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...
Exciting! City experts in Jozi to plan future
Thanks to one of our favourite local sites, Joburg.org, for always keeping us in touch with what’s happening in our city. Apparently a whole lot of urban planning honcho’s are here at the moment helping city developers plan the future of Johannesburg – it’s so exciting living in such a time of change – particularly in a city with such incredible potential. Appropriately, the conference is taking place at the Civic theatre in Braamies and will focus on the inner city transformation, drawing from actual success stories and existing examples of cities that have cinderella’d like Birmingham, Vancouver and Paris. More from the City of Johannesburg website here – George Matlala reports: Foreign experts have been invited to discuss their cities’ urban planning challenges and successes, so that Joburg can learn from their experiences. URBAN planners from some of the world’s largest and most successful cities are expected to attend a four-day conference to discuss turning Johannesburg into a world-class city. Nine representatives from cities such as New York, Paris, Vancouver and Birmingham, will be in Johannesburg to participate in its International Conference on Planning, running from Sunday, 17 June to Wednesday, 20 June. It is being held at the Civic Theatre in Braamfontein. According to Phillip Harrison, the executive director in the City’s department of development planning and urban management, the main aim of the conference is to learn how other big cities have handled the challenges of development. “We want to learn what has made their cities so successful.” The team comprises of urban planners, academics and representatives of the city council of Birmingham, England and a regional planning agency in Paris, France. They will share their experience in inner city regeneration, precinct development and sustainability, and strategic planning of projects. The conference will explore practical ways of rejuvenating the Joburg inner city. From Joburg, there will be members of City departments and agencies, including the Johannesburg Development Agency, and representatives from the University of the Witwatersrand’ s school of architecture and the South African Cities Network. Inner city regeneration On Monday, there will be a case study looking at how Birmingham and Vancouver, in Canada successfully developed their inner cities, Harrison says, noting that it will give delegates an opportunity to learn more about the development of Joburg’s inner city. The following day delegates will split into working teams that will tour the inner city to check development progress and problems. With work on sports stadiums and Gautrain stations steaming ahead, the City hopes to learn how the French handled and sustained developments related to the 1998 Fifa World Cup™, held in that country. Harrison says it is important...
Represent Recommends: Sanza’s Soweto Map
Yesterday we bumped into our Swazi brother and fast-talking YFm morning breakfast host Sanza da Fanatik…He told us all about his gorgeous “Underground Jozi and Map of Soweto”. Having lost the original Jozi underground map that we acquired years ago, we immediately bought two! Great presents for friends, family and loved ones overseas. You can buy them at Exclusives or Xarra books in Newtown – ours were R30 each – what a bargain guys! Congrats to Sanza and his partners Andrew and Tamiko for creating such a brilliant labour of love for our province of Gauteng. Hope you sell millions. Lucille Davie of the (wonderful) Johannesburg City Website gives us more info: OFI, cheri, tymer, hoezit, hola, ntwana, sharp, born frees, malume, mtshanas . . . are just some of the terms you will learn to prepare for a trip to Soweto, clutching your Underground Jozi map tightly. The latest map in the series features South Africa’s most famous township, Soweto, equipping the visitor and resident with knowledge of taxi hand signals, different hairstyles and their names, stylish shoes, greetings, hand-shaking Soweto style, and other local customs. You’ll learn about places and people who have made Soweto famous, like Hector Pieterson; the Regina Mundi Catholic Church; Vilakazi Street and its two famous residents, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Avalon Cemetery; the Credo Mutwa Park; and boxer Baby Jake Matlala. You’ll also learn about “cellphone cultcha”, and that “no self-respecting Sowetan would be seen without one”. This colourful map is drawn by artist and gallery owner Andrew Lindsay. His partners in Underground Jozi are Sanza Tshabalala, DJ and cook, and Tamiko Sher, who has done the research for the map. Read all about it...
Represent Recommends: Kin – Be – Jozi
This sounds really interesting for all of us into Urban Culture and Arts – it’s a global intercultural art project – 5 artists from Jozi, Bern (Switzerland) and Kinshasa have collaborated over the last year in exploring different facets of our urban environments. It’s Jozi’s turn to find out all about their discoveries – hear all about it by attending the event on Friday evening. It’s at the wonderful August house in End St – the Fashion District in town (see our article here) – August House sounds like a fascinating place to visit – please RSVP below if you’d like to go on Friday. More info here. Kin:Be:Jozi the final presentation FRIDAY 15 JUNE, 17:30 onwards 3rd Floor, August House, 76-82 End Street New Doornfontein safe parking in basement please rsvp to info@jpp.org.za Athi Patra Ruga & Anthea Moys (SA), Raphael Urweider & Steffi Weismann (Switzerland) and Kura Shomali & Vitshois Mwilambwe (DRC) in collaboration with Joca (João Paulo), Tashika, (Mandla) Xtra Mdlulu and Luvuyo Gope from the Drill Hall, Jules Batale, Emeka Owe, George Khumalo, Nadine Hutton, Christopher Patra and James Dylan Happe. Kin-Be-Jozi is an exchange project between artists and cultural networks from Bern, Kinshasa and Johannesburg. It started in the capital of Switzerland in October last year with a group of five artists from each place. The same group worked together in Kinshasa over December and congregated, with new participants, for the final residency in Johannesburg in early May. Each city presents a particular urban reality and ideology; each one features differently on a global scale. Kin-Be-Jozi seeks to navigate points of connection and disconnection that arise out of the engagement between the artists, geographic distances and specific moments in the life of each city. With a focus on process and dialogue, the artists have been researching and working in the east end of inner city Johannesburg for 6 weeks, responding to what they ‘found’ and were looking for. Many of the resulting collaborations and performances have been impulsive and site-specific, as much as they have followed the arguments each artist brought to the group. A range of interventions grew out of interactions with the people and places that make up the metropolitan neighbourhoods of Joubert Park, Doornfontein, Yeoville and Hillbrow (gyms, boxing rings, clubs, vacant cinemas, fresh produce markets and historical sites). On Friday June 15th, the artists and their collaborators will present selected work/arguments at August House, where they have been living and working. Starting from 5.30pm onwards, it will include in-situ installations, projections and performances on End Street. Expect to see a dialogue in progress – documentation of interventions and experiences, live performances that play on random commonalities...
Wear your Converse and party on
We’re so sick of bouncers looking at our “tekkie-covered” feet with disdain, declaring that we shall not enter unless we’re in ‘proper shoes.’ How much more comfy, fabulara and danceable can you get than Converse? Damn – isn’t that what shoes are supposed to be about? Any venue that bounces us for not wearing some ugly pointy shoes gets written off our list. Right after our mad friend tells them where to stick it. So get revenge on all those steroid dumbsters and go to the Converse party this weekend in your Converse and get in for free… Parties in Jozi and Durbs. Here’s the deal click on the flyer for more info but apparently it’s going to be “original.” Converse celebrates true Originality with a series of events held in top urban nightspots. Free entry to Converse wearers. In addition to music, vibe and entertainment; there are unique prizes to be won. Parties will be held on 15th June at Roka in Jozi and on the 14th June at The BAT Centre in...
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