Tag: south african artist

The Making of Falco Holmz: A Mix of Raw Emotions and Flexibility

Ever since I listened to Solarkenji’s album notes, I will not lie, I have found myself going down a bit of a rabbit hole as far as South Africa’s underground music scene is concerned. Rather than stumbling upon this musician’s music on my own, I was persuaded by his manager to give it a listen and share my thoughts on what I heard- and, now that have, I can say that many of the songs are songs that I would have, unironically, added to my own playlist, even if I stumbled upon it by myself. I really like Falco Holmz’s work, and it is not about ‘supporting your own’ because you are South African, I think it is about giving praise where it is due. I love that I can’t tell what genre each of his tracks fits, it leaves listeners with a great deal of discernment to search through.

Bubblegum Club catches up with artist Falco Holmz who shares interesting facts about the creative vision that guides his music, and the early influences and life experiences that have shaped his career to be what it is.

Ruvesen Naidoo: How did you discover your musical talent, and when did you realise that music was something you wanted to pursue professionally?

Falco Holmz: My journey with music started when I was 12 after my school’s choir teacher forced me to join the choir. At first, I wasn’t really into it, I just saw it as a very interesting activity to participate in. A year later a friