Bubblegum Club

Tag: dj

  • Lelo What’s Good blends ballroom and gqom

    Lelo What’s Good blends ballroom and gqom

    Lelo What’s Good is a Johannesburg-based multidisciplinary creative that got into DJing unexpectedly. He met FAKA‘s Desire Marea while living in Durban. Upon returning to Johannesburg to study, he got to know Fela Gucci who invited him to play at Cunty Power.

    “I decided to come through and play. That’s when it started. After that I started getting booked, which was a bit hectic. I didn’t plan for it to be quite honest,” recalls Lelo. The gig led to him being invited by Pussy Party‘s Rosie Parade to attend DJ workshops in order to hone his skills. “I went to her and we just hit it off and she really helped me a lot in starting this new adventure that I was going on. Before I knew it, I was on lineups, people asking me to play places. It’s been interesting.”

    Fascinated by music videos from a young age, Lelo was exposed to artists such as Missy Elliot, Aaliyah, Destiny’s Child, Beyonce, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill the Fugees as well as local artists such as Lebo M, Zola, Boom Shaka & Brenda Fassie. As a DJ, he likes to push an alternative, grungy sound that draws a lot from ballroom and underground UK warehouse music as well as the raw sounds of Durban’s gqom.

    Thanks in part to his affinity for ballroom music and a desire to create safe spaces for the queer community, Lelo What’s Good founded Vogue Nights. This saw him bringing New York’s ballroom subculture to life in South Africa. “The ballroom scene in New York shifted culture, it uplifted the LGBTQI community into what we know it [to be] today. If you look at it now there’s ballroom all over the world, Berlin, Paris, London, and we don’t really have one here. So I thought since I play ballroom type music and there aren’t a lot of safe spaces for us to actually venture our bodies in, so why not create a space that speaks for us and is by us in the city and also take it around the country. Because we never really had that. So it’s a response to that. An urge to create more safer spaces.” explains Lelo.

    Beyond the parties he throws and the music he plays, Lelo What’s Good aims to be a representative of South African queer culture. “I think I do represent the people in my community to mainstream media. Everything that I’ve written is about queer artists or safe spaces and things like that. I do my best to accurately represent the times that we are in now as queer people, in queer bodies, whether it be as artists or the person down the road and how they might be feeling. I think that’s the type of content I’m trying to create, to write about and speak about. Even the places that I DJ at, they have to be 100% safe for femme bodies and queer people. It’s really important.”

  • Sainty Baby is the Fierce Lesbian Rapper She Dreamt About

    Sainty Baby is the Fierce Lesbian Rapper She Dreamt About

    Sainty Baby is one of the most AMPED people I have ever met. She’s a diminutive ball of energy, and comes across as a soft and genuine person. Her positivity and belief in herself is infectious. With her upcoming EP dropping on the 13th of July, I figured it would be a good time to really get to know the house DJ and rapper who has had quite the life so far.

    Originally from Pietermaritzburg, Sainty Baby is 1 of 3 children which is why she was named Nthathu, which means ‘Three’ in Xhosa. She’s open when I ask about growing up and tells me, “I don’t remember much, honestly, or maybe I’m becoming good at covering things up, especially if they involve hurt and pain.” I relate to her on that. Most of my childhood is in deep recesses I don’t want to delve into either. “I was bullied in primary school,” she explains, “‘til I told my older sister about the culprits. I don’t know why it took me 2 years to tell [her], but boy, did she save my gay ass! Sorry can I say that? Real talk, I can never understand people who are actively mean for no reason.”

    Her complicated relationship with her father is one of the motivations behind her work. But music wasn’t the original dream. “I remember exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up – a cop. I always imagined one of those shootouts where the cops hide behind a car, pop up carefully and fire at perpetrators, like in the movies, and guess what? I sort of did it! I say sort of because the only time I shot a gun was at Traffic Training College and during the annual Station Shoot.” Not exactly what I was expecting to hear. Personally, watching those movies, I always imagined being the bad guys and anti-heroes, but haven’t pursued the fantasy too much IRL. Sainty Baby became a cop for 5 years. “From 2009 to 2014, I was a cop by day and DJ by night. Provincial Inspector for the Road Traffic Inspectorate to be specific. Yawned out after 5 years.” Before that, it was working at McD’s on weekends and school holidays from Grade 11.

    Sainty Baby got into rapping back in 2007 thanks to a MXit rip-off and wanting to fit in. “There was a chatting app called Mig33. One particular group that intrigued me was the Rap Battle group. I decided I HAD to learn how to battle so I could hang people out in public. I know that’s terrible inspiration but in the beginning that’s what I desired.” She’s so self-aware and open, it’s disarming yet comforting. “I had a rapper friend/producer called KayDee so I asked him and he was more than willing to help. Immediately, I picked up that my word play was pretty sick.” She also has a fair bit of self-confidence.

    “I moved to Durban in 2009. In 2013 I met an artist/producer named Gavin from Sydenham. He actually gave me a Hip-Hop hit which I never released. When it came to practicality, as a new artist I had to choose an art to finesse.” Sainty came to a crossroads in her musical journey. She had been rapping and DJing for years, and had to figure out which to pursue further – “I had to choose between rap and house.” She choose house. Her thinking was, “Once I got GOOD at DJing, then I could look into learning more and incorporating that into my music, which got me looking into production. I quit my job in November 2014 and the following year I used the money from my old job to pay for my Soul Candi Institute of Music fees. That’s when life became interesting – I could make my own music from scratch!”

    Recently though, she found herself called back to rap. “Last winter, I was in my brother’s studio. He handed me his phone and asked me to try and do the last verse he had written. I did it. It felt good until the other rappers started complimenting my verse.” Usually most people are stoked to get compliments but Sainty Baby wasn’t satisfied with her brothers words in her mouth. “At first, I wanted to write my own raps so I could get compliments for my own rhymes, but a year later I feel like lyrics descend upon me during my quiet moments, like a gift from a higher power. Or maybe I’ve practiced enough to confidently say that this is my best medium of expressing myself. I don’t know how I’d speak about getting shot in the face over a house beat.” Being a house DJ just didn’t fit the vision Sainty had in her dreams. “I’ve always had a picture of a fierce lesbian rapper who’d drive the country crazy with punch lines, word play and a bit of confusion. Girls like her. Guys like her. All the lesbians want to be her. I woke up one day and realized that star female rapper was me. My fellow citizens just don’t know yet. I’ve created a lot of audio letters and confessions and I’d just like every person to listen to it at least once.”

    I asked her how she’s found the transition from behind the decks to in front of them. “Astonishing, exciting and a bit nerve-racking because it’s different to DJing. Now I have to stand in front of a crowd and convince them I’m worthy of their time and I CAN actually entertain. Meanwhile, I’m just trying to tell everyone how grateful I am to be alive still. I’m also very eager to release my audio confessions so I can finally move on from all the things I’ve been through. Everything is okay now.”

    Sainty aims to be one of the 5 best female rappers in South Africa, so I asked her what she thinks it’ll take to get there. “Hits, sass. Honesty and playfulness. Dope visuals and a lot of well curated shows, preferably free shows. A bit of giving people what they want without losing your uniqueness in the process. International strides are a good way of boosting your fans’ confidence back home.” It seems like she has it pretty figured out, although time will tell if she can make such moves.

    She’s got a unique vision and wants to offer people something different. I asked her what she’s offering that others aren’t and she burst forth with ideas. “I pray my competition doesn’t copy this but instead of traditional music videos I will put on live theatre shows, showcasing the music. The picture on my E.P. cover, picture that bed on a real stage and the opening act is me waking up from sweet slumber and bursting into song! I’m offering a new and evolving sound. Every beat is different from the next. I’m also bringing my birthright into play. Vernac! I don’t know a female rapper that spits in her own language, with the exception of Sho Madjozi. I’m going to give people Instagram captions in isiZulu and have them ask themselves HOW a girl is able to come up with such. It’s beautiful because I do everything on these songs. I sing, I rap and I switch between my two languages with the greatest of ease. Fun and Truth combo is an angle I’m going with. I’ll jokingly or sometimes straight up say something that most people already have on their mind.

    ‘Getting you outta rotation,

    Vele you’re so overrated,

    Why are you famous?

    Alrighty that’s none of my business,

    The company went outta business,

    The country economy dipping,

    Why are you doing this Cyril?’

    I didn’t mean to use his first name but it rhymes better. Anyway, I’ll use my sweet voice to carry messages across and once in a while, in between the lines, you’ll find something you also relate to.”

    Sainty Baby’s debut EP drops on the 13th of July, you can hear her most recent singles below:

  • Uncle Partytime converts the dance floor into a space of sonic transcendence

    Uncle Partytime converts the dance floor into a space of sonic transcendence

    Uncle Partytime is a kid whose dj persona was born out of the scene in Braamfontein, allowing him to be plugged into the sonic shifts that his audience craves. Starting off with gigs at Kitcheners and Great Dane, and the Onyx rage parties, he continues to carry with him an ability to fuel the energy in the crowd and convert the dance floor into a transcendental space guided by the beat.

    His sound bounces between hip hop and gqom-wave. Having broadened his gig list to include larger clubs and festivals, he recognizes that his audience is a mix of the old and young. From this recognition he is able to translate the core of this signature sound for both audiences. “It’s always easier with the younger audience because they understand the sound better but it’s always a challenge with the older audience ’cause that’s when I get to teach them about the new wave and still give them what they want to hear,” he explains.

    As one of the founding members of Onyx and as a self-taught dj, Uncle Partytime has been active in expanding the parameters of his career. Simple, tactical moves have seen him able to stretch the imaginary of possibility, and his inclusion in the Red Bull Music Festival this year is evidence of this.

    When asked about the direction he sees himself moving, Uncle Partytime shared that, “I want to represent myself and local music on global platforms. Just have to work harder, learn more and make sure I’m ready when my time comes.”

  • YOUTH 95 x K-$ Capsule Collection

    YOUTH 95 x K-$ Capsule Collection

    Next gen Cape Town Streetwear brand Youth 95 have collaborated with International playboy and DJ extraordinaire K-$ on a capsule designed to suit you and your parents. K-$ has always existed well within the realm of fashion and streetwear and who better to make the move into clothing production with, than his good homies Seraaj Semaar and Reagan Paulsen of Youth 95.

    Having referenced casanovas, mac daddies and supalovers of old as the key influence on his style, persona and musical language it’s only right that the K-$ spin on Youth 95’s signature full piece tracksuit, jumps off of the playboy logo, used as the centrepiece to the crest of Playboy Football Club. P.F.C plays on both K-$’s love for football and the hold that the off-duty-sportsman look has had on everyone for a minute.Initially the capsule was created as a K-$ exclusive, a commissioned set of flight suits built specifically for comfort, but quickly grew into a capsule made available to the public. It includes tees sporting a reworked version of the of the iconic October 1971 cover featuring Darine Sterling, the first black solo cover star in the Playboy’s history.

    The capsule drops officially and exclusively at Corner Store CPT on Friday 2 June – the drop marks a special occasion in the history of corner store, as the store will be adding a variety of new brands to their roster – Sadly, Young and Lazy will no longer be with the store as they move onto a new chapter in their story.

    Credits:

    Photography: Ian Engelbrecht

    Styling: Reagan Paulsen and Seraaj Semaar 

    Models: Aidan and Billy

  • Cape Town’s New Creative Dynamism | Who is at the heart of the hustle?

    Recent years have seen a creative boom within Cape Town. There is an energy of innovation afoot and this city’s creatives have the game locked down. Playing their cards with calm calculated steps they are pushing the boundaries and making a change within this creative climate. Identifying four of the individuals who have been integral in driving this new-found energy I spoke to them about their approach to success in an industry were the hustle means your survival. From one of Cape Town’s most intimate photographers to the creator of Booty Bass, the founder of Young & Lazy as well as a ceramic jewellery designer. What sets them apart is their ease within themselves, their passion for the game, their eagerness to mentor younger generations, their hunger for change and their inspiration found in one of the most beautiful coastal cities in the world. My pick showcases creatives laying a fresh foundation for future generations to come.

    Photography by Jody Brand

    Jody Brand

    Jody Brand was born and raised in Cape Town and has a background in History and Media studies. With an intention of becoming a journalist, her initial styling and shoots were merely a fun past time. After assisting Richard de Jager she came to the realization that she wanted more ownership of her images that catapulted into a shift in her focus. Jody became known within creative circles for her photographic depiction of South African youth culture and has worked as a production manager for renowned South African artist, Athi-Patra Ruga.

    Since her inception into Cape Town’s creative boom Jody’s lens has matured with her and her initial claim to fame has evolved to address problematic narratives. This year saw Jody’s solo exhibition, ‘YOU CAN’T KEEP A GOOD WOMAN DOWN‘ at the STEVENSON gallery comprising of photographic work, installation and performance art.

    This arresting body of work addresses standards of cis-genderedness, whiteness and able-bodiedness. Questioning them and regarding them as despicable in their violence against different ways of identifying and being. One of her works in the exhibition is a digital print on fabric with the following words pigmented on to its surface “Come celebrate with me that everyday something has tried to kill me and has failed”. A powerful statement acting as a synopsis of her message.

    Celebrating black beauty and rejecting western beauty standards it speaks of the difficulties that marginalized groups of people face within our socio-political context. Jody’s photographic eye is known for its candidly raw and instinctive nature has shaped itself into a calculated lens unfolding a carefully articulated narrative. Shining light on the truth of a narrative Jody comprehends as it acts as a self portrait of its capturer. Jody’s work is a response to our violent past as well as the malevolent nature of the photographic image itself.

    ANG

    ANG is originally from Johannesburg and has set herself apart as a DJ, radio host, promoter and artist manager. Her initial captivation with sound leaned itself more towards technicality than creativity. Her childlike curiosity pushed an increasing desire to comprehend the finer workings of things. “I would disassemble my boombox at least once a week, inspect all the parts and put it back together.”

    Studying as an Audio Engineer she became absorbed by everything relating to sound and practiced as a sound engineer after completing her studies. Her shift from there into venue management branched into a DJ career. As a DJ she naturally progressed into online radio hosting with her own show on Assembly Radio.

    “I actively pursue creating the spaces I didn’t have the privilege of enjoying when I first started playing. That has been my approach to my career from the outset and what has attracted other artists to working with me.”

    Known for the genre Booty Bass that was born from her desire to give a succinct answer when asked to define her electronic music. She states, “The characteristic that got me the most attention was my defiance of genre constraints.” Booty Bass is a multi-genre, influenced by hip hop and RnB. It can be defined as bass driven dance music. “So whether its 4×4, 2step or club music it all makes your booty pop.”

    Recently ANG has been named the head of SHE SAID.SO South Africa, a division of a larger global community of women from different branches within the industry working towards equality and the upliftment of women in music.

    Anees Petersen

    Reigning from Woodstock, Anees is the founder of Cape Town’s Young & Lazy. One of South Africa’s most compelling streetwear labels that was established in 2009. Completing his studies at the Cape Town college of fashion design, he knew from as young as the age of 10 that he wanted to be a fashion designer.

    “My passion was always the construction of a garment. Coming from my background, how you presented yourself told everyone what your status was. Dressing well and caring about what you look like became everything and I got so deep that I wanted to only have things that no one else had. That’s what pushed me to start making my own clothes.”

    The title of his brand was chosen to speak to likeminded individuals and ‘young and lazy’ pinpointed his audience. Anees’ initial designs emulated international trends that he subconsciously produced resulting from an aspiration to obtain similar levels of greatness. Recently the designer has shifted his approach to designing from a feeling or experience.

    Looking into his heritage and role as a Cape Malay Muslim in South Africa, this wealth of culture is currently a main source of inspiration. Young & Lazy is growing up with Anees and is becoming the individualization of its creator.

    Regarding his contribution to Cape Town’s creative energy as one done in collaboration with Cornerstore, Anees passionately states “I see Cornerstore not only as a shell for the brands but a place where the youth and the future of South African streetwear culture come to congregate, find their squad, find their bae. We encourage other people to build this industry with us and our brands act as platforms for even the kid in high school to collaborate with us.” His message to young creatives is to be unafraid of embracing who they are and to stay real, true and original.

    Githan Coopoo

    Githan Coopoo is a 23-year-old creative from Cape Town making his mark on the South African fashion sphere with his abstract ceramic jewellery designs.

    His infatuation with jewellery design was a late discovery in his life. Githan’s love grew only after his first piercing in 2015. “I just became enamoured with notions of adornment and opulence on the body.” Aware of his family line of Indian jewellers he did not initially consider it a personal interest till later in life.

    Photography by Alix-Rose Cowie

    Githan has worked in ceramic from the outset of his jewellery explorations. “I think of clay as something quite universal and accessible. It is literally earth.I love the idea of a relatively unassuming and inexpensive material being utilized and elevated to that of a precious status. I have invested in the fragility of the material after it has been fired.”

    Inspired by found objects such as rubble and cement particles from construction sites he states, “I find a lot of beauty in rejected and dejected articles and objects.” Githan is drawn to working with white in his designs as it emphasizes the ceramic quality of his pieces and expresses that he is often persuaded to work within two tones. This choice makes his pieces chic and bold. The shapes that naturally occur from his process highlight a design that is minimalist and abstract.

    Having produced capsules for Rich Mnisi and Gabrielle Kannemeyer for runway shows and editorials, this year saw his collaboration with New York’s Tibi. He created a capsule of earrings for their New York Fashion Week showcase.

    Photography by Betina du Toit

  • Esa Brings The World To Churn

    It’s been 13 years since Esa Williams last lived in South Africa. In that time, the dynamic producer, musician and DJ has racked up a career that any electronic artist would be proud of. We’re talking more mixes than a young Tom Cruise, a residency on Worldwide FM, his Boiler Room set at Amsterdam’s Dekmantel Festival is real journey that highlights his passion for blending rhythmic bands from across the globe together, and he’s played all the festivals and clubs your friends who are clued up on the European scene want to go to. Oh, and he’s playing at the boutique electronic music festival Churn this weekend. Which you should definitely go to if you’re in Joburg or can afford to road trip to the Tweefontein Melkery. 

    Esa has been around the block a good few times but still gets mistaken for a new artist. I jokingly asked him if he’d done a lot of interviews since his answers in our email exchange had that polish of a seasoned vet, “Yes, indeed, many many interviews because every year I’m the new artist. Which is very funny, but I think works in my favour and hope it’ll continue, where I can also present something new and interesting every year.”

    “I’m from Cape Town, the Cape Flats and grew up in between Athlone and Bonteheuwel. It came with it’s challenges at times but I was lucky and had parents who always pushed forward to give my sisters and I the best,” Esa tells me when I ask about his early life. Esa credits his father with setting him on his musical journey. “My late father was a policeman and also a DJ and I guess all my initial music education was through him. This is also how I had my first experiences with people dancing to somebody playing records and tapes. Another person who also played a massive role with my music was my cousin Kamrudien who was also sadly killed on the Cape Flat earlier this year. Alongside my father, the two of them played at private gatherings, family weddings and some of the clubs on the Cape Flats.”

    It seems music runs in Esa’s veins, so I asked if he was gifted with an ear for music or if was it something that developed over time. He told me, “I think it must have been a gift from the gods since I don’t see myself doing anything else. But, it’s been a proper journey. Exploring and developing new ideas and thinking it’s something that’ll continue because it’ll mos be boring to listen to one style of music for the rest of your life.”

    If you’ve heard Esa’s sets and mixes, you know he’s definitely not boring because of the myriad of styles that he blends together. Esa has picked up a lot from moving around over the years. The move overseas has done him good, even though it’s been a long journey from the Cape Flats to London, which he now calls home.

    “I’ve been living away from South Africa for 13 years now. When I arrived here back in 2004, it was in the middle of winter. In Aberdeen, Scotland, of all places. Which, at the time, I didn’t even know existed. I then spent the next 2 years there, working along the east coast of Scotland, visiting many small villages day to day selling energy.”

    Even though he was far from home, he was able to connect with the Scots thanks to a few similarities to home. “What was funny is that I felt a connection through the Scottish attitude and language dialect. It was weird as there was certain words they would say, and I’d think “Yoh, did the bra just say something in Afrikaans?” It was kak funny, but it was the best way to slowly ease myself into the UK, looking back now. From Aberdeen, Esa then moved to Glasgow where he got most of his UK club culture experience. “I was really lucky. In the 7 years I spent there, I managed to be involved with most of the Glasgow ‘underground’ music scene. From Sub Club, to Soma Records, Jackmaster, Rubadub and finally the last Scottish project which was Auntie Flo, which was when I also moved to London, about 4 years ago. London has been really good for me since I felt Glasgow was a bit too small after 7 years. I was looking for a change in scenery too.”

    “It’s an amazing city but equally scary. There’s no time to waste. You got’s to be on top of your game and most importantly be open minded,” he tells me when asked what it’s like living in one of the modern cultural hubs of Europe. I asked if it was possible to juxtapose Cape Town and London but he said, “I can’t really juxtapose London and Cape Town since most of the time spent before arriving in London was in Glasgow and for me I felt it was a natural progression to where I wanted to go as a person and artist.”

    That being said, things are obviously different when he comes back to his hometown. “Whenever I visit Cape Town I always have this positive expectations but it seems like things are moving backwards, especially in the communities I grew up in. It saddens me but this in some way has also been an inspiration for me to push on harder with my goals and aspirations, with a hope that it can have some positive effect back home.”

    Esa has been using his influence overseas to promote South African artists. “I’m proud to be part of the movement pushing South African music internationally and have always looked back to my roots for inspiration since I first left the homeland. It’s also been a pleasure to have met and befriended so many talented people who are all pushing the boundaries and sharing the sounds of SA worldwide, with the likes of Nonku Phiri, Portable, DJ Lag, Floyd Lavine, DJ Okapi, Cards on Spoke, Nozinja to name a few.”

    Looking forward to the weekend and his set at Churn, Esa is hyped to share what he’s learnt over the years with fellow South Africans, “I’m really excited to finally have the platform to showcase what I’ve learnt and my experiences, how better opportunity to do it at Churn Festival on the 2nd December, I’ve prepared a special set with something unique but also sounds that are familiar to remind us of our heritage as South Africans and our beautiful country.”

  • Kampire Bahana // ColabNowNow Storyteller

    Kampire Bahana is a DJ, writer, art organizer and storyteller from Uganda, and part of the ColabNowNow residency. I had an interview with her to discuss her background, practice and the ColabNowNow project

    The various aspects of Kampire’s work have a tendency to overflow and interlink. “I started out writing about festivals and events that I enjoyed going to, art I thought people should see.” Kampire tells me that her travels to Sauti za Busara in Zanzibar in 2014 introduced her to Santuri Safari as well as some East African DJs and producers. She expresses that the people she met and the experience of it all seduced her with music – “the sound of a good party”. In 2015 Kampire assisted her friends in organizing and hosting the first Nyege Nyege Festival. She felt connected to a community of people she found who create beautiful art outside of the mainstream. “Now, more so, I am compelled to help make the art I want to see and hear, and the events I want to attend.”

    With regards to being a dj Kampire says that “I am not the best musician and I have no desire to perform for other people.  I just found something fun that other people seem to find fun. In the end, I only aspire to make my friends dance anytime I’m playing.” Kampire is a resident DJ at the Boutiq Electroniq and explains that they host underground parties that are out of this world. By being a resident DJ, Kampire has been able to connect with many inspiring underground acts and scenes across the continent such as Africa Bass Cultures in Burkina Faso and Amani Festival in Goma, Congo.

    In her practice as a writer Kampire has done work for publications such as Okayafrica, Jalada Magazine, Afripop Mag and Dynamic Africa to name a few. She writes on the arts in Uganda and other countries in Africa with a keen focus on cultures and music that she believes are carrying a strong message that people should know about. “I write to organise my own thoughts and participate in a community of like-minded young Africans who may feel like their values and opinions make them minorities in their own countries.”

    Kampire has worked with aid organizations such as the Maisha Foundation. She expressed that she has received some remarkable opportunities through her association with them such as working on the film Queen of Katwe and curating the art garden/Maisha Garden. “I got to showcase my favourite parts of the Kampala art scene in a non-typical location and one of the city’s few green spaces. Events there like the live performance of Doreen Baingaina’s ‘Tropical Fish’ have been a definite highlight.”

    The Salooni is a pop-up hair salon project that Kampire and her friends came up which began as a proposal for the Chale Wote Street Art Festival in Ghana that they wanted to partake in. The Salooni created an installation that has visited 5 countries on the continent as well as the United Kingdom and will be on display in Rwanda in either October or November of this year. “It’s our attempt to create a judgement free space in which black women can enjoy whatever hair they have, interrogate it as a history, culture and science and imagine futures in which it is a source of strength and not a site of politics and trauma.”

    When asked why she applied to be a part of ColabNowNow, Kampire expressed that she has always aspired to work with Jepchumba, the curator of the project organized by British Council Connect ZA. For her it seemed like a unique open-ended prospect to collaborate with some interesting people. Kampire’s objective for the residency is to “make some cool work with some people!”.

  • DJ Doowap // The soulful BASS queen

    “Every road is a catwalk”

    Embracing the power of this quote has made Khetsiwe Morgan aka DJ Doowap one of the most recognizable babes in the South African music space. I had a conversation with the live mix DJ and queen of bass about where it all began.

    After high school Doowap went over to the UK as a South African springboard diver, but soon found herself falling in love with the sonic energies and freedom that came from the underground club scene. She used to dance all night at gay rave parties with her friends, which had a great influence on the direction she chose to go with her own music. “They [the parties] were the best because everyone would just let loose…You were completely free. You could dress however you want. No one judges you coz everyone is just dressing crazy and skimpy.”. With the vibrations of dancehall, jungle, garage and bass music moving through her body, she found an escape from the tough life that London presented to her. During this time she started studying sound engineering, but was feeling lost. So she came to back to South Africa in 2012.

    “I think the culture and the energy in South Africa got me back on my feet and got me seeing colour again, because I think I had just forgotten what colour looked like,” Doowap expressed. She continued her studies at the Academy of Sound Engineering in Auckland Park. Telling me about the times she would hang out with childhood friend Da L.E.S, she recalls saying to him “I think I want to do DJing, because I need some money right now and there is nothing else I like doing”. It was not long before she was introduced the DJ and producer Ian Credible at DJ for Life. During her lessons with him Doowap was able to bring together the sonic energies she had absorbed while in London and develop a sound that amalgamates hip hop, gqom and bass. Before she knew it she had her first gig at Roxy’s in Melville.

    “I remember it perfectly!” Doowap exclaimed. She recalls the only person dancing during her set was the friend she had invited. “I wasn’t nervous because I already knew no one would know what I am doing…I felt a bit shit obviously because you want people to be dancing. But at the same time I know I got to teach everyone in the crowd something”. The next day she received a call from Yfm. Excited by the new sounds she was playing, they wanted her on their team. “It was a blessing in disguise having a whole different genre.”.

    While she was at Yfm she wanted to discover music from home. Young bass producers were sending her their music, and she became a catalyst for many of them to get played on radio. At the time bass music was a relatively new genre in South Africa and was not getting that much air time on radio stations. Her show became the centre for introducing this new sound to the airwaves. “It was an amazing time to discover fresh talent when they did not have a platform to put out their music. They had all this bass sound and they didn’t even know where they were getting it from. It was just coming from their soul,” Doowap explained, “And I liked the freedom that Yfm gave me. It was great that I could choose anyone I wanted and put their songs on.”.

    Taking a moment to reflect on how her music has evolved since 2012, Doowap feels as though the main element which has changed is that her music has more soul. “I think in the beginning I was just playing songs I liked back to back… Before I was playing bass but it was really hard electronic bass. It didn’t feel soulful. And now I really make sure that every song I play has a positive message in it, and it hits you deep inside, you know, with the vibrations.”. When armed with good bass speakers, she has seen how this soulful element in her music has allowed her to captivate a crowd and guide them to what she described as a “trance of bass”.

    Doowap’s love for the genre deepened when she started reading about how bass music is powerful for women and the womb. “Bass is all for you bottom chakras, and that is really good for women. It soothes your womb.”.

    Thinking about how bass music has grown in South Africa, Doowap pointed out that people do not realize how much the genre has infiltrated their lives. “Everyone wonders why they are all raging and losing their minds but it is because of the bass. That bass that makes your legs shake and makes you want to lose your mind. It is there the whole time and it’s very rare that you will get songs without it”. Having been on the scene in South Africa since its infancy, Doowap has enjoyed watching people dive into it and experiment with that they can do with the sound.

    A highlight for Doowap at the moment is being the presenter for a new hip hop rap battle show dropping on SABC 1 next week called One Mic. She will also be going to Berlin on the 19th of May to play at a club called SchwuZ. Having found the love for bass at gay raves in London, and to now being booked to play a 3 hour set at one of the biggest gay clubs in Europe, Doowap has come full circle.

  • Follow Me Down to the Rose Parade – the lyrical sounds of conscious criticality

    Beneath a canopy of banana leaf palms on a summer afternoon, a sweet voice delivers critical personal politics with vibrant enthusiasm. Gently tussled brunette locks move rhythmically in the breeze. The contagious smile that radiates an abundance of warmth, gleams through Colleen Balchin. Otherwise known as Rosie Parade, her sparkling eyes can’t help but dazzle and charm all who cross her path.

    Rosie Parade first officially graced the decks in 2012. The sound of her set was carried by the August winds on Womxn’s Day. A year or so before that on a less formal occasion, the whispery vocals of Elliott Smith reverberated throughout the floor as one of the first songs she played out. A daunting and tentative moment, an immersion into sound. After her debut, Riaan Botha – the partnering entity of Broaden a New Sound – declared her Rosie Parade, a play on the name of her favorite Elliott Smith song.

    The creative manifestation of Rosie Parade culminated from a long and complex relationship with music. Colleen had begun by attending Punk Rock gigs in Edenvale at the tender age of fourteen years old. Music had always resonated with her, however her interest fully emerged in the formative years of romping around in clubs to dance-punk.

    Her diverse taste has been cultivated over the years. In all her experience, one of the sentiments that she holds dearest is that the curation of a mix has “gotta sound like you”. The notion of remaining true to oneself is at the center of her practice as an artist. She describes the most poignant moments of performing any set is looking out into the sea of faces from behind the decks and seeing someone dancing with their eyes closed. A blissful moment of complete enthrallment. An activation of audience.

    Colleen engages in multiple roles within the industry. Predominantly based out of the well-loved Kitchener’s Carvery Bar, she often has the opportunity of working the door. The idea of the ‘magic mix’ – most notoriously cultivated by Berlin’s Berghain & Panorama Bar – requires being discerning of one’s potential audience and constructing a fairly strict door policy as a means of ensuring that patrons have the best possible time. “It’s a little bit of a lot of different things, so that everything can be its own flavour.”

    Kitchener’s is at the heart of her short-term project, articulating a desire to create a space in which people are able to enjoy being open and break down interpersonal boundaries whilst fostering local talent. She says that, “there shouldn’t be a sense of exclusivity, there should be a sense of inclusivity.”

    rosie parade bubblegum club

    Her background in theatre, having graduated with an Honours in Dramatic Arts from Wits, nurtured a relationship with this form of the Arts. After leaving university, she discovered the mesmerizing space of Johannesburg night-clubs. “You’ve got the flow of everything throughout the night; the joint experience, the performance aspect”, they all act in unison.

    This became a space in which she could use the transferable skills and established passion to further expand and engage with the platform. “Kitchener’s is like a big performance piece to me. I know who my actors are; the girls at the booth…the DJ, the door staff and now I’m trying to get the bar tenders in there also” she says playfully.

    The comparison continues, “In a theatre production there is catharsis at the end: there’s a problem, you solve it, and then there is catharsis. I feel like in a club there is a lot of opportunity for catharsis, whether or not there is an explicit problem, there is that sense of something having happened at the end of the night…and that shit’s good for people.” Colleen aims to generate that feeling through both her work on the door and as Rosie Parade.

    As part of the larger project of societal unlearning and healing, the Pussy Party developed in May last year. “It felt like an obvious step by the time we realized we could do it” as the bar’s ‘student night’ she began to unpack what that means conceptually, “it’s about experimentation, it’s a space to learn”.

    The result has manifested as a series of DJ workshops for womxn and all-femme lineups. “This rape culture shit, in this country, in this city, in Kitchener’s. So many womxn will say that they won’t come out because they get hassled.” Colleen is determined to change that one step at a time. Pussy Party was a way to create a space in response to the systematic violence enacted upon womxn and their bodies on a daily basis.

    Historically, “if you look at disco culture there is that sense of community and inclusiveness and a sense of reshaping toxic social dynamics.” Part of her project is to utilize skills and resources in a social space of collaboration to change and reframe gendered relationships.

    “Dominator culture has tried to keep us all afraid, to make us choose safety instead of risk, sameness instead of diversity. Moving through that fear, finding out what connects us, revelling in our differences; this is the process that brings us closer, that gives us a world of shared values, of meaningful community.”

    ― bell hooks

    rosie parade bubblegum club 2

    Special thanks to the Summit Club for supporting the shoot.

    Shoot Credits

    Look 1: Rosie wears blouson by H&M, jeans and boots by Diesel, accessories stylists own.

    Look 2: Rosie wears hoodie by H&M, jeans and boots by Diesel, accessories stylists own.

    Look 3: Rosie wears t-shirt by H&M, accessories stylists own.

    Photography by Chris Saunders

    Styling by Jamal Nxedlana

    Hair & Makeup by Orli Meiri

    Photographers assistant – Tk Mogotsi

    Stylists assistant – Silke Holzschuher

  • Bubblegum Club mix Vol 7 by K-$

    In her bio she is described as an “internet sensation” we wouldn’t argue with that. K-$ (real name Kalo Canterbury) is a young dj on the rise. We first noticed her for a carefully curated Instagram feed and her very delicious OG-streetstyle looks but its through her sound that she is really starting to make waves. Hot off the release of her mix for NON (featured on Rinse FM) we spoke to K-$ about the exclusive mix she created for us, what she is up to at the moment and the importance of the internet to her as a dj.

     

    Can you tell us a bit about the mix you’ve created for us?

    With this mix, I wanted to create something lekker and bouncy. The songs I chose are all well recognised

    classic funk and disco because they’ve been sampled so many times within more

    contemporary music, especially in hip hop. Paying homage to some of the best bands, groups and

    artists to ever do it back in the day, in a commercially successful sense. Also, each of these songs

    carry that feel-good quality. Don’t tell me you can sit through any of these songs without busting

    out a quick boogie. I also named it “Green Tea Disco” because just like green tea, it’s refreshing.

    Plus I’m always drinking green tea when I make my mixes… Maybe I should start doing that in the

    club when I spin.

     

    What exactly is LIT…and can you tell us a bit about LIT Bassment Ting?

    LIT is a squad of DJs, producers and artists based in Cape Town. Well, we’re actually more like a

    family filled with proper experienced big names like Sumo Jac and Dplanet, to those of us new to

    the game and trying to come up, like me. It’s amazing in the sense that we all learn from each

    other, regardless of our level, so we constantly grow together. We can all hold our own as artists

    and entertainers, but we’re stronger together. We’ve all got each others backs, we all want each

    other to thrive – the support and love is unconditional and the banter is never-ending.

    If I could sum it up, we just have the same idea of what good fun and good music is, and we want

    to share that with whoever is open to it. That’s why we do LIT Bassment Ting. We went from

    throwing a weekly party at Bazinga Bar, to now throwing a monthly party on First Thursdays in the

    basement of House of H on Loop, which has kinda become our headquarters. Our first one was at

    the beginning of October and holy shit, it was LIT. We’re all excited about our second one, taking

    place on the 3rd. We plan to take over Cape Town this Summer. Just watch.

     

    Something exciting seems to be brewing in Cape Town, driven in particular by young

    people of colour and also queer / non binary individuals – why do you think this is?

    There’s a very positive thing happening in Cape Town where people of colour,

    queers and non-binary people are supporting each others art, ideas and movements. This support

    system has almost created a sense of comfortability, safeness and self-acceptance, and because

    of that we’ve become blatantly unapologetic. We don’t just dala what we must, we dala whatever we want,

    however we want, whenever we want to. It’s a gorgeous thing to witness, and an honour to be a part of it.

     

    Why has Joburg never been blessed with a K-$ set?

    I actually played Joburg once back in 2014 at Kitcheners. At the time I basically knew nothing

    about DJing in a technical sense, I just wanted to play some of my favourite songs to a crowd that

    would understand the music too. Things have changed a lot since then and my skills and sound

    have evolved, so I’d love to come up to spin as often as possible now. My pops recently made the

    move to Jozi, meaning I’ll be in the city more and more, and hopefully I’ll play and make

    connections every time I visit. On top of that, Joburg homies have always showed me love whether

    they know me or not, and I know I can bring something refreshing to the table. Holla at me!!!

     

    You truly are an “internet sensation”! How important has the internet been for K-$?

    The internet is everything to me. On a personal level, I taught myself how to play instruments and

    DJ using the internet as my only resource. It opened my mind at a very formative point in my high

    school career and showed me how big the world is. I found many sources of inspiration lurking in

    various corners of the web that influenced my style, the way I think, the way I learn, the shit I like,

    my taste, the way I carry myself. I think because I respected and understood the net when I was

    young, using it as a tool just came naturally. Like my Instagram. That started as pure fun,

    pushing an aesthetic that was true to who I am and no one else, and that persona has just taken

    on a life of its own and I’ve continued to grow with it. I think it reflects in the music I play and the

    way I play it too. The internet really is a wealth of knowledge right at your fingertips, and despite

    the way many assholes abuse it, there’s so much we can gain from it.

  • DJ Diloxclusiv’s Dancefloor Distinction

    “Lale ilalilale! Wavuka ekseni awazi ulalephi!” For the past two hours, our cluster of festival-goers had supplanted the Wodumo chant over almost every beat that descended from the decks of that Oppikoppi stage. Somewhere amid the heaving hilltop congregation, a whistle punctuated each off-beat, driving the chant forward. The gqom banger, Wololo, had become so infused in the crowd’s party consciousness that we could string together a remix from any tempo and cadence, pleading for our sonic release. The dancefloor rung with anticipation for what felt like an inescapable necessity: for our sound to drop.

    When the minimalist grit of a gqom beat finally aired that night, it felt like deliverance.  Like the genre itself, the audience quickly locked into oscillation between tension and euphoria. A glitchy percussive drive encased the Red Bull stage — unapologetically dance music, unapologetically reverberating elokshini. All of this at a historically-white, historically-rock festival.

    The first minute of that set was enveloped in a sense of urgency, as we clutched at one another’s shoulders, asking, “Who is this?!” Eventually, the DJ took up the waiting microphone: “Uright?” The beat motored forward through the dust. “Hello Oppi! My name is Diloxclusiv. I’m all the way from Cape Town”. The crowd raised hands in recognition. “Does anyone know gqom music?” A chorus of resounding affirmation responded.  “Ok masambe ke! I don’t talk too much”. 

    And so Diloxclusiv (Vuyisa Genu) began his set, spinning a turn-up tapestry of local house, kwaito and gqom. I later learned that he was a dancer. No wonder, since his music had movement as its impetus, commanding the feet into action. Somewhere in the middle of his set, an interjection of Afropop, as Letta Mbulu’s ‘Amakhamandela (Not Yet Uhuru)’ set a choir of voices, and a swinging national flag, to the sky.  A struggle song come to remind us that dancing, particularly in this country, is at-once celebration, protest, mourning, and communion.

    Diloxclusiv, as dancer/DJ/artist, speaks from and for his place, as though there were no alternative.  He grew up in New Crossroads township, Nyanga, and later moved to Hazeldean in Phillippi. Around 2003, Diloxclusiv started playing paid gigs, initially at house parties and later at larger events. Remembering his very first set, he told me: “that was one of the longest sets I’ve ever played. I played from 4pm till 2pm the following day. Back in my area, there weren’t DJs, plus I had no friends with cars. Music was the only thing that kept us moving. I remember one group of ladies dancing to my old-school songs. They kept saying ‘Repeat DJ!’ I repeated because the crowd loved the music I was playing. So we could play a song 10 times before changing it.”

    As a presenter on UCT radio, Diloxclusiv’s popularity soon resulted in him hosting his own show: Kasi Flava, which later became The Blend.   With a growing reputation, he has received bookings at some of the Western Cape’s most popular nightclubs and festivals.  Cape Town “is one of the most difficult cities to play for”, he told me. DJ’s struggle to get support from the media, and from the Department of Arts and Culture. Township events, he went on to say, are particularly under-supported. Oppikoppi had been a long-term dream for Diloxclusiv, and along with Vic Falls Carnival and Black Coffe Block Party, had been among his favourite performances.

    When I asked him about his musical influences, Diloxclusiv described kwaito as his “first love. I still believe kwaito is not dead, just hybernating, soon to come out like a massive butterfly”. Defiantly local in his sonic pallette, he is critical of South African (particularly hip hop) artists that impersenate soundscapes from elsewhere, more appreciative of palpaby local genres like ispaza and motswako. This has been the primary attraction of gqom. “I was one of the first DJs to play gqom in Cape Town”, he said. “The first DJ to play gqom on Vuzu’s Hit Refresh, and the first DJ to play gqom at the 2013 Boiler Room sessions in Amsterdam”.  The moment Dilo dropped gqom on that Oppi stage will undoubtedly also be documented as a historic first.

    Gqom’s raw minimalism succeeds because it is both ostentatious and lacking in pretention. An unapologetic genre. As an artist, Diloxclusiv is very similarly characterised. He is an unabashed advocate for the music that does not, and could not, exist elsewhere.

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  • Mma Tseleng- The Kwaito Monument

    In the 1990s, South Africa experienced the subcultural supernova of Kwaito. Fuelled by post-1994 optimism, and inspired by international hip hop, dancehall and house, local artists created a thriving underground of music, dance and fashion, spread through cassette tapes and taxi sound systems.  In almost no time at all, this became the mainstream with the youth captivated by the music’s style, fun and adventure. Kwaito was both populist in appeal and musically progressive.  Songs like Alaska’s ‘Accuse’ and Fester’s ‘Jacknife’ still sound as fresh as ever.  Although the genre has receded in visibility, its influence is still felt throughout contemporary music.

    As a young person, Rangoato Hlasane (Mma Tseleng) was caught in this cultural shockwave. From a small village with no electricity, his first exposure to music was the 80s bubblegum and reggae blaring out of taxis. As 1994 came around, he was at a perfect age to have his mind blown by the pioneers of kwaito, as well as the US rap and R&B which flowed in as the country ended its cultural isolation.  As a fan, Hlasane built up an extensive music collection, but it was only in 2009 that he found his true calling as a kwaito DJ and archivist. When a DJ failed to turn up at a Drill Hall party he stepped to the plate and has been playing live ever since.

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    Along with performing, he has also become a historian of the recent past. He started doing ‘boom box walks’ through Hillbrow, finding the spots where the early pioneers of Kwaito lived, played and dreamed.  These trips were commemorated with a special map featured in the book Not No Place, by Dorothee Kreutzfeldt and Bettina Malcomess. The book itself is an excellent secret history of Jo’burg and Hlasane’s map is one of the highlights, showing the bars and nightclubs where some of the early sound was birthed.   He also created the irreverent ‘limited edition cassette-sleeve publication that explored early industry beefs in Kwaito’.

    With Malose Kadromatt Malahlela, they have curated a live memory project called Thath’i Cover Okestra, an evolving pan-African Okestra that investigates the meaning and importance of Kwaito music’s legacy for a new generation. Its premise – a speculation into the direction that Kwaito could have taken post-2004 positions the project as both nostalgic and futuristic, thus appealing to a wide audience that cuts across age, race and geography. Through this collaborative exploration, what emerges is a new super nostalgic African futuristic spiritual chant non-genre. The story of Thath’i Cover has thus far been featured in Tsitsi Ella Jaji’s magnificent Africa In Stereo: Mordenism, Music and Pan-African Solidarity (2014, Oxford University Press) and the recently published The Art of Public Space. Curating and Re-Imagining the Ephemeral City (2015, Palgrave) by Kim Gurney. Such interventions memorialise the living legacy of the genre and help deepen its impact on the present.

    Mma Tseleng loves the late Lebo Mathosa, he made a song for her:

    Thath’i Cover Okestra