Freedom to Dance at Arts Alive
There’s one week to go till the City of Johannesburg’s nearly month-long Arts Alive festival kicks off on the 3rd of September – we’re hoping you’ve already decided which part of the festival calls your name and booked your baby-sitter. This year we’re spoilt for choice with a broad line up of dance, comedy, theatre, film, visual arts, poetry and music to choose from throughout September… We’re going to be covering the Freedom to Dance House and Hip Hop event at Carfax that kicks off the festival – here’s the deal: The stage is set, the line-up has been finalised, finishing touches are being made and the smell of excitement and anticipation is thick in the air. It’s that time of year again… the 2009 17th annual Joburg Arts Alive International Festival set to take place in Johannesburg between the 3rd and 27th of September. In addition to the numerous captivating art disciplines set to grace urban central Johannesburg such as, theatre, dance (from classical to contemporary and street), visual arts, comedy, spoken word and poetry, the festival will also play host to the Arts Alive Freedom to Dance extravaganza, taking place at Carfax – Jozi on Friday the 4th of September 2009. Aimed at youth, this evening will whet the appetite of the toughest music critic with performances by leading house and hip hop DJ’s from South Africa. Guests on the evening will also be privy tothe electric legendary beats of international house sensation Rocco who by reputation exceeds all expectations. A regular on the Europe, USA and Asia house scenes, Rocco’s Deep House is rapidly growing in popularity among South African audiences. Rocco has previously been welcomed to South African shores and has played for an astounding 3000 spectators. His most recent release called “Someday” on Real Tone Records struck a chord with international and South African audiences alike having made its way to the Traxsource’s charts for 3 weeks and already supported by Louie Vega, Mr V. and Laurent Garnier! The House Floor at Carfax will also play host to many talented South African DJ’S including MacG, Mo Flava, Willie, Oskido, Bouer and Monde. And who could forget to mention the infamously popular Black Coffee who began his DJ career in 1994 while still in High School? His Deep/Afro House, Soulful Lounge, and broken beats are known around the country and are testament to his excellence. If Hip Hop is more your scene then get ready for an evening filled with insane beats and wicked rhymes. With appearances by Beatoven, Vigi, and Tholi B the evening is set to rock all the way through to the...
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...
Levi’s® Vintage Sundays is back- Sun 10 May
The sixth edition of ‘Levi’s Vintage Sundays’ takes place this May in Joburg – it’s heartening to see a brand consistently supporting South African musicians by providing them with a (reliable) platform from whence to share their love. Good job Levi’s. Sharpile! The second installation of this 6th round of gigs takes place this Sunday at The Crazy 88 in Norwood at 7:30pm. Do you best to get there as it features three of our bestest South African musical wonders… Kwani Experience, the legendary Pops Mohammed and the poet mc TUMI. It’s gonna be crazy up in there. KWANI EXPERIENCE is a six-piece live band powerhouse, hailing from the inner city of Johannesburg. Featuring a gritty yet sophisticated sound, they present a distinctive edge in their attitude, their messages, their look and their sound. Having already performed on several European tours in countries like France, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands as well as a few African countries such as Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho and Cape Verde, Kwani Experience is proving to be one of the greatest South African exports. Check out www.kwani.co.za / www.myspace.com/kwaniexp for more information. Multi-talented artist, POPS MOHAMED is one of the greatest musical exports of our time. As a composer, arranger, producer, performer and teacher, he is an internationally renowned virtuoso in the field of indigenous African instruments. He also writes scores for film documentaries and radio jingles and as a member of the SA Chamber Orchestras, Pops Mohamed hosts workshops for children around the world with the preservation of traditional music at heart. Having performed across the globe several times over, Pops Mohamed is a must-see in the Levi’s® Vintage Sundays line-up. Check out www.myspace.com/popsmohamed for more information. TUMI MOLEKANE aka Tumi, is solo artist and lead vocalist of Tumi and the Volume. 2007 marked the arrival of Tumi’s first SAMA nomination, a double nomination under the Best Rap category. Having travelled the globe a few times over with a huge following in his own home country, Tumi is even more renowned abroad through his annual international tours and is arguably one of South Africa’s most electric performers right now. Check out http://www.myspace.com/tumipoetmc for more...
More rooftop film in Jozi this Sunday
A(nother) SHOWCASE OF JOBURG’S HOTTEST EMERGING YOUNG FILMMAKERS SUNDAY, 26TH APRIL ENTRY R20 6.30 PM FOR 7.00 PM At Private Practice… (map below) The Crazy Fight Beast Song. This 25 minute collaborative film takes you through a series of hilariously fortunate and unfortunate events. Consisting of four short stories, each of a different genre, the film is written and directed by four filmmakers: Morne du Toit, Stefan Niewoudt, Quinton Weihahn and Pieter Joubert. Burning The Bridges by Simon Makwela. Set in the wake of the 2008 xenophobic chaos that rocked the country, Burning the Bridges traces the journey of a perpetrator who digs a hole for himself and becomes the victim. A compelling story that blurs the lines between fiction and reality. Thembalethu by Neo Ntlatleng and Ksenija Micic. A fictional story set in a South Africa dismantled by a ten year civil war that rages from 1994 to 2004. The story follows Khatu, a young woman transformed into a killing machine who meets an optimistic young prisoner of war. A story of hope in the midst of despair FOLLOWED BY A Q&A WITH THE FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE. For more information: Call 011 836 8911 Cell: 072 317 5145 Email: info@coalstove.co.za Visit www.coalstove.co.za PROUDLY SPONSORED...