Tag: African music

“That Tuesday Funk” Will Never Die!

That Tuesday Funk takes place every last Tuesday of the month at The Plug on 7th Avenue in Melville, Johannesburg. Originally, it was held at Hell’s Kitchen on the same street until that place shut down. Established by the boys of The Brother Moves On and co, the iconic jam session has been known to host some of the best musicians in the country and the vibe is always good. If you haven’t experienced it yet—you’re a tourist.

That Tuesday Funk October 2023 Edition | Images courtesy of @hymn_self (via Instagram)

But last night was a little different. On one hand, it showed just how far the project had come since its inception. It has not only survived the shift from Hell’s Kitchen to The Plug, but it is thriving. It has attracted a whole new audience! As I walked in, I noticed how much younger the attendees were. This was a beautiful, put-together bunch; dressed to the nines; and a good mix between the genders. Also, it was absolutely packed, like you didn’t even have space to stand, even outside.

Surprisingly, the crowd also seemed much more into music. There was less of that reserved head-bopping of hoity-toity jazz cats. These folks were out to play and they didn’t care who was watching. Back in the day, I used to be one of the first to rush in and try to secure my spot close to the stage so that I could soak up every ounce of music. I would even forego the vibe outside to be upfront. This time that wasn’t the case. There were quite a lot of people already seated trying to secure their seats long before any music started playing.

And when the music did start playing, it was fun to see a lot of young musicians get on the stage. THAT Tuesday Funk is a jam session after all, so the point is to see people bust their chops. At the same time, one couldn’t help but spot the difference. Firstly, it seemed less curated. The stage was as packed as the audience. There were so many chefs in the kitchen. You barely got to see anyone from The Brother Moves On or, the original group of, I would say, older musicians that have made the event so phenomenal.

When I say it was packed, I mean it was PACKED! | Image captured by Thembeka Heidi Sincuba

While the big boys did not necessarily come out to play, the young cats were hungry for that spotlight. Everybody wanted a solo. You could see the tension between musicians fighting to get their place on the stage, partly because it was such a good, plump audience. Again, knowing the right moment for a solo, and where to take it, is something only a seasoned musician would respect.

The whole thing was an incredible reflection on the original musicians who founded That Tuesday Funk. Not only was their absence sorely felt, but it also showed their generosity in allowing the new crop of musicians to take up so much space. But that same kindness and generosity also robbed the audience of the really good music that they had come to associate with That Tuesday Funk.

So, it’s a double-edged sword where, yes, it is time for young musicians to get their training wheels off; get the miles in and get to play in front of live audiences. And it’s just magical to see. But it’s also quite clear that they’re just not as good. Not yet. And it’s bittersweet to see the OGs perhaps getting older and more humble. Realising that they have to compete with musicians who are so green. Perhaps they’d rather not. Rightly so.

Gontse Makhene; That Tuesday Funk October 2023 Edition | Images courtesy of @hymn_self (via Instagram)

That being said, there were glimmers. Like last night, when Gontse Makhene squeezed his way to the front and took a solo on his talking drum. The man is a magician. The moment was sublime. It was spiritual. Like flying, or rather levitating into some unknown realm. But it was fleeting and he was soon overtaken by another musician trying to get his solo in and accidentally killing a bloody beautiful beat.

The musicians who put this event together with the sweat off their backs did it because they love music and it gave them an opportunity to play together and get better. To be fair, they have succeeded and they’ve all done so well for themselves, that they probably don’t need the jam session any longer, but clearly, the young musicians coming up do and no one can deny that this thriving musical community will live on in the evolving narrative of this golden city. That Tuesday Funk will simply never ever die!

29 November 2023
Lady Skollie X Morena Leraba: A Triumph at the Standard Bank Gallery

Last night was lit! The Standard Bank Gallery was filled with great vibes and beautiful people. The wine was flowing and we even got a little goodie bag! The size of the crowd was just right, not too overwhelming or chaotic. Present were some well-known faces, including the esteemed Gallery Manager Dr Same Mdluli. Alongside such art world heavy hitters, we saw the likes of SAMA award winner Msaki and the 2022 Standard Bank Young Artist for Theatre recipient Billy Langa.

We all came together to celebrate Groot Gat, Lady Skollie‘s latest exhibition at the Standard Bank Gallery. Having already been shown at the National Arts Festival, the travelling exhibition aims to confront the erasure of indigenous African culture and highlight historically disregarded or marginalised artistic traditions. The award-winning Cape Town-born Lady Skollie, who has always had a commanding presence, welcomed her audience, husband in tow, with the extra glow of new motherhood. In addition to the work on show, Skollie was flexing her curatorial muscle.

The First Thursdays event featured a 7 p.m. performance by Lesotho-born performer Morena Leraba, which was set to echo the exhibition’s ethos. I had the privilege of chatting with Morena Liraba before his performance, and he emphasised the connections between his and Lady Skollie’s work. He expressed a strong interest in continued collaboration and an in-depth conversation with Skollie about the overlaps between their work. The interaction between Lady Skollie and Morena Leraba was charming. The two seemed genuinely delighted to be working together.

The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the performance. Renowned for blending traditional Sesotho lyrics with electronic, afro house, and hip-hop genres, Morena Leraba’s music pays homage to Lesotho’s musical traditions. I have been a long-time fan of Morena Leraba’s and I rate his performance style, so I was not surprised to see him immediately elevate the energy in the room. But I had never seen him quite like this before as Leraba departed from his usual electronic and percussive setup.

The diversity within the band was impressive, with a femme horn section and bassist. The keyboard player’s lively performance was a joy to watch, and the drummer showcased thrilling versatility. While they were a group of skilled musicians, one got the feeling that they were still finding their sea legs.

Initially, it seemed the violinist was set at a volume that was quite overwhelming, tending to drown out other elements. This issue was exacerbated when he spent a large portion of the set tending to technical issues. Because of the spiritual tone of the performance, one could make a strong case that the band could have functioned effectively without this rather unfortunate diversion.

The performance itself presented an intriguing rhythmic dynamic. In contrast with Morena’s distinctly African essence, the ensemble relied heavily on Western musical traditions, resulting in moments of rigidity. There were very few solos and when they happened they were incredibly tame and short-lived. It was evident that Morena’s musical prowess shone most when he departed from the standard four-beat structure, venturing into more unconventional territory like legendary African musicians such as Fela Kuti.

While both traditions include cross-cultural fusion, Western and African music generally have distinct rhythmic structures. Western music often relies on regular time signatures and emphasises downbeats, which results in rhythmic predictability. Conversely, African music employs complex, irregular time signatures, intricate polyrhythms, and diversified percussion. In Western music, melody and rhythm are often separate, with melody taking the lead, while in African music, they integrate, producing more rhythmic complexity.

There were certainly moments of complexity during the set, but one found oneself anticipating a further exploration of the dichotomy between what the lead singer was doing and what the band was doing. Nonetheless, observing Morena Leraba’s boldly fluid experimentation suggests that, even if he’s experiencing some growing pains at the moment, we’re witnessing the emergence of a true African rock star. His performance style remains exceptional, and we should be so lucky to continue seeing how he refines and evolves it.

One thing is for sure — this night was historic. The collaboration between Lady Skollie and Morena Leraba was a harmonious marriage of sound and vision, the likes of which we seldom see. The atmosphere was electric! Leraba’s music, with its lyrical depth and genre fusion, was a perfect complement to Lady Skollie’s visually stunning pieces. It was a high-vibrational moment and truly a blessing to witness. Kudos to Lady Skollie, the Standard Bank Gallery, and Morena Leraba for allowing us to be part of such a significant moment in Joburg history.

3 November 2023
DANDANO: an online platform focusing on African film and music

DANDANO is a digital platform that focuses on highlighting the incredible work of African filmmakers and musicians. With the aim of presenting classic creations and new productions produced on the continent, their platform is a collection of musical innovation and cinematic inspiration through interviews and opinion pieces. I had a conversation with founder and Creative Director Hakeem Adam about the platform and its significance with regards to contemplating older genres and pushing forward creative endeavors.

Tell our readers more about you and the work that you do?

Our work at DANDANO is mainly critiquing and documenting African film and music. Through interviews, reviews, in-depth analysis, DJ sets and screenings, my hope is that DANDANO can help consumers of film and music on the continent and in the diaspora make connections to the amazing and intriguing work African artists put out. I also hope that it will help them recognize the intrinsic value [of these productions], especially in the way that those mediums shape social behavior. In addition to this, we seek to help musicians and filmmakers receive constructive criticism so they can learn and improve the overall quality of their work.

I am a writer who manly functions on poetry and recently completed my studies at the University of Ghana in English and Psychology. I also freelance from time to time focusing on African culture and arts. So most of my life focuses on storytelling and I hope to put out a collection of poetry soon.

What is your relationship with music and film? What made you feel as though you want to create a platform dedicated to these two creative outlets?

Growing up, film and music was always around me. I have not had any formal training in either of those fields. However, I naturally gravitated towards music when I started out as freelance writer and taught myself to understand it and know how to write about it. That love extended towards film as I discovered that it is quiet similar to music in construction and utility.

I decided to focus the platform on film and music because I found that there was an absence of accessible critical analysis on new and old work. It is almost impossible to know what album was top of the charts in Ghana in 1975 unless you lived through the era or why Bubblegum pop emerged in South Africa in the 1980s. Access to this knowledge is quickly disappearing. I’m a firm believer in creating the change you want to see in the world. So I decided to start something as a way of sharing my opinions on new music and knowledge I discover as I [do] research. DANDANO in essence is a space where [an] understanding of African film and music is forged, and an accessible knowledge bank created.

Tell me more about the name ‘DANDANO’?

The name ‘DANDANO’, is the Hausa word for taste or flavor. I decided to go with that word because it perfectly sums up the ethos of the work that the platform seeks to do, which is basically to present a vivid description of the flavor of African film and music. The word also has a nice melodic ring to into, making it quite memorable.

In your words, explain the significance of the platform?

Well, I found out that most platforms on the continent documenting African culture do not have a specific focus on either film and music. They are mostly documenting activities across the arts from painting to fashion. So I decided to create that voice just for film and music and fill the void. Ultimately, the impact that DANDANO should have on the African film and music scene is to go beyond the surface and interrogate the content being put out. We try to make our readers understand trends, patterns, stylistic choices and other decisions that might for example, shape the African music soundscape. I feel as though that is important knowledge that we, the primary consumers of African art, should have rather than waiting for western media and academia to analyses our work. The significance DANDANO seeks to have is in shaping the narrative, ensuring that the true value of African film and music is revealed, especially as those two fields begin to gain more influence outside the continent.

What has been the response to the platform?

The response to the platform has been very encouraging even though it has [only] been operational for just over a year. I’m surprised by the level of interest it generates on and outside the internet from people all over the world. So far we have had artists, filmmakers, publicists and labels doing interesting work reaching out to us, as well as the thousands across our social media platforms who connect with us. We were also very fortunate to speak to Brenda Sisane of Kaya FM in South Africa on what it is that we do. The response is also a reflection of the good work that we do. For example, on interview we did on FESPACO [Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou] and why it is losing relevance on the African film festival circuit gained a lot of traction. Hopefully this generates conversations that contributes to shaping how film festivals on the continent are organized so we all benefit from them, and not just the film producer and director who get to attend.

Who is part of the DANDANO team? Are your contributors all people from the continent?

The DANDANO team is quite small at the moment. I am still responsible for a majority of the content published on the website. However, I do work with three other contributor based on the continent and in Canada and Europe who routinely assist with curating and other administrative and behind the scenes tasks. We do plan to expand the team to represent various interests in the coming year, so we can have some variety in our content.

What is the vision you have for the platform?

The dream is to see DANDANO become a completely independent cultural institution with roots all over Africa so we can pay attention to almost everything that is happening. At the moment, due to budgetary and personnel restrictions, we are not able to expand beyond our niche audience. We’re currently in a transitional phase, seeking assistance to help setup a music and film archive and gallery in Accra. As a small organization, we still have a lot learning and work to do. However, it is an exciting challenge and we look forward to being able to provide critical content that impacts the artists and audiences.

Is there anything you have in the pipeline that you would like to share with our readers?

2017 has been an amazing year of growth for DANDANO. One of the many things that we learnt was how inaccessible information on film and music festivals is. We’re currently working on a series to be updated every quarter that will share information on film grants for African filmmakers seeking funding for their projects. This we hope will help increase the quality of original storytelling on Africa by Africans. We’re also looking to collaborate with film festivals and provide concise guides on films and sessions to see at festivals.

Anything else you would like to mention about yourself or the platform?

It has been an incredible journey for me personally, having to combine running DANDANO with my school work. I’m still encouraged by the potential it has to serve the interest of African artists and audiences. Hopefully, I will be able to build on the traction it is gaining and expand beyond the current niche audience with content that can make an impact, as well as workshop sessions that will benefit emerging artists. We’re still a very tiny organization, but that does not stop us from having a powerful voice. And if at least one person hears that voice and is challenged by it, then we have succeeded.

27 June 2017