Concert review: Mumford & Sons take over Pretoria
By Lebogang Mgiba When all 85,000 tickets sold out within minutes, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but on arriving at the Monument Amphitheatre in Pretoria couldn’t help but be blown away. Watching Mumford & Sons play has to rate as one of the best concerts I’ve ever attended. Their live performance went far beyond anything I expected, and the cherry on top was the superb acoustics – they sounded even better than their studio albums! I also got to see The Brother Moves On perform live for the first time and they made me proud to be South African. Their unique sound and style is what makes their music magical. They are the definition of ART, but you have to see them live to fully comprehend this. That may sound absurd but I promise you, your life will never be the same. Supporting acts included John Wizards, The Very Best and Beatenberg, who played just before the main act. The artist selection was well-thought out and the varying genres melded together to create musical synergy. Mumford & Sons performed some of my favourite songs but I lost my mind when they performed “Believe” from their latest album, Wilder Minds. It was surreal; it was my moment for life, and I held on to it until the last song. They performed quite a number of songs from Sigh No More, Babel and Wilder Minds and the superfans sang along to every song As if that wasn’t wondrous enough, Mumford & Sons brought the supporting acts on stage to do a new song recorded in Joburg titled ‘There Will Be Time’. I think we can look forward to some amazing collaborations coming out of this concert – I, for one, was convinced they’ve been in studio for a month writing new stuff exclusively for this show. “I had the absolute pleasure of going to a mind-blowing concert of Mumford & Sons at the iconic Voortekker Monument on Saturday. I was astounded by the venue, organisation, sound lights, special effects, but most of all, the music. Baaba Maal was a welcome addition, as were all the other musical geniuses on stage. Marcus Mumford’s stage presence is absolutely intoxicating; his singing is even better. From meeting new friends and catching up with old ones, the entire day seems like a dream. My night ended off with dancing alongside my friends, in the pouring rain to Little Lion Man, without a care in the world, alongside 25,000 other strangers who had one thing in common – we were there to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience, to watch a band we all love passionately...
Kaya FM Live AT THE Bassline ft Zahara and The Muffinz
The first Kaya Fm Live At The Bassline session for 2016 has added the newest vocal sensation Morena the Squire to its line-up to hot things up for the amazing line up to follow. Morena, known for his great vocals and dance moves, will open the night with his debut single Faith Alive that got the nation dancing this past festive season. The infamous monthly celebration of outstanding music, Kaya Fm Live At The Bassline, is back with a bang in 2016 and aims to bring the public even more phenomenal nights out than ever before in the year ahead. Kicking off with a stellar line up, the event sees the first booking of 2016 boasts two multi-award winning artists on one stage, in addition to newest addition Morena The Squire. These are Gospel Afro-pop sensation Zahara and the 5-piece eclectic retro pop outfit, The Muffinz. Zahara was literally an overnight sensation after her signing with TS Records. The young rural star had quietly honed her craft in her home village before signing a deal that would change her life and ultimately see her becoming one of the countries best selling artists. The Muffinz, culturally different from Zahara with their urban roots, were also shot to the limelight after playing the Melville bar and club scene for a few years and generating a truly charming, fresh live act that literally nobody could resist. Both acts have topped radio charts, packed venues and raked in multiple awards in the few years since their humble beginnings and will now be sharing the stage for one night only at the Kaya FM Presents Live at the Bassline show on the 6th February 2016. Tickets are limited and available now at www.webtickets.co.za for R200 or R220 at the door. The show starts promptly at 8pm. Book your tickets now for another great night out in the...
First Wednesday Film Club presents Half Of A Yellow Sun
First Wednesday Film Club presents Half Of A Yellow Sun tomorrow at 7:30pm, Studio 4 at Atlas Studios, 33 Frost Avenue, Corner Owl Street, Milpark. Don’t be late as there is limited seating. Check out the synopsis below and make sure you also get Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s book If you haven’t yet. SYNOPSIS: Biyi Bandele’s feature film debut is an adaption of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s multiple award-winning novel by the same name. ‘Half of a Yellow Sun’ follows twin-sisters Olanna and Kainene, whose lives are uprooted by the Biafran War that tore Nigeria apart 1967-1970. – Film Courtesy of Biyi Bandele...
