Bubblegum Club

Tag: johannesburg

  • On The Intersection of Cultures: A Conversation With Chris Saunders

    Chris Saunders is a filmmaker and photographer based in Johannesburg, his latest project; Ghost Diamond, is a film inspired by and shot in the Johannesburg while featuring creatives from near and far afield. Ghost Diamond is a collaboration between Saunders, Manthe Ribane and OkZharp. It is a meeting of music and mythology, reflecting on Joburg as an international space which balances Western imperialism and modernity with African migration, culture and creativity. Johannesburg provides a canvas and character for Saunders, as his work offers multi-faceted expressions of the city and the inspiration and challenges it offers its inhabitants. Ghost Diamond is currently being promoted in Europe by the trio of Saunders, Gordon and Ribane.

    Jamal Nxedlana, interviewed Saunders in Johannesburg just before the onset of the European tour; the nebulous, sometime dubious but most often inspirational character of the inner city is expounded upon and appreciated here.

    Ghost Diamond Landscape

    Why did you choose Johannesburg as the location for the film?

    Johannesburg plays a character in the film. More than just been a location for the shoot the city brings something that not many places in the world can bring to the equation. Manthe and myself are both based in Johannesburg so it made sense logistically to shoot here. In the short film I try to also capture a less literal Johannesburg, to feed off the cities energy and translate it into the general emotive output of the project. The project directly feeds off my inner vision of what Johannesburg feels like for me. Sometimes dark, other times optimistic most times incredibly exciting.

    You directed Sebenza in 2012 and in a way it captured the times. How do you feel Johannesburg has changed since then? 

    I think Johannesburg and especially the inner city has developed and stabilized in a sense since 2012. When I say stabilized I mean more in the sense that there is less rapid development happening downtown and it seems like the space has a more consistent identity at the moment. Back in 2012 the city was undergoing massive change with new developments cropping up on different sides of the city each week, we found ourselves hanging out in places that were previously abandoned or industrial, it was all very exciting and the new energy in the city implanted many images in my mind.

    What cultural production do you feel is defining the current moment?

    Things that I feel are relevant at the moment are not necessarily new or from new players, I feel attracted to things that have been around for a little while, that have managed to keep their identity and make a name in different arenas without compromising or changing but by improving.

    Okmalumkoolkat for example, has continued to make unique, lyrical music, he has mastered the balance between lyrics that appeal to people locally in SA but are well thought through and still sound catchy and attractive to other audiences. This is intelligent, good quality music and I think he is a brand, which will transcend in the next year into the international market even more while still maintaining support locally.

    I think Maxhosa by Laduma, is a clothing brand which also proves that by making a good quality product that people will wear it, not only because of its novelity but because it is a quality product. He has taken something that could have been pure novelty but instead created something that combines a strong identity with incredible workmanship.

    Lastly, I wanted to mention one more brand I love, Dokter & Misses, a family run business with new relevant design, well priced & well made in Johannesburg. Again, I love a product which can be from a place that is unexpected and still compete on a global scale. South African products are now more than ever becoming more obtainable, we should be focusing on export with our weaker currency, how to benefit both from our services and industries.

    What do you think makes the cultural production coming out of Johannesburg interesting to people abroad?

    As mentioned in the previous answer, some South African products are unique and good quality and if they were more available, I think could possibly compete on a global scale. We live in a place where innovation is necessary for survival, we live on the intersection culturally between western and diverse range of local cultures. All of this makes the aesthetic and ideas very interesting. If we can embrace the local industry internally as well as find new ways to export and find avenues to make things work internationally South African products and work will continue it’s appeal abroad.

    Ghost Diamond Ep1

    Do you feel there is enough space/support in South Africa for cultural production with less commercial motivations and more exploratory ones?

    No, not really. I speak for myself of course… having had to recycle money from my commercial work personally to create new projects most of my career, I always think how many nice cars or if I would have managed to pay off my house by now if I hadn’t taken this approach but then I realize that my methodology also keeps me relevant because by keeping the balance between innovative and commercial practice, as well as sometimes innovating commercially the two will always feed off each other because the commercial world is always looking for new references and if you can provide that you stay relevant. But going back to the question, I don’t think there is enough support for new ways of thinking in South Africa and it’s now more than ever, important to stick together and form partnerships where we can find support and create better products and services as collectives.

    Having watched your career develop you seem to involved in longer term projects and working with a similar group of people – why is this?

    My newest projects needed the time. They firstly weren’t as simple as previous endeavors. They were longer, more in depth and had more meaning to me. I wanted to do them justice by giving them the attention they deserved. In a world where temporary and quick output are the norm, I feel that it’s important to give projects more attention and to be even more thorough than before. The projects that I have been working on have also mostly been self-funded, its taken time between projects to keep the ball rolling financially too. Again, the balance between completing something properly, finding the money to do it and making sure its still relevant are always hard work.

    Ghost Diamond Ep1 2

    What is it about the people you worked with on the film, which made you want to work with them?

    Firstly Gervase Gordon aka OKZHARP. He is an incredible musician with foresight, talent and skill. We started the project together and without each other it would have never exsited. A true collaboration. It was also good to have two different global perspectives, Gervase been in Lodnon and myself in Johannesburg. The project is the output of those two elements.

    Secondly, Manthe Ribane, her performance in the film drives the visuals and gives the music so much more emphasis. I feel strongly connected to dance and how it enhances music. They are reciprocal art forms – music needs dance and dance needs music, otherwise they both don’t exist hence the reason I think they co-exist so well in this film.

    The other characters in the film, including Khaya Sibiya who narrates the project is someone I have worked with many times in the past and who was a surprising addition. He saved the day in many ways I cant mention here and ended up making the film more colourful and interesting.

    On the design side, working with Jamal Nxedlana on the clothing really gave the film its pizaz, clothing that I feel was inspired by the urban surrounding been put back into it, giving Manthe’s performance more character. Deon van Zyl our editor and cinematographer for some fo the shots worked longer hours than humanly possible and the vibe in the piece was translated so well into the pictures with his uncanny skill. All our other characters too, Zaki Ibrahim who helped us on our first shoot with styling as well as been a character in the project and a voice on the track in episode 5 in the film. I hope I have mentioned everyone, all amazing people, we are very lucky!

    Ghost Diamond Dear Ribane

     

  • Urban Mosadi, A Purveyor of Pan African Luxury

    In any metropolis, street style offers a reflection of the society at hand. The sartorial selections of the urbanites in question offer glimpses into their cultures and creativity. Urban Mosadi accessories are pan African pieces for the stylish and urbane. Tiisetso Molobi, the mother of UrbanMosadi, has imprinted part of her own personality on the pieces, they are unmistakable; her signature low-key luxury complimented by authentic African materials.

    Knowledgeable on the rich history of the materials used in her designs, Tiisetso, reflects on how the stories contained in the Kente and mudcloth hold our heritage as Africans, she says, “Imagine all the wonderful stories that these textiles hold? How can one not want to show them off and share them with the world? But most importantly, with our peers across the rest of the continent? It’s a dope way to share identity.”

    Urban Mosadi pieces offer a doorway into the history of Africa in a powerful, and beautiful way, her bags and camera straps can be found on the bodies of the talented and trendy the world over, she counts the likes of AKA and Trevor Stuurman amongst her clients. The Mudcloth lookbook profiles Tiisetso on a day in her life, her pieces peppered throughout the day as she works, skates and cycles through Cape Town. The laid back luxury of the collection is vivified in the video, each piece pulled together to portray a beautiful balance between fashion and function, work and play. It is sublime.

    Connect with UrbanMosadi here

  • Agord Lean is An Artist Making Introspective Synthpop

    Agord Lean is one of the most slept on artists in Johannesburg. Since dropping his first mixtape “The Ghost and The Machine in 2012 Lean has quietly but consistently released a series of independently produced projects including his debut album “Time Loopers Directory”, the “Space Impact” Ep and his latest offering, another Ep titled “The Flight of The WU”.

    The way Lean sees it, his projects so far have been “experiments”, which may be the reason why each track feels so introspective like a moment of truth and self discovery. On tracks like “The Gords Introduction”, “Experience in Falls” and “The Invite (Fire On The Mountain outro)” Lean flexes his talent for combining minimal drums with atmospheric soundscapes and visceral cries.

    The emotion Lean transmits through sound is just as powerful in his paintings, prints and videos. Even before he started making music he operated in a space between art and popular culture, between the physical and the spiritual. It is the elusive nature of his practice that is partly the reason why he has, rather than slotting in, had to boldly carve out a space in Johannesburg’s cultural landscape.

    Listen to Agord Leans latest EP “The Flight of The WU”

    https://soundcloud.com/agord-lean/sets/the-flight-of-the-wu

     

     

     

     

  • Outfitters: Johannesburg’s Mens-Fashion Museums 

    In Johannesburg the “outfitters” is like the Spaza Shop. A culturally significant institution in which the dynamics of the cities sub-culture intersect, a space where history, politics and culture collide.

    “Outfitters” is the general term, for mens boutiques, particularly those that were shaped by South Africa’s socio-political environment in the 20th century. The term outfitters derives from the “Tailoring and Outfitters licence”, which was at the time a legal requirement for anyone providing tailoring or clothing retail services. Like the city itself, the story of the outfitters in Johannesburg began on the mines. Indian immigrants, some of whom had been indentured labourers (others migrants) established tailoring businesses, which catered to Johannesburg’s growing black labour force. In those days, the early part of the 20th century, tailors either repaired clothing or produced made to measure pieces (usually trousers) for their clients.

    It was only in the 1930’s that the current manifestation of the outfitters first emerged in Johannesburg. In 1931 Ismael Dajee opened City Warehouse, which was a “general dealer” at the time but would later become the mens outfitters known as City Hall. In 1936 Mr R Chiba opened R Chiba Tailoring and Outfitters on the corner of Diagonal and Market streets. The store was still predominantly a tailoring business, but Chiba also began developing the business into an outlet for ready to wear products. His store began selling Arrow shirts, C2C Khaki (Cape to Cairo khaki), 3X Denim and imported shoe brands: Jarman, Stacey Adam, Crocket & Jones, Johnston and Murphy, Freeman, Hardy & Willis.

    Encouraged by the Johannesburg-black-labour-force’s ever growing fascination with, and thirst for fashion (American fashion in particular) the “tailors and outfitters” model spread across Johannesburg’s CBD. Most of the brands stocked in the outfitters were imported from the United States of America, a characteristic that would define both the outfitting business and Johannesburg’s sub-cultural aesthetic. John Hyslop, in his essay titled “Ghandi, Mandela and the African modern” mentions American stars, Duke Ellington and Glen Miller as characters on which Johannesburg based bands modelled themselves. He also states “the clothing and cars that Mandela and fashionable black youth aspired to were those in Hollywood movies”. Mr Abdullah Dajee, grandson of Ismael Dajee (founder of City Hall) also suggests that up until the early 1980’s black mens fashion in Johannesburg was mainly, if not exclusively influenced by black America. According to Dajee, the reason for this was South Africa’s political isolation, which meant that South Africa received limited media from the rest of the world and the media that did reach the country was mainly British and American. It was Black American culture though that captured black Johannesburg’s imagination, which is an indication that there were other reasons for the connection, one of those reasons being politics. Hyslop explains, “For the members of the BMSC(Bantu Mens Social Club), African America provided a fiercely attractive model of selfhood, combining modernity with defiance of racial power. Their exemplars were black Americans whose sporting or cultural achievements had incorporated implicit or explicit statements of political identity”.

