SO WHAT'S NEW, THE POWER OF WOMEN

Its amazing what can happen when you put women together in one room. You get nothing but fireworks. This is the result that comes from the theatre production called “So what’s New”. With the women’s month in August, this show came back at such a perfect time. It’s a perfect mirror of the lives of four women from the township who are bound together in the new South Africa, with all the responsibilities and challenges they are faced with on a daily basis.

This production which premiered in 1991 right after Nelson Mandela was released from prison has some reference of the oppression conditions in South Africa. It’s written by Fatima Dike with Princess Mhlongo as the director. The show is back with an impressive all star line up. Andrea Dondolo plays the role of Dee, a Shebeen queen and a mother to a very vocal and smart Mercedes played by Zimkhitha Kumbaca. We also have Thandi and Patricia who are sisters and both very good friends of Dee. Thandi play by the talented Sibulele Gcilitshana who just came from working with James Ngcobo on the production “Sunjata”. Then Patricia played by Thuli Thabethe who is famous for her role Phumzile on “City Sesla”.

Putting all these women together you get a very funny comedy that is beautifully acted. The character Patricia is a crowd favourite with her funny dialogue and attitude, while Dee connects with all the mothers. A definite must see for a girl’s night out, especially on the upcoming women’s month.

SO WHAT’S NEW will be running at THE Market Theatre till 14^th  of August.

"SIZWE BANZI IS DEAD" ENJOYS A SECOND RUN AT THE MARKERT THEATRE

“Sizwe Banzi Is Dead” is one of the theatre productions that has been running for decades. It’s a story about identity during the times of the black oppression.  The story is set in the Eastern Cape and explores the issue of urbanisation during the time of Pass Laws in the old South Africa.

The production is now enjoying a second run at the Johannesburg Market Theatre this year and its proving to be still a favourite for theatre lovers. This time around Monang “Vice” Motshabi is in the director’s seat, with his rendition of this thrilling story. He has directed and written a lot of productions that include “Echoes”, which won a Naledi award for best community theatre production. The story is now mainly cantered in Style’s Photography studio, giving it a fresh feel that adds a whole new dimension to the story.

The story unfolds with a humorous dialogue by Styles played by (Omphile Molusi) who also plays the part of Bantu. It then crosses over to the story of Sizwe played by Arthur Molepo who has graced many productions and the famous soapy “Generations”. The use of Style’s Photography studio as the centre of the story was a genius idea. As a result this rendition explores the story in a very interesting angle, which gives the true essence of the story without biting around the bush. This show sure makes a great night out that beats staying in doors for the boring storyline of generations.

The show is running till the 24^th of july

DANCE PERFORMER REACHES OUT TO JOZI DANCERS

Mamela Nyamza was this year’s winner of the Standard bank young artist award for the dance category.  She just came back from performing at the Grahams town National festival, but this young lady from Cape Town is already starting a new project. Nyamza has been commissioned by the Goethe institute in Johannesburg to create new work. She has then decided on doing a workshop for all talented dancers to join her so they would create something extra ordinary.

Nyamza is known for her provocative dance pieces that have sparked dialogue on national and international stages. Her work tackles the issues that women are faced with on a daily basis, even exploring the issues of sexuality.  Most of her pieces she creates have been solo pieces, but this time around she wants to work with a group. She then decided on workshops to get together a group of dancers to work with for a month. The piece created from the workshops will be performed at the Arts on Main in September.  

These workshops which will help create jobs for dancers who are struggling will be  taking place from the 16^th of August till the 14^th of September. Nyamza says “This time around I would love to work with older dancers from the ages of 25 and older”. But in order for her to pull this beautiful idea off she needs sponsors for food and transport for the dancers for a month. Nyamza explains that the Goethe institute only paid for the working space and the performance fee. Anything anyone can give would truly help these workshops, and everyone who wants to help can email Nyamaza on mamela15@yahoo.com . Dancers who also want to be part of the workshops can also contact Nyamza via email.

KB RUNS FREE ON HER LATEST ALBUM

KB continues to re invent her sound with every album, and as a result people struggle to put her in a certain box when it comes to genre. Her energy charged and provocative live performances have earned her a top spot as one of the hottest female live acts. With the very powerful title “Run Free: The Evolution” and a striking album cover It’s hard to miss KB’s latest album. It’s quite evident that despite KB”s busy schedule which includes a role in the hit soapy “Rhythm City” music still remains in her blood. The album shows how much this young lady from Mafikeng has grown musically from her days of “Beautiful Vibrations”.

In this album which is released through Gallo Records KB goes back to her old skool sound that turned her into a bornified star. She mixes the sound with some live instruments that she explored on her albums “My Rhythm” and “Ke Mosadi”. These sounds mixed together give the latest album some colour and edge that makes it stand out from all her other albums.

The first single “My Way” featuring Tuks is a song about celebrating our uniqueness. It’s very easy in the ear with a very intoxicating electric guitar mixed with Tuks Motswako flavour; it’s bound to be a radio hit. Most of the Tracks have a “deep House” feel without losing that KB sound to give the Mmamosadi flavour. The song “Kwaliwa” which features a Swati poet gives the album a mix of indigenous sounds.  Other songs that shine are “Seo Seo Ft Seabelo, Let It Go and Run free.

This album is a clear indication that KB is serious about her craft and as an Icon she continues to up her game whether behind the microphone or on our TV screens. Get the album and Run Free.

KOJO BAFFOE FROM THE “LOVE POET” TO EDITOR OF DETINY MAN

 Kojo Baffoe is one of the chameleons in the very small sector, called the Media. Managing to cross over to all the forms within the field and still managing to set the standard high, from writing scripts and development deals with companies like Trans Africa to being the editor of Destiny Man magazine. Following the successful female magazine “Destiny” under the company Ndalo Media, formed by the very powerful Miss Khanyi Dlomo Mkhize.

Kojo was born in Munich, Germany to a Ghananian father and German mother. After his mother passed away he moved to Maseru in Lesotho and remained there for the rest of his formative years. After he completed his metric he moved to Kwazulu Natal where he enrolled at the University of Kwazulu Natal for a Bachelor of commerce degree. After he completed his studies he went back to Maseru where he ventured into the family businesses, which include:  Management Consultant, Retail: Cosmetic and hair products, Publishing Newspaper, Southern Star and a few IT projects.

He then moved to the city of Johannesburg with all the business experience from back home.  That is where he started to explore his writing skills and poetry further, even making a name as a performing poet. Everything was looking great for him in the city of gold as a writer. He began writing and developing concepts for a number of publishers like the Mail & Guardian then he joined the SABC and became a scriptwriter for their many programmes like the Jazz/contemporary music show Afro Cafe.

With his entire work one thing seemed to be becoming clear was Kojo’s love for the popular culture, human experiences and lifestyle, which came through in all the projects he became part of. His career was leaning more and more on the writing and poetry side. He then published two anthologies. The first one published in 2005 titled “Voices in My Head” and followed by “And They Say; Black Man Don’t Write Love Poetry” and that’s when he got the name the “Love Poet”. Soon after he settled down and got married and had a son, which came as no surprise especially with his love of performing love poems.

I fell in love with Kojo when he became a columnist for the City Press. As a lover of the popular culture and lifestyle, his columns really appealed to me and taught me a lot about the world of music and entertainment. He managed to write about topics that many writers seemed to neglect and made them so interesting while highlighting their importance. I followed him in the Destiny man where he also had a column which seemed to focus on the society and human experiences and I became more aware about the state of my society because of his columns. When he was announced the new editor of Destiny Man it came at such a great time as I was now in University and was in need of a magazine designed especially to make me a better man.

                                                                  

Kojo Baffoe has managed to climb to the top in the media industry in such a very short period of time. Whether in his writing skills, business skills or performing his famous love poems .Kojo is one of the few artists who just seem to have it all and yet still remains much grounded by his family.

To contact Kojo:

http://www.kojobaffoe.com/
http://www.destinyman.com/
kojobaffoe@gmail.com

NAPO MASHEANE RE DEFINES BEING A "PERFORMANCE ARTIST"

Napo Masheane is one of the busiest women in the performing arts scene. She is constantly re-inventing herself as a writer, performer, director, play writer, producer, which is one of the reasons she continues to wow audience nationally and internationally with her famous productions. She has mastered the art of being an all rounder. From funding her projects under her Company named “Village Gossip”, writing the scripts, being the director, to even being part of the cast.

This incomparable woman named Napo Masheane also a well known poet was born in Soweto but raised in QwaQwa in the Free State. She has a diploma in marketing management, speech and dramatic arts and has been part of many cultural exchange programmes all around the world. She has travelled as far as Italy, Amsterdam, United Kingdom, New York City and many other countries showcasing her talents as writer and performer and also learning and sharpening her skills and talent.

She is a founding member of the Fella Sistas spoken word collective which includes some of the most talented poets in South Africa (Lebogang Mashile, Ntsiki Mazwai and Maysha Jenkins).  Also she is the founder of Kalaneng Arts Track, a youth theatre organisation and   Co Director of Colour of the Dispora, an International collective of black women from the United States and South Africa. She has countless awards and recognitions as artists which include the Naledi awards and being nominated for the Daimler Chrysler South African Poetry Award in 2005. 

She published her essay and anthology “Caves Speak in Metaphors and embarked on a European tour in 2010 with her new production “Napo and Indigenous Orchestra”. She has also produced and directed many theatre shows including her one woman show that won the hearts of many women and critical acclaim “My Bum Is Genetic Deal with It” along with Fat Black Women Sing”. It’s her recent production Mollo (Woman in Me) which sees her teaming up with some of the most talented women in the entertainment industry.  These women who include Napo herself  Nkoto Malabye,Nqobile Sipamla, Refiloe Madume and the six piece band called Ladies In Jazz all in one stage dancing, reciting poems, singing and acting all in search of their of their critical conscience.

Napo continues to redefine the term performance artist by constantly breaking new grounds through her writing, directing and performances. It’s rare to see an artist who is so involved in every aspect of her productions and still continue to tell some of the most interesting stories in a foreign and exciting way. This woman is going to go down as one of South Africa’s most celebrated and honoured storytellers alongside the likes of Gcina Mhlophe. No one recites poems the way she does, no one performs the way she does, no one writes like she does and no artist can boast being a writer, director, producer, actor and performer and be able to master all of them the way she has done.

AFRICA DAY CONCERT WARMS UP A FREEZING JOBURG

The annul Africa day concert was held once again in Johannesburg at the New Town park this past weekend. It drew more than 10 000 people with its interesting line up which included the world renowned Senegalese singer Baaba Maal as the headliner. It was held on Saturday which was one of the coldest days of Johannesburg but that didn’t stop the thousand people from attending the concert.

Nkulee Dube the new reggae sensation and also the daughter of the late Lucky Dube graced the stage looking staggering in a jump suit. She kicked off her set with her new single “Who Dem” and in no timer the audience was singing along while she danced and interacted with her band.  She ended her set on a high note by singing  “Trouble” a song she said was her father’s favourite but it all seemed like an audience favourite too. After Nkulee warmed up the crowd the SAMA nominated alternative group UJU took to the stage and within no time they had the  audience singing along while Ntuthu the lead singer seemed to mesmerise them with her sweet voice. But it’s their rendition of the classic hit by the Trompies and Lebo Mathosa “Magasman” that won over the audience.

Olufemi singer and saxophone player from Nigeria took us to another with the Lagos afro beat. Everyone was on their feet including an old couple who were the highlight of the dance floor and for a moment the cold weather didn’t seem to matter. After the energetic performance there was an announcement about a 45 minute break to make final arrangements for the live broadcast which came as a bit of a bummer.

After the 45 minutes break we crossed over to the live broadcast which aired on SABC 2 with the very energetic hosts Anele Mdoda and KB. Dancers opened up the show with an interesting choreography and costumes as they danced to the Late Brenda Fassie’s classics. The broadcast show was kick started by the legendary Mahotella Queens who set the stage on fire with the choreography and colourful outfits. They sang three songs including their smash hit “GAZETTE” with the audience singing along fiercely as they took us back to memory lane. After the energetic performance the legendary Baaba Maal took to the stage for a more intimate set up that showcased those killer vocals, while he spoke to the audience in between the songs as if they were sitting right next to him. He was soon joined by Pops Mohammed and Olufemi for a very interesting collaboration that resulted in an eruption of intensive sounds that were very enchanting and very easy in the ear. After the more intimate set with Baaba Maal we went to Mali with a performance from Habib Koite who was so energetic that for a moment the whole New Town was on fire from stage all the way to the audience.

This year they also introduced a new segment for the new up and coming artists to showcase their talent and they chose Toyah and gospel a group called The Soil. Toyah started off well with a reggae inspired song while she showed off her piano playing skills, but she lost the audience in the second song which saw her go for the rock side with two dancers accompanying her. The soil followed her and they mesmerised the audience with their acapella performance and dance moves, with their flawless harmonies echoing through the park. After that outstanding performance Tumi and the volume turned up the volume with some hip hop jams. It was interesting to see how much Tumi has become such an audience favourite and the performance he gave was the best I’ve ever seen when it comes to hip hop. With that outstanding performance from tumi it was now for the man of the moment Professor.  The moment he walked on stage and the crowd just went insane you could clearly see how much this kwaito sensation has taken over South Africa. From the hit “Lento” with Speedy to the closing song “Sik’amarasor” New Town just came to a standstill.

It was very inspiring to see many people coming out in the cold to celebrate this day that is for us Africans especially during this time when we need each other the most. One of the most powerful things a man I talked to said was that we need this day now more than ever especially with all the xenophobic attacks that are happening around the country. I still feel like there is more that can be done to celebrate this day and maybe it could also be made a public holiday to show how important it really is.

NOMSA MAZWAI MORE THAN JUST A SISTER

As winter seems to creep into the very busy Jozi, I am getting ready for a night of great music. I dress up to my best but the weather doesn’t seem to be on my side, but anyway I proceed to Newtown.

Tonight it’s a very special night as Nomsa Mazwai the youngest of the Mazwai clan is taking to the stage for the first time since releasing her LP titled “Nomisupasta”. She is performing alongside her sister Ntsikie Mazwai for a pre Africa day concert special at Bassline. With all the hype that has been going around this girl, including her bagging three SAMA nominees among them the “The Best Newcomer” category, I had to witness her magic with my own two eyes. We all know the very talented Mazwai sisters Thandiswa and Ntsikie but what does Nomsa have to offer that sets apart from her sisters and does she have what it takes to make it into this very rife entertainment industry?

I was so excited that I got to the venue quite early and managed to get a glimpse of the rehearsals and my excitement sky rocketed. After waiting for quite a while in the cold weather we finally made our way inside the hall. The setting seemed so intimate with candles and a couple of tables; I took the table close to the stage to be able to get the best visuals. A couple of minutes later I was joined by a fellow writer and his friend and the evening couldn’t have gotten much sweeter. We indulged in some very interesting conversations with great music from the DJ while killing time as we wait for the star to take the stage. An hour later and there was still no sign of Nomsa and the crowd seemed to be growing impatient including me.

Nomsa finally hit the stage to the crowd’s applause and she looked like a star wearing a black futuristic dress and platform shoes topped with a rock star jacket to add a bit of a statement. She hit it off with her first song to hit the airwaves “Ndiyakuthanda Sana” and it proved to be a hit with the audience as they sang along with her. She then called on her sister Ntsiki who took to the stage looking flawless in a black number and a colourful beaded necklace to add a bit of life to the outfit. They do the song “Sweet Poison”. The first song they ever did together which is available in Ntsikie debut album. With Nomsa’s soulful voice and Ntsiki’s interesting deliverance with her poetry lines their bond transcends all over the hall with the audience screaming their lungs out. She finally gave us a taste of her poetry with a poem titled “Little Girl” and in that moment I could tell that this girl means business. She finally ended her first set on a high note with an emotional performance with her sister Ntsiki on a song called “You’re Hurting me” leaving us still begging for more.

The break proved to be a very long one as the time drew closer to midnight. Some of the guest grew impatient and departed, while some ordered more drinks and just continued to party. Despite the DJ’s intoxicating vibes the crowd seems to be getting more impatient and we just could’nt seem to take our eyes off our watches. She finally made her way to the stage again wearing a colourful outfit and trading the platforms for nothing but a pair of socks. She jumped on stage and broke into a dance while being joined by a couple of friends in very interesting outfits. They finally broke into a song with Cuba who had a folk spade with her on stage while wearing a brown overall and dropping hot rhymes with the audience on their feet.  Next was the song “what kind of love” and finally setting the place on fire with the song “Nguwe” which had a samba feel and had the audience on the dance floor. As the time hit 01h30 am unfortunately I had to be on my way because I was going to be crossing the Mandela Bridge alone and it’s notorious for muggings and I happened to be in possession of a digital camera.

One thing I cannot deny is that Nomsa has great potential to be a successful recording artist. She just needs to mould that talent and work more on her stage performance and presence but for her first headlining performance she was brilliant. She proved to me and the rest of that audience that she is a force to be reckon with and she is more than just Thandiswa and Ntsiki’s little sister.

To get a copy of Nomsa’s LP titled NOMISUPASTA send her a message on face book under the name Nomsa Mazwai or Join the group Nomisupasta.

NANDIPHA MNTAMBO'S FIERCE ART PIECES

Nandipha Mntambo was born in Swaziland in 1982. She graduated with masters in Fine Art (with a distinction) from the Michaelis school of Fine Art. Venturing into art was not first choice. She initially wanted to become a forensic pathologist but her calling to be an artist proved to be too strong to reject.


She creates sculptures cast out of cowhide and moulds them into feminine body forms which are usually her own. In a recent interview she says the work she creates is part of an engagement with the physical tactile properties of cowhide and aspects of control that allow or prevent her from manipulating this organic material. The use of the cowhide to make such bold statements about femininity is very intriguing and very authentic with connection to the African rituals.

The first time this woman’s fierce work caught my eyes it was just love at first sight. These master pieces are very hard to miss and spark a dialogue within yourself. The first time I heard about this very captivating artist was when she was announced as this year’s Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for the (Visual Artist) category. She is also a multi dimensional artist not only making sculptures but also creating photographs, drawings and videos. The video that made me aware of her strong presence is the video “UKUNGENISA” in which she engages in bullfighting in the abandoned Praca de Tourose in Maputo, the arena where Mozambican once had a fight for the entertainment of the Portuguese during the colonial epoch.
                                                                                         
She also had an exhibition on the Greek myths of Europa, Zeus and the Minotaur. On the images of the rape of Europa, she appears on the images as Europa. This woman is an unstoppable force in the arts industry. With exhibitions around the world and countless awards under her belt, she has achieved a very rare success with her authentic and very fierce art pieces. She makes art that sparks dialogues and art that arouses the mind and eyes, opening up your imagination

Her exhibitions include: Umphantsi Wempi, Ukungenisa, The Rape Of Europa, Waiting and Umncedo

Nandipha Mntambo will be exhibiting at this year’s Grahams town Annual Arts Festival.

SAMAs JUST ONE FOOT FROM THE GRAVE

The South African Music Awards known as the (SAMAs) are the most anticipated and respected awards in the music industry at large. This event sees the celebration of South African music and the honouring of artists who stood out from the rest on the previous year.

Instead of the event bringing joy and excitement they seem to bring nothing but bad publicity from the moment the nominations are announced. These awards seem to be more controversial every year, with lots of politics about the criteria for selection of the nominations and the judging panel being questioned. With many musicians who seem to meet the selection standards being constantly sidelined, these awards seem to always find a way to tick off many people.

The event had always been hosted at the Sun City Arena. Due to it being far from Johannesburg many artists had to sleep over, and the accommodation for artists always proved to be a nightmare which resulted in many not pitching for the event. The announcement of the move to Johannesburg was accepted with excitement, but the announcement of Monte Casino as the host put lots of fears to the surface. Can Monte Casino be able to accommodate the large numbers that are expected to grace the event? This was the question being asked by the media.

On Saturday South Africans witnessed what will eventually lead to the death of the SAMAs. Over the years SAMAs have grown very much despite other factors that were still lacking, but what I saw on Saturday was a huge step back for the event. The performances left a lot to be desired with most of them failing capture the audience; the only exceptions were Vusi Mahlasela and Ihashi Elimhlophe, The arrows and Tumi and the volume and Ray Phiri. The staging was terrible but the band was awesome. I still don’t understand the reason for the second stage because there seemed to be only five people watching until the end of the show. Most of the nominees I was not familiar with even most of the performers. The tribute to the singers that have passed was just terrible and there was no special tribute for the legendary jazz singer Zim Ngqawana to honour and salute him in style.


This year’s SAMAs should really raise concerns and the people behind the scenes should be questioned before these awards die before our eyes. The show lacked highlights and fell flat on presentation style. The only thing that the SAMAs made clear and that was these awards are just one foot from the grave. If nothing is done to rescue these prestigious awards, in no time they will be six feet under.

SIMPHIWE DANA HITS A HIGH NOTE WITH LIVE DVD

Simphiwe Dana is one of the most talented musicians that has come out of Africa since the late Miriam Makeba. She continues to capture audiences with her avant-garde music and style that is very authentic. With her very impeccable voice and her song writing skills she has managed to create a very unique and interesting sound that sets her apart from all other artists.

Despite all of these qualities and a stream of awards including 6 SAMAs she still remains one of the most unpraised singers in her own country. She is constantly being sidelined especially when it comes to radio airplay. This led to her turning to other countries like Germany for support and appreciation, a move that led her gaining international acclaim and even her self -more album hitting no1 on the Billboard world music charts.

Over the years Simphiwe who came to be known for her very powerful performances and her many appearances in jazz festivals around the world from the Switzerland Avo session to the International jazz festival. The release of the her critically acclaimed third album “Kulture Noir” saw her teaming up with the man who offered her, her big break Sipho Sithole to produce by far the best album of 2010.

With the rise in the release of live DVD’s in South Africa it came as no surprise when she announced the release of a live DVD, which was recorded live on the 1^st of December 2010 at the Lyric Theatre to a sold out theatre. The DVD had a few huddles being pushed back a number of times but it was finally released on
the 14^th of May and I ran to get myself a copy and I just knew I had to write about it.

The DVD hits off with Simphiwe accompanied by a two piece band, a bass and guitar played by the legendary Themba Mokoena belting off classical tunes like “Malaika” made famous by the late Miriam Makeba. She is then joined by the full band for her famous classics which include the love song “tribe” taken from her debut album “Zandisile”.

After changing to a white lady gaga like outfit she pays tribute to Sophia town with the audience singing along on their feet. The 27 orchestra finally joins her on songs like “Mayine”, “Iliwa Lam” and “Bantu Biko Street” making it a highlight of the show. “Ndiredi” and “Ilolo” have the audience on their feet with Miss Dana showing us that she can get down.

With all the live DVD’s that have been released, this is by far the best DVD that has ever been released by a South African artist along Miriam Makeba’s DVD live at Bern’s in 1966. Unlike the other DVD’s which have been released with a huge production that includes dancers, plasma screens, designer lighting and lasers, in Simphiwe’s there is only one thing that’s at focus and that’s her very mesmerizing voice and her hitting those high notes so effortlessly. She shows us that to pull off a night that will go down as one of the greatest nights in music history, all you need is your god given talent and nothing more. This DVD is worth a buy infact it’s a must have for all the artists because they might learn a thing or two from this tremendously talented woman.

A NIGHT WITH FRESHLYGROUND

After the world cup smash hit "waka waka" that was a global hit, I don’t think there is anyone who is not aware of freshly ground. This group has managed to crossover to many races with its multi lingual lyrics and a sound that is hard to box. Since their multiplatinum selling album "Nomvula" this group has been an unstoppable force, selling out venues and gracing festivals around the world including the Cape Town International jazz festival. They have been scooping award after award from the SAMAs, Metros and the Europe Music Award for the best African act, becoming the first Southern African act to win this award. But For the last couple of years freshly ground has been making a name for them when it comes to their live performances more than their albums sales. Their energy charged performances with choreography and ZOLANI’s mesmerising voice have been keeping audiences around the world begging for more.
I’ve been a fan of freshly ground since the album "Nomvula" landed on my hands the year it the topped with the hit "Doo Be Doo" that’s when ZOLANII’s soothing yet authentic voice had me hooked on every track on the album.

When I heard that freshly ground was scheduled for a two night event at Gold Reef City there was no doubt that I had to finally to experience this phenomenal group live before they head to the USA. The first thing was buy their latest album "Radio Africa" because when I attend concerts I love to sing along and be part of the experience fully. When I bought the ticket I was amazed to find the both events were almost sold out.

The day of the concert you could see the venue packed to its full capacity. The whole rainbow nation brought together under one roof by this talented group was a beautiful site to see.

The moment they steeped on stage they had the crowd and me on our feet with the song "BABA" taken from the album "Radio Africa". They way they encompassed the journey was interesting with Zolani’s narrations in between the songs showcased her once famous acting skills. It was evident that "Nomvula" is still a crowd favourite, with the crowd encoring the every song taken from the smash album. There was one member missing JULIO SIGAQUE due to him being in Manchester to welcome a new member to his family. The guitar player who was a stand in though managed to fill JULIO’s shoes.
The dancing and Zolani’s stage presence was mesmerising and the mixture of African sounds was food for my ears. The arrangements were on point with buttercup allowing Zolani to hit those high notes and a killer guiter solo within the song had the audience swaying. As much as they shine in their upbeat songs I especially felt them more in their more calm set which had the songs like "WOULD YOU MIND" and my favourite "VUL’AMEHLO", the way ZOLANI took her time with the melodies was intriguing making way for SIMON And KYLA’s beautiful solos.

The night swayed so smoothly with them even taking time to pay tribute to BUSI MHLONGO and a high note ending with smash hit "WAKA WAKA" which left the audience chanting "we want more". Finally ending with their famous ballad "I’d Like" which had the audience singing the song word by word and a little reggae mix in between which blended well with the original mix.

Freshly Ground proved why they are such a popular live act. It’s because they have found a way that sets them apart from the rest. They are able to connect and translate their music to audience while taking them on a journey of some good music. This is an act that makes me proud to be South African.

PLAY ME ( LOVE AND BETREYAL)

The moment I saw the cast line up my tongue began to wet with excitement and curiosity about what these artists can weep up on one stage. The title of the play specially struck a chord with me because it’s rare to see plays about love and betrayal being produced in South Africa stages.

As a theatre goer I’ve come to enjoy the theatre experience all by myself due to the fact going to theatre doesn’t really amuse my friends especially at this time where we have DSTV that plays movies back to back all day. They don’t know that they are missing out on the best platform that is rich in storytelling.

The moment the lights go down and the beautiful set appears along with the lead actors Joe (Fana Mokoena) and Pretty (Zandile Msutwana), you could sense that they mean business by the way they embody their characters. They play a married rich couple who seem to have reached the end of their union. Joe is a retired soldier and Pretty is a daughter of a businessman who has since passed living his business to her. Then we have Julia as the maid (played by the talented Lerato Mvelase) who is also a qualified researcher and Pretty’s cousin whom she keeps promising a position in the company one day. Lastly we have Jack (Sello Sebotsane) who was Joe’s commissioner during their days as soldiers in exile. Jack comes to his friend seeking a shelter and job because he is his last hope and ends being a chauffeur for Pretty his wife.

Despite the cheesy sexual dance scenes the play is well written with very funny dialogues that had the audience in full laughter. As much all the characters were very strong in their portrayal of their characters Lerato Mvelase stole the spotlight for me. She was living and breathing her character. The transition from the sweet Julia to the villain Julia looked effortless and after you just couldn’t take your eyes off her. This girl is very talented and she is still going very far she proves it ever every time she goes on stage.

Overall the play is well directed and a great watch, even had some of my friends promising theatre another visit. It was good to see a storyline that went away from the oppression days and focus on the modern days while not neglecting the past completely.

 Play Me is running at Market Theatre till the end of May

REVIEW OF NEWS SITES

INTERNET II

As an aspiring entertainment journalist I’ve had problems with South African news sites especially when it comes to entertainment news. The assignment which was presented to me to analyse them really opened my eyes and at the end I came out with a fresh view.
Here are some of the sites are accessed and how what I learned from them as online news sites:
    (I) www.news24.com

    (ii) www.sowetanlive.co.za

    (iii) www.mg.co.za
1. News 24 is a very well established and well known site and the beautiful layout makes you aware. It has lots of content to choose from, and it updates new content continuously. The gallery with the pictures and videos is well presented with pictures and videos of high quality. The only thing that disappointed me was the entertainment news section. It does not have much content and it’s only international news so I was left dry.

2. The Sowetan is also an established site and the variety of news was very tongue wetting. The site is very user friendly with navigation through the variety of stories, butthere was no time that shows you how fresh or old the stories are which was a bit of a let-down. Multimedia is huge now when it comes to on line sites and they do not have much content on multimedia especially videos. The entertainment side was also a let-down with not much content and only focusing mostly on international news.

3. The Mail & guardian is also one of the established sites. The layout is not fancy which allows the content to shine. The variety of news is breath taking and the galleries are up to date with recent pictures and videos of high quality. I fell in love with their arts section which is up to date with recent news and with fascinating pictures and videos. The focus on national news was a cherry on top, the articles were well written and the reviews left me craving for the real experience.

In all the sites the Mail & Guardian really kept mw captivated, I would want my site to look. The sites were all impressive in some way or the other but they made me realise that content is really important and multimedia to keep your audience interested. Now I know the Mail & Guardian site is a site I’ll be visiting a lot.