Represent’s new baby
Apologies for being absent in June – but Editorista has been very busy creating her biggest most amazing creation yet – a baby! Yip, our Editorista is now a baby mama and we wish her, her man and her lovely cute little baby all the best. But of course, she’ll be back!….
Represent Interview: Hanneke Schutte
Hanneke Schutte is a young South African film director and screen writer that recently got to direct her enchanting short film ‘Superhero‘, thanks to the shedding of much blood, sweat tears and the great fortune of being chosen for an NFVF funding program for women and Black film makers. Bursting out from the starting blocks, Superhero has already been on it’s first international jaunt – to Cannes of all must-be-seen places, Represent found out how she managed to get in the bag with so much panache. Great inspiration for any wannabe film makers… Tell us a bit about your background… what is your backstory? I’m 33 and live in Jo’burg with my husband Slim who’s a commercials director at Egg Films. I studied languages and eventually ended up as a Copywriter in the ad industry. A few years ago I did a post-graduate qualification in Drama and Film and fell in love it. I’ve been lecturing part-time at Vega and writing screenplays since. In a nutshell, what’s Superhero all about? An amnesiac finds himself stranded in the middle of an arid landscape dressed as a superhero. He’s assisted and spurred on by a young black boy who wholeheartedly believes that he is a superhero. But as the man’s memory returns he discovers that he’s been anything but a hero. How did you get to make the film? The screenplay won a competition run by the NFVF aimed at developing Female and Black filmmaking talent – they ended up giving the three winning scripts production funding – the only prerequisite was that the director had to be black or female. How did you find the actors? Anyone really special that you believe your film could change lives for? We went to casting agents and saw a great deal of people. I ended up working with two brilliant actors, Justin Strydom (Snitch, Stander) and Loyiso Gxwala (Red Dust, A reasonable man). The young boy Johannes de Bruyn didn’t have any acting experience, but did a great job. What about the soundtrack – what music do you use and how did you choose? I worked with two good friends Jonathan Beggs and Trevor Sacks who are both creative directors at ad agencies. Trevor plays the lead guitar in The Privates International Band and Jonathan is DJ Badly. They are two amazingly talented musos who brought a great deal to the project. Where did you shoot? We shot the whole film on and around a huge mine dump in Dobsonville, Johannesburg. (Nothing like arsenic rich mine dust to give you nice buzz.) What were the greatest challenges in making the film? We had...
Rock your winter Sunday in Jozi
It’s winter, it’s cold and dry, people snuggle up indoors sometimes feeling gloomy, eating too much chocolate and wondering when summer will return…mmhh… Now zoom to a green leafy suburb not far from the heart of the city of Johannesburg on a Sunday afternoon in early winter, lazy happy residents stretch out on blankets under toasty sunlight and crisp blue skies surrounded by colourful people all tapping their feet to a live band. Tempted? You know you are. Catch the Old Mutual Encounters Concert on Sunday the 5 June at Emmarentia Dam: The Old Mutual Encounters Concerts is back with a brand new series. The last series of Old Mutual Encounters Concerts proved to be a standout success for this year’s calendar showcasing what many have regarded as one of the most eclectic and ground breaking collection of line-ups. This new season promises to be filled with more headlining acts and some new kids on the block creating an outstanding musical experience for all. The Old Mutual Encounters Concerts MK Vredefest will get the ball rolling for this thrilling series at the ambient setting of the Emmarentia Dam, in the Johannesburg Botanic gardens on the 6 June. Audiences can look forward to exhilarating live stage acts from aKING, Fokofpolisiekar, Tidal Waves and Zebra & Giraffe. Cape Town based band aKING, brings you a new sound that is an enticing mixture of foot-tapping beats and a dynamic blend of musical style. Described as intense and relentless, this performance will definitely not be one to miss! Join in on the mind-blowing and high energy live show of Afrikaans alternative rock band Fokofpolisiekar. Formed in 2003, this band has since gone from strength to strength, injecting South African music scene with innovative rock tunes. Reggae band Tidal Waves are known for their song writing sophistication with their political and socially orientated lyrics. Fans can enjoy a fantastic and impressive sound and will be sure to witness a musical masterpiece. Pushing the musical envelope, Zebra & Giraffe, with their unique look and music, will bring something original and exciting to the Johannesburg music scene. Be sure to catch this year’s winner of the South African Music Award for Best Rock Album for their debut album “Collective Memories”. So launch your winter season with a big bang and come and join us for an unforgettable rock and roll experience and get ready to have fun in the sun and bask in the sound waves. Be sure to pack your umbrella, picnic blankets, and cooler boxes and let Old Mutual Encounters Concerts take care of the rest. Tickets are available via www.tunegum.com for R50 and...
Experimental project space opens in downtown Jozi
GoetheonMain is opening tonight as part of the Arts on Main development in downtown Johannesburg. The 273 m2 space is intended as a multi-disciplinary project room, tonight’s launch will feature Isicathamiya and Oswenka performances and a photo projection of Sabelo Mlangeni’s new body of work Men Only, which will be followed on 8 to 10 May by the Informal Architecture master class – an architecture workshop on the structures that fills the gaps left by city planning. Ismail Farouk’s Trolley Works, the first of eight projects chosen by an independent jury, will open on 29 April. Opening Night: Mai Mai goes Main Isicathamiya and Oswenka Performances & Men Only – a photo projection of Sabelo Mlangeni’s new body of work on the George Goch hostel When: 8 May, 6 pm Where: GoetheonMain, Arts on Main, 245 Main Street (Closest corner Berea Street), City & Suburban, Johannesburg. From May onwards GoetheonMain will host eight projects selected from the open call for proposals that was launched in early March. The process will be repeated later in the year and is set to run twice a year. The distinguished jury consisting of Paul Grootboom, Sibongile Khumalo, Melissa Mboweni, Simon Njami and Hans-Georg Knopp met to decide the projects to be realised at GoetheonMain this year. The chosen proposals are reflective of the multi-disciplinary nature of GoetheonMain and the urban space that surrounds it. Art outreach project Sutherland Reflections; city intervention Trolley Works; a music and dance performance entitled Trespassing Permitted; visual art exhibition dedicated to Women’s day; Rhythm Tap. Multimedia Dance Project; a performance piece Fragile and Selogilwe; interdisciplinary presentation Merry Christmas Minister!; as well as Red Arts photography presentation and literature workshops, found the judges’ favour. With GoetheonMain, the Goethe-Institut engages with issues central to metropolises all over the world, and in particular Johannesburg. Through an engagement with the arts, urbanity is looked at: the hybridity, frenetic energy and constant transformation that make up our cities. Informal Architecture Master Class When: 9 & 10 May Despite the UN-Habitat’s call for “cities without slums” pronounced in 1999, the number of informal settlements has drastically increased. Similar ambitions are expressed closer to home: In South Africa housing lists dating back to 1998 demonstrate that formal approaches to housing delivery are not effective enough. The informal city fills the gaps left by what the formal city does not and cannot provide. Yet it is largely condemned and outlawed – its potential hidden. 26’10 south Architects has, in partnership with the Goethe-Institut, embarked on a research project to gather information in the form of mappings and drawings which capture the spatial and functional qualities of...
Represent Interview: Babazeka.com
Thanks to Twitter (do you follow Editorista’s tweets? http://twitter.com/sisiwami )Represent was introduced to a ‘socially aware online store’ recently called Babazeka that sells a range of colourful South African handmade goods, supporting numerous craftspeople throughout the country. The shopping bug immediately kicked in and we of course needed to know more. We chatted to Sarah, the lady that makes it all happen. (Crafters, find out how to get in touch with her below) We love your website Babazeka, please tell us what your inspiration for creating Babazeka is? What does Babazeka mean and where did the name come from? Babazeka was created for a few reasons. One, I moved to a small town (Knysna) and realised pretty quickly if I wanted to be truly happy in my career, I would need to start my own business doing what I enjoy (as opposed to the jobs the town had to offer). Two, I’ve always loved making things by hand – my favourite hobby is sewing. Three, I’m one of those people who has just always had the urge to help others. So, after chatting with lots of people, I put it all together, and agreed with my cousin, Scott, to set up an online store which would sell handmade things made by job creation projects. Scott developed the site and helps me with the online marketing, pretty much everything else is up to me. The word Babazeka is zulu, and means “be beautiful” or “be admirable”. I found it in an online dictionary, got all excited about how suitable the meaning was to what we were doing, and then got even more excited when the .com was available. (It’s VERY difficult to find available .com’s) What is your background? What is your backstory? Where did you grow up? I grew up in Joburg, and studied Business Science Marketing at UCT. I always thought that I’d go into advertising, but after travelling around the world for 3 years, I figured out quite a bit more about myself and realised that the advertising industry is definitely not where I belong. I’m just not a corporate or big city girl. Moving back to South Africa and to Knysna, is where everything was put into perspective for me. I knew immediately that I wanted to be a South African who helps the country in my own little way, that it’s not all about money and that it is all about quality of life. How are you finding online sales in SA, are people trusting of the system? Do you have much interest from overseas clients? Our sales are growing steadily which is the most...
Represent Review: Cape Town International Jazz Festival
Around Easter time, Cape Town has a certain air about it. It has nothing to do with Easter egg hunts, bunnies or anything of the sort. Birds seem to chirp, the wind whistles in tune, even the midday cannon ball seems to boom louder. Amidst all this, guitars are tuned, drums are propped up and pianos are reeled in, all in aid of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF). Gosh, you have to be in this city to feel the energy that the CTIJF carries with it (among the international artists that we all look forward to rubbing shoulders with). From the free concert that took place on Wednesday, April 1 – rather than the usual Thursday evenings – the line up was so exciting this year. They went all out for their 10th birthday to bring us a show to remember (and I most certainly do). CTIJF brought us the likes of Zap mama, Pete Philly & Perquisite, Mos Def, Diane Reeves, Freshlyground, Hugh Masekela, Incognito, The Robert Glasper Experiment, Zaki Ibrahim, 340ml, Maceo Parker – to name but a few. Now obviously I’d need to multiply myself to catch every artist or band but since that’s not humanly possible, I can only tell you about what I did manage to catch. On Friday, April 3 I got to see Pete Philly & Perquisite, safely my favourite dutch hip hop duo. This was their second performance at the CTIJF – and I got to see both. I remember falling in love with this band some 3 or 4 years ago. Their sound is so fresh and they are simply perfect together. The flow of Pete Philly’s voice dances on the beat in a way that radiates through your body. And this year, they weren’t any different. I listened to some Goldfish with their ever faithful Cape Tonian sound that never disappoints. But – and this is not to discredit any other artist – the highlight (possibly of the whole festival) was Zap Mama. The leading woman is absolutely beautiful with a voice that I could’ve grown up to and at the same time something my kids will grow up to – it’s timeless, soulful and elevating. Not only can she beat box with the best of them but she completely took us by surprise when she performed a Miriam Makeba song…in Zulu. It was magnificent. On Saturday I started the day early with usisi Abigail Kubheka. She was nostalgic as ever performing classics that I remember hearing when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Zaki Ibrahim started right in the middle of usisi Abigail so I rushed...
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