South African dance documentary films: "I dance as if I have gun to my head" Pop, Lock 'n Roll

There are incredible stories to be told.  And dancers who use their body to express and encapsulate emotion is a language, a story in itself.  I filmed African Cypher Dance Session on my phone at Fly on the Wall Production House in Cape Town, December 16th, 2011: Dance crews that perform and compete at contests like the Red Bull Beat Battle in South Africa and around the world.  Check the trailer link below.

  I have always been captivated by music and dance.  I couldn't resist the urge to film on my phone in the dark warehouse above Roeland St in Cape Town.  The pantsula artists had woven a whole sequence of comedy, sex, violence and gender roles with innovative movements that put the whole cypher into a hypnosis.
Now, another fresh young filmaker, Ziggy Hofmeyr, is raising funds to share a story with the world about dance, love and quest.  Pop, Lock 'n Roll -- Indiegogo: http://igg.me/p/191398

  If we support filmmakers, creactivists, dancers: Culture . . . then we will be preserving a tapestry of identity.   Go on to IndieGogo and support the projects that speak to you. Or better yet, tell us when your next project is!

Watch the film African Cypher, and support South African films like Pop, Lock 'n Roll to be made.

Video Love collage on our Beach Wedding Day: June 30th 2012

Our wonderful friend, Claire Homewood created this beautiful video montage of our wedding festival and ceremony on June 30th, 2012.  It is still so touching to relive those moments of supreme happiness and celebration with our family and friends.

 Umtamvuna River Lodge, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa

You Can't See Me: South Africa Passes the Secrecy Bill

"You  must be going blind"

Criminalizing investigative journalism...a democracy-demolishing. This Tuesday's soundwave is sponsored by the Secrecy Bill passed in South Africa today "You can't See me."  The passing of the secrecy Bill in South Africa seeks to create a law-so that larger governing bodies to local municipalities, can classify a document 'secret' and place harsh penalties on whistleblowers.  Eish!

Quite a White Ou - Ndingumlungu - Full Version - YouTube

Quite a White Ou - Ndingumlungu - Full Version - YouTube: 'via Blog this'  The Music Video Link.

 HayiBo!

I had a lot of fun helping style some uMlungu outfits with Quite a White Ou.  So cool to see how everything came together. Thanks to Ubuntu Bridge, I got also go to up my Xhosa speaking skills to a Level 2.  It was a lot of useful learning.

In this video, eMzantsi definitely shows her true style around the Cape Peninsula.

 “Learn the Lyrics” video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogoLeUj2Y2U)

Or the lyrics can be found below:

INTRO:  Mamelani eh eh mamelani eh eh  x 2  – Listen y’all!

 CHORUS:

Ndisafunda isiXhosa                                    (Im still learning Xhosa)

Ndithetha kancinci.                                      (I speak a little only)

So Khawuzekelele                                       (So Please talk slowly)

xa uthetha nami                                           (when you speak with me)  X 2

VERSE 1:

Ndithetha kancinci kuba ndingumlungu*
I talk a little xhosa because I’m a white ou.

Ngikhuluma kancane kuba ndingumlungu
I talk a little zulu because I’m a white ou.

Andikwazi ukujiva kuba ndingumlungu
I don’t know how to dance because I’m a white ou.

Andikwazi ukucula kuba ndingumlungu
I don’t know how to sing because I’m a white ou.

REPEAT CHORUS:

VERSE 2:

Andithathi iteksi x2 kuba ndingumlungu
I don’t take taxis because I’m a white ou.

Ndiqhuba Mercedes x2 kuba ndingumlungu
I drive a Mercedes because I’m a white ou.

Andikwazi ukushela kuba ndingumlungu
I don’t pick up girls because I’m a white ou.

Ndithanda ukukempa kuba ndingumlungu
I love to camp because I’m a white ou.

Ndinxiba ishortsi kuba ndingumlungu
I wear shorts because I’m a white ou.

REPEAT CHORUS:

VERSE 3:

[Andiqondi (I don’t understand), andikuva (I don’t get you) x3, eh, andiqondi]  x 2.

VERSE 4:

Cool and Nice                                    Hot and Spice

Like vanilla ice                                    like pap n rice

You know I’m down,                        Come get down

Umlungu waseCape town                with ingamla yaseCape Town

(White guy from Cape Town)        (with the Whitey from Cape Town)

Hayi bo!!                                                Hayi bo!!                                                X 2:

  

Durban International Film Festival has been a Sensory Feast!

Durban Int FILM festival has been a Sensory Feast
.http://twitchfilm.com/news/201​1/03/international-trailer-for​-the-black-power-mixtape-1967-​--1975.php
http://www.restlesscityfilm.co​m/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v​=Ld7QRjr9wqQ
http://www.filmcontact.com/sou​th-africa/retribution-starring​-joe-mafela-diff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v​=x0qpJQpqYVc

Restless City, a film with rich visual script

Was like watching visual magic realism. Many shots used reflections upon reflections, weaving an emotional tale that engaged intimately with the two main characters, Djbril and Trini.  My favorite part about this film besides the incredible costumes, were each frame allowed your eye to digest into the detail, opening your senses to the story unfolding before you.  It all made sense when director, Andrew Dosunmu,     explained he came from a photography background.  This is a beautifully styled film that displays how essential cinematography serves as a visual script.
   Check out more on the film here: http://www.restlesscityfilm.com/#stills
   or see it Friday, July 29th at 10pm, Musgrave Centre, at the Durban International Film Festival.

    This foto was jacked from The Restless City website.  Photo by Jenny Baptiste. Respect.

Messages on the wall: Public Street Art

Meeting Os Gemeos en Atenas in 2005 was a highlight-sharing my writing style with them, checking their sketches and the motivation behind the wall they were commissioned to paint lit my street art passion into a higher gear.  The wall they painted is the whole bus station that lines the...in Gazi.  It’s images of people riding bicycles in nature, using alternative methods of transportation than diesel-guzzling motors.  Like a photo, contrast is important.  

I wonder now if there is a bike lane on that road? :)

Now back in South Africa: 

 Fear is a prison.  Fear is in the woman dressed in pink.  She says, “Excuse me, do you have permission to paint on this wall?”

“Yes, we do” 

“No, you don’t!”

“Yes, we do.”

“I’m going to call the police and . . . . Blah blah blah.”  Fear is a prison, dear sister in pink. And thank you for wearing pink but your threats we do not fear. I may rather ask for what is threatening you?  Has anyone but yourself ever solved what it threatening you?  I assure you, police are just people like you and me, and so what is there to fear? Police, more art, silence, thought, there is nothing to fear.  Don’t make up threats unless do you believe you are not free? Oh so that is why you chose the prison and threaten others to join you? No thank, we do our best to stand free, come join us, you’ll like it.

“We’ve tried to uplift this area . . .” she later explained to a listening ear.

And so what is upliftment? 

To threaten your community members is not uplifting.

Use your anger to change something in yourself.

As we express ourselves freely, we uplift ourselves freely. And if we live in this community, that we can be brave and fearless in, we are uplifted because we are not threatened or threaten ourselves because we live in fear. Just like you dress in pink, you are expressing materially on your body canvas-go head! I’ll lend you my pink sweater next time I see you in the neighborhood. 

And if we live in this world, that free expressive vibration roots into each step-changing our geographical minds. And with each step, another one is taken and shared by another free individual that crosses our path, unthreatened.  And there, two souls, moving freely, uplifted by their own choices, their inspirations and individual motivations, transform, positively, the world we live in. Upliftment! 

So thank you for painting the wall red. The contrast is beautiful-uplifting-and for the next individual to say yes to the canvas, to spread their free public uplifting expression.

 And slowly, we will all move out of the prison.

Refashioning Manoula's Dress

I am refashioning my mom's dress for the love revolution festival wedding we are soon to be planning for next year.  I am going to see the dress soon and wear it with such pleasure- restructuring it with Ronel's help. Here is a picture of the detail, the hand beaded parts my mom did for her wedding in 1969.  Today is my parent's anniversary.  It was a Priscilla gown, she explains to me.  Whatever it is, I will love to use it's vintage allure. I can't wait to see how it evolves into a three-in-one gown of beautiful feminine love and powah.

The Cape Argus Cycle Tour in Cape Town

 In just under 3 hours, womyn and men of the Cape Argus Cycle Tour completed the ride from Cape Town's city centre and back again on the most beautiful peninsula of the world.  I woke up on Sunday morning to cheers and clapping for the dedication of cyclists making their way around Boyes Drive in Muizenberg.  Just steps from our home was a refueling spot of blue energy drink and I managed to capture some young faces touring their own city's landscape on their self-powered bicycles.  It was a gorgeous Sunday of hope and positivity to watch thousands of people travel through the city.

In just under 3 hours, womyn and men of the Cape Argus Cycle Tour completed the ride from Cape Town's city centre and back again on the most beautiful peninsula of the world.  I woke up on Sunday morning to cheers and clapping for the dedication of cyclists making their way around Boyes Drive in Muizenberg.  Just steps from our home was a refueling spot of blue energy drink and I managed to capture some young faces touring their own city's landscape on their self-powered bicycles.

Graffiti Art on the Street talks back-Durban, South Africa

  We build walls, we break walls.

  We climb walls, we bomb walls.

 We stare at walls, we wonder . . . if walls could talk.

  We paint walls, so they talk back.

  -Athena

   This picture was taken in 2005, in Durban, South Africa.

Joy and Chaos with MP3 experiment

 Improv Everywhere comes to Cape Town, ZA

Balloon battles, and random high-fives.  Peeps got an afternoon of random spontaneity with a lesson in listening in the Bay of sunglasses, six-packs and pouty lips.

Oceans: From the dark depth to the light of the surface . . .

The kelp laid on the sand like calligraphy. I was struck by these huge brown algaes laying on the sand, each telling it's story. I took these in 2008 when I first moved to Cape Town, KELPstaad a.k.a iKELPa. It was sunset at Long Beach, Kommetjie.

Voices on Obama: Emmanuel

It’s very interesting for an African to become the president in the United States. He’s very interesting, and I’m very happy for the politics.  It’s like Ghana, the democracy needs to be understood, if not, an African cannot be a president in the United States. It’s because of the democracy.

It’s like Ghana too, because of the democracy, if they finish the election, there's no violence.  It’s all quite interesting because even in Africa, some of the countries, like Zimbabwe, after the elections, well, you know what is happening over there; their leader doesn’t want to give up.
If it’s not your turn you have to step down and then let someone else in.

There must be changes, there must be change.

Emmanuel is from Ghana and has been living in Khayelitsha, South Africa for 3 months. He is an entrepreneur and is opening up a restaurant soon.

Voices on Obama: Nathi

I am very surprised to see the Black man ruling in a country like America because it’s a very big country in the world. I am very surprised to see all that in America.

Maybe now is the time to see the Xhosa men rule the world, ya know?

It’s the time to change now. Ya know, it's time to give that guy a chance to see what he's going to do in America.

 I listened to the first speech that man spoke. He was trying to open the minds here because if you say all the minds in South Africa are closing, that guy can open the minds here in South Africa.

Nathi is a petrol attendant in Khayelitsha, Western Cape. He is originally from Umtata, Eastern Cape.

Voices on Obama: Abigail and Dure

Abigail

For me, because they say now he’s the second Mandela, you know Mandela was the one we look up to, our role model, and now he’s followed Mandela’s footsteps now.  He's the second Black president.

Dure

I actually think he’s going to be bad for Africa. Yes, because before, in the past it was 'Poor Africa'. America would say Poor Africa. He’s got family in Kenya so he knows what Africa is about and he’s not going to say Poor Africa. He’s not going to be as sympathetic.

I feel he’s going to be less sympathetic. In all our Afrikaans papers and things we read, they are also speculating that he’s going to be less sympathetic, the economic people and everyone is speculating that.

Abigail and Dure are shoe sales associates in Knysna, South Africa

Voices on Obama: Frank and Bernie

What do you think of the new president of the US?

Oh it’s cool.  I hope that he’ll just be nice and look after the people.  It would be nice. There won’t be a big issue.

                                 What does it mean to you as a South African?

For me, it's quite different.  Well, he’s a Negro and maybe it will be better, better or worse I don't know. But I try to guess that he'll be equal to his family, the family is what’s important over other things. It will be nice, man.

When are you gonna be South Africa's president?

Oh gosh sake, look.  Look at the new president. That’s what I’m saying.  In South Africa, you don’t know when it’s summer, or when it’s winter.

Bernie

This country is not right, man.

 This country is very bad. The crime rate is very bad. 

Killing children, and all this is bad.

Do you have children?

Six children. Two girls and four boys I got and I’m selling fruit everyday.  Everyday.

Oooh, it's heavy man. And look here I don’t got fingers too.

There’s no money in this damn country.

Frank and Bernie sell fruit from their truck in various areas around Cape Town.

Voices on Obama: Nick and Chris

                                            Nick

I’m a little bit skeptical, I would say. But seemingly Barack Obama seems like a really good choice and it's really positive that so many people have gone out and voted for him. But I’m just a bit, ya, a bit skeptical about world politics; if it will really actually mean change. That’s pretty much my opinion on it.

Chris

Well, I share skepticism on world politics, but at the same time sometimes you have call a spade a spade. And Bush was a fucking spade. {laughs}

Any improvement on that front I think is good, ya know? And um, because America’s got such a huge controlling power in the world economy, their stability and non-war mongering is going to benefit everybody. But on our side, um, I’m not entirely sure what these elections will prove.

Chris and Nick are students at University of Cape Town, South Africa

Voices on Obama: Christopher

Did you know the United States elected a new president?

Now I didn’t know that. I don’t even look at the news anymore. I used to look at news, I used to watch T.V, I used to watch soccer. I like my cricket, I like my sport, but I don’t watch it anymore.

Why not anymore?

Cause I haven't got a T.V. Cause I'm sleeping in the car.

And the newspapers?

I read newspapers yeah, I like to read newspapers, I used to work at C&A. When I was a young kid, I used to work at C&A - Cape Town, Bree street. I used to work in the old C&A building.
I used to work in books and I like to read. And I like to read the bible also. Yeah that's my main book I like to read.

My parent's they brought me up like that you see, read the bible everyday, every time.

 Why don't you work at C&A anymore?

Oh that was in the 70's I used to work there. Now it's in the 2000's.

 

Tell me the difference.

Oh, it's very different.

How's it different for you?

It's not the same bosses anymore you see. These days, they're not bosses like they used to be. You get good people and you get bad people, and today you get bad people.

How do you think South Africa’s changed?

{Sigh} Bad.

Do you have hope?

I have hope, yeah, I have hope for the country, yeah. I also worked for the country.
It’s not the country, it’s the people, you see, the people.  The country is fine.
I was in places .I met mates over seas guys that I worked with.

Jesus man, they enjoyed our country. That was in the early days I used to work for the English person, Mr Morgan. He said to me, Christopher in 1984, when he sent me to Joburg, he said to me, look here Christoper, in ten years time, this was 84, he said in ten years time, you’ll see how many cars will be in South Africa. It was '84, ten years was '94. And look at the cars now!

More cars than people. Now where’s the money coming from? 

{pause}

 Now, I've got to do some scrap... {laughs}

Christopher is a repairman and metal scrap collector in the False Bay area of Cape Town.  Interviewed in Kalk Bay.

Voices on Obama: Felix

How do you feel about, now that you know the outcome of the U.S. election and what it means to you as a Zimbabwean, as a world citizen?

As a world citizen, okay, I would say, like, I mean.. it shows that life man, if you believe, you know, things can change especially if people come together.

Like you see the case of America, it's not about.. like, it wasnt the race issue. It's about people, come together as a nation and they believed in Obama and you know they want something for a change which is what has been happening.

What do you think that change is?

That change, like, basically you know people always thought that, like, you know America, it was mainly, eh, how can I say?, you know, the time of Martin Luther King, they came from a time where once Blacks were oppressed. Martin Luther had a dream that one day that dream would come true..so like in a way, this is the way I would say that dream of Martin Luther has become a reality.

I've been following Obama's profile. To me, it seems to me, it sounds like he has a very good education background...like in the senate most of those guys they used to oppose him. Like he's a republican is it?

Obama?

Obama, he's Republican?

Democrat.

Democrat, yeah, like but in his case he actually brought those two parties, Republican and Democrat together in the senate.

So like for him as a statesman, I think he'll do much better, its not about the political indifference with them but its about bringing all the people together, which if you want something to work you have to bring people together.

Felix is originally from Zimbabwe, working in South Africa. He bartends at Zula Bar on Long Street, Cape Town.

Voices on Obama: Gary and Eve

I’m doing interviews on South African reactions to the victory of the democratic candidate Barack Obama . . .

Eve: It’s what we woke up to this morning. Like Gary and I, ya know, trying to sleep to 10 -that’s all we want to do in life-and John walked out. Little economist, John, walked out of his room and went "Yay, Obama won!" And we were like, "Huh?"

What does that mean to you?

Eve: Ya, well, I dunno what it means to me. It means that my best friend whose planning on moving to the states has, uhm, a new president. She said, well like her husband’s American and she’s obviously African, and she said she has an African-American baby and he’s just delighted.

And so do you think you are affected as a South African by the U.S elections?

Gary: Yes. But I'm not really sure why. I was reading up on it on the internet today and there's a lot of things but I generally, like . . . when I listen to politics, ah, it’s pretty rad and nah, I'm really stoked and it's awesome but uh, but exactly why I'm affected, like I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you, cause I just want to rock.

What’s awesome about? Why do you use those words?

Gary: Um, that I know, I know the gist of why the Republicans were, weresh, were shit. And why the Democrats are rad. And like it’s cool that it’s a black guy and it's just like ya . . . just and the other guy look soooooo boring. [Laughs in the background]

Eve: Also, like McCain is a kind of oven bake chips. That’s no person to rule the free world. And we never listen to the news… never ever ever and today, like, we listened to a good I’d say minute and a half . . . hey hey ‘hows that?’ of the news before we put the next CD in, that’s that’s a lot . . . oh, we heard Nelson. Nelson Mandela said something, cause we discovered that he only speaks in proverbs. He never, like, has actual conversations with anyone. He just says one liners and they’re always, like awesome. What did he say?

Gary: "He shows how..anyone can achieve. Anyone can achieve anything..." Yada, yada, {in Mandela voice} I’m Nelson and leave me alone I’m going back to bed.

Eve: {in Mandela voice} I’m very old.

Eve and Gary make music in Cape Town.