Tag: cape town

  • RECLAIMED by Mziyanda Malgas and Daniel Walton

    In an email conversation with creatives Mziyanda Malgas and Daniel Walton, they explained to me that Cape Town is often viewed from the outside as a city which is open and accepting of everyone, particularly those who have a creative inclination. However, when looking at the city through the eyes of young queer people living in Cape Town, there is an entire layer that the two of them, along with other queer people, unfortunately experience. “Being feminine guys, Daniel and I have been targets for many years of our lives, and within this past year we have felt it more than ever. We endure catcalling from men in the streets almost on the daily. We have encountered homophobic attacks in clubs and even had an instance where we were modeling outside and three Afrikaans men walked past us and spat on the floor in disgust,” Mziyanda explains.

    Daniel and Mziyanda expressed the pain that this causes them. They have been a supportive of each other under the circumstances, and decided to fight back using their creative capacities. In April they were courageous enough to go back to some of the places where they have been harassed and photograph themselves in these spaces. For them, the importance of occupying and reclaiming these spaces through the medium that speaks to their creative spirits has brought a sense of empowerment. From alleyways, to bars, bathrooms and streets in town, they have replaced the haunting memories of aggressive words and probing hands with a positive energy they hope will seep into the walls of city. I interviewed the two of them to find out more about their experiences and their photographic project.

    How do you envision and enact your own understanding of “empowerment”?

    MM: I envision empowerment as a way in which you give people the strength and courage to truly be themselves and express themselves. I enact my empowerment in my everyday life, or at least try to, by staying true to myself and who I am.. By trying to increase another person’s state of being, be it through my Instagram stories or just meeting people while out.

    DW: Queerness is difference. I can’t speak for everyone. Personally, it’s expressing [my] difference from the cishet normative narrative. I enact my queerness by creating art, the way I present myself and dancing in clubs. Here I perform my queerness. I empower myself by creating art, reacting to my experiences and my own identity. Hanging out with Mziyanda empowers me. When we are together I feel a sense of power between us. I don’t resonate with being called a “man” as I feel it carries so many things that I don’t relate with. But, reclaiming space is very important to me. I feel so often, we are made to feel uncomfortable in spaces or we are showed that we are really unwelcome. Reclaiming spaces also makes cishet people confront their discomfort towards who we are. Therefore, I wanted to reclaim these spaces that people don’t see as ours and make them our own.

    Taking over space or reclaiming space comes across as an important foundation for the images. Share a bit about how this importance resonates with your experience as queer identifying people?

    MM: Men have always been dominant figures in society. So essentially with being queer men, the space is not ours but rather theirs. So with the project that Daniel and I did, we wanted to reclaim the space and go back to the spots where we felt extremely vulnerable, uncomfortable and often scared and take pictures there to show that “yes, we might have previously felt afraid to be here but no, we are no longer giving anyone that much power over us”. These pictures are not about to end homophobia and sexual harassment but for us, it really was a big turning point and moment in realizing that as queer men, we do not have to accept the harsh reality that comes with being who we are but rather take power in it. Funnily enough, yesterday was my birthday and a couple of friends and I went clubbing and had a blast. This morning I had a discussion with Daniel over the realization that whenever we go out, we always seem to take over and ‘queer out’ the space in that we make it our own. This club was the same one in which Daniel got attacked for being gay, so to come back and vogue all over the dancefloor as Britney Spears played was our tiny bit in reclaiming the space!

    DW: This project on my sexual harassers came about when I was given a documentary project at college. I really, really wanted to document my harassers, because I had told so many people my stories but they would never believe me or they would think I’m joking. I also wanted to create something for women and queer people. We are always told that it’s just a part of our life. It’s not okay, it’s not normal and I’m tired of dealing with this on a daily basis. This subject is so often spoken about amongst ourselves, but our voices are never heard or taken seriously. Therefore, I created this project. I took photos around town, of each of the men that harassed me. I captioned each of my images with the quote of what they said to me.

    But these images, are something for women and queer people to know that they are brave, they are beautiful and they shouldn’t feel ashamed. We need to flourish and hold our heads up high, even though it’s really tough, it’s what we need to do.

    I’m hoping that people know that I don’t let these hurtful memories get to me. If I let these experiences upset me, then I have let them won. I have moved on, I’ve conquered the space. And we can all conquer it. I am strong and I will continue to stay strong and fierce for myself and for all my queer brothers and sisters.

    Daniel, please share a bit about your creative and conceptual preparations for your Polaroid series? How do these connect with the larger project?

