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