Monday, May 18, 2009
The ROOTs Cause
I pretty much use this blog as a reference site, as I recently started a fresh 'New Worldly Music' blog at The ROOTs Cause.
I will be updating there as often as I can, as I am unfortunately not able to sustain myself in the music industry alone, after we were forced to close down Peak Performances at the beginning of 2009 due to a whole stack of clients who didn't pay for the music after the fact. A sad state of affairs.
But the music continues, and so at The ROOTs Cause I will carry on the stories, giving the inside track to so many of our wonderfully talented musicians, and reminding you of some of our musical history.
The fat lady hasn't sung just yet!
I will be updating there as often as I can, as I am unfortunately not able to sustain myself in the music industry alone, after we were forced to close down Peak Performances at the beginning of 2009 due to a whole stack of clients who didn't pay for the music after the fact. A sad state of affairs.
But the music continues, and so at The ROOTs Cause I will carry on the stories, giving the inside track to so many of our wonderfully talented musicians, and reminding you of some of our musical history.
The fat lady hasn't sung just yet!
Labels: African, music, south africa, world music
Friday, June 01, 2007
Eat or be eaten - life in Kruger
Yesterday our designer Gregg Coppen from iaminawe sent me this amazing YouTube clip taken at the Kruger National Park. It has got nothing to do with music, I know, but then it’s a Friday and just another absolutely stunning day in Cape Town! And a change is almost as good as a holiday!
This 8:23 min clip is a celebration of life! This poor buffalo calf gets to discover 1st hand the dangers of being a little guy in the bush, when he has to deal with hungry lions, crocs and their inability to agree on who is actually going to get to eat him. But then, as with most fairytales, this one too has a great ending!
Really worth the stream-wait. Have a wonderful weekend folks!
(Grrrr - for some reason I couldn't embed the YouTube clip - so here is the link!
This 8:23 min clip is a celebration of life! This poor buffalo calf gets to discover 1st hand the dangers of being a little guy in the bush, when he has to deal with hungry lions, crocs and their inability to agree on who is actually going to get to eat him. But then, as with most fairytales, this one too has a great ending!
Really worth the stream-wait. Have a wonderful weekend folks!
(Grrrr - for some reason I couldn't embed the YouTube clip - so here is the link!
Labels: African, video, wildlife
Friday, May 25, 2007
Africa Day: Take the first step
Happy Africa Day! And it’s a stunning start to the weekend in Cape Town! We have got the most incredible blue skies and quite a pleasant temperature, which really opens your eyes as to why we are so lucky to be living down at the 'bottom' of the stunning continent!We have much to be thankful for.
I was in Camps Bay this morning, taking part in my old high school’s Founding Day assembly, with a number of ‘old’ boys & girls who had been invited to celebrate the schools history, and its future. I got to chat to Andrew Ingram, Chief Photographer of the Cape Times and Andrew Mac from Flat Stanley (keep an eye out for some vid coming soon!) and a few others, before we sat on-stage; staring at the future, staring at us.
We were played some Jazz by the school orchestra, an amazing violin piece by a Grade 9 pupil, Anele Mhlapo, and listened to a talk by Nature Conservations old-boy Dalton Gibbs, and then ended off with our old school song,
”Song of the wind in the pine tree’s,
high on the mountain crest
Song of the waves of the western sea
Where the sun sinks down to rest…”
It brought back many memories.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to share the positive memories that I have, but good or bad, being able to look back to where you have come from should give you the confidence to know where you are going! Nothing has to be the same as it was, if we choose to make it different. And as I always say, you can't go forward if you don't take the first step.
So – to celebrate Africa Day – I hope we all think about how we can make a difference; starting with ourselves, our neighbours, our communities, spreading outwards until a wave of change ripples over the entire continent.
This is Africa's century.
Labels: African, Proudly South African
Friday, March 16, 2007
16 March 1996 - An African Wedding
It’s a stunning Cape Town Friday, with a twist, as Lenny and I are celebrating our second 11th wedding anniversary today (I haven’t seen her as she’s at the hair-dresser).Its our second, as we were married legally in one of those terribly romantic Home Affairs marriages first on 31 October 1995, and then again the following year, except that this one was our spiritual union.
Neither of us are religious, and as Lenny had just moved to SA from the Netherlands, we wanted some kind of initiation into her new culture, and so we decided to have a traditional African wedding with elements from both Xhosa and Zulu cultures.
It was a stunning evening ceremony held at the old Scout house on top of Signal Hill; the sun setting over a mist covered Sea Point. We had Xhosa dancers, singers, Sangoma’s, Zulu dancers, who took us through a whirlwind of celebration.The two groups, her ‘family’ and mine, dancing against each other, singing against each other, until our union, when everyone then joined together to celebrate as one family. And then we sat and drank Umqombothi to seal the marriage and thank of ancestors.
