CT @ Design Indaba Week – Blissville all over again.
When I heard there was a female pilot steering our fruity flight to Cape Town I should have known it was going to be a week with a bitter-sweet difference. I absolutely love going to the Mother City for a visit, some of my best connections live in ‘blissville’ – in this instance they proved to be thoroughly divine inexhaustive distractions dragging me down the paths of Long and Kloof street to mountain oblivion… As the plane hit the runway at the recently expanded and earily quiet CT airport, the shocked cries of fellow passengers woke me from my jozi ratrace and deadline reverie – I was dangerously bouncing down the tar into one of the most beautiful cities on earth and ready to lap up every moment. It really helps having “out there” friends who know who’s who and what’s vying on and all… especially when you can’t afford the real Design Indaba experience and you’re totally fronting and hanging out pretending to be in Cape Town for the shplindaba when you know it’s for so much more than that. See our CT and Design Indaba pics here. We started off the sejour with a suprise turn at the Terenzo Hair Dressing school in the City Bowl where we were cajoled into being models for some nervous students. It just happened to clash with the “must be at” presentation by Brian Eno at the Michaelis art school we were supposed to be attending, but our dedication to supporting the aspirations and dreams of young South African hair dressers meant we opted for the pamper session instead… Damn. The Terenzo school is housed in an awesome building with the latest in equipment and facilities – fabulara -darl …. Big generalised Observation about Cape Town Number One – Cape Townians have better architectural, design and general aesthetic taste than the rest of the country. Gross generalisation that may be, but just look around you at most of the beaauuutiful architecture of Joburg’s overrun Tuscan suburbs and you will have to agree. Even the RDP houses in Cape Town have style . Have you tried to find some affordable fabulous furniture that doesn’t come from the somewhat ‘tres beaucoup imali’ Tonic or boutiques at 44 Stanley in Jozi? Not really possible…But CT is heaving with great local design. (PS: if you’d like to contest this, please give us addresses of where to find good local products for good prices for our good life.) During our stay in Cape Town, and yes it was Design Indaba week, we enjoyed some of the most fabulous design work from great local talent that made us seriously consider maxxxxxing the credit card again just when we were recovering from Dec’s...
Wssup Representers?
The Audi Joburg Fashion Week has come and gone and if you missed the wonderful display of South African design talent then you can check out all the pictures on Represent. I had to pick my favorite pieces and that is the theme of my top ten this week, check it out here. The SA blog Awards are soon, so if you love Represent then vote for us here, entries close on 26 February 2007 so get going. All you have to do press submit at the bottom of the page, you can vote for us in the following categories: South African Weblog of the Year, Best SA Entertainment Blog, Best Post on a South African Blog, Best Writing on a South African Blog, Best SA Photographic Blog, Best SA Blog about Technology / Computers / Web Development and Best Designed SA Blog. So click away, 4 days to go. The Good Life Party is on a popping on 01 March 2007 at Roka- the entries for the *10 double tickets* are pouring in, so if you wanna be one of the lucky people who will be grooving with Represent, Uju and Morafe then you know what to do and if you don’t know what to do then send me a mail saying why you should win the tickets, this time your creativity gets you in, so go wild! I’m waiting! As for the Jozi to Mozi trip, well entries are closed. The draw will be happening soon so look out for it- you could be going to Kaya Kweru in Ponta Do Oura, Mozambique with transport, dinner and breakfast included as well as fun activities courtesy of Represent and Kaya Kweru. *Miss P*...
Share your favourite DVD’s with us!
Do you suffer from the DVD shop blank stare? You know, when you go in and find yourself agonisingly mesmerised by the totally uninspiring shelves? When you feel like you’ve seen it all and can’t bear to repeat-view? When you think that Scandal may make a better option than film? Rather depressing. So we think it’s time we share the love a bit and let everybody know about those gems that are really worth watching. Please help all fellow uninspired dvd shoppers and let us know what’s worth watching. To kick off, we discovered two brilliant series at a DVD shop last week: THE WORST WEEK OF MY LIFE – BBC – 2004 – Comedy Featuring: Ben Miller, Sarah Alexander, Alison Steadman Anyone with any sense of humour, except of course the cheesy US sitcom type, will enjoy this series. It’s highly entertaining, excrutiatingly nail-biting, frustrating and absolutely exhausting. The series takes us through the 7 days in the run up of Howard’s marriage to his darling Mel who comes from a rather ‘poash’ family. This poor dude just cannot get it right with his in laws, everything he touches falls to pieces and despite his best intentions, he is a disastrous son-in-law to be. The first few days are the strongest and funniest, as you feel totally frustrated by his hapless and painful well-intentioned stuff ups and stumblings… A much see for a good laugh. EXTRAS Another classic BBC comedy, this time from the team behind THE OFFICE, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Gervais plays ANDY, an extra who just wants to be an actor and his extras mate MAGGIE, who constantly puts her foot in it but somehow always manages to come right each episode – with the boys that is. It’s a brilliant look at the mundane life of an Extra, anyone who has had the pleasure will tell you just how awful it can be. This series captures that almost depressing desperation suffered by many a wannabe ‘actor’ but is lightened by the guest appearance of famous face in each episode including Ben Stiller, Samuel L Jackson and Kate Winslet. Super-high cringe factor and Andy and Maggie put their foot in it in nearly every episode. Apparently Series 2 is out – can’t wait to devour it. Ricky Gervais rocks! PS: If you haven’t seen OFFICE and you enjoy this, make sure to watch the OFFICE...
Nataniël’s Hong Kong Kiss
He has 13 albums, 11 books and has had over 50 stage productions and he wears lipstick! Something was brewing inside of me on Friday afternoon when I realized that there were a couple of hours left until my very first experience of this man; it was a kind of nervous excitement. And although I didn’t know what to expect, Nataniël’s latest stage production THE HONG KONG KISS was absolutely fabulous! With a full on band made up of glorious singers, a percussionist, keyboard player, guitarists and drummer, exquisite lighting and staging the singer/songwriter/entertainer tells his experience of traveling to Hong Kong to meet one of the world’s most famous porcelain masters and designers of ceramic bowls. What was intended as a week-long business trip, turned into an epic saga of intrigue, misunderstandings, deceit and a near death experience. The script is a mixture of English and Afrikaans and whilst he shares his bizarre experiences of Hong Kong he also tells little unrelated stories and personal beliefs. Stories about a school teacher who made him tea with salt and taught him that opening the window just a little bit on a very hot summer’s day will allow for a stronger breeze to flow through, and that his lifelong belief that when one goes outside that they should always wear protection because nothing makes one more common than bad skin! Nataniël also launched his latest album “I Wear White” and performed some of his latest songs. Over the past decade Nataniël has not only established himself as producer, director, designer, playwright and public speaker, but as South Africa’s leading exponent of the solo stage act. An outspoken and controversial figure, he continuously crosses over from the alternative circuit to the main stage, generating extensive media coverage and a massive cult following. THE HONG KONG KISS opened on Friday 9 February and performances will be from Wednesdays to Saturdays at 20h30 and Sundays at 15h00. Book at Computicket or the Emperors Palace box office. No children under 13. CD’s books and selected products from the KAALKOP range (which is gorgeous by the way) will be available at all...
BIG Competition: Win a Trip to Mozi! HURRY!
ONE WEEK TO GO – GET YOUR ENTRIES IN! Represent in association with Kaya Kweru is taking a lucky Represent subscriber and their partner on a holiday because we know you’ll love us better… (Love that song!). The destination: Mozambique, specifically: Ponta D’ Ouro, famous for its coral reefs and white sand beaches, you and your significant other could find yourselves on a late Valentines paradise holiday or …. you and a friend can take this opportunity to reminisce on the December holiday! So if you’re in for a breathtaking experience then click here to subscribe and enter. If you are a subscriber already, please do us a favour and fill in the entire form, we would like to have your updated details! REMEMBER – Represent competitions for Subscribers only. Check out KayaKweru...
Q&A: Mind Your Head
Mind Your Head is about providing a cultural space/ junction for independent thinking people; those who go against the grain of popular/ mainstream trends, not for the sake of being ‘different’ but for asserting their existence outside the mediocrity that is constantly fed to people everyday in broadcast, electronic and print media. Mind Your Head is about minding one’s head in every respect. Those are words straight from the horses’ mouth, Seed and CAP of Mind Your Head are this weeks Q&A and they shed light on what the establishment is all about… RR: When was Mind Your Head (MYH) established? MYH: As far as the conception of the idea; around January 2006, it officially opened doors on the 1st of September 2006. RR: What is in the name? MYH: The name is a consultative comment on our information- crammed 21st century culture; one can- as most are- be easily swallowed in trend- excesses and lose sight of the little things that matter. We are merely advocating the cautious consumption of everything: be it food, music, knowledge, etc- although our primary trajectory is culture. It really has to do with being aware of that which you put in your head; art, belief, politics, etc. That the main entrance is a small door way, that is only incidental, but the pun nonetheless is welcomed. RR: What is the concept of MYH? MYH: In the guise of a music lounge and cocktail bar, it’s about people genuinely interacting, sharing a good laugh, conversation to the sound of funk/ jazz/ hiphop/ ska/ dub/ soul etc… The broader picture has to do with developing a hub for artistic innovation and giving a platform to musicians, fine artists, photographers and filmmakers who have yet to display their mantle to larger audiences. They may not necessarily be up-and-coming but thrive on the margins. RR: Who are the people behind the concept? MYH: The ‘MYH team’ is a mesh of artists and professionals essentially on a course of pop-culture transcendence. N Masondo; founder/ filmmaker, N Mngadi; founder/ photographer, M Buthelezi; graphic designer and D Koetle; PR consultant. As well as others who work and assisted in varying degrees, from putting pen to paper, picking up a paint brush or giving moral support towards the idea and the work that comes with it. No names, they know who… RR: Which are the best days for people to go through? MYH: That depends on what your preference is, our calendar includes fortnightly film screenings, dub nights, live jazz/ soul, hip-hop performances, art exhibitions, cocktail nights and other events, all of which you can check out on: www.myspace.com/transcendpopculture. Nothing’s ever the...
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