We’re Cool Like DAT… another SCOOP!
Do the names LADYBUG, BUTTERFLY or DOODLEBUG mean anything to you? If you’re a real HipHop head and have been along for the ride from the 90’s you would know that those are the names of the absolutely fabulara members of the band DIGABLE PLANETS. They’re peers of classic HipHop bands Arrested Development and US3 – all three of these bands introduced the heads behind Represent to a new st…ye of HipHop in the early 90s that found us wandering into the arms of sweet soulful hiphop never to look back…. If this is the first time you have ever heard of the Digs or even if you are their biggest fan, find out all about them at their MYSPACE post (Have you got yours yet Representers???). Or you can go to their official site by clicking here. Or you can read all about them on this VH1 special. Well according to their website, they will be performing in Johannesburg at one of Represent’s favourite Jozi events – the Arts Alive Jazz Festival at Zoo Lake…. It’s cited to take place on the 2 September and will indeed be held at Zoo Lake…Obviously we will fill you in once we have more information. BUT THAT’s NOT ALL! Digable Planets are billed to perform with the legendary Brian Jackson – a swift fingered pianist and one time musical partner of Gil Scott Heron (“The Revolution will not be televised.”) One of the most famous hits that they created together was “The Bottle”. We are double-blessed Jozi! So yip – it’s a double SCOOP – remember where you heard it first! not only the most chilled HipHoppers known to us but one of the finest funk and jazz musicians alive…two-in-one. ENJOY! Picture is a link to the Digableplanets.org site… taken by Danny...
Dance your way towards SPRING
We love it when we start getting Press Releases for September, it means that SPRING is not far away and you know how we love SPRING. So to encourage us all to look ahead to the gorgeous Spring and Summer Months to come, we thought we’d publish it. We also love the Moving into Dance Company so book your tickets now for SPRING! Civic Theatr…e site. Moving into Dance Site Moving into Dance Mophatong will premiere a new work by Gregory Vuyani Maqoma in the company’s first ever season Flesh at The Johannesburg Civic Theatre later this year. Maqoma’s latest work Flesh is part of a triple bill which also includes Catching the Bird by Sweden’s Marie Brolin-Tani and eMandulo choreographed by Thabo Rapoo. Flesh is inspired by Japanese spirituality, philosophy, rituals and discipline in line with the spiritual healers and prophets of Southern Africa. Stripped of all excess, the work is based on the minimal aspects of unencumbered flesh. Flesh persists, even when transformed after death. Catching the Bird is an abstract piece of choreography inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s two most famous works, the Firebird and Rite of Spring. In it Brolin-Tani has addressed the dichotomy between identifying oneself as part of a group or a culture while still standing alone and taking responsibility for oneself as an individual. As the bird is the image of freedom, and fire is the image of passion, the work depicts the independent, free, passionate soul that is the core of every human being. The Stravinsky music used by the Danish composer Henrik Munch is the base to which he has added in both contemporary and traditional South African music to show how the similarity in the rhythmical complexity stretches worldwide. The scenography designed by Hans-Olof Tani emphasises the atmosphere of searching and the past and current fragility of the internal soul. Brolin-Tani was assisted by is Melody Putu and Belinda Nusser, both South African dancers formerly with the State Theatre Dance Company. Brolin Tani is artistic leader of Skýnes Dansteater, Malmý, Sweden and founder of MBT Dansteater in Denmark. She has produced more than 20 original contemporary dance productions since 1987. Catching the Bird is the result of a Swedish South African cultural collaboration and is supported by the Culture Fund of both governments. The work was premiered in Malmo Sweden in 2005. Thabo Rapoo’s eMandulo explores issues about the importance of the role played by women in traditional society and how that impacts on contemporary living in term of values and morals. For 27 years the trailblazing Moving into Dance Mophatong (MIDM) Company has been presenting a unique contemporary cross-cultural...
Head to INNIBOS – they promise to Rock you!
So you know it’s nearly halfway through this pacey year which means that it’s time to take a much deserved break! Why not head east to the beautiful Mpumalanga for the rapidly growing Innibos festival? There’s theatre, art, music, dance, workshops, markets and lots more… 28 June – 2 July 2006 in Nelspruit This year we recommend Koos Kombuis, Karen Zoid, Arno Carstens, 340ml, M…alaika, PrimeCircle – all fantastic big name bands that will give you a great time. Click here for Innibos website. INNIBOS 2006 – WE WILL ROCK YOU! The Lowveld National Arts Festival – InniBos, needs no elaborate introduction. It’s a South African institution, an all-encompassing sensory experience, a time for celebration, adventure and artistic expression. It’s a time when musicians, artists, actors, playwrights and South Africans gather together to be inspired, rejuvenated and most of all&entertained! Don’t miss out on this years InniBos festival, held from 28 June – 2 July 2006 in Nelspruit. This years festival promises to be bigger and better than ever before and will offer visitors an amazing line-up with brand new shows, old favourites and much, much more. The 2006 InniBos festival offers something for everyone. For music fans, there is a magic line up of top artists performing on the main stage on the festival grounds including Shine 4, Nianell, Pieter Smith, Jak de Priester, Karlien Husselman and Dr Victor. Nadine, Dozi, Juanita du Plessis and Theuns Jordaan are also on the mouth watering menu-of-artists who will perform at the main festival terrain. For all the rockers out there, The Blue Moon Innibos programme features a fabulous line up that includes artists such as, Arno Carstens, Karen Zoid, Prime Circle and Malaika. Be sure not to miss out on the Huisgenoot Anniversary concert which will take place on Saturday, 1 July. Be prepared to be bowled over by famed musicians such as Pedro Kruger, Lieze Stassen, David Fourie, Bianca le Grange, Emo Adams, Jolette Odendaal, Bobby Van Jaarsveld, and Ghapi and Suzanne. InniBos also offers a wonderful opportunity to praise and worship with well known gospel singers such as Manuel Escorcio, Ronell Erasmus, Wian Vos, Donnovan Isaacs, Cor en Letitia Uys, Mariý du Toit, Willie Joubert and Freda Francis. For theatre enthusiasts, InniBos festival goers can look forward to plays such as “Groet die Grotman”, “Bizzie Lizzie”, “Dowwe Dolla: Boeppens”, “Onbesny”, “Braaivleis, Rugby, Sunny Skies en Sussie” and “Pleiboyz”. Well – known artists that will be performing in these popular shows include Hannes Muller, Liz Meiring, Rian van Heerden, Marion Holm, Nico Panagio and Henrý Pretorius to mention but a few. To keep the kids entertained, productions such as...
MUST HAVE: Kwaito Classics – get both of them!
Thanks to the record label What’s Phat we now have two MUST-HAVE “kwaito classic’ cd’s that will take you back, shake you up and down till you say more! The first Kwaito Cassic cd covers the early 90’s and the second the late 90’s. We leave the official intro up to editor and journalist Siphiwe Mpye, we just say GO AND BUY BOTH cd’s and turn the Volume UP and the bass deep! STRONGVOLUME 1 – THE EARLY NINETIES Kwaito’s influence has pervaded all spheres of society and provided a platform for young talent to etch their names into music history and in the hearts of its citizens, through engaging with almost every aspect of their lives. This music has for example spoken to the political issues of the day. When Mafokate came out with “Kaffir” in 1995, President Nelson Mandela had hardly settled into his seat as the country’s first ever democratically elected president. While some commentators called the song “controversial”, Mafokate was only reflecting a society that was still far from change. Ten years down the line, hindsight – what with lion murders and the like – has shown us the wisdom in that iconic track. If would be remiss to downplay – on the other side of the spectrum – the role of sex appeal in this genre and Brenda Fassie topped the list when it came to openly baring ones’ sexuality on stage. Though she might not have always been kwaito in sound, she was always miles ahead in displaying the kind of attitude required to call oneself truly kwaito. Right till the end there was immense interest in her musical abilities as well as her outspoken nature and sexual exploits. The hit “Vuvuzela” along with fashion forward styling and hot dance moves on tracks like “Ayaphanda” made Arthur, the former Mr Soweto, an instant sex symbol. His protýgýs, Aba Shante, a group comprising of a guy (Aba) and two girls (Queen and Nestum) and additional dancers oozed lively sexuality. In their hot pants and boob tubes, as a testosterone storage vessel, it was hard not to be glued to the girls of Aba Shante, while they gyrated their way into the country’s imagination and challenged what was “acceptable” on prime-time television shows like Studio Mix and Selimathunzi. Another regular on such television shows was Mdu Masilela, arguably the first graduate of the kwaito academy that is Zola, Soweto. In this era “Y Wena 4 Yena” was a standout track if there was ever one. Being male dominated, kwaito dedicated a lot of its time to the love/hate nature of the relationship between the sexes,...
ROLY STRUCKMEYER – far too modest!
We have known Roly since our innocent days where we frequented the fabulous Buzz Bar together – or should we say He ran it and we frequented. He being Roly – an extremely modest musician with a voice not unlike the sweetness of Eagle Eyed Cherry and guitar skills to envy. Roly should be a legend in our country – let’s make him one. He’s got a show all to himself by the organisers of Out… For The Nite in Durban – these guys are working hard at resurrecting the vibrancy of the live music scene that rocked Durbs in the 90’s in particular. Big Ups to you! Here it is: Roly Struckmeyer Is Out For The Nite Over the last few decades, a number of names have appeared in the music scene in Durban & some have slowly and quietly faded out of tune while a handful managed to remain sound in the music scene. Amongst that handful of artists, Roly Struckmeyer’s name is mentioned without any hesitancy. Having been a fixture on the music scene in KwaZulu-Natal since the late 80’s, Pietermaritzburg-born acoustic guitarist & vocalist Roly Struckmeyer started playing the guitar at age seven. His music career began when he returned from England in 1989 to form a band known as “House On The Hill.” In the short years of his career as a performer, Roly has toured & performed with names such as Wonderboom and Landscape Prayers. He has also played with a number of amazing bands such as Butternut, The Farryl Purkiss Band & Deluxe to name a few. In 1994, while in America, he played on the Free Stage at a festival in Boulder, Colorado, and was a member of Arapaho for the last year of their career. Roly still remains at the top of his league & will be hosted at Vestige Bistro & Bar corner St. Thomas & Musgrave Road on the 8th of June 2006. The show will resume at 20h30. For more information on the show, please contact Derryn or Clive on 031 201 7767....
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