    DW: This project was inspired by all my experiences combined together. Recently I had an experience at the club Fiction (this was quite a few months after my project though) and I got lemon thrown at me by these two guys. I turned around, frowned and opened the door to go back into the dance area. Out of nowhere, from behind, this man grabbed my arm and my body and threw me to the ground and told me to “get out” and was called me a, “fucking poes.” He then proceeded to say, “This is a straight club, not a fucking gay club.” This experience inspired me a bit for a new project I’m doing at the moment. These experiences are frightening, but they inspire me to create work from them. I want all the queer children to know that you can stand up for yourself and you can create art from this. DON’T LET THESE BASICS RUIN YOU! You are beautiful and you are you. [The captions for the Polaroid photographs are the words these men said to Daniel while on the streets.]

    ‘What happens if I stick my tongue down your throat’ Photograph by Daniel Walton
    ‘Hey babe, hey boo’ Photograph by Daniel Walton

    Please share more of the stories that inspired this project?

    MM: These projects have been inspired by instances that have happened over the span of many years of our lives. Catcalling has always been something that I have experienced. From a young age, I never hid how I acted and it was never a facade that I put up, so I think it was very easy for people to pick on me and comment on certain traits about myself, such as how I spoke, walked and just the way I would react to situations. Over the years and with growing up, I have found the words thrown at me to have become more vulgar and in my opinion stupid! Telling me you think I’m sexy and that you want to make me your girlfriend is supposed to what, swoon me? Grow up!

     

  • OH OK debut lookbook // an orange filtered video of your 90s teen dreams

    A happy go lucky sound track. The colour orange. City scapes. Pretty youths hanging out. It’s a dream sequence isn’t it? No – it’s the debut lookbook for OH OK. Patrick Visser and Joni Blud are the founders of the new Capetonian street label. The pair have been working on the brand since the beginning of 2017. The launch event of the label happened two months ago at the Castle of Good Hope featuring Samiyam, Rose Bonica, FAKA, Stiff Pap, yoyo, the Stone Soup collective, DJ Lag and Uppercut. Today their debut video lookbook is public, and I had an interview with them to find out more about their label, image and stylistic vices of insane orange tones, real oranges and youths.

    Patrick tells me that the lookbook was shot by Martin Magner over three weekends at the homes of different friends. “We incorporated photos of everyday orange that Joni and I had taken around Cape Town and taken on a recent trip I took to New York.” While shooting the lookbook, Joni and Patrick used Martin’s mom’s handheld video camera and shot behind the scenes footage. Their footage included any orange objects that were spotted while travelling to the various locations where the shoot took place. A week and a half ago OH OK was launched at the Joe Soap Laundromat in Cape Town fitted with a pop-up shop. After the pop-up shop followed the premiere screening of the video lookbook at The Labia with The big Lebowski as desert.

    “With OH OK we pride ourselves in the fact that everything is done in-house or in collaboration with like minded individuals and friends. We want to place a strong emphasis on quality, sincerity and comfort. Everything we put out into the world is developed by us from concept to creation. OH OK is a multi-disciplinary brand with the main focus of clothing but we also plan on doing more interesting, big events.”

    Patrick tells me that the film materialized as documentation of the photo shoot for the lookbook. This can be seen when looking at the stylistic film piece, as it seems to be built on super cuts that flow into each other with ease. Joni explains that they decided to use their friends’ homes as backdrops for the debut lookbook as they wanted to be in a space where their friends, who also happen to be their models, would feel the most comfortable.

    “I think we want to leave a bit open for interpretation and have people feel a bit more with this one as it’s the first thing we have put out.” Their intent of having you feel more was achieved in my opinion as the footage that was collected was authentic considering that it was documentary footage. The realness of the models and their relatable nature combined with ice lollies, sparklers, and the way that they all appear to know each other makes the viewer comfortable. Watching this lookbook brought up past memories of chill sessions with my friends at our homes. The use of the handheld video camera affected the colour and characteristics of the piece and as it feels like a home movie from the 90s, it contributes to creating feelings of warm nostalgia.

    The choice of analogue photography came about as Patrick explains: “We wanted to incorporate our son, James Nash into the shoot as we believe he has a lot of potential. James is most comfortable on film and we wanted to capture raw, real moments. Plus, it looks really nice.” Their choice of analogue imagery displays well accompanied with the handheld video lookbook as the styles feed off one another.

    When asked about the name for the label Joni says, “The name OH OK came about really quite simply. We’ve always felt drawn to names that are simple and concise and that somewhat find their way into everyday speech. I mean, I think we say ‘Oh Okay’ unintentionally like 432 times day. Furthermore, aesthetically it looks cool and lends itself to looking good in various ways or forms.”

    Joni explains their design choices and colour schemes as follows: “The orange came about just because it was a colour we were both really into at the time (still are) and thought it was also a super underrated colour despite its honest vibrancy. The clean, minimalism just came about naturally, but more so I guess because we wanted to design something that was understated and have each item speak for itself through it’s fit rather and quality rather then have it distract people through some elaborate design.”

