Represent Review: John Legend !!!
Running Represent can be pretty thankless work but every now and then someone gives us a lovely pressie (you know who you are) with an article, review or suggestion that we can use. Sharpile! Thanks to Linda for doing just that despite being so busy. Now that all the hype has died down we can tell you that sadly we never got to see John because of family commitments – we’re blue about that. But her review brings us just a bit closer. Enjoy. John Legend is sooo sexy-cute! When we heard about the concert a couple of weeks back, my sister and I figured it would be a great opportunity for us to take her new car on its first out-of-town drive and also get to watch an artist we both enjoy. So off we went to Sun City last Sunday afternoon. It took a while to get on the road, given that I had guests to be seen off at the airport, and she was somewhat *ahem* indisposed after a night out on the town…but we eventually left Jozi around 1pm. As we drove I tried to ignore the growing “spare wheel” feeling within me (we were with her boyfriend). Got to Sun City well after 3pm. I guess John Legend knows a thing or two about African time, because the concert hadn’t started when we arrived. When it did start – opening with “Get Lifted”, he walked out in a fine suit that looked like it was constructed on his body. I screamed like the groupie I am (no shame in my game) and started taking pictures. Got a lot of shots of raised hands, and people’s hair, before I got any decent ones of John. He started off with songs from his first album. Had a kick-ass band, complete with a horn section and hot backing singers. My sister’s boyfriend felt compelled to mutter something like “he’s alright (or more precisely, “yeah, he aight”)” when we wouldn’t stop screaming, especially after he had pulled one girl from the crowd and slow-danced with her. Sister’s boyfriend’s comment was “yuck, he’s all sweaty”…. Sweaty was no deterrent to us; I don’t think either of us would have minded going up on that stage! I got teary-eyed when he sang “Ordinary People”, it was an awesome performance. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s just soo cute – I can imagine him as the kind of boyfriend who writes letters and likes walks in the park… but might just want to get freaky in the park (“we just don’t care, we just don’t care”). He’s romantic without being corny…sexy...
Represent Review: Jamming Sundays
We’re always moaning about the lack of good live jazz in Jozi – moan no more, here’s yet another Represent solution for wafting away the Sunday Blues – good jazz and good people. Catch the best of breed muso’s at Partyhouse at the Dome – a little bird has been tweeting about Siphokazi for ages – sounds like she’s for real. Sharpile! to Linda for the gorgeous pic of Siphokazi and her soulful Sunday story. I attended my first “Jamming Sundays” on Sunday afternoon. This was the third in a series of concerts aimed at jazz and adult contemporary music enthusiasts. Much more than a concert, it’s also an opportunity to network, mingle, and just chill out as you get ready for the week ahead. The concert was held at the Partyhouse at The Dome in Northgate – a really nice venue for a concert – big enough so there’s no crowding and pushing at the bar, but also small enough for the artists to really interact with their audience. And what a vibrant audience it was! SAMA award winner Siphokazi and Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse were the headline acts on this Sunday’s bill. The opening act was Maxhoba (aka Max-Hoba, famous for his collaborations with HHP). I was blown away by his vocal talent and versatility. I have watched him perform, as a backing vocalist to HHP, but never on his own. He performed his own songs exceptionally, and also gave a unique flavour to ‘Tomorrow Nation’ by O’Yaba and ‘One Love’ by the legendary Bob Marley. I was particularly impressed by his rendition of ‘Please Baby Don’t’ – which John Legend sang on Sergio Mendes’ Timeless album – but he brought the house down when he sang the late Jabu Khanyile’s ‘Ungavumi’ as distinctively as Khanyile himself would have. Next up was Siphokazi. This was my first time watching her perform. In fact, I hadn’t heard much of her music other than one or two tracks that get often played on the radio; so I was quite curious to find out what she’s all about. Her voice is incredible – rich and powerful, which was surprising to me, given that she is quite soft-spoken. I remembered reading a few articles in which she was referred to as ‘the next Simphiwe Dana’. With due respect to Ms Dana, I can say categorically that Siphokazi is not the next anyone! She is a phenomenal talent in her own right. I enjoyed her authentic energy, her gracefulness and her voice, which is truly stunning. She scats like a queen from a bygone era – reminiscent of those jazz greats like Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughn. I...
Represent Recommends: Africa Remix
We couldn’t believe the number of SUV’s lining up in a long wait to enter the grounds of the JAG in Joubert Park yesterday arvie – the number of people streaming into the gallery gave us a glimpse into an ideal world where art is as popular as sport. See our pics here. Have you spotted the numerous street posters featuring a colourful African pirate advertising the Africa Remix art exhibition? The marketing of this wonderful collection of 85 African artists from 25 African countries and the diaspora could not be more thorough – it is a MUST SEE and if you miss it, you miss out. The exhibition has been showcased to the world and now finds itself (appropriately) for the first time ever on African soil – however this is the last chance to catch it. It was quite overwhelming to step into a courtyard seething with people all listening to the speeches at the official opening of Africa Remix and we found ourselves preferring to wander around the enormous gallery poking our noses into all the installations, nooks, crannies and spaces… It is ongoing, unending, mind-blowing, fantastic… eventually, just before we hit sensory overload we decided to stop while we were ahead and come back another time for more. There is no way you can take it all in in one go. So make sure you pencil in a number of visits to the Joburg Art Gallery over the next few months to celebrate the wealth of some of the finest artist’s Africa has to offer – it’s on till September. See our pictures of the traffic, some of the art, the patrons and the speeches by clicking here. Africa Remix – which will be held at the Johannesburg Art Gallery from June 24 to September 30 – features the work of more than 85 artists from 25 countries on the African continent and the Diaspora. This is the first time it has been seen in Africa. Never before in the history of the continent has an exhibition of such magnitude focusing exclusively on Africa been shown to African audiences. Arriving to celebrate this unique occasion is the Cameroon-born, Paris-based curator and critic Simon Njami as well as number of artists including Goddy Leye, Samuel Fosso, Barthélémy Toguo, Bili Bidjocka and Pascale Marthine Tayou, Aimé Ntakiyica, Ingrid Mwangi, Antonio Ole, Benyounès Semtati, Mohamed El Baz, Mounir Fatmi, Dilomprizulike, Joël Andrianomearisoa, Myriam Mihindou, Cheick Diallo, Amal Kenawy, Moataz Nasr, Patrice Felix Tchicaya and Loulou Cherinet. South African artists included in the exhibition are Jane Alexander; Willie Bester; Wim Botha; Andries Botha; Tracey Derrick; Marlene Dumas; David Goldblatt; Jackson Hlungwani; William...
Represent Photo’s: Sanzalicious @ Spaza
Let’s hope we won’t be struck with a snowstorm for saying this, but we think winter is being really kind to us here in Jozi. Supposedly we’re on the downhill to sprummer which is a wonderful notion, but right now the days are gloriously mild and balmy. We can’t complain. What better way to avert the ‘cold’ Sunday bedroom blues than a delicious outdoor lunch prepared by none other than Sanza Fakudze the soulful vegetarian chef at the sunny Spaza Art Gallery in Troyville. We’ve been going to feast on his delights for about three years now and we’re never disappointed. The sun streams into the courtyard, the crowd is eclectic, the mood laid back, the conversation enriching and the food delicious. At R30 a dish for interesting and subtle flavours and the most reasonably priced drinks in Jozi, it’s a winner for pre-month-end. Click here to see some pics of the day out – contact the Spaza gallery to find out when next the Sanzalicous is in the 2010 ‘hood. More...
Represent Photo’s: Barcelona v Sundowns
For those of us that never got to see the match last week, enjoy our photostory! Our man Adi represented – 2 hour traffic, stadium packed to (over) capacity and great football with an electric incredible energy- we certainly won’t be missing the next one. We can’t wait for 2010!!! See the photies here.. On Wednesday night I went with a group of six people to see Barcelona take on Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versveld. I am normally very much of the opinion that watching sport on television is the way to go: better angles, no traffic and that kind of thing. Two reasons led to me saying yes to the invitation. Firstly, the friend who asked me is constantly organizing things from which I generally flake out and, secondly, Ronaldinho was going to be there. For me, and about 5,96 billion people, he is the ultimate footballer. The other 36 million is the population of Argentina who still think Maradona is the guy. FC Barcelona was recently rated as one of the top six club sides ever to play the game, according to a recent poll conducted on my couch. The others are Liverpool, Manchester United, AC Milan, Real Madrid and the legendary Norwood Eagles under-nine team of the late 1980’s. Couple this with the fact that, some-the-hell-how, Sundowns managed to get them to Pretoria fielding a first string side and you have the reason why I was willing to go bumper to bumper from Killarney all the way to the city of embassies, gravy trains and the mighty Blue Balls. With my friend Mario in the car we had ample time to figure out the following truths en route: everyone listens to 702, Jackie Selebi and Tony Yengeni are sinister fools, nobody invites me to poker anymore, and we need Winston Churchill to sort out the Taxi industry. Three members of our group have names ending in the letter O, and somewhere in this it was organized that we could park at the Italian Embassy, a Cape Dutch building two blocks from Loftus. From here we walked to the stadium. The game was a sellout – think Celine Dion, not Hansie Cronje. By 19:55, 60 000 spectators were crammed into 59 999 seats. Up to a thousand ticket holders weren’t allowed inside because it turns out that the officials tasked with gate control were making thousands of rand selling entry to non-ticket holders. Imagine how happy Frau Eva Schweinsteiger will be when she flies here to see her little Bastian play his last World Cup, only to find that her seat has been sold by the guy from...
Kelis was in the Green House!
What an awesome night at Joburg’s best new venue, the temporary Dome at Constitution Hill or “ConHill” as we fondly call it. Represent’s home is just next door – so we could hear the bands warming up in the afternoon and see the green glow as the evening approached – it was to be a night that would be hard to forget. See the photies here. The gorgeous architectural lines of the urban setting were junglefied and turned to green as Heineken made their mark as the first event in the awesome dome. At first the crowd was reluctant to go inside to dance to Lady Leah – everyone was cosy in the plush outside bar and lounge area soaking up the magnificent urban panorama. Sexy aluminium (we think) Heineken bottles clinked as old friends reunited – it was certainly the hip crowd of Jozi with everybody who’s somebody snacking on the abundant food on offer. We’re not talking about two-bit celebs, leaches or wannabes, we’re talking about the creme de la artists, comedians, musicians, film makers, creatives, journalists, event organisers, PR peeps, paparazzi, IT heads… the place to be! Certainly an inspiring diverse and happening crowd. The Hillbrow tower watched over us as revellers bopped to the poppy electro tunes of Tamara Dey and her band Flash Republic, eagerly waiting for the suprise performer. It was none other than Kelis who’s performance blew us away and had the crowds chanting for more. She picked us up, shook us around a bit and left us dazzled by not only her gold attire but her fantastic talent and stage presence. It was one of those parties that ended in the inevitable dancing circles to the sounds of our old favourite DJ Monde – good to see him back on the decks – it’s been a while! Even Editorista gave a bash at some tsipa’ring but her twalatsa stole the show. Thing is, it’s been a long time since we’ve been to an event that had us excited, the mystery around the international act had a “Lucky Strike” underground feel to it and the buzz of the crowds was electric. Congrats to Sam, Melanie, Lebo and the rest of the team from Speakers Corner for yet another outstanding event. Big Ups to Heineken. You know you guys know what’s going on. We can’t wait for the next one. Hope you keen suprising us – that was your...
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