SoulProviders Workshop Week: Inspiring and Visionary
Lebogang Mgiba At the beginning of every work year we hold our annual #WorkShopWeek at SoulProviders. Featuring workshops presented by guests representing different industries, the second week of January was a chance for our team to be mind-blown, get inspired, plan their year and discuss topics and trends dominating the media landscape. Two of the speakers at this year’s event included Tefo Mohapi, the co-founder of iAfrikan and Bradley Kirshenbaum, owner of distinctly South African brands such as Love, Jozi and Eat Your Heart Out. As a team member, I found that there were many lessons to take from all the sessions, which only motivated us SP Ninjas to work harder and smarter to achieve our dreams. This is testament to the power of storytelling, and how it can influence and change lives. During #WorkShopWeek we were also treated to an exclusive preview of John Barker’s latest mockumentary. Barker’s film delved into the current state of politics in a humorous way, and at the end of the film, we were all given a chance to share our thoughts and discuss the film’s different narratives.. The big take-out for me was that you can achieve whatever you want as long as you work hard towards it and stay focused. In light of racist comments surfacing recently on social media, one of the key workshops found us exploring on the issues of race, identity and culture in South Africa. Thembi, the facilitator, did a superb task of starting the privilege and race conversation through various group-based activities that got the team thinking, questioning and understanding. New skills were imparted and lateral thinking was employed to get everyone to see outside the box. I asked some of my colleagues for their highlights from #WorkShopWeek: David Tshabalala “I loved Bradley’s talk, I think young designers in general aren’t exposed enough to to the entrepreneurial possibilities of their craft. Too often, schools train students to be robots who churn out work for big agencies and not enough credit is given to these individuals who may aspire to grow beyond the four walls of your Ogilvy’s.” Angelique Redmond Workshop week was inspirational and aspirational. The talks gave us a glimpse into some of the most creative and talented minds in S.A. It showed us that the people who make the difference or do something amazing are the people who don’t fit into boxes, who think outside the margins of their craft and push the line beyond what people are used to seeing. My highlight was the new mockumentary by John Barker – as an avid politico the film was exactly what every South...
SP Festive Moments
Festive season is all about family, food, love and laughter, and many people have sentimental things that they do every year during this time. Stay tuned as the SP team share their favourite festive moments with you… #FestiveMoments Nicole G Because we celebrate with a big meal on Christmas Eve, I always eat left over dessert and chocolate for breakfast on Christmas morning. 🙂 #FestiveMoments Lindelwa We normally spend our Christmas in Swaziland, deep in the village. Throughout the year we collect clothes for small children, as well as the clothes we own that don’t fit anymore (always in good condition, never makgasa), to donate to the orphaned and destitute children there. We go to the village because we host purposeful festivities and a feast with the rest of our family and invite the community to join us as they seldom have enough for a big celebration of the Lord’s day. Yachna We always have a production line for making trifle (one sister cuts pecan nuts, the other whips cream, the other lays out the dessert) I always paint personalised decorations for everyone with their names on and the year. I’m always the Santa, giving out the gifts, and yes, I ALWAYS have the hat on. I’m in charge of cocktail making – a new cocktail every year. I plan the decor for the table, and Christmas tree colour schemes. Every year has to be different. I’m in charge of planning and feeding a charity a few days before Christmas. Andy Going home is a big holiday thing for me because my folks live in Namibia. Holidays are always a good wind down, as going to another country out of phone signal always helps me relax. We generally spend time together baking and cooking my mom’s famous Chicken Oriental dish, drinking whisky with my dad and singing to The Eagles (Hotel California), and watching Test Cricket, christmas movies and maybe a baby video here or there :). We’ll often count the new year in over champagne and the Royal Variety Show or have friends over for a big dinner. Family walks and sundowners with my dogs in the nature reserve near home are also common practice. Simone My christmas is spent with my parents and sister, and we have dinner, play cards and boardgames and chat for hours. The last 3 years I spent christmas with my family travelling, barhopping and playing games (We LOVE BOARDGAMES). My mother makes the best peppermint crisp tart, and she always makes one just for me and I finish it by myself every year (it takes 2-3 days, but its all...
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