    Not wanting to put themselves into a box or cater for a niche market, Joni and Patrick designed a range that is gender fluid. They explain that it was more for them than it is in any way trying to abide to hype. “At the end of the day, were just want to create comfortable, honest clothes we would wear everyday, because that’s really all it is, it’s just clothing?” The irony in Joni’s last response is an indication for me that OH OK is more than just a fashion label and has the potential to grow into a lifestyle which could be easily achieved as its creators have been known for event organizing. Their video lookbook debut pays testament to this notion.

    Credits:

    Concept, direction and videography by OH OK
    Edit by James Blyth
    Starring Alexander Pankiv-Greene
    Athena Strates
    Daniel Lidchi
    Hana Sho
    Hannah Mather
    Joni Blud
    Michael Du Toit
    Omri Dahan
    Thato Mabalayo
    Tiffany Schouw
    Tshepo Sedibe
    James Nash
    ‘For Now We’re Young’ performed by Beach Party

    James Nash shot the behind the scenes lookbook.

    Photo lookbook was shot by Martin Magner.
  • Visa Street Food Festival // approaching food with a playful yet critical consciousness

    The Visa Street Food Festival has put together a party for your tastebuds in September with Cape Town and Johannesburg playing host to a celebration of street food prepared by some of the country’s best chefs and food makers. Think vinegary fish and slapchips, and the best braai, straight off the fire. This experience includes a new night market in Cape Town as well as the Visa Food Studio conference focusing on the business of food that will take place at the end of August.

    The fourth edition of this festival will start off in Cape Town at Side Street Studios in Woodstock on the 2nd of September with the launch of the night market, and will continue on the 3rd with a day of street food, DJs and free talks. On the 10th the festival will move over to Johannesburg and will take place at the Common Ground in Maboneng.

    Considering that the consumption of street food is an experiential activity, as well as the fact that the festival taps into South African food culture, we highlight the parallels between the food festival and Johannesburg food culture.

    Image via Visa Street Food Festival

    With our lives getting busier, people are constantly looking for easy, accessible food and drink to consume. Food that does not take long to prepare or eat. This is a contributing factor towards millennials being drawn to street and market food. Street and market food is the perfect alternative to cafes, restaurants and fast food outlets. This speaks to their interest in re-imagining traditions, as well as ties into their health, environmental and political consciousness.

    In conjunction with busy lives, consumers have embraced a holistic approach to looking after their health and well-being, including combining scientific and natural answers to create tailored lifestyle plans. Part of this is being more critical of where and how food products are produced. This can be seen with the popularity of organic food products in big food stores as well as among smaller suppliers. With food and drink producers recognizing this shift in culinary thinking among consumers, disseminating  knowledge has becoming part and parcel of the culinary experiences that consumers are presented with. Street and market vendors share with consumers the stories behind their products, including connections with local suppliers, where and how their produce is grown as well as thinking about the spiritual significance of food consumption.

    Image via Visa Street Food Festival

    Connected to this is the recognition that consumers are formulating monetary value based on their social and political values, as well as the value that they place on relationships and community. Therefore, value is calculated beyond function and price. This once again highlights the need for transparency in the process of food production.

    Tying all of this together is the popularity of enjoyable and novel activities that are geared towards shared experiences. This creates more meaningful connections with food consumption, with the sharing of food and drinks an acknowledgement of the time spent together. By being involved in experiential activities with others, people can network, catch up and learn. This is important for young people as work is often intertwined with their social lives. These experiences also allow consumers to have direct contact with independent producers who without these platforms would never be able to enjoy their foods and drinks.

    The Visa Street Food Festival is an experience which amalgamates these approaches to thinking about and experiencing food and drink. The participants at this year’s festival embrace this new wave, as they contribute towards the positive impact that celebrating South African food culture and approaching food with a more critical eye has had on our consciousness.

    Image via Visa Street Food Festival

    Johannesburgers can look forward to Crate Talks with some of our favourites, including Dawood Petersen who co-founded Mamasan, a Cape Malay inspired restaurant in Johannesburg, as well as Gary Kurt Smith from Kotze Rooftop Garden Project among others. Along with these conversations, your tastebuds will be entertained with food from vendors such as ALS CHUCK WAGON for the carnivores and SA’s first true pop-up ice cream parlour, The Knickerbocker Ice cream Company for those with a sweet tooth.

    Capetownians will be introduced to writer and home cook Nobhongo Gxolo from the monthly food club Third Culture Experiment, as well as cake designer Nikki Albertyn and others. Vendors include Tao’s Yum Dim Sum will bring spring rolls and an assortment of dumplings for those looking for Asian inspired flavours as well as treats from the online-based Pâtisserie Studio, LionHeart.

    Get your tickets for the Street Food Festival online now.

    Image via Visa Street Food Festival
  • Maylee: Fresh CT threads for the cool and confident woman

    There’s something undeniably cosmopolitan about the Maylee showroom. Tucked away above its menswear cousins at Cape Town’s Cornerstore, its sparse rails, immaculate set up, and unassuming air, you can’t help but want to spend the morning trying on absolutely everything.

    And that’s just where the charm of the brand lives – in its delicate balance between celebrating the different female forms, and an immense practicality that make every item completely timeless. Its founder and designer, Molly Kieser, not only makes the brand but embodies it – always elegant and functional all at once.

    “When we first started we had one thing in mind and that was to produce a collection that revolved around comfort and cool. We are staying true to that now, but we definitely have a better understanding of what our customer wants since the first collection dropped,” she explains.

    Described as ‘cool luxury,’ the label samples a range of fit options, from a scrumptious lazy hoodie to structured denim pants, designed to adorn and flatter the body in different ways – depending on what each item is paired with. There’s nothing chop shop or gimmicky Insta glam about Maylee – it’s just good, honest tailoring and the kind of items which make the busy, stylish woman release a sigh of relief. And Molly, like her Sol-Sol founder husband, Matt, is conscious about the role local sourcing and production has to play.

    “The majority of our product is made in Cape Town and some of our other products like our heavily washed denims are produced overseas. In terms of fabrications, some is sourced in South Africa and some of it is sourced overseas. Currently we have a beautiful silk blend t-shirt and French terry hoodie, both made from fabrics we sourced internationally but get sewn up at our factory in SA,” says Molly.

    And the attention to detail in all aspects shows. Almost every item is able to be paired with another, and whether the wearer has a defined aesthetic or prefers to let clothes speak for themselves, the label balances simplicity and opulence in a way that is quite unique. Its success has been immense in such a short space of time, and the brand is growing as it gains more exposure on online platforms, and by being the choice fit for Cape Town and Joburg’s coolest. Molly shares Maylee’s next move with us.

    “We plan on expanding from our current showroom space into a store space. We have started the process already and hoping it all works out. In terms of new collections, we have another one dropping soon and we are really excited about it,”

    To check out the brand, visit their website or Instagram.

    *Shipping is free for the month of August

    Credits:

    Photography: Carl David Jones

    MUA: Kaley Meyer

    Model: Kimberleigh Van der Ventel

     

  • No Clowning Around with Thor Rixon’s Latest Music Video

    The first press release I got about Thor Rixon was about his album “Tea Time Favourites”. In it, I  was introduced to a dreadlocked white dude who made world music. Not exactly my cup of tea.  That I clicked play and not delete was either because I wanted to slate it or I really trusted whoever sent the mail. I’m grateful that I did, because I was introduced to the charming and eclectic sounds of a sentimental sweetheart who I’ve come to really appreciate as an artist. Tea Time Favourites is still one of my favourite albums – ever. There’s a sincerity and earnestness to Thor’s work, with layers of sardonic humour and irony that resonates with me. I know it’s not for everyone, Thor know’s it’s not for everyone. I mean, look at ‘fuk bread’, that song and video divided people. A seemingly lighthearted look at diet drew love, hate and confusion from whoever came across it.

    With Thor’s latest music video for ‘The Clown’, you might be fooled by the title into thinking that those layers of humour would be present once again, but, spoiler alert, they’re not. Like, at all. Or maybe they are and I’m missing them, idk. That’s all I’m going to mention about the video because Thor wants “the audience/viewer to have their own view of the piece and for them to take from it what they feel is necessary for them – if that makes sense? It just feels necessary for the piece to work.” Yup, we did an interview for a music video and we barely discussed the video at all. Instead, we waxed philosophically about the Cape Town music scene, racism and art, man.

    Here’s the thing, Thor Rixon is a unique cat, so I started off our Facebook chat by asking if he considers himself to be a bit of a weirdo. “Yes, I do, but doesn’t everyone feel like that?” He replies. To a degree, yeah, I’m sure everyone feels like an outlier, but not everyone tattoos their head for a music video, like Thor did with ‘fuk bread’. It seems that Thor truly doesn’t give a fuck about fitting in. “Maybe it’s that I don’t really put that much energy into making sure people don’t find out that I’m really strange or weird?” He offers as an explanation. ”Maybe everyone is strange and weird but they spend more time covering it up and making sure no one finds out? I don’t know. Just a thought.”

    Thor seems hyper aware of the world around him and his place in it, and through his various creative endeavours, plays with the relationship between the audience and the artist. I ask if he enjoys playing with people’s perceptions  “Yeah, I do enjoy surprising and entertaining people, but I don’t actively try and be strange or ‘out there’.” He continues “To be honest, I don’t really want people to focus on me but more the work, or the message that I am presenting. I see the reaction as an extension of the work or the message and that I enjoy because then the audience becomes a part of the greater work/message.”

    I asked him to explain what he means, “So, for instance, there was a message in ‘fuk bread’ that people commented on. The audience’s opinions and comments on that work shows you the thoughts and feelings of a society ranging from meat consumption to what it is to be queer etc.” He continues to explain “Usually there are 2 main viewpoints: pro and against, and the size of that divide is usually the most interesting part of the work. Well, it is for me at least.” I found it strange that a song as whimsical as ‘fuk bread’ can elicit so much love and ire, but at the end of the day that’s what Thor wants. “I hope that all the work I create is provocative to be honest. it would be a waste if it weren’t, I think.”

    Last year, Thor lived in Berlin for a few months and has found adjusting to life back in Cape Town difficult. I asked him about the experience and what it’s like to be back home. “Berlin is amazing. Cape Town is pretty fucked.”  The conversation turns to something that more and more South Africans are discussing at the moment, racism and structural inequality. “I say this because CT has a lot of serious issues mainly to do with how the city was built and structured to create divide. Yes, it’s beautiful and full of nature and shit but socially it’s so wrong. The racism is strong.” I ask Thor if he thinks it’s fixable, “To be honest, I don’t know. I think that it is possible but I don’t know how.” I narrow the question down a bit, because it’s often easy to wax woke about racism in South Africa. I ask him what he’s doing to enact change in his own life and what other “woke” white dudes can actually do when faced with the reality of racism in our country.  “I choose to have messages in my work that hopefully makes the viewer think and question the way they live their lives. What I have also started to do is try and educate my peers and the people I interact with who are racist to become aware of their their prejudice towards others just as I have become aware of it in me. This is not to say that I understand racism completely. I feel I still have a lot to learn and look forward to learning more to hopefully fully eradicate the racism I see in myself and in others.”

    You can watch the video for ‘The Clown’ below then look out for it’s release on Get Physical  Music (Berlin) on Friday 7 July with remixes by Few Nolder and Lord Of The Isles.

  • The Seppis – Two lovers. One vision

    The Seppis is a collective consisting of married couple, Seemaa Allie and Taariq September. The Cape Town based collective toil together in art direction, styling and photography. Their imagery and practice creates an aesthetic verging on unease and unconventional beauty.

    The Seppis was molded 11 years ago when Allie and Taariq started collaborating together during their dating phase. They started working under the brand, The Seppis about 3 years ago when the two creatives ventured into freelancing. In Allie’s words, “We are all about creating whether it be stills or videos. We are passionate about collaborating and learning as we go.”

    Having collaborated with Dope Saint Jude, Slabofmisuse, Simon Deporres, Mehnaaz Maleta and others, The Seppis are as involved in the production, photography, art direction and styling as a job brief allows. Allie states that in their practice they choose to have input in all aspects of the projects they are involved in.

     

    As a collective they largely create their own projects or collaborate with other creatives on projects that they have been a part of since their inception. “I think the major drawing card for us with regard to projects is the possibility of working with other creatives we respect and admire. The other elements that come into play is if the project has ‘meat’; by this I mean substance and is it relevant” – Seemaa Allie.

    Art directing their lives knowingly from a young age, photography was an art form they experimented with in their early years. It became their main medium of expression as they progressed in their artistic careers. The Seppis were trained within the realm of analogue photography and still practice it to some extent. They do however, shoot predominantly in a digital format at the current stage in their practice.

    Allie tells me that the lighting choices they work with in their projects is dictated by the required mood of the shoot stipulated in the brief for each individual shoot. The Seppis focuses on creating evocative imagery as the final product of their creative expression.  Within each individual project, they create continuity in their imagery, whether it be from the same series or project, or that from another projects entirely. Their focus or aim can be seen as the element that gives their imagery it’s signature look and feel.

    The Seppis are hands on with the location scouting of the projects they take on, their choice being directed by their project brief. “Location plays a big role in getting your narrative across especially when it comes to stills so careful consideration is put into choosing the location. There have been occasions that we happen upon a location and the location forms the base or the kick off point for a concept.”

    “We still have a very long list of people we would love to work with. We want to work, we want to create, we want to have kids, the future is bright and chaotic. Just the way we like it.”

  • Born Out Of Boredom Zine launch and AW17 video lookbook

    The brand Born Out Of Boredom is a relatively new baby in the South African fashion scene, having only started early last year.  Thinking back to the first set of tees and the lookbook he put together, BOOB founder Shakes describes it as embodying who the brand imagines as its fans – the “young, careless and laidback.”

    Shakes hopes to take the brand to all parts of the world. “Boredom is a universal language,” Shakes states, “I just happened to think of it as a brand name for absolutely anything that I wanna do.”

    The BOOB AW17 collection was inspired by Childish Gambino’s latest studio album Awaken, My Love! and the Quentin Tarantino crime thriller, Jackie Brown. Taking a different direction with the presentation of the lookbook, BOOB has created a video which will be screened at Hectic on Hope (Evol) on the 24th of June. There is no official name for the collection, but Shakes would have called it “come vibe with me”. This invitation comes across clearly in the images put together in their lookbook, with models photographed hanging out, acting young and carefree. This mirrors the clothes in the collection – comfortable but cool.

    In addition to the video lookbook, BOOB has created a zine which attendees will also be able to check out on Saturday. “I really dig print,” Shakes explains, “It just has a way of making things seem more intimate and I reckon print comes with some form of sentimental value.”

    Shakes left me with the words, “It’s my party. Come do what you want.” So the 24th is sure to be a good time.

    To keep up with BOOB check them out on Tumblr and Instagram.

    Born Out Of Boredom AW17 lookbook

    Photography, styling & direction by Shakes

    Models: Julia and Saskia

     

    AW17 Video lookbook

    Styled by Decaf Steve

    Directed by Shakes

    Shot and edited by Avi and Josh

    Models: Faith and Sisipho

     

    Zine

    Illustrator/Graphic Designer: Ruan Ferreira Coetzee

    Illustrator: Mieke

  • The Emotional Electronica of Rose Bonica

    Rose Bonica is a relatively new name on the 4/4 dancefloor but one that is steadily building, beat after beat, layer after layer. She hasn’t had much press (until now) but she’s been put on by artists who know their shit, like Jumping Back Slash, and has put out some enchanting and hypnotic releases worthy of your time (One of which is the live mix she did for JBS). I got to Skype the producer/quite-a-few-things just after she returned from the from the Wet Dreams compilation launch in Jozi (in association with this fine publication). “It was a cool turn out, the bar didn’t have a card machine though.” She jokingly nitpicks when I ask how it went.

    Rose Bonica, real name Natalie Rose Perel, is a bit of a perfectionist and comes across as hyper-aware, but also candid and open. She’s dabbled in a few things, like, she has her honours in video editing and learned to code so she could work on her dad’s company’s website, but it’s with music that she’s finding a way to express herself. “I’m an emotional person,” she explains, “But only in the last 2 years have I really been a bit more open. Although I’m emotional, I’m very, you know, just put a smile on my face and move on. I guess not a lot of people very close to me know what I’m feeling, but music’s helping me with that.”

    Personally, I find it harder to connect emotionally with house and techno music, but Rose explained how she expresses herself through sampling,”I think it’s the sampling aspect of music, how you can use samples and how that can be your story. I always found in editing, what always carried a film or a video or anything was the music behind it. You could change the mood by changing the music behind it. When I was watching Montle make music, which is what made me want to try, he’s also very expressive, the way he makes his songs is storytelling. Chopping samples together you can literally show someone who you are, and I think that that’s what I want from Rose Bonica.”

    Montle aka Big Space is Rose’s boyfriend and watching him create music is what sparked her interest in music. “I didn’t even really listen to music before I started making it,” she says jokingly, but not as a joke. Montle is also the reason why she has had some doors open for her. “I definitely was lucky in that I had a jump start being with Montle and having access to his connections that he already had. Nepotism, for once, has actually worked in my favour. But I do know that the people who have been backing me and what I’ve been doing- most of them are 40 year old men who, if they didn’t like something, wouldn’t support it.”

    The thing is, whilst Montle has helped open some doors, others have closed because some people think Montle is making Rose’s music. “I know a lot of people, at least in Cape Town, think Montle is my ghostwriter, which kinda blows my mind seeing as I’ve used computers all my life. It’s not actually that hard, most electronic “musicians”, producers, aren’t musicians, they’re not trained, like, at all. I think that could be something else. It’s quite a common thing I think, with women, is men are always waiting for you to be exposed by playing premixes.”

    Now I can’t tell if Rose is making her own music all the way from my flat in Umbilo, but if she got booked to play live more, she could show what she’s made of. “I was booked over woman’s day week,” she tells me when I ask if she plays live much. “That sounds like tokenism,” I reply. She laughs, “And by female bookers. So I played 3 gigs in 1 week, it was quite amazing, it was really fun, I would love to play again.”

    It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for Rose since she’s started making music. Whilst jaded 40-year-olds are putting her on, cynical youth are blocking her from making moves. That just means that Rose will have to find ways to change things and put herself on, which, after the Wet Dreams launch, is exactly what she plans on doing “I’m thinking of actually trying to make a change  because I know in life that you can’t expect things to change unless you change them yourself.”

    (more…)

  • Constructing Future Cities // imagining cities led and designed by women

    Future Cape Town is a leading platform on re-thinking future cities. Through its online presence, research and projects the organization works towards the creation of more democratic, visionary and inclusive cities. I spoke to the founder of Future Cape Town Rashiq Fataar about their Constructing Future Cities project.

