The African Music Store:Cape Town`s calabash of Afro-Beat

     
                                                                       AfriPOP! Magazine  
 
                              

Standing by the entrance of the African Music Store on Long Street,Cape Town's celebrated bustling row of bars,eateries,bookstores and everything else bohemian under the African sun,i see a web of fascinating contrasts. The store is owned by an unlikely bunch given Cape Town's racially divided history – a trio of white African music lovers. It is also interesting to note that the music store is housed in an old Victorian building which used to be the residence of one of the Cape's 18^th century slave masters.

I  am waiting for Mark,one of the owners of the store who acts as the manager too. As I wait I read a magazine cut-out on the store's window. It is a cut-out of the top-ten list of the ten must-visit vynil record stores from around the world. At number 8 is the African Music Store,and it reads: “For one-oneupmanship on other vynil heads,dodge the car-jackers and make your way to the African Music Store in Cape Town,South Africa. It is your specialty store for the most terrifying strains of “world music”,including quaito. Quaito is a local genre made up of Zulu geezers shouting frantically over housey beats. You'll also find other freakish genres such as Congrotronic,where Congolese traditional tribal instruments are wired for sound by attaching them to lorry batteries..Not for the faint of your iPod.”

It is a cut-out from ARENA magazine,a UK dance music publication.

“Like everyone who stands to read it,we were also dumbfounded at first glance” says Mark. “But we chose to go along with it and expose its absurdity. We hope people who reads it gets the point.”

In the midst of negative perceptions about African music and the continent in general,the African Music Store has stood as an ambassador for African music in the centre of one of the continent's leading urban metropolis. For the last fifteen years the one-stop shop for music from across the continent has injected its immediate surroundings and the city with a platform to celebrate music and culture from all corners of the continent. 

An upbringing in the heartland of Zululand,where his parents owned a travel shop,exposed Mark to the strumming and singing of beautiful Zulu melodies by employees at his parent's business. Together with partners Helen Rose-Innes and Trevor Rosenfield they opened the African Music Store in 1997.Lured in by bouncing township bubblegum beats off Paul Simon's epic Afropop landmark album “Graceland”spilling out onto Long Street's perpetually overzealous sidewalks,a visitor to the store immediately feels the aura of the happily contagious and life-affirming inventiveness often associated with African music. Every wall is covered by racks of cd`s and vynils spanning the widest range of African music you can ever imagine. It is all here: Highlife, Mbalax,Makossa, Township Jazz, Soukous, Mbaqanga, Bikutsi,Benga Beat,Chimurenga.The list is endless. The contemporary section is also packed with nuggets: D`Banj from Nigeria is there,so are exciting band-to-watch-out-for Just A Band out of Nairobi,Kenya. Others occupying the section include my personal favourites The Very Best – a collaboration artists Johan Hugo(Sweden),Essau Mwamwaya(Malawi) and Mo-laudi(South Africa).

“We cover the entire spectrum of African music. We even have representatives in some European countries such as Germany and England who look out and send out the hottest Afro-pop releases from those territories” Mark makes the point.

It is not only about about music however,the store also runs a curio section where crafts and curios from rural community arts and crafts projects are sold. “We source our merchandise from communities all over South Africa and we sell them here. A huge chunk of the profits go back to the projects.”

The stores customers are mainly tourists from abroad. “Our youngest customer to date was a 6 year-old American boy who bought a cd to play for his classmates back home. He said he wanted them to see that he was really in Africa” Mark chuckles.

A consistent top-seller for the store to date is a compilation cd titled The Great South African Trip.

“It is one of the ultimate compendiums of South African music on a double CD. It is a feast of legendary music,filled with delicious tastes of the country's best-known and most talented artists of the last century. The music on the album is as South African as you can get. And of course,the album also includes an excerpt of Nelson Mandela`s famous inauguration speech” Mark says.

A number of prominent local and international artists,actors and other celebrities have come through the store's doors over the years. There are images of Mark,Trevor and Helen with some of the store's assistants and some well-known artists and actors adorning the walls.

“ We've had Youssour Ndou,Hugh Masekela, Mariam Makeba,Angelique Kidjo,Abdullah Ibrahim,Vusi Mahlasela amongst the luminaries of Afro-pop visiting us” he points out.”Internationally we've had musicians such as Josh Groban,Bono and The Edge,Chuck D,and Tinie Tempah come over. In terms of the international actors we`ve had Forrest Witaker,Thandie Newton,Denzel Washington and a few others come through during periods when they were shooting movies in Cape Town.”

Despite the onslaught of globilisation and the free availability of music from numerous others sources globally,it remains to be a remarkable testimony that small independently-run and operated African music stores like the African Music Store continue to maintain their presence and vibrancy.

On my exit,i read a sign high up on the door which reads: “Buying music is not an indulgence in luxury. It is an investment in your well-being.”

That should read: “Buying African music..” instead.

The African Music Store - 134 Long Street, Cape Town

Township Surfers Put Nation`s Rebirth On The Big Screen

                                                                  The Big Issue Magazine - Cape Town

                                                                  

Frenzied whispers of "the new Tsotsi" and "best SA film in years" have accompanied the build-up to the big screen release of Otelo Burning,which opened at cinemas nationwide as this edition hit the streets.After opening last year`s Durban International Film Festival,the isiZulu film about three township teens finding freedom through surfing during the dying days of apartheid went on a winning streak.It scooped the Audience Choice Award at the 2012 CinemaBC Film Festival in Rio de Janeiro,was on the selection list for the 2011 London International Film Festival,took Best Feature Film at this year`s Cape Winelands Film Festival and was nominated for 13 Africa Movie Academy Awards,winning two of the awards last month.Daluxolo Moloantoa spoke to writer/director Sara Blecher about her trailblazing film.

Lamontville has always had a clear claim to fame - its Premier Soccer League team, the Lamontville Golden Arrows.Less well known is the fact that within the sprawling Durban township lies a centre responsible for producing some of South Africa`s best water sportsmen.The Lamontville Swimming Pool has produced the likes of Sihle Xaba(actor,champion body boarder,surfer and lifeguard),UK-based water-polo player Ndumiso Buthelezi and countless top lifeguards and surfers.

