Represent Review: Soweto Gospel Choir DvD Launch
Our indefatigable team of Represent reporters Reuben ‘The Matrix’ Malema and Nkateko “Agent Katz” Siweya headed off to the glittering Maponya Mall in the heart of wonderful Soweto for the launch of the Soweto Gospel Choir’s new DVD… See our photostory here. Thursday 25 September 2008. Maponya Mall – Soweto. A fair weathered evening at this once termed “ambitious White Elephant” (excuse the pun) of township real estate. Today, not only is this elegant mall proudly standing in the heart of black economy, but Maponya Mall is home to the most famous retail, franchise, boutique and chain store outlets of Mzansi’s cherished brands like: Woolworths, Pick ‘n Pay, News Café, Primi Piatti and many more. The Ster Kinekor is of top notch quality, complete with a nice and spaciously designed food court for Africa! Tonight, our entertainment hunting noses have lead us to the Grammy Award winning Soweto Gospel Choir’s launch of their signature DVD: African Spirit. I like the Soweto Gospel Choir, as a matter of fact I prefer their melodic inspirational tunes over that of Joyous Celebration. In sharp contrast to the former, Soweto’s humming choristers beautifully blend a selected collection of staunch church choruses with a number of smooth and equally uplifting melodies. This, I believe is the very reason why they gained international appeal, superstardom stature and all round affection which will surely stand them in good stead for many days to come. The legion of Mzansi’s “want to know it all” daily columnists aka paparazzi, were treated exceptionally well (obviously!) and accorded the kind of decorum fit for royalty. However, a bit of over estimation on the part of the organizers meant that the nice to gobble stuff far outlasted the number of attendees, but sadly on my part, the green bottle from Amstel Brouwerijen of Amsterdam was strictly kept at bay…sad, very sad!!! A makeshift stage was erected in front of Tuscan BBQ adjacent the Ster Kinekor movie theater. We were treated to famous Sunday choruses like “Ke Na Le Modisa, Woza Meli Wami, Bayete” and many more, however the song that most inspired the audience to a point of uncontrollable, compulsive sing along hums was the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games Theme song: World in Union. I was at a loss for words… After the live performances, we were escorted into the movie theater (Popcorn and ice-cold Coca Cola in hand) for a sneak preview of the magic as recorded in front of a live audience at the Nelson Mandela Theater – Civic Theater – Braamfontein and now beautifully packaged in a collectors DVD which is available at all good music stores nationwide....
Jason McNamara at Narina Trogon
Get down to Braamfontein’s snazziest restaurant Narina Trogon this week for an Open Door Photographic Exhibition by Jason McNamara on the 23rd (Tuesday) and 26th (Friday) September 2008. Click on the flyer for details, and don’t forget to book your table for a DELICIOUS meal on the night or you can email the restaurant for more info. We chat to Jason about life, art and Jozi… Hey Jason, tell us a little bit about how you got to where you’re at… Other than tons of HEAVY METAL & Black Label at the school of life, I got into graphic design straight out of school. Got the diploma but always wanted to be behind the lens, so I got into Animation at Boston media. AFDA wasn’t around yet and Tech & Varsity weren’t ‘my bag of chips’ so Boston media& 5th Dimension seemed to be the next best place to learn. As with many things in life you very rarely remain on the path you initially set out on. Mine was no different. I had the skills in Visual Arts, Photography and Animation but had no bloody idea what I was going to do with them. However the universe did know and so 9 years later here I am Creating in an array of mediums to a diverse audience in the Events Industry! So Jason, we know you best as a Creative Director, tell us about your foray into Photography… I guess the two really go hand in hand. An idea comes from the strangest places. Mine generally start behind the lens and progress into the digital realm where we really PLAY and CREATE! Why doors? When life was just beginning for me, my dad’s came to a sudden and unexpected end! The fondest memories I have of him are listening to Jim Morrison and the Doors, whom he admired. My admiration for them has been stalwart ever since, so when I started messing around with photography I instantly knew that my first theme should be the Doors, but with a twist! Where have your travels taken you? Damn! I have been to the strangest of places which I never dreamed I would see such as: Iran, Syria, Sudan, Nigeria and even Dortmund in Germany to name a few. Will your work be on sale? This has been a dilemma from day 1. To sell or not to sell? I really want people to arrive as apprehensive as I will be but leave INSPIRED! If that happens, I will be freekin’ ecstatic! But to answer the question, Yeah I guess so, bills still need to be paid! When will your...