    Black Johannesburg’s historical relationship with Black America’s style and culture reveals the foundations of, and the dynamics underpinning Johannesburg’s-mens-fashion and sub-cultural story. A story that has always been characterised by a creolisation of the two cultures. Take the Swenka’s for example: Johannesburg’s first, documented sub-cultural formation, which is believed to have been around as early as the 1920’s. Swenka’s combined zulu traditional music and dance with Harlem’s renaissance fashions. Out of Sophiatown: black Johannesburg’s legendary cultural hub of the 1940’s and 50’s, emerged Mbaqana a sound which has been described as “marabi and kwela influences combined with big band swing” (American jazz). Pantsula – Johannesburg’s most notable sub-cultural formation was visually characterised by the adoption of American workwear and American sportswear as a form of political resistance.

    It would take the fall of apartheid, a social, political and cultural shift so great, to jolt the outfitters from its historical position in Johannesburg’s sub cultural narrative. The influx of international brands, the establishment of new local brands/boutiques and the new streams through which black people flowed post-apartheid are some of the factors, which led to the outfitting businesses’ cultural decentralisation.

    Outfitters are predominantly family run businesses, historically the mantle passed on from generation to generation.  Mr C Chiba, grandson of Mr R Chiba (founder of R Chiba Tailoring and Outfitters) confessed that today’s generation have chosen to take alternative career paths leaving some outfitters in ageing hands and their future in a precarious position. Young people are generally the drivers of innovation and currently the lack of young people in the outfitting business is another reason for the institutions stagnation in recent years.

    Anthony Smith and Bradley Abrahams are two young Capetonians attempting to re-imagine and in doing so rejuvenate the outfitting institution. Their eponymous store “Smith & Abrahams General Dealers and Outfitters” reflects on the heritage but is an outfitters made in the image of the 21st century. The store is focused on contemporary streetwear, it stocks local brands but also brands from as far off as Japan and like the 20th century outfitters, it is still a space where the dynamics of South African subculture intersect but in this case it is the intersection of dynamics that reflect South Africa’s current sub-cultural movements.

    Outfitters have transcended their economic constitution. The information, images and objects preserved and exhibited at some outfitters qualifies them to be considered Johannesburg’s mens-fashion museums.

     

     

  • The Multi-hyphenate Dancer-Model-Muse-Musician, Manthe Ribane, is Taking The World by Storm.

    Manthe is a vision, even on Skype. I see the muse and the magician in her. She is animated and open, ready to share. Her lips and nails are venetian red, a collection of tiny tattoos decorate the manicured hands she uses to enunciate and express herself. Effervescent and composed, Manthe’s eyes are bright and beautiful as she relays her journey from Johannesburg to the stages of the world. She is on tour in Europe, promoting her musical debut, Dumela 113 EP.  The EP is a collaboration with OKZharp, aka Gervase Gordon. And while this may be her first foray into music as a recording artist, Manthe is an established performer and creator; she performed for Nelson Mandela at the ripe age of 8, danced with the V.I.N.T.A.G.E cru and toured with Die Antwoord, so singing is a logical expansion for her talents.

    While Manthe is reared in performance, she is also a maven of the visual arts. The ongoing collaboration between her and the photographer and director Chris Saunders has produced incredible images intersecting, urbanity, fashion and beauty. The girl is gifted and grounded in her creative power, focused on making her voice heard and using art to tell stories about the self, and South Africa.

    I ask about her experience with Die Antwoord and I’m thrilled to hear that she manifested the opportunity by sheer will and appreciation of their art. From obsessing over them as style icons, she met them per chance at a listening party for Zaki Ibrahim. Die Antwoord were intrigued and enamoured by her and the rest is history. The power of art and aesthetics to connect people is vivified in the online relations and cross-border collaborations happening between artists globally.  Manthe went on to shoot a video and tour with them as a dancer. Now she sits somewhere in Switzerland promoting her music and regaling me with stories about her siblings and how dreams are manifested from surrounding oneself with love and like minds. I fumble around for an enlightened response, she sees me and says, “Sometimes it is okay not to be cool, and just focus on your craft and your loved ones.” The pressures of the entertainment industry are well documented and it is not every artist who survives the late nights and sycophancy to inspire others to dedicate themselves to art forsaking the ills of the business for what is truly important.

    As we’re about to sign off Manthe imparts some of her inspirations to me, she mentions Mary Sibande, Nonku Phiri, Busi Mhlongo and Grace Jones, women who subvert the established and homogenous attitudes around art and beauty through powerful and honest art works. Women like her; magicians and muses, dark skinned dream girls.

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  • Skeleton Magic Bounce Feature in Video for Branko’s “Let Me Go”

    Branko’s most recent release, ‘Let Me Go’ features Nonku Phiri and Mr Carmack, the beautiful video, shot in Johannesburg is also graced by the talents of the Skeleton Magic Bounce crew. These amazing performers are known for their pioneering combination of pantsula dance, contortionism and magic tricks. Watching them is spellbinding. Enjoy the full extent of their artistry and innovation in the excerpt of Dancing City by Martin Meissonnier & Christophe Petit below.

  • Okmalumkoolkat Announces Australia Tour Dates

    10603460_1063572280327805_8463003275543686714_nFutureMfana is headed Down Under! The International Pantsula is on a roll, after a December tour of Europe, uMalume has just announced a quintuplet tour of Australia. The tour kicks of on January 15th and closes on January 24th at the Sydney Music Festival, where he will perform alongside another super talented South African; Black Coffee. OKMKK is joined on road by his frequent collaboraters, Cid Rim and the Clonius, who accompanied him on his Euro Tour as well. Listen to OKMKK’s most recent mixtape, 100kmacassette below.

  • Khuli Chana x Aewon Wolf x Gemini Major Release Video for “Walking & Dabbing”

    Walking and Dabbing is finally out! After some teasers from Aewon Wolf, the video for walking and dabbing is, here. The video for the future hit from Aewon Wolf featuring Gemini Major and Khuli Chana just dropped a song to keep summer popping. The production on the song is proper, along with a video that includes some dazzling drone shots of multi-coloured mikhukhu and Gemini Major on the hook, this song is set to be a smash hit.  This trend of hip-hop videos shot in the hoods of Mzansi is dope; the world needs to know how we get down here!

  • Cuss Group Teases New Project in Switzerland

    testimonial 1The Cuss Group, co-founded by Bubblegum’s own Jamal Nxedlana just released an invitation for “Solution Night” an event they are hosting at the TOPIC project space in Geneva, Switzerland. The Cuss Group is comprised of Jamal Nxedlana, Ravi Govender and Zamani Xolo who founded it, along with Lex Trickett and more recent addition Chris McMichael.  The invite is accompanied by a series of celebrity testimonials together with an ominous text which you can read below.

    “Daily life is a space of  intense  contradiction.  The promise of infinite self-actualisation and attainable dreams runs alongside the constant coverage of violence and panic.  People are constantly told they can become and achieve anything while seeing evidence of the depths humanity can sink too.  The latest fashions and music next to the latest atrocity footage.  Glaciers of jewellery on Instagram, melting glaciers in the artic.   Drone selfies, drone assassinations. Gangs post pictures of money, kidnappings and executions on facebook. Social media, Narcomedia, Necromedia.  Livetweeing from the back off the bus while it rolls off the highway, lighting for the disaster provided by etoll grids.

    The surface is chaos which threatens to tear the individual apart.  But this is an appearance which disguises another reality. The individual now has more power than ever, to build or destroy, from behind a screen.  No need for constant doubt, just pure focus. We understand only ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Only ‘black’ and ‘white’. No ambiguities. No half-tones. No equivocations.  Pure will, pure power for those who dare to grasp it”.

  • British Council Commissions Bubblegum Club To Produce Visuals For Innovation ZA 2015

    A film about connections and their potential to stimulate innovation. Commissioned by British Council Connect ZA for the launch of InnovationZA 2015 at iThuba Arts Gallery in Braamfontein.

  • BUBBLEGUMCLUB NIGHTS – FAKA

  • BUBBLEGUMCLUB NIGHTS – AGORD LEAN