    Research increasingly demonstrates that women are occupying leadership positions in business and cities around the world, and yet  the voices of women remain largely absent in the way our cities are designed and planned. In light of this, Mr. Fataar explains that their goal with Constructing Future Cities is to “use artists to give expression to what women think, feel and hope future cities could be. To provoke ideas and interesting possibilities for approaches to cities if they were entirely conceived by women, particularly young women.”. He situates the importance of these conversations within the broader urbanization process rapidly accelerating on the African continent and the gender inequality within the built environment sector. This project as a continuation of the work done by Future Cape Town, recognizes the need to challenge traditional approaches to understanding urban living and planning for the future. “What we have found is that cities of the past have been quite male-dominated in their planning and using a number of unsuccessful modernist-led planning approaches. What this has done is perpetuate inequality, and produce economic systems, justice systems, health systems and environmental systems which do not improve the quality of life for millions of people. We are at an important departure point where we need a new generation of visionaries who will re-imagine cities in a way that addresses the current challenges but also thinks about the future”.

    Future Cape Town’s approach to research includes new informants and mediums to engage with these complexities. This has been put into motion through the Constructing Future Cities project where five women artists were selected to open up the discussion on re-imagining future cities. Choosing to work with artists follows on from their transdisciplinary approach to research and urban living. “It is essential that in this complex, intertwined world where we have been working in silos, where we have been limiting ourselves to our particular fields or professional education, that the future city will require people to grapple with working with new people. And we find that art and artists play a critical role early on in the process to challenge that way of working,” Rashiq explains. The artists they are working with include architecture graduates Amina Kaskar, Sumayya Vally and Sarah de Villiers from Counterspace  (an architectural firm based in Johannesburg), critical spatial practitioner Michelle Mlati and current Masters student in Landscape Architecture Thozama Mputa. Although they approach city-making from different perspectives, their work demonstrates passion for making the city a space for dialogue. These artists have been invited to create work that capture visions for cities, drawing on input from women in Durban, Cape Town and London.

    Image by Thozama Mputa

    The first phase of the project took place in Durban where they visited various parts of the city and hosted a workshop where a panel of 30 women from various sectors convened to discuss the role of women in re-imagining the city. Conversations revolved around the contemporary issues women face as a point of departure for looking at future cities. These issues included the education of women and the limitations that women face in the workplace.

    The next phase of Constructing Future Cities will take place in Cape Town from 22-26 May. They will host another workshop, but the focus of this week will be on the artists putting their work together for the final day’s exhibition, to be held alongside a panel discussion.

    Rashiq reflected on the the relationship that has emerged between Future Cape Town and the artists through their collaboration, emphasizing that their research has been enriched by working with women artists. “We see this part of the programme as more of a catalyst, and we hope to deepen our engagements with these artists and other artists to continue to push forward the idea of the SA city of the future led and designed by women.”.

    To find out more about the Constructing Future Cities programme visit the Future Cape Town website.

    Image from Counterspace

     

    ‘This article forms part of content created for the British Council Connect ZA 2017 Programme. To find out more about the programme click here.’

  • Simon Deporres AW17 Collection ‘Decade’

    To commemorate their 10 year anniversary, South African menswear brand Simon Deporres launched their AW17 collection, Decade. This collection continues with their signature design aesthetic – utilitarian minimalism. In the signature Simon Deporres approach to fashion, the collection focuses on timeless pieces that can be carried over through seasons.

    The range of jackets and coats includes the Sherpa Bomber, the Cedar Parka, the Shearling Aviator, and the Alphen Blazer which together are the epitome of Simon Deporres design. The use of quality fabric combines durability, function and style.  Those in the mood for something a little more casual will find their Niseko Nomad half-zip hoodie appealing. The collection also includes a range of shirts and trousers.

    View the full range on their website.

  • CAPECLUB: A platform for producers on Cape Town’s fringes

    Born out of the mind of DJ and producer Andriques Petersen, aka Omar Moto, and Jodie Williams, one half of Surreal Sessionz, CAPECLUB is a label aimed at exposing the overlooked side of Cape Town’s dance music and bringing about change in an area that historically has been very monochrome. “We made sure that the focus is on young producers and producers that come from the fringes of the Cape Town scene. Guys that never have been celebrated.” says Omar Moto. “And usually that would be producers that happen to be persons of colour. Because Cape Town’s CBD scene is, and has always been, very white.”

    Inspired by the ideas of Jersey Club labels, the aim is to be more than just a platform to release music. “It’s not just a label, but a collective as well” explains Omar Moto. “A collective where the artists work independently but everyone comes back to the label and they are known to be from that label.” In Omar’s opinion there is no shortage of talented, young producers in Cape Town. Through his campaign ‘Finding the Hype’ on GoodHope FM Omar Moto is able to connect with a lot of young producers. “I get sent a lot of music on a daily basis. A lot of the time it’s instrumental music and I just stay in touch with guys.”

    It is this vast untapped potential that Omar wants to expose. “I’ve decided to do a release a week just to establish a strong footprint. These are the artists, this is what they can do and this is how they sound. Each month we’re going to have a theme going with the releases. This month it’s the Yellow series which is more focused on the lush, housey sounds, next month it’s going to be the Blue series which is going to be a bit more hard.”

    The first release is ‘Yellow Cab’ by Ethan Crowie, a dark and dreamy exploration of tech house. “I was inspired by Kyle Watson trying to get influence from him as a deep house guy” explains Ethan. The rest of the month will see releases by Surreal Sessions, Sage Hitomi and Slim Groove. Despite the varied artist roster the music that CAPECLUB will be releasing shares a common ground and Omar Moto hopes the releases set a foundation that allows local acts to play more music produced in Cape Town. “The idea is that this is something that you could play in a club. The idea is to establish Cape Town as a place where artists can play songs by producers from their own city.” With a city full of eager, young producers CAPECLUB has the potential to help shine a spotlight on those producers that might otherwise go by unnoticed.

    Ethan Crowie
  • Bubblegum Club Top Picks for European Film Festival

    Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria will be host to some exciting cinematic productions as part of this year’s European Film Festival. With films addressing topics such as animal rights, family dynamics, experiences of war and heartbreak, audiences will be entertained as well as offered moments of contemplation. Having looked through their diverse programme, we selected four must-see films.

    The High Sun

    The High Sun directed by Dalibor Matanić addresses feelings of loss, displacement, love and pain caused by the Serbo-Croatian conflict over three decades through the magnifying glass of love. Three love stories played by the same actors at three different moments reveals how love tries to survive across ethnic lines. The first story takes place in pre-war 1991 while fear and hatred grows, with the tension culminating in an unexpected display of violence in reaction to two lovers from opposing sides. We fast forward to 2001 where we are introduced to a moody teenager who returns to her ruined home with her mother. Her mother is determined to rebuild their home with the help of a man from the other side. Unable to let go of the memory of her brother’s death, the hints of romance between the teenager and the builder have little chance to blossom. We fast forward again to 2011, to what appears to be a happier atmosphere, but as the story unfolds we are privy to wounds and heartbreak that have been masked and fermenting for years. With each story taking place during the height of Summer, the sun takes on a symbol of the burning tension between both sides, as well as a container for memories of love and pain.

    Strike a Pose                                        

    This documentary directed by Ester Gould and Reijer Zwaan revisits the lives of seven dancers who were part of Madonna’s controversial 1990 tour, Blond Ambition. During the tour and through a documentary about the tour, Madonna made very clear statements about gay rights and the need for more attention to be given to HIV/Aids prevention. Through Strike a Pose we seen how her main group of back up dancers, made of mostly gay men, paid the price for her outspokenness in multiple ways. We see them reflect on their inner battles and secrets they had to keep from each other and the world, as well as their pride from being able to be part of such a powerful tour, both from a musical and social sense. In between conversations with the dancers and their family members, we see snippets of their current lives, and witness moments of pause and reflection through the dance pieces they perform.

    Game of Checkers

    Portuguese director Patricia Sequeira allows us to spend a night with five best friends in a  spacious secluded home that was owned by their dead friend, Marta.

    There is arguing, crying, cooking, eating, drinking, smoking and painful laughter as the friends reopen wounds and share secrets. We feel their ache of growing old as they are learning how to deal with endings.

    All seated at the dining table, the friends explain how a female life is a game of checkers, although it may be filled with great joys, a tireless list of burdens is an inevitable part of womanhood.

    Sequeira beautifully captures the vulnerability and pain of each character with invasive frames. It is almost as if the audience is an intruder as we learn about the diverse dynamics among them.

    Poignant discussions about the changes experienced in lifelong relationships suggest an uncertain future for the group of friends.

    American Honey

    Andrea Arnold’s latest film American Honey (2016) captures the carefree recklessness of youth. In the British directors drama road film, we follow the life of a captivating teenage girl named Star (Sasha Lane).

    Originally from Texas, the American Honey, Star dumpster dives to sustain the livelihood of two young children who live with her in a troubled home. It is evident that Star longs for a starkly different life. From the minute that she catches a glimpse of Jake’s (Shia LaBeouf) eye, Star sees a hope for her future.

    Star ventures into the unknown with a group of wildly fun individuals who are led by a fierce woman named Krystal (Riley Keough). They travel across America’s Midwest to sell an endless list of magazine subscriptions. Star the rookie of the group is paired with veteran and phenomenal salesman, Jake. They naturally make a cosmic connection which is interfered with by curiosity, deception and the misadventures of survival.

    Arnold uses intimate frames with vibrant colours, electric characters, clamorous hip-hop, introspective dialogue, flirting and sexual energy which make the mundane plot stimulating. American Honey is a long, messy, organic observation of youthful passion and the pursuit for purpose.