to new music without being caught out as an ignoramus by die-hard fans. T his is where the artists have to bear their souls through their craft, this is where they introduce themselves to the possibility of new fans – me being one of them of course. 42 acts, over two nights, on 5 stages = a whole lot of dancing, singing, crying, with a healthy dose of soul touching music to keep you entertained. On the first night, with a late start to the evening, I was blown away not only by the Cape Town wind at the ‘Bassline’ stage (which was setup outside of the International Convention Centre) but also by the Japanese fusion jazz group – a six man group playing what I’d call dance music, with a very jazzy root. It was impossible not to be mesmerized not only by their energy, but the way in which they got the audience involved, singing hooks, dancing, clapping along and creating a measurable heat out in the open stage (audience by now had to do just about everything not to succumb to the thrashing of the wind). What was most important is how the band didn’t seem bothered nor allowed themselves to be distracted by the wind and sand smacking them about on stage, they never skipped a beat – at one point I saw the saxophonist cough out some dirt only after blowing his instrument to the tunes. The Soil and Pimp Sessions is a vibrant band who transcend any expectations, MC, trumpet,...
Sony’s Earth F.C., a formidable team to be on
Sony is stepping up to the CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) plate with the launch of their impressive campaign “Earth F.C.” , a major social investment initiative anchored around the FIFA World Cup Football tournament taking place in South Africa in less than 3 months (woopee!) … let’s not forget Sony is lucky enough to be an ‘official partner’. We’ve had a look at their offering and we must say we approve, it’s creative, well thought through, meaningful, through-the-line and at the same time fun. Good job Sony. Represent! The campaign is made up of three main elements, first, the “Public Viewing in Africa”, a series of awesome public screening areas planned for the colourful West African countries of Ghana and Cameroon (both qualifying countries) where access to TV is limited but soccer is everything. “Sony employees have teamed up with UNDP, JICA and local NGOs [so] our caravan of vehicles can move around the country, setting up big screens in public places like village squares and schools. The live broadcasts will primarily be for matches involving African teams.” Sony have also incorporated an HIV/Aids education drive into the program, offering ‘education, counseling and testing can be offered before the matches and at halftime’. ‘A trial run co-sponsored with JICA in Ghana last year delivered impressive results: 7,200 people took part in the event (five times the normal JICA figure in rural areas) with 1,100 of them getting tested for HIV test (3 times the normal figure). Clearly this approach can increase the reach of HIV/AIDS education.’ JICA and GHANA you can also read more about the Ghana trials here. The second prong consists of a bunch (1000) of ‘ highly durable yet environmentally conscious vegetable-based Join the Team plastic footballs‘ that have been designed by Sony’s engineers with the aim of creating robust footballs suitable for the African terrain and conditions. Sony is hoping to get a million clicks – with every 1000 clicks a ball will be donated. It’s simple, go here and click on Join the Team and play some virtual soccer ball passing around the globe (FYI we were pass number 9359 and 9 balls so far have been donated (it’s the 1st of April 2010)… ) The third part of the program is a little closer to our hearts, as it’s about giving out 15000 tickets to South African kids between the ages of 12 and 15 who would otherwise never be able to afford the matches, we’re not sure how they’re managing this but they will be transporting and looking after them and of course dressing them in specially designed Sony bandanas 😉 There’s...
Represent ♥’d watching: Hump Day
We hearted it so much. Watch the trailer here. And get the dvd soon as! Warm, moving, funny, down-to-earth, theatrical touches and directed by another fabulously-talented female director (Lynn Shelton), those would be our definitive adjectives. IMDB, we’re disappointed in your rating. We loved both lead actors Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard and a thumbs up to Alycia Delmore too. Naas. Oh ja and make sure to watch the director’s interview if it’s on your...
Bilal joins the Line-Up at Cape Town International Jazz Festival
Oh, to hear the opening strains to Soul Sister, to close our eyes and be swept away by the swelling vocal crescendos of Sometimes… damn, Bilal playing at this years Cape Town International Jazz Festival is the best news since we heard about our poor Guru (who by the way is thankfully out of his coma). It was so dope to see Bilal a few years ago at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, where he mesmerized the crowd and had ladies nearly nekked with lurve for his sexy ways… We’re sure Bilal will deliver hands down once again and we urge you of course to GO GO GO. We will try to see just how up close and personal we can get. Bilal, one of the world’s most well-respected and highly sought after live acts performing exquisite, pitch-perfect, old-soul hip-hop tinged vocal gymnastics like no other completes the line-up for the 11th Cape Town Jazz Festival. From the humble streets of Philadelphia to The Big Apple, Brooklyn has been the aural disseminator’s base from where three albums worth of brilliance have, thus far, been realised. As his keen insistence saw him plough through and challenge his chosen genre Bilal quickly caught the attention and made fans of soul jazz legends Giles Peterson, the Roots, Dr. Dre, Jay Z and Raphael Saddiq. It was Erykah Badu who, upon hearing his early Brooklyn demo’s, hired the prodigy to not only perform, but also produce her 2000 album Mama’s Gun. Dedicated to old-school, the former jazz musician navigates comfortably around all things percussion, organ and guitar-based. In 2001, at the age of only 21, Bilal’s aptly titled 17-track autobiographical debut 1st Born Second shook the larger neo-soul tree to way beyond its knotted root core where it celebrated comparisons to the true greats. The most memorable confirmation came when critics set it up alongside D’Ángelo’s 2000 Voodoo album, labelling it the ‘smoother stepchild’. From there the rollercoaster was well and truly set in its tracks and was hurtling, at blinding speed, up the charts and into live arena’s right around the world. “His voice – including a terrific falsetto, can still a room. He has the ability to head in unexpected directions, at the edge of off-key, only to bring back the song with emotional satisfaction that comes when risks pay off” – The Boston Globe In 2003 he delivered his startling second collection of songs titled Love For Sale. The album was never officially released, but rather bootlegged by hungry fans and one which Vibe magazine tagged ‘psycho soul’. From “How Do You Do You” and “All The Humans...
Proudly brought to you by:
