Review: Cape Town International Jazz Festival
Our new Cape Town writer Yumna gets familiar with Jazz at last weekend’s Cape Town Jazz Festival and finds that she’s entranced. She also got a little more info for us on Kwani Experience…. you know we love them! Thanks Yumna! In those shiny, Hollywood wedding movies there is usually the cake tasting scene, where the happy couple eats a bit of a fabulous looking and tasting… wedding cake and then swiftly moves along to the next one. That was the 2006 Cape Town International Jazz Festival. With over 40 jazz acts and five stages competing for attention, there was more then enough to bite off and for your taste buds to salivate. Although it would disappoint many having to pay an extra R25 to get into Rosies, especially being a struggling student with bank statements that read: TRANSACTION FAILED. The acts that took place on the other four stages were enough to keep me satisfied. Getting into the mood on Friday 31st, I swiftly moved through the largest venue, Klippies, into the outside stage, Basil “Manenberg” Coetzee, which was worth braving the early evening chill as Thandiswa Mazwai moved all our rears into action with her gospel, traditional, Afro pop beats, spreading smiles across the audience’s faces. After catching a quick breath of ‘fresh air’, I quickly slipped into Baseline, the stage which would become my home for the next few hours and the next day, and prepared myself for the act I had been waiting for, Relax, the Dutch hip hop/jazz/rock/funk/ I could go on forever group. As they strutted onto the stage, showered in blue light, in their matching black suits and white shirts with eerie piano music slipping through the crowds, I politely put away my pen and notepad and began to roar and jump up and down like the true closet groupie I am! I rested my poor feet before readying myself for the group that had so much hype around them I was almost sure that the balloon would deflate. But fear not, Kwani Experience were there to impress. With a few disappointed patrons, the thrashing dreadlocks and hypnotic back and forth movements of the audience rang the bell for the end of my night as I then decided to fatten myself up with the perks of having a press pass. [SEE REVIEW ON KWANI BELOW] The next day I felt as if I hadn’t even left the festival, arriving just in time to catch Chouchou Valdes. I looked up at the big screen with my mouth open watching the living legend mix jazz, Cuban and classical music at the same time as...
IDOLS 3 – Where are they now?
We’re having a little trip down memory lane as we ready the content on Represent for the about-to-be launched “Sleekline Version”… So we’ll be bringing up the past in the next few days… a lot. Do you remember the gripping of your armchair as you waited for the weekly announcement of who would be kicked ceremoniously out of the IDOLS 3 competition – that was just last year? But with a… rebellious year like 2006 leaving ’05 so far back in the dust, it’s easy to forget it even happened and you were all over it. Remember, we all had our favourites, I remember ours were Gift and Karin….towards the end anyway. But what we’re wondering is “WHERE ARE THEY NOW?” …Maybe we don’t get out enough or perhaps we hang out at the wrong jols. But if our dear readers could fill us in on where they are at… we’d love that. “cause we haven’t heard them on radio in a long time… or is that ever? Where are our awesome IDOLS? *************************************************** KARIN IS OUR WINNER! CONGRATS GIRL! Well done to both Gift and Karin – we were rooting more for Gift as we believed he had a better package as an “IDOL” , but Karin sure can sing..and she will be a fabulous addition to the Idols brand – at last. Rather embarassing were the performances by both the previous winners Anke and Heinz – so boring and flat – Anke looked like a contestant from Survivor that had stepped through the bushes and Heinz, while he gave a fantastic performance was weak on the singing. Let’s face it, both Gift and Karin put them both to shame. We wish you all the best – both of you – Gift – learn from ZAMAJOBE and make your shining mark despite not coming first. KARIN – we can’t wait for your first album – please don’t go cliched on us – keep your originality and Jazz touch. Well done to the organisers on a good show! ********************************************************** 21 November Don’t say we didn’t predict it last week, although some may say it was fairly predictable for anyone that knows a little about music… NOW For the true cruncher – POP IDOL style mixed with a good voice – GIFT or NOT Strictly POP IDOL profile but fantastic voice – KARIN? Both, in our minds are DESERVING WINNERS – congrats to both of them for getting this far and well done to MNET and the public for fufilling our peoples mandate and for being true to talent… Our bet is no matter which one wins, they will have...
South African Radio station in London
Yes – Radio as we know it is changing as more and more online radio stations fill up the internet airwaves. Did you know that there are approximately 1.3million South Africans living in England? Well apparently there are! So some clever guys decided that all the homesick South Africans needed to be able to listen to South African music and ne…ws broadcast in the UK by Uk dwellers. Obviously they can listen to 5fm or YFM and even SAFM through streaming, but there was clearly a need to have a voice and platform for this huge community. The station has been broadcasting for a month and chose 24 DJ’s from about 500 that applied for the job – we’re glad to see a diverse representation and hope this continues. They are broadcasting from two frequencies: Modem users in UK – 32kb/s BroadBand users – 96kb/s Click here to go to the site and learn all about it … please have a listen – we’d love to know what you...
SNOOP LOOK-ALIKE – how could we forget?
How could we forget to share one of the most BRILLIANT moments ever with you….??? At the recent SNOOP concert in Johannesburg on the 27 APRIL – Snoop did not show up or perform. He had been detained in the UK (he has now been banned forever – what a badass! ) overnight and missed his flight – so thousands of VERY disappointed fans fi…lled a stadium and partied without him. When you view the video on YOUTube (by clicking here) let it play once which will prob be slow and bitty – it then stores itself on your system – then play it again it should flow SMOOTHLY. ALSO – if you look on the viewing frame, there’s two little tv icons in the bottom right corner of the tv – click on the one on the left to take the picture back to the size it was filmed in so it’s not as pixelated. Read the story below then click here to go there! Pic courtesy of mugshots.net. Loser. One very clever guy, who looks EXACTLY like Snoop – with the relaxed hair and all – decided to get the fans hopes up for a few moments. He arrived at the concert and began walking down through the stands to the bottom towards the VIP area. We were sitting in the VIP area and we heard a wave of hysterical screaming from up at the top of the grandstand flowing towards us… We grabbed our cellphone and filmed away… Even we were convinced it was him and that we had been fooled into believing he wasn’t coming as a publicity stunt. Girls were shaking and screaming around us … grown men were ululating. It was one of those moments where you know that if you lose your footing you could be in trouble… but noone cared as we all swarmed around “Snoop” eager to touch the man. Only once he had been safely removed from the public into the VIp area did it become clear that it wasn’t him. Great stunt though – we love this guy! Anyone know his name? The video is really pixelated but if you are a huge fan you may be prepared to watch it. Look out for “Snoop” in the blue and white striped shirt at the top of the frame… wait till the end when you can see him clearly. He is wearing a white cap. Listen to the cheering – watch the fans and see how the security are freaking out. Thanks Mr-Snoop Look-alike – whoever you are you made our...
Want to give up smoking? Check out these pics!
While wandering around Singapore on her trip to Asia, Editorista was taken aback to see the harsh steps used by the Singapore government to stop people from smoking. Every pack of cigarettes on sale has a disgusting photograph graphically illustrating the long-term effects of smoking. We showed the picture to some pretty hard-core smokers, all of whom were shocked by the image…s. One interviewee said that while he knows all about what smoking does to your lungs etc seeing those pictures did make him think twice about lighting up. So next time you consider giving up, just come to Represent and remind yourself about why you would want to do that. We found this info on ChinaDaily. Click here for more: (2004) Gruesome pictures of death and decay will greet smokers in Singapore from August 1, when a law takes effect requiring cigarette packs to carry graphic warnings in color, in the hope of discouraging people from smoking. [See image of teeth] This image released by Singapore’s Health Promotion Board June 16, 2004 as part of a health warning that will be printed on cigarette packs from August 1. Gruesome pictures of death and decay will greet smokers in Singapore from August 1, 2004 when a law takes effect requiring cigarette packs to carry graphic warnings in colour, in the hope of discouraging people from smoking. Images such as a mouthful of rotten teeth, diseased organs, a limp baby and a smoker on his deathbed will cover half of each pack, a spokeswoman for the Health Promotion Board said on Tuesday. Written health warnings will accompany the pictures. The new law, passed by Parliament last year, follows a long standing effort by the government to promote a smoke-free lifestyle in the city state, where authorities say there are seven tobacco-related deaths each day. There’s also a photo of another pack here on FLIKR with a short discussion as...
Alistair Whitton at Obert in Melrose
Sorry to say this but the Obert gallery in Melrose shades in comparison to the magnificence of the Obert city gallery…and they are both great spaces. If you haven’t been there yet make sure to get there. The view will blow your mind. Let’s hope this is what we will be saying about all things city in the next few years. Click here for the si…te. There’s a new exhibition at the Obert in Melrose: “filter – alastair whitton” made as meditation, whitton’s tranquil art on paper contemplates and celebrates notions of simplicity, symmetry, order and balance. an emma smith scholarship recipient and volkskas atelier merit award winner, whitton has collaborated in the past with acclaimed british artist neville gabie. filter is whitton’s first solo exhibition in johannesburg and features 12 exquisitely detailed works. *********************************************************************** obert contemporary is pleased to present “y propaganda” by kudzanai chiurai, the highly anticipated follow-up exhibition to his acclaimed “the revolution will be televised” sell-out show staged at obert contemporary in 2004. the first black fine arts graduate from the university of pretoria, chiurai is an innovative and controversial young artist who has been banned from his home country of zimbabwe for his politically inspired caricatures of president robert mugabe. reminiscent of basquiat, chiurai’s mixed media works are intricately layered with stenciled protest statements, poetry and graffiti. his works have recently been procured by top private and public collectors including bhp billiton in london. this exhibition will consist of eleven new, variously scaled mixed media works that explore pertinent issues related to failed leadership, xenophobia and urban culture. OBERT GALLERY 7 – 22 may 2005 11am to 7pm daily 14 the high street melrose arch Contact...
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