It was memorable day, and 11 years later it's wonderful to be able to look at my lovely Lenny, and know, that we’ve only just started!
Have a great day folks – on us!
Labels: African, Jazzart Dance Theatre, music, wedding
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Kalahari Surfers and Friends for Red Bull
Yesterday we stuck our heads in at the final rehearsal in Cape Town between Warrick Sony from the Kalahari Surfers, Dizu Plaatjies (Ibuyambo), Lulu (Lungiswa Plaatjies pictured right with Warrick)), Xolani Gongxeka and Xoliswa Tom for another very exciting international project. At a time when South Africa is once again making an impact on the international stage – congratulations to the Soweto Gospel Choir for their Grammy Award for Best World Music album – it is exciting to feel a part of marketing these exciting projects from our country to the rest of the world.
This South African world music ensemble had come together before setting off for Salzburg Austria today at 17h00, to perform at Red Bull’s Hangar 7, for three performances – on the 16th, 17th and 21st of Feb. They are going to be joined in Austria by artists from Zip Zap Circus, and will be collaborating for one spectacular Aerial Scarf act, bringing together all the South African influences.
They have been invited to perform there as part of the exhibition titled – Turbulence – Art from South Africa , with exhibits by artists Sanell Aggenbach, Conrad Botes, Nicholas Hlobo, Ledelle Moe (pictured left is Heads: Collapse II, 2004 - Concrete, steel, oil), Samson Mudzunga, Brett Murray, Johannes Phokela, Lyndi Sales and Joachim Schonfeldt (the exhibit lasts from 17 February to 11 April 2007). And there is some amazing material out on show! We naturally are very excited to be involved with the mixing of musical styles again; the Kalahari Surfers electronic sound combined with traditional percussion, drumming and vocals, bringing together the old and the new.
All these artists have incredible experience with this kind of project, having done similar things with Juno Reactor, the African Dope crew, and other genre’s like Jazz, Gospel and . Add to this ensemble Inka Kendzia, who as VJ will be projecting African images and animation to the music, and I guarantee that the audience is going to be blown away! (I will be doing a feature in Inka as soon as she returns!) .
This rehearsal video is a little dark and grainy, and the music is very much in its infancy stages, but it gives you a good idea of how these artists compliment each other. There is also a very interesting little interview with Dizu for French TV5’s Mondomix – and I will be getting some more footage later this week of other shows!
Take it easy folks!
Labels: Aerial Scarf, African, African Dope Records, Dizu Plaatjies, electronica, Inka, jazz, Juno Reactor, Kalahari Surfers, Soweto Gospel Choir, traditional, world music, Zip Zap
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
I am an African
My dad called me up last night, “I have to read on your blog that my grandson had stitches, and there haven’t been many updates since!” – I know it’s been awhile since I added! But I have been roughing it in the country-side!We had such a hectic week last week, that the Bergies escaped the Cape with our friend Wendy and her kids, Stanley & Rosie. And so we ended up at the foot of the majestic Langberg mountain range just outside Swellendam, at a small camping site called Hoopoe Camping, which is part of Braham van Zyl's Swellendam Kloof Holiday Farm. Its nestled right below what is known as 12 o’clock Peak, surrounded by Pine forests, hills covered in fynbos and a patch-work quilt of green farmlands.
We needed to re-energise. And what a place to do it in.
Ok – we had quite abit of rain over the last 2 days, and today wasn’t as much fun getting caught in several rain storms while trying to pack up camp! But even that couldn’t take away from the beauty!
Swellendam is special to me, as my dad & I used to come to Bontebok National Park every December/January, and because our camping partner Wendy used to live here. The national park has been under renovation since April this year (opening in December again hopefully) and so we ended up at the foot of this kloof, one I didn’t even know existed – it’s so like Natures Valley in its natural beauty and wild, green growth! Just stunning!I think most importantly, it reminded me of what a proud South African I am. I drive just along the road and am just amazed at this country moves me. How much there is here for us to work for, not only to preserve for generations to come, but to enjoy ourselves too, so that we can share with others!
So to start my week, I want to remind everyone of President Thabo Mbeki’s words – before he had the official title – made in May 1996 – I am an African! And damn proud too!
Here I have been raving about how beautiful this start to summer has been, but while driving through the Hex River Valley we were shocked to see that there was actually snow on the mountains! No wonder we had to buy extra blankets, and made use of our heater every night!
Labels: African, Thabo Mbeki