Burn After Reading
They’ve given us delicious viewing pleasure with The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, The Hudsucker Proxy, O Brother where Art Thou, Fargo and… Raising Arizona. This week the multiple Academy-winning Coen Brothers latest fliek Burn After Reading, starring Braddy Pitt and John Malkovich, has US moviegoers in the popcorn queue sms’sing, tweeting and blogging away about it. The film is being released in the UK next month, and, ahh we’re not sure when it will be released in SA but we’re sure soon after. But… you can get ready to decide if you’ll watch it at home or the mall it by watching the Trailer below, reading an interesting review here, here, or listening to one here … and…getting a Tom, Dick or Cari everday people opinion on the movie thanks to Twitter: -… great acting + decent story that fell a bit flat. Coen Brothers can’t produce greatness every time though. -…Can’t decide if I liked “burn after reading” or not. -…Funny, in a dead bodies kind of way… -…Was utterly bored by Cohens attempt at comedy Lady Killers -…I enjoyed Burn After Reading – but I’m a Coen Brothers fan. -…we didn’t get it, why were people laughing at a guy getting brutally beat to death. -…had perhaps the funniest ending of all time -…was hilarious and twisted… -…Good mindless laughs -…is proof that farces belong on the page not on the screen or the stage. -…Granted, not the best thing the Coens have ever done, but maybe the best last 30 seconds of a movie I’ve ever seen. -…probably the weirdest movie I’ve ever seen. -…there was a lot of overacting going on. Some of it worked, some didn’t....
Represent Review: Road to V Launch party
Short, and oh so sweet, that’s the tone that was set at the launch party for the first ever Road to V festival thats taking place in December in South Africa. We’re hoping the heat may still be turned up artist-wise, ‘coz ever since Snoop stood us up at his Joburg concert, we’ve been sulking. He’s cool, but he’s come and gone and we think there’s fresher, edgier artists than Snoop and Maroon 5 for a brand like V. Anyway, let’s see what happens, we’re sure the party will rock either way, as every summer party does. They’re looking for South African bands for the mix – our team Reuben ‘The Matrix’ Malema tells us what you need to do to enter below, as well as what went down at the launch, and photographer Nkateko Siweya shares a photostory of the party with us here : Wednesday night, Melville – Johannesburg. The Brits are here in full force! Well, that’s my view of Sir Richard Branson’s Empire: The Virgin Group. In this case a division of it which resides in leafy Sandton called: Virgin Mobile. This year the Virgin conquest has its eyes firmly set on ZA. A kick-butt and cash flush team made up of Sony Ericsson, Edgars Music Series, MTV and of course, Virgin Mobile will be granting a selected few South African bands (music groups) a chance to share a huge blingin’ stage with Snoop Dogg at the (already UK and USA staged as V Festival) Road to V World Music Concert in Johannesburg on 15th December 2008. The Catch The prospective band/s must upload an MP3 of their well made track on the Virgin mobile website for the scrutiny of the good people at Virgin. Yes, it’s that easy and yes it’s that difficult too, because chances are you may be amongst the selected few and chances are you might not make it at all – but then again if you do not try you may never know, right? So, go right ahead and be a good sport! Take the chance! And what a chance… The biggest prize of all is a guaranteed opportunity to perform at a sequel of the event with some of the world’s greatest musicians in the United Kingdom and the United States of America in 2009. This thrilling opportunity for South African bands to crack the extremely competitive international market was announced by Nicholas Maweni – Head of Corporate Affairs at Virgin Mobile South Africa on the night. A lot of nice to know stuff was also shared, we were blessed with good music from Jozi, KoldProduk, Cassette, Zebra &...
