MTN Bushfire 2015 announces Les Nubians as the first headline act for the festival
Swaziland’s highly acclaimed three-day music and arts festival is proud to announce LES NUBIANS as the first headline act for MTN BUSHFIRE 2015: May 29th – 31st 2015. Early-bird tickets will go on sale via the website, www.bush-fire.com from November 21st, 2014. Make sure you are one of the 20,000 music and arts fans who “BRING THEIR FIRE” to the scenic farmlands of the Malkerns Valley to experience this unique event. Renowned for eclectic and multi-dimensional programming rooted in world music, MTN BUSHFIRE presents a compelling line-up of theatre, poetry, dance, art exhibits & installations, story-telling, puppetry, film, and themed workshops.. Additionally MTN BUSHFIRE features a KIDZONE and is a family friendly event. MTN BUSHFIRE, known for its eclectic and diverse music line-up is very excited to be able to host LES NUBIANS, as the Paris based Grammy Nominated artists have become synonymous with a unique Afro/European neo-soul sound and style. As one of the world’s most successful French language groups, LES NUBIANS’ newest album, NU REVOLUTION, perfectly sums up their Pan-African approach and ethos: “Africa is our past, present and future,” Les Nubians asserts. This [album] is about accepting and rejoicing through our body and mind that Africa is vibrant and 10,000,000 times ALIVE! Africa FOR the future also to say that we have to prepare the future of the continent. It’s in the NOW that we create the future. ACTION time is NOW!!!” Les Nubians Book your early bird tickets from Nov 21st and enjoy 3 days of music, art, personal expression and social activism in a unique festival environment. BRING YOUR FIRE and experience a diverse and eclectic event along with thousands of guests from across Africa and around the world. For more information and to purchase tickerts: www.bush-fire.com Also visit: www.facebook.com/MTNBushfire...
Interview: Nduduzo Makhathini on his new album and the journey
1. Parents tend to be stricter as educators, than external professionals. How would you say having mother as your first teacher influenced the way you’re learning progressed when you moved on to other educators? This process happened very organic for me, I only discovered later that my mom had been teaching me. She believed music was a language, a way of communication. 2. Having toured internationally, how does the international audience compare to South Africa in terms of appreciation and taste in jazz music? The western audiences are obviously different to ours, mainly in terms of their reaction to music. Europe is more a trained audience they listen and only show their appreciation by giving applauses either at the end of a piece or at the end of the whole performance. Africans on the other hand are interactive and very spontaneous in their response. Over the years I believe the west has cultivated their audience in a particular way, I mean, even looking at how the venues are structured more indoors for a seated audience. In Africa the whole audience and performer thing is quite new we do everything in circles, everyone gets involved it’s either you play the drum or singer a counter that is who we are. In closing I enjoy both audiences for different reasons and I appreciate the support one has been getting from both over the years. 3. Do you see diversity in South Africa’s art & entertainment industry, and is it living up to the potential you believe there is? South Africa is one of the most diverse countries I know when it comes to music and I believe it’s because we are very diverse even in our culture and language. Musicians are also very open here and exposed to a lot of different music from all over the world. I’m happy and very content to be an artist here now, though I feel artists are always ahead of everyone. I believe to create an industry we need all parties to be in sync from our business people, venues, government etc. 4. You collaborate and work with a lot of other musicians and bands, how does that influence your art as an individual? This for me is the healthiest thing to do from any artists; it helps a lot for growth and evolution of sound. It’s always great for me to tap into other musician’s spaces and know their story. I am grateful for all the collaborations I have been involved in; everyone I have worked with is but part of the composition and decomposition of the artist I am today. I look...
Job Ad: Content Producer and Community Manager
We’re looking for a mid-weight content producer and community manager with strong social media experience as well as web knowledge, to work with one of our clients. Please ensure the following is included with your application: – CV and/Portfolio of work – Please include three contactable references – Please make sure you write a cover email Must have a minimum of three years’ experience and get very excited about digital, mobile and content. This position requires excellent copywriting skills, a good understanding of SEO techniques and social media platforms. A strong track record of pan-African content writing is a plus. Your main goals are to produce quality content that will drive sales, SEO, and traffic, plus grow our audience across all of our digital platforms. Most importantly, this candidate should be unashamedly in love with the African continent. Your responsibilities will include but not be limited to: – Researching topics and writing compelling copy that will educate visitors, help with ranking on search engines, and possibly attract back-links from other websites. – Ensuring all copy is optimised for SEO and to continually seek out best practices in SEO. – Coordinating and managing content plan and assets. Execute the content schedule/plan utilising the content management system (CMS). – Proof copy on all marketing initiatives – Create and maintain a style guide for copy. – Participate in the strategy of improving authority for the site. – Hands-on interaction within social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. – Hands-on interaction with off-site social properties – other people’s blogs, other company Facebook fan pages, forums, etc. – Use of a toolkit to measure and monitor social activity- determine what works, tweak and improve content, communications, etc. – Creative input on content, ideas on social media viral marketing Please note, if you do not hear back from us within 14 days of your application, we thank you for taking the time to submit your candidacy and we will keep your details on file. Company Description We’re helping one of our fab clients find the perfect candidate. If you think you fit the description of the ideal candidate we’re looking for – and you can show us a strong track-record, please send through your application asap. Requirements If you answer yes to at least 70% of the list below, please send your current CV/digital portfolio plus a covering letter telling us why you are the best candidate for the job. This is a huge opportunity for the right candidate – no chancers please. – innovative, lateral thinker, creative – degree/diploma – risk-taker, self-motivated, uses initiative – fast working, efficient, effective with fast turnarounds – independent, use initiative but enjoy team work – multicultural, multilingual – interested in the African continent, its regions and cultures – preferably speak an African/other...
Five reads to cuddle with in this weather
By Lindelwa R 1. I AIN’T YO BITCH – Jabulile Bongiwe Ngwenya “I ain’t yo bitch” I saw this title in the book store and rolled my eyes as I lifted it to read what sordid man-manipulation guide this would be. I was way off – It’s a fiction tale about a young lesbian rapper in the hustle & bustle of Joburg’s hip-hop scene. She is a talented wordsmith in an industry dominated by men who cannot stand to be outdone by a woman, a lesbian woman especially. A sad tale about the struggle of womanhood, doubled with homophobia from those around her and what it took for her to finally come into her own. The ending is a cliché, but I could not have been more fitting. 2. BLACK WIDOW SOCIETY – Angela Makholwa I’ve been waiting to read a thriller about women in an underground mafia-style scheme. It was a slow read; it was how she gradually brought the characters to life in short interwoven scenes that were a good enough to keep the reader’s (my) nose in between her pages. The story is about a group of women who ‘eliminate’ good-for-nothing husbands, rescuing the “black widows” from lives of abuse and manipulation. It unfolds dramatically when the hired gun’s personal life is affected by the paranoia he’s acquired ever since serving the society. Despite the predictable first two thirds of the book, the climax was good enough to allow for the book’s clichéd ending. 3. WHEN RAIN CLOUDS GATHER – Bessie Head I could call this one a love story, about a man learning to love himself. It is set in a village in Botswana during the time of severe drought, a South African takes refuge there to escape from apartheid in near-by South Africa. He must overcome internal conflict while also being absorbed into the drama of the village in which he settles. It’s a tale of greed, selflessness & community; it is intriguing without too much suspense. You won’t put it down until it’s over. 4. FEMINISM IS FOR EVERYBODY (PASSIONATE POLITICS) – bell hooks The mainstream media’s depiction of the socio-political idea is more radical then practical and that is why I felt it was necessary to read a sort of… beginner’s guide to feminism? Yes. She describes the beginning of feminism and the various struggles within – issues of race, class, gender relations and the power of the sisterhood. It feels boring to read but you will appreciate the enlightenment afterwards. 5. GONE – Michael Grant Gone is the first in a series of 6 books. It is a story about a...
Introducing the Power of 50
The Umuzi Team recently announced that the applications for the Power of 50 Programme 2015 intake are now open. This is a great initiative to empower young creative minds into taking part on something meaningful that can change their lives forever. The Power of 50 is a one-year tertiary programme preparing young people to become active economic participants in the creative industry. (www.umuzi.org/the-power-of-50). The successful candidates receive a monthly stipend to cover their basic expenses. They gain real work life experience by working at a creative agency, skills training by working on live client projects, masterclasses by industry experts, opportunities to network with the creative industry whist building a strong portfolio of work. Apply at www.umuzi.org/apply Aspiring ekasi creatives face a daunting gap to professional employment in the creative economy. Umuzi bridges this gap. The Power of 50 is a successful model of collaboration between Investec Bank, who make this possible by funding the programme, The Creative Circle, who facilitate the internships with leading creative agencies, Vega and Da Vinci, who help us to deliver the formal skills...
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