Now,with the opening of Otelo Burning on big screens countrywide,the Lamontville Swimming Pool will finally be recognised for its role in transforming the lives of black youngsters in the late 1980`s and early 1990`s.Described by some as "City of God meets Blue Crush", Otelo Burning is essentially a coming of age film about yhree teenagers who discover a world previously closed to them through surfing.It is a world completely at odds with the township existence they are familiar with in the early 1990`s,where their daily is facing growing violence and the life-threatening political stand-off between the United Democratic and the Inkatha Freedom Party`s impis.

Mix the political turbulence of the day,betrayal and jealousy and you have the makings of a uniquely South African hit starring three up-and-coming young actors:Jafta Mamabolo(Jerusalema,Generations) as the protagonist Otelo,Tshepang Mohlomi(iZulu Lami) as Otelo`s younger brother Ntwe and Thomas Gumede(A Place Called Home) as New Year,Otelo`s best friend.The film is not award-winning director Sara Bleche`s maiden voyage into the world of young Zulu boys and the open sea as their backround.She previuosly directed the TV drama series Bay of Plenty,chronicling the lives of a group of Zulu lifeguards on Durban`s beacfront.And she seems to have a thing about surfing,releasing Surfing Soweto in 2011,a documentary following the lives - and deaths - of a group of Soweto "train surfers".

But take a step back.Why of all sports, surfing as the central theme to a coming of age moviewhich ties into a nation`s painful rebirth?

"Ask any surfer,surfing is about as close as you can get to expiriencing true freedom.When one is surfing all the negative things that one has to deal with in one`s daily life simply go out the window.You are right there,in that moment..and the only thing that exists is you and the wave.This is the reason why i used surfing as a metaphor for freedom in the movie.I wanted to depict and explore the current state of our freedom in South Africa today" she explains.

MEANING OF FREEDOM

More than just surfing and seeking freedom,Otelo Burning is about what happens once freedom is attained. "Once people have achieved freedom" Blecher continues "it also means means that they have attained the right to become human again in all forms.To love again,to respect each other again,and to learn to see innate value in one another all over again."Otelo Burrning,however, delves far deeper than the intial joy of discovering freedom. "Being human" she adds, "also means having to deal to deal with the unhelpfullness of greed,corruption,jealousy and other social vices.Ultimately it is these sins which begin to cause the rot and eat away at that freedom.The movie is saying that we need to be vigilant and guard against such a scenario unfolding in our country today."

"We make movies with foreign audiences in mind and it does not work because it compromises the movie`s authenticity.If the story works for a local audience it will work for a foreign audience" - Sara Blecher

At this point it becomes easy to draw a comparison to Lord of The Flies,William Golding`s 1954 novel about a group of young boys stranded on an island after a plane crash,who turn on each other in a quest for survival.But Blecher is quick to refute the comparison."Whereas Lord of The Flies is about universal values of individual welfare versus the common good and the gradual regress of humanity to a primitive state, Otelo Burning examines human nature in the unique context of South Africa`s metamorphosis of in the early 1990`s."

It was a conscious decision taken by Blecher to tell the story against the backdrop of the political uphevals of the early 1990`s,as she feels that this period in the country`s history needs to be relooked at. "Just as we had the TRC hearings on atrocities commited during apartheid,we also need to have a TRC-type commision on the tragic events of that period" she emphasises.

 Blecher`s film also examines a curious aspect of Zulu culture - the nature of the relationship between Zulu people and the sea.Historically resident along Kwa-Zulu Natal`s coastline,Zulu people have always embraced a distant relationship with the sea.They belive that there is danger lurking beneath the sea`s waves, and therefore a gulf exists between the two.It is in this context that "ukundiza emanzini" - flying on water,becomes so attractive to the boys.It represents a shift from tradition.
The director also stuck to her guns about going against the grain and keeping the movie in isiZulu and not casting big-name American actors. " I am a firm believer in the local film industry`s ability to tell real South African stories" she explains. " I belive that if a movie is about South Africa then it has to be real.One of the main motives behind shooting in isisZulu was for the community of Lamontville and other Durban townships to watch the film and say..yes that is us."

"Imagine if the Bond movies were made in French?" she continues, "it wouldn`t be authentic because the story itself is not French.Very often we make movies with a foreign audience in mind,and it does not work because it compromises the movie`s authenticity.If the story works for a local audience it will work for a foreign audience" she says,pointing to the success of Oscar-winning local drama Tsotsi.

Blecher also kept the soundtrack 100% local.Amongst the artists featured on it are rap connoisseurs Tumi and The Volume,soulstress Zaki Ibrahim and hip-hop afficionado Reason.In another SA movie release first, the entire soundtrack is freely available as a download on the official movie site.

All this was achieved on a shoe-string budget.No kudos for guessing it,but the greatest challenge she faced in making the movie was, indeed, funding."Our local industry is terribly under-resourced financially" says Blecher "Due to lack of finance we had to resort to turning the story into a televsion series until we could raise the needed finance to begin shooting it as a movie."

For Blecher,the long struggle to get Otelo Burning to the big screen has been worth it,though,and not only for the accolades the film keeps collecting.

"In the end," she says, "the movie is about SouthAfrica`s growing pains,and the need to guard against complacency.It is also a celebration of the country`s unique attributes.It can go a long way in helping to heal the political,economic and emotional rifts amongst us."

Sacrifice Pays Off For Young Actor

                                                                            The Big Issue Magazine,Cape Town

                                                                         
"My first time seeing the ocean was out of the country.I was 14 years old and an ambassador for UNICEF.On one trip we visited Greece and that`s where i went to the beach for the first time.,"recalls Jafta Mamabolo.The irony taht he,who only saw the sea for the first time in his teens,should play the lead role in a surfing movie doesn`t escape the actor best known for starring in another South African hit Jerusalema,and his role as the troubled Matthew in soapie Generations.

Mamabolo is fresh off the plane from a trip to Lagos,Nigeria,where he attended the 13th African Movie Academy Awards(AMAA).Thirteen seems to be a lucky number for the young star of Otelo Burning,which was nominated for a record 13 awards at the AMAAs,scooping two of them - Cinematography and Best Child Actor for co-star Tshepang Mohlomi,for his potrayal of Otelo`s brother Ntwe.

Mamabolo tells how seeing the ocean for the first time was a relevation,as he`d grown up in Mahaneng,a rural village near Marble Hall in Limpopo.Here it was virtually impossible for locals to take trips to the coast - all they knew about the seaside was what they saw on their television sets.If,by some stroke of fate,Mamabolo had had an upbringing near the coastline,then he would have found it a tad easier to take on his newest role.But it was in this tiny village off the beaten track that his love for acting first began to take shape.He spent nights with friends peeping through neighbours` windows trying to catch a glimpse of local drama series under the cover of darkness.He recalls his fascination with the slivers he could see,but not hear.

Early start

At just 24,Mamabolo has come a long way from Mahaneng and sneeking tv peeks through curtains.But he did start early,virtually growing up in front of the television cameras.At the tender ge of 11,after a family relocation to Johannesburg,he started out as a presenter on kids programmes such as YO!TV,Craze and The Molo Show.While attending the National School of The Arts,Mamabolo - who speaks six of the country`s 11 official languages and plans to take up a seventh this year - made his acting debut in the SABC 1 youth drama series Soul Buddyz.He later appeared as an assortment of characters in drama series The Lighthouse, Red Ribbon and Generations.His big break came in 2008 when he was cast as the young Kunene in the movie Jerusalema, a potrayal which earned him a chorus of congratulatory reviews from local movie fans and critics alike.

Variety and overcoming a challenge are aspects of key importance in his career - a sort iof a growth indicator.It is something he hopes is sufficiently demonstrated in his latest role.

"Preparing for my role as Otelo was the most intricate time i`ve ever had in preparing for a character" he stresses."I had to go from a non-starter to a sufficiently good surfer in two weeks.I also had to delve deep into complex aspects of Otelo`s personality,something which proved to be tricky at times."

Good relationships

Another aspect he considers important in the filmmaking process is nurturing of reelationships with his fellow actors, on and off set. "Ours is an industry where one works constantly with the same group of people,so its important to nurture good relationships with whomever you are engaged with on every project."Proof of this was evident in the making of Otelo Burning."I starred in a role alongside Thomas Gumede - playing Otelo`s best friend New Year, and Nolwazi Shange - playing Otelo`s love interest Dezi - in Soul City a few months before we started working on Otelo Burning.It helped that we knew each other so well before shooting,especially with Nolwazi as it made things a bit easier particularly with the romance scenes" he quips. "Sihle Xaba - who plays Mandla a seasoned surfer who introduces Otelo to surfing - is the one guy i am totally indebted to because he surfs for real and was the one to take me through the paces of learning how to surf" adds Mamabolo."And Tshepang,who plays my younger brother Ntwe,was just a blessing to have around.He is this kid with a passion for film way beyond his age."

Speaking to the rest of the Otelo Burning crew,the admiration and respect is clearly mutual.

"Jafta`s talent and commitment to his craft speak for themselves" says Xaba."Besides his constant urge to learn,he takes his preparations very seriously and it shows in all the roles he has had so far,most especially in Otelo Burning."

"There are South African actors,and there is Jafta Mamabolo" reckons Otelo Burning director Sara Blecher."In my 25 years in the television and film industry i have to come across an actor macthing Jafta`s passion and almost religious-like dedication to his craft."

For Mamabolo,dedication has benefits beyond delivering a good peformance - its about personal growth too.The biggest lesson he took away from Otelo Burning is the value of sacrifice.

"Otelo sacrifices a lot in order to become a champion surfer" he explains."He goes against his father`s wishes to go into the water.He defies his girlfriend`s objections about the dangers of surfing.Through this i learnt that sacrifice is everything if you`ve set yourself a goal to achieve in one`s life."It seems Mamabolo`s latest sacrifice is paying off finely.











                                                                    

The Very Best Carry The Baton For Afro-Pop

                                                                                                                      OKAYAFRICA.COM

One is Malawian. One is Swedish. Together they are called The Very Best. A critically acclaimed debut album in 2009 ensured that the London-based outfit stays on their mission to “free African music of its touristic tones since the West took renewed interest in it in the 90′s.” With a remix album to their debut Warm Heart of Africa, due for release in September, the band is dead serious on pushing further ahead on their mission, and to stay true their name. OKA’s correspondent Daluxolo Moloantoa had the chance to chop it up with Johan Hugo, co-founder of the group.


OKA: How and when did The Very Best start?

JH: In 2006 Esau (Esau Mwamwaya) had a secondhand shop outside my house in London. Etienne (DJ Tron) from Radioclit (a production crew made up of Etienne and myself) was walking past his shop every day to get to our studio. One day he went into Esau’s shop to buy a bike. The same day he invited Esau to a party we were having that night. I met with Esau that night and we ended up talking about music a lot. He told me he was a drummer. I invited him to the studio, and we ended up recording him singing on a beat I had made that same day. I was instantly blown away by his incredible voice and we ended up working together from that day onwards.

OKA: How many albums have you released thus far?

JH: We released a free mixtape in 2008 called Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are The Very Best. It had one million downloads online and thus kick-started the project as a whole. In 2009 we released our first full-length album called Warm Heart of Africa. It had M.I.A and Ezra from Vampire Weekend featured on it. The album did very well and was followed by a tour to many parts of the world in the same year. Then last year Etienne and I split up Radioclit, so The Very Best is just me and Esau Mwamwaya.This spring we released a new free mixtape called Super Mom. We had two singles on it, namely “Super Mom” and “Ndheka.” We have just recorded a vocal remix of “Ndheka” with European-based South African artists Thandiswa Mazwai, Mo-laudi and Spoek Mathambo. We traveled to South Africa to shoot the video, and both the remix and the video should be out soon.In September we are releasing a full remix album of Warm Heart of Africa on my own label MYYM Records. It includes amazing remixes by people like Gonzales, Mouster, Metronomy, Hot Chip, Theophilus London etc.

OKA: You have worked with South African DJ and rapper Mo-Laudi, amongst others. How did the link-up happen?

JH: Mo-Laudi started to come to our old club-night in London called Secousse, and we began hanging out ever since. He started to DJ with us and also became the hype-man/rapper during our shows. So when the Warm Heart of Africa tour began it only made sense that he be roped into it to add to the live set-up. Mo-laudi is an amazing talent.

OKA: Esau makes the other half of the band. Is there anybody else behind the scenes?

JH: Esau and I are the band. That’s all there is to the band. It is a producer and a singer. But when we do live shows we have dancers and Mo-laudi, or guest artists and a lot of other nice things happening.

OKA: What are your thoughts on afro-pop’s potential to reach a mainstream and a global audience?

JH: Africa has got so much good music. It is inevitable for it to reach a wider audience, and achieve global success. What intrigues me the most right now is the dance music coming out of the continent. South Africa’s house music, for instance, is currently up there with the world’s best club music. This is what we want to see. I would like o see DJs like Oskido, Cleo, Tira etcs on the same stage with European/American household names such as Swedish House Mafia and AfroJack‘s “Dirty South” at festivals all over the world.

OKA: How has the reaction been to your latest mixtape (Super Mom)?

JH: The reaction has been out of this world, phenomenal. This is a mixtape we decided to put out while we were busy completing work on the second album, which will be out later this year.

OKA: Is Africa, and South Africa in particular, likely to see the band touring anytime soon?

JH: Right now we are planning a tour of South Africa in March next year,and we will play the Lake of Stars festival in Malawi once again next year. We are also going to finish off the final touches to the album in Malawi just before the festival. We are excited to finally tour South Africa, taking the music to our loyal fans there, and getting everybody else tuned into our sound.

OKA: What is in the pipeline for the band in future?

JH: We are excited about releasing the album, and having had the opportunity to work with Thandiswa, Mo-laudi, Spoek Mathambo and all the other collaborators on it. To have Baaba Maal and Amadou & Miriam featured on it is a great coup for us. After the release we are going to present the album live on tour at various festivals and gigs around the world. A full sophomore album will follow in 2015.

For more from The Very Best, check out Green Owl Records.

                              

SYDELLE WILLOW SMITH – AFRICA THROUGH HER LENSES

                                                        AfriPOP! Magazine



                                      

Photographer and filmmaker Sydelle Willow Smith`s work so far can be summed up as photography with an eye for social relevance. Her interest in issues affecting South African society have led her on an astonishing path looking at and documenting topical issues – such as migration and conservation – for her work in film and photography. We sat down with her for a chat on her thought-provoking work.

A. How and why did you get into your career as a filmmaker/photographer?

My father was a darkroom technician/printer at a commercial advertising lab. I remember going to Museum Afrika as a young child, and my mother showing me the darkroom installation, and being fascinated that my father worked in such a space. I began taking courses at The Market Photo Workshop when I was sixteen and started photographing the Joburg Punk Scene, where I used to hang out. I liked the fact that I could fit into small spaces, being small, I could hide behind the drums and take pictures of the musicians thrashing about. The first image that got published was a double page spread of a band called The Vendetta Cartel, in Blunt Magazine. It was a great moment for me. After doing more courses at The Market Photo Workshop in 2007 I decided to go to University to get a degree in Film and Anthropology. My late Aunt was an Anthropologist, and I was always fascinated by the places she had lived and the people she had met. I guess the combination of Photography , Film and Anthropology fits my character so well, as I am naturally curious about peoples’ lives and their stories, particularly people who face great struggle in terms of South Africa’s’ socioeconomic issues. The first photo essay I did was about domestic workers living on the top floor in small rooms, of penthouse apartments in Houghton where my late grandmother lived, called Life Between Two Floors.

B. Was it a conscious decision for you to focus your work on socially relevant topics, or did you gradually drift in that path?

It was a conscious decision. Growing up in a liberal leftist Jewish household in the suburban sprawls of Johannesburg may have had something to do with it.

C. Apart from your documentary film Perils and Pitfalls, what other work have you done on the issues surrounding migration in SA?

When I was a second year student at UCT I was the photo editor of a current affairs student magazine, The Cape Town Globalist. Myself and a reporter visited some of the refugee camps after the May 2008 Xenophobic Attacks, particularly Soetwater and Bluewaters. I was struck by the ways people made “home” for themselves in the temporary space and the difficulties they had faced in getting to South Africa, and what their future in South Africa faced, the series was called No place to call home. During my Honors Thesis these themes inspired by thesis in a temporary relocation area in Delft, colloquially known as Blikkiesdorp. I worked with four South African youth from the “camp” using video and photography together we mapped experiences of the ways home and community were made and broken within the space, the project was called Making Home in Temporary Spaces. When I graduated from my Honors Degree in 2011 I was commissioned by the civic organisation, P.A.S.S.O.P, in partnership with Solidarity Peace trust to make a short documentary, Perils and Pitfalls, about migrants experiences of Home Affairs and Deportation in South Africa. This experience has led me to my current photo/video project which is funded by a grant from The Market Photo Workshop, called the Gisele Wulfsohn Mentorship. The project is called Making Neighbourhood and I will discuss it below.

D. What inspired you to look at migration as a subject in the documentary?

As an Anthropology student you are taught culture is a construct that is used in some ways as a political resource, in a similar vein to nationality and the imagined but imaginary nature of borders, race and ethnicity. I am interested in visually depicting these ideas, and conversations, freed from an academic context. Global village aside, countries borders exist and regulate access and control. I am interested as an artist (visual commentator), about how a country like South Africa with its history of control and separate development handles this influx of people from across Africa. Specifically in relation to a sense of “ubuntuism”, or “panafricanness”. Inherently I think my interest in migration is deeply rooted in my own personal history as Jewish person. My great grandparents arrived off the boat from Lithuania in South Africa and made home for themselves in a new place, granted they were given opportunities not afforded to black or coloured South Africans by The Apartheid Government.
E. How do you think photography and film can be used to play a positive role in representing and defending migrants rights in SA today?

I cannot speak for “migrant rights” specifically, but I do feel that Art has a role to play in South Africa by offering a “fractured mirror” on society’s ills and developments, provoking dialogue and debate.

F. What is your involvement with GreenPOP!?

I am a photographer for the organization on a voluntary basis and plan to be a researcher on a very exciting media project are in the pipeline. Last year I documented their 2012 Trees for Zambia Project for a month which is an absolutely unforgettable experience. I also work with them with my partner Rowan Pybus who is the Director of Makhulu – Moving Images – a video production company based in Cape Town and Greenpop’s official media partner. I work on the video projects as a producer/camera operator. We recently pitched a feature documentary that details Greenpop’s journey with conversing the forests of Livingstone, Zambia at Durban Filmmart during the 2013 Durban International Film Festival.

G. What is your current project all about?

My current project is called Making Neighbourhood which looks at how “immigrants” and South Africans experience forms of conviviality, and togetherness. Yesterday I began photographing two best friends, 13 year old girls who live in the same street in Maitland. One girl is “coloured” , the other from Mali and they see each other everyday. Last week I went to an Easter Service with a Zulu lady who is a domestic worker in Camps Bay, married for 10 years to a man from Malawi. I have met some great people the past few months and am looking forward to bringing their stories into a cohesive form , for my solo exhibition of the work at The Market Photo Workshop later this year. The film is funded by department of Social Anthropology at The University of Cape Town, headed by Cameroonian Professor, Francis Nyamnjoh, whose research focuses on conviviality.

H. Who is your inspiration in terms of your work?

Many different people. Johnny Steinberg and Ivan Vladislavic for their words. Jodi Bieber, Dale Yudelman, Nadine Hutton, Olivia Arthur, Alec Soth, Alex Webb, Mary Ellen Mark, Dan Eldon and Sebastio Salgado for their images. Jim Jarmusch, Oliver Stone, Fernando Meirelles, for their films. People I meet, conversations I have, things I read, all fuel inspiration.

I. You captured some poignant images for The Guardian newspaper on a recent fact-finding mission with Zakes Mda, Lindiwe Magona, Njabulo Ndebele and others to Eastern Cape schools. How did you feel about the trip, and what you saw there?

The trip was unforgettable, and while physically reading a newspaper detailing the state of the education crisis in South Africa can be done with some ease, being in a classroom watching 150 children trying to learn is not so easy – while I am honoured as a photographer to be allowed to visually witness such atrocities, it is horrifying to see before ones eyes the culture of poverty currently being bred in the minds of young school children receiving a failing education across South Africa due to a variety of causes including those historical as well as obvious inadequacies on the part of the Department of Basic Education.

J. How do you see the future of documentary film and photography around social issues in SA?

I want to be hopeful and say it has the opportunity to be abundant, there are so many worthy stories needing to be told, training and opportunities need to be provided to ensure that many different voices have the opportunity to be heard.

Visit her website www.sydellewillowsmith.com for more on her work.

                                                 

Abou

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Tmbia pRemed.

African Stories: Rose Francis’African Perspective Publishing

                                                                                                                       AfriPOP! Magazine

To most 80′s bloomers in Johannesburg the name Rose Francis conjures up flashbacks of a ‘girl about town’, high fashion, and beauty ramps. Amongst the first real high profile black women models in Johannesburg, Francis (51) was ubiquitous on billboards, print and TV ads throughout the 80′s. Along with now actress and author Nakedi Ribane they paved the way for black models to make the transition from township hall beauty pageants to industry recognition locally, and even internationally, working in London, New York and Paris amongst other global cities. Today Francis is an entrepreneur who has yet again blazed a trail in an industry she is equally passionate about – the publishing industry. “In a way my career has come full circle, because my first job was as a reader at a press-cutting agency in my hometown, Durban” she says of her early days in the publishing industry.
 

 It was at the advent of her fortieth birthday that she once again took the road less travelled-her love of history, communication and marketing fused to form African Perspective Publishing. African Perspective Publishing has been in business for five years. It is the latest trajectory in the communication space which began while she was still a model. Part of the journey, its very beginning, was her opening of Rose Francis Communications. “I opened Rose Francis Communications in 1980” she says,”It was a natural progression for me because even as a model I had always seen myself as a conveyor, through fashion, of ideas and messages. I reached a point where I wanted to project myself beyond size and height.”

Being black, she identifies with other black South Africans whose history as a collective was subject to drastic distortions and in some instances deliberate ommisions in the interest of maintaining the status quo during apartheid. “I started African Perspective Publishing with the sole mission to put our history in its proper perspective-to fully explore the African perspective in the collective human narrative in our time” she relates. Through her company, she hosts a number of school programmes to encourage reading and writing amongst teens.”Like any other black business, we harbour a social commitment,” she points out.”The goal is to ultimately get the children to discover, like our name espouses, alternative perspectives on life and what is possible for one to achieve.”

In its relatively short existence African Perspectives has published and distributed an eclectic and wide variety of local fiction, non-fiction and poetry, such as Memory Is The Weapon by esteemed author and poet Don Mattera, an account of growing up in early 50′s Sophiatown. Amongst other publications are The Empowered Native, a fictional take of the 1976 Soweto riots by Letepe Maisela (to be released on mp3 CD in May), Dreams Of Flight by Myesha Jenkins, WENA, a collection of contemporary poetry by Ntsiki Mazwai and The Politics Of South African Football, by Oshebebeng Alphie Koonyaditse. In March the company launched both Fat Songs For My Girlfriends, a book of poems by noted stage actress Napo Masheane, and The Che Guevara Reader, a collection of private writings by the revered Latin American freedom fighter Che Guevara.

We asked her about the state of publishing in Africa five decades after luminaries such as Nigerians Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka, and Kenyan Ngugi wa Thiongo catapulted African literature onto the international scene.”There is no dearth of brilliant writing on the continent today: Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, Ghana, Sudan, Uganda and Nigeria boast of vibrant and exciting literary scenes. Young fiction writers across the colour line are coming to the fore in South Africa too. It spells for a massive resurgence of African literature,” she says. As with many publishers in South Africa, she finds that the price of paper is extremely high, and constantly has to concede to printing her titles abroad, where prices are cheaper. She also laments the fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult to remain competitive in an environment where retail and shelf space costs are constantly rising.

Despite the hindrances, the company has garnered deserved recognition in the publishing industry and business at large. In 2000, the company was listed as one of the Top 300 empowerment companies by the South African government’s Department of Trade and Industry. In 2010 Francis received a World Media Award for Best Publication from the United Nations for Nostalgic Waves from Soweto: Poetic Memories of June 16, a poetry anthology by veteran actor Sol Rachilo.

Francis believes that radio is a powerful tool that can be used to spread African literature to illiterate people.”Radio as a platform presents a unique opportunity for African publishers to reach people where they cannot be reached by other forms of media,” she says. She should know, she has travelled the continent extensively delivering papers and attending literary conferences and festivals. It was the exiled South African writer Lewis Nkosi who proclaimed that-unlike his peers, his work would not be confined to politics and the township. Similarly, she points out that “African writers today are too immersed with political prose. We need to recognise that Africa’s jewels and treasures are hidden in the most ordinary things.”

African Perspectives holds monthly readings on the first and last Thursday of every month at Darkie Cafe. Darkie Cafe is on the corner of Anderson and Ferreira streets, in the Central Business District in Johannesburg. Entrance is free. See African Perspective Publishing on Facebook for a listing of upcoming readings.

Born Again: Natalie “The Floacist” Stewart Talks Life After Floetry, the Place of Neo-Soul Today & Working with Thandiswa Mazwai

                                                                       AfriPOP! Magazine

A. You've just released your second solo album after your split from Floetry with Marsha Ambrosius . How has your journey been since the separation?

I didn’t split from Floetry. Floetry is what I do. I, The Floacist, am a poet, who creates poetic delivery with musical intent, a genre of music called Floetry. Marsha left the group in 2006 to pursue a solo career, unfortunately she told a lie stating that I had left the group, so the media ran with that. That is one of a few mistruths that I have had to deal with over the years, along with boycotts from media outlets that previously aired my group but to date have refused to air any of my video content, whilst supporting Marsha healthily. It hasn’t been easy, but many paths worthy of being walked have obstacles along the way. Since Marsha left there has been a lot to do behind the scenes, legalities, unwrapping the red tape that had built up over the years of major label and bloated ego management involvement. I had to rescue the brand from misuse and I had to rescue myself from being sacrificed. So the journey has been one of ownership and independence. My creative partner of 14 years, Nolan Weekes is the head of FREE SUM Music Company, our production house where we have produced my solo albums and solo music videos. Creative control is priceless, so the journey has been very productive. In many ways it has brought me to a new beginning, and it is a blessing to be at a beginning with 10 years behind me.

B. Did you feel the pressure to come out with an even bigger and better follow up as a solo artist after Floetry`s phenomenal success?

I haven’t felt pressure since I accepted the shift that came with Marsha leaving the group. I don’t feel any pressure anymore, I feel creative freedom. I’m not walking a separate journey to my past as it is all connected. I am not launching a solo career, I am continuing what I started. I remember with a full heart my 20’s and the many coming of age experiences that I had during that time. Those times inspire me and give me the foundation to continue to build upon. I am enjoying continuing the exploration of the genre of Floetry, I have been dedicated to this genre’s growth for more than 13 years! Give Thanks!

C.I know you've been asked this question a million times already. Are you still friends with Marsha?

I have known Marsha since I was 11 years old. This isn’t a lightly answered question. Marsha and I haven’t spoken since 2007. At this point, we represent two completely different paths in creativity, one, a mainstream pursuit, one an independent journey. One venturing further away from the floetic ethos and responsibilities of an artist that represents it’s community. I couldn’t do many of the things that Marsha is prepared to do for the sake of fame and ‘success’. I took a stance six years ago when both management and label were attempting to corrupt Floetry to make it more mainstream. I was asked to ‘dumb my lyrics down’ and that’s a direct quote. They wanted to use Floetry to become another vessel to heighten anger and miscommunication amongst our listeners, young, black women mainly. I take these things very seriously, and I have had to walk the path that my stance has led me down. It has been character building and spirit refining, and I don’t regret a moment of it, especially as I understand and accept myself more.

D. Four years is a pretty long time to be hibernating away from your career. Why did you take such a long time after the split to reclaim the spotlight with your solo debut, Floetic Soul in 2010?

 I needed time. To be honest, it didn’t feel too long to me, the first two years past by in a blur. I was very hurt by the way that events unfolded. Spiritually, emotionally, psychologically I was tired and drained. It took a while for me to even register what I was feeling. By the end of 2006 I was quite unwell, ultimately from stress. I tried to work straight away, but I wasn’t ready. I needed time, at home. I needed my family. I needed familiarity. I had been living in the US for six years when everything suddenly turned upside down. Nolan saved me by bringing me home, and letting me stop. I needed to accept the reality, so I needed to be where things were real. I continued to go back and forth to the US between ’07 and ’08. I had recorded a whole album in 2007 that I ‘almost’ released with Hidden Beach in 2008 but that deal fell through as Hidden Beach were going through financial difficulties. I started to find my peace again in 2009. Floetic Soul was ready to be recorded by the time I was approached by Shanachie in 2010, in fact, I recorded the whole project in 16 days! It was quite a release! For me, every day from the last show with Marsha in Birmingham, UK in December 2006 to the release date of Floetic Soul November 9^th 2010 is well accounted for!

E. Your music since the beginning has been described “neo soul,” ,and some people consider you a femcee-a female mc- but is it that simple? How do you describe your sound?

 As the femcee definition articulates some could possibly mistake me for a femcee., but if you are asking me to articulate my identity for myself; I am a Poet. I am a Floacist. I am The Floacist. I named myself this as my flow assists; understanding, innerstanding, overstanding.

F. With regards to you embracing the “neo soul” movement, there’s a lot of people who say that that period in music is over, so where does your style fit in music today?

The genre of Neo-Soul has unfortunately been sacrificed, for no reason other than it represented positive energy and vibrations. It was a genre that represented strength, natural beauty, cultural awareness, union and identity. Marsha released a mixtape called ‘Neo Soul is Dead’ in 2007, a clear signal of her desire to sacrifice what had given her entry into the music industry for the promise of greater fame and recognition. Obviously she wasn’t the only person tempted to turn their backs on the genre. I am quite honored to be associated with the Neo Soul movement. I remember not being comfortable with it in the very beginning, as I was representing Floetry as a genre, but I soon matured to appreciate that this association linked us to a movement of music that stood for and represented more than fame and bright lights. The ‘period’ of Soul will never be over, no matter what games industries and recording artists play. That’s like trying to say that Jazz is over. Real music is never denied, real artists just have to adjust their idea of the prize. There is enough room for everybody. Floetic, Floacism, Flo’Ology and Floetic Soul are most often found in the Soul, Neo Soul and even R&B sections. Floetry Re:Birth is being referred to as having a ‘jazzy’ feel, in review even drawing comparisons to Esperanza Spalding’s ‘Chamber Music Society’ and Robert Glasper’s ‘Black Radio’, (company, which may I add, I am honored to be suggested to keep!) My music, ‘Floetry’; poetic delivery with musical intent, fits quite comfortably in its very own place and I am very content with that.

G. The issues that you address on the new album seem to be intense and personal. Is this something that you set out to do consciously when you write your lyrics?

All of the songs that I have released over my 10 years of releasing music have been ‘intense and personal’ in their own rights! It’s just the difference between the journal pages of a 22 year old girl ‘Floetic’, a 23 year old girl ‘Floacism’, a 25 year old young woman ‘Flo’Ology’, a 31 year old woman ‘Floetic Soul’ and a 33 year old woman ‘Floetry Re:Birth’. I’m sure if you asked most 33 year old women to share their journal pages they would bare some intense and personal thoughts and introspections!

H. You seem to be have a solid connection to South Africa. How so?

Well you know I am one of many displaced children of the Motherland. We all know the journey well. Through the inhumane business of the slave trade my people ended up in Jamaica. I have always had a calling to South Africa, a gentle song in my heart. Growing up I asked many a question onto my soul whilst witnessing reports of the effects of the apartheid regime. Having Jamaican parents, we were drawn to the plight of our beloved and deeply missed Motherland. South Africa, Nelson Mandela and Winnie Mandela made a very deep impression on me, from a young age. In 2004 I was blessed to meet someone who has become a dear sister to me, Demi Mseleku, grand daughter of Pinki Meselku and Grand Niece of Bheki Mseleku. Demi, a proud Zulu daughter has shared a wealth of the musical genius of South Africa with me! Much of which has assisted and guided me through some of my deeper journeys and meditations of the past 4 or 5 years, especially Miriam Makeba, Bheki Mseleku and Thandiswa Mazwai. Demi features on Floetry Re:Birth on Children of the Sun.

I. You share a special frienship with South African songstress Thandiswa Mazwai. Tell us how it came about?

I came to South Africa to do a show in 2006 I met Thandiswa briefly backstage after my set. At the time, I was in a very vulnerable stage of my journey. I was quite distracted. In many ways, I feel as though I am very lucky to have not missed out on connecting with, the most outstanding vocalist I have ever had the pleasure to create with. I didn’t see Thandiswa again until 2011 when Demi and I attended a show in honor of ‘Mama Afrika’ - Miriam Makeba at the Hackney Empire in London, featuring Hugh Masekela, Vusi Mahlasela and Thandiswa. This time I was sure to align our connection! I knew that I wanted to collaborate, I just didn’t know what the concept was at the time, I was in concept overload, it took a while to settle and find the perfect piece/peace! ‘Roots of Love’ was actually recorded both in the UK (my vocals) and South Africa (Thandiswa’s vocals). I look forward to performing Roots of Love live, I think it will be very special! In truth, I would love to make an entire album with Thandiswa. I think it would be a healing to a people, too long separated and far too used to experiencing life as if we are walking completely different paths.

J. Floetry is described as poetic delivery with musical intent. Where do you feel that the genre fits into the whole picture of music today?

I know where Floetry fits in music today. There really is room for everyone, it is not as tight a fit as it is made to seem…especially if you are not doing exactly the same thing as everyone else, and as long as you are not secretly desiring the same thing as everyone else who is doing exactly the same thing as everyone else!

K. In another interview you mentioned that you considered Sade as the godmother of neo soul. How has she influenced your musical path so far?

Growing up in London in the 80’s Sade was everywhere! When the band released Lovers Rock in 2000 I took that title as a message for those who would see it! A shout out to a movement that only a few know, but those who do know it, it is a very special part of our lives. Lovers Rock was a powerful independent Black British Reggae Soul genre that thrived in the 80’s, in a way that hasn’t been repeated by the Black British community since. Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black is the closest I have heard to a Lovers Rock album since. The West Indian culture’s influence on English music and culture has been witnessed through the Ska era, the development of the Punk era and the sounds of artists such as Sting/Police, Eric Clapton and Maddness to name but a few. The impact of Black British bands and artists of the 80’s on the shaping of what was to become the Neo Soul movement is more often than not understated. Yes I see Sade as the God Mother of Neo Soul, absolutely, and there are other Black British founding Icons of the Neo Soul genre in Loose Ends, Soul II Soul, Caron Wheeler, Mica Paris and Omar. Floetry ultimately followed in the footsteps of those who came before it in the ongoing yet under developed relationship between US and UK soul.

L.Some have alluded to the fact that your starting of a British female movement of music with Floetry ultimately had its spin-offs in the style of mainstream English acts such as Adele,Amy Winehouse and Jesse J. Do you feel a connection between your sound and theirs when you listen to them?

Interestingly enough, all three of the artists that you have mentioned all attended the BRIT Performing Arts and Technology School, as did I, and even Marsha. In that way I feel connected! I do keep a close ear on the creations of my fellow BRIT alumni! The major difference in our journeys is that there really wasn’t any avenue for Floetry to be signed to a major label, and have major distribution through a UK record label. As Black British artists the viability for an opportunity to make an eclectic, neo soul, alternative, spoken word, Floetry project, namely ‘Floetic’, in the UK was none. I didn’t even waste my time attempting to pursue any form of industry connections or recording contract dreams. It didn’t even occur to me, I just headed straight to the US. I didn’t even bother to trouble my spirit with the rejection! The Black British equivalents to Jessie J, Amy and Adele don’t get any form of ‘bring in’ or interest in the UK music industry. As far as I know, nobody is looking for Black British female, beautiful, sultry, witty, sassy and soulful singer songwriter. Your best bet is to go on X Factor or Britain’s Got Talent and hope for the best!

That being said, I do love to give credit where credit is due; Jessie J is quite a chameleon of a vocalist! Her Musical Theater background means she has studied performance as well as vocal techniques and this shows in her performance energy. Amy Winehouse, peace to her soul, had the most incredible pen! Her writing and studio performance were absolutely outstanding! Adele has proceeded Amy with class, easing the fans pain to loose such a gifted siren as Ms Winehouse by producing outstanding moments with her signature honest delivery. It would make sense for there to be a connection as we may very well have shared influences by growing up in similar environments, in close enough eras! We are separated by nearly 10 years in age, so it is possible that Floetry albums may be in their CD collections! I have all of their albums. Both Adele and Jessie J have very long careers ahead of them, the ‘best’ of the both of them is very possibly still to come, which says a lot! BRIT is a very special school!

M.Its not the first time you've featured Raheem Devaughn in your solo albums. He is featured in the lead single off 2010`s Floetic Soul. Now he is on the new single off Re:Birth - “Start Again.”.Why did you choose to work with him so much?

‘Keep it Going’ was the third single on Floetic Soul. I enjoy working with Raheem because of his work ethic and his recording technique. Whenever we go into the studio we seem to time warp to somewhere in the 1960’s or 70’s, and I enjoy that. He gives me something pure that I miss when listening to most African American R&B or Soul male vocalists. Raheem can evoke what I think most are missing, sincerity and joy. As ‘Start Again’ began to come together musically, I knew that the vibration would meet Raheem well! We recorded Raheem’s parts in NY just before mastering the album. And as always, I was more than happy with what Raheem delivered!

 N. What were you going for with this new album, and how much of the source material did you ultimately let out,and keep in?

This album is all about rebirth. It is a celebration of creative freedom and independence. We have taken a complete step away from Midi production. This album is organic and pure. Real musicianship, real people, real lives coming together to make a piece of art, not just to make some product to push, but to truly make art that we believe in. I only made 10 songs for this album. Every song created has been used. I lived with every melody, every beat, every break. I already have thoughts and ideas for the next album, and how much freer I can be in that creation! Hopefully I’ll be making that next one in South Africa, or at least in part!

O. You've written songs for some of the biggest acts in music to date, including Michael Jackson. Is writing for other artists something you'd like to go on with in future?

Butterflies was actually written by Marsha, it got to Michael Jackson by way of John McCain, who actually signed Floetry to Dreamworks records in 2000. Butterflies was on the Floetry demo that was circulating the labels at the time and John played it to Michael.

I enjoy songwriting, yes. Writing for and featuring alongside Earth Wind & Fire has been one of the highlights in my ‘songwriting’ career, because it was a genuine intimate creative experience. Still that doesn’t come close to the feeling that I have about creating Floetic music! Writing songs like ‘Roots of Love’ with Thandiswa for Floetry Re:Birth, is where I get my most joy; ‘poetic delivery with musical intent’. As a writer, I feel connected from concept conception, all the way through performance and delivery, so writing songs generically, to just get placed isn’t so much my thing! I like more intimate collaborations. So if I write a song for an artist, it must’ve come through an intimate exchange of energy at some point in the process!

P. Who were your biggest musical influences during your childhood?

Reggae music is my gospel music. A good steady spiritual diet of The Wailers, Bob Marley, Burning Spear, John Holt, Alton Ellis, Gregory Issacs, Dennis Brown, Eek-A-Mouse, Yellow Man, The Ladies of Lovers Rock; Louisa Marks, Janet Kay, Carol Thompson, UK Soul; Soul II Soul, Caron Wheeler, Sade, and a little touch of Nat King Cole and Luther Vandross! When I moved to London in the mid 80’s, there was a lot of good music playing, everywhere! By the time I get to my late teens Bashment is battling against Hip Hop for the number one place in our musically identifying hearts. Then everything was swallowed up by commercialized Hip Hop and Black music and culture has forever been effected, from that moment on.

Q. What was the first ever single you bought?

I can’t remember the first single I ever bought. I am the youngest of three children. My brother had a sound system so was constantly buying music, my sister was and still is, an avid collector of good music, and I always thought that what was theirs was mine…as any meddling little sister does!

R. Any chance of seeing you perform in South Africa soon?

I have been visualizing myself in South Africa performing Children of the Sun and Roots of Love sharing the stage with my sistrens, Demi Mseleku and the magnificent Thandiswa Mazwai. My first and only time performing in South Africa was six years ago, in fact it was a very pivotal time in my career, as Marsha soon left the group after. However, this time around I do not want to just fly in and perform and fly out. When I return I hope to be spending time in South Africa, and of course I look forward to performing too…but more then anything, I look forward to being there!

S. What is next for The Floacist in her career?

A more balanced expression of my creativity. I am poet, writer, orator and a member of my community first. These past 10 years have been based on laying foundations and navigating through the industry and all that comes with it! Now I want to get back to the true essence of my creativity, sharing not only my musical inflections of poetry, but also the written and theatrical aspects of the spoken word. Most importantly, I must give more in direct connectivity. I am just coming out of the hibernation that independence and ownership request of the spirit in order to align and recharge self. In a way, I have done so little, and I am very aware of that. So I am looking forward to more productivity and more selfless ventures of creative expression.