Represent Review: Hype Hip Hop Awards
Is Hip Hop yesterday, today or tomorrow? Rooted in the US, but scattered all over the world where young people feel urged to stand up and wax lyrically about their lives, we believe as long as there are lyrics, dope beats and issues to be expressed, hip hop’s global appeal will continue to reign proudly. We love hip hop, and have loved it since its earliest days. We believe Hip Hop is for today and tomorrow, but like every genre of music, it’s followers won’t put up with crap… they need to be inspired and uplifted. Hip Hop must continue to explore, evolve and innovate, finding new ways to surprise, engage and entice the fans. When was the first time you fell in love with Hip-Hop? Many people remember this question from the movie Brown Sugar. I was confronted with the same question at the Coca Cola Dome this past Sunday. The hippie and at times down right bizarre clothing aside, I had to admit that Hip-Hop is all but a part of our daily existence. So real and strong are its effects on the lives of youngsters that the atmosphere at the MTN Hype Hip-Hop Awards could have been wrongly mistaken for a runaway Guy Fox day parade in the US. Kids as young as 12 years old were fully adorned in similar apparel and brands to those of their favorite MTV Cribs personas. Look! There goes 50 Cents, Eminem and the entire west coast brotherhood! Sprite basketball hoop shooters were sweating it out to punt the decade old jingle: Obey your thirst! Whilst Skateboarders enticed my eyes in a tireless seesaw recurrence as I dearly wished I was 19 kg’s lighter, Darn McDonalds!!! This being the first ever dedicated South African Hip-Hop awards event, the budget must have been very tight as the interior decor and Hip-Hop related activities left a whole lot to be desired. Do not quote me wrongly! This was an exciting event, but the lack of the usual “bling” that is associated with all things Hip-Hop was very scarce. Perhaps roping in the right sort of sponsors would do the trick for next year’s event. Do it some proper justice, I mean… My specific qualm was with the inclusion of KFC as one of the event’s anchor sponsors, no disrespect to good old Colonel Saunders and all, but KFC is all about loving family atmospheres, least of all Hip-Hop, let alone the sort of hyped up culture we see on a daily basis…A little reality please. THE AWARDS The opening of the awards ceremony was down to earth, but the Hip-Hop charged vinyl...
Represent Review: Joy of Jazz 08
This years line up was so juicy, we just had to get amongst one of Joburg’s (and soon to be the world’s…) premier jazz music festivals, the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz. Reuben ‘The Matrix’ Malema does the honours below, Nkateko Siweya tells our photostory here… 31 August 2008. The Foothills of Moretele Park – Mamelodi – Pretoria (City of Tshwane), the setting of this year’s SA Music Heroes Concert. For us (true jazz followers) it was an assortment of choice on a silver platter. As the impressive line-up of stars was flaunted, I found myself in a very bitter-sweet predicament. Looking up at the aging league of our household favourites, I gazed upwards (in peasant style) as the old guard performed, with my glazed cheeks and my broad smile; but I was saddened, as I wondered to myself what the future of South African jazz holds. Our legends are aging very quickly, from Bro Hugh Masekela to Mama Letta Mbuli, the torch is surely changing hands… but to whom? And yet, I cling on… The Event Mr. Wilson Mankuku Nkosi mashed us up with his mature trumpet sounds, following suite was Mrs. Nothembeni Mkwebana who immediately sent us on a systematic repertoire of jump action moves as we unanimously responded to her rock ‘n roll aligned musical chords. Her guitar skills drove me insane! Jimmy Dludlu with his maestro guitarist skills quelled us under his charming spell as we hummed the tunes to his famous tunes. I am such a down-beat fan! At 18:00, my favourite jazz artist, Mr. Jonas Gwangwa ascended the platform. His well known originals: Batsomi and Kgomo, had the multitudes passionately singing along: “Nna di sa fele Nka di busa, di sa fele Nka di busetsa morago…” I love this song!!! August being the end of Women’s month, it was fitting that Mzansi’s famous jazz couple (who were coincidentally celebrating their 40th Anniversary) be crowned the flagship performers of the evening. Ladies and Gentlemen: Mr. Caiphus Semenya and Ms Letta Mbuli. They are such an inspiration to me and many of their avid fans. The evening was sealed off with a colourful display of majestic fireworks. What a smoky way to enter a new season! I so wished the blossom season can be ushered in by a renewed affirmation to the nurturing, growth and sustainability of the genre by young and talented Jazz artists with a fresh new sound and long term commitment. We need to revive and preserve our country’s jazz heritage. Before it is too late. Reuben-The Matrix-...
Proudly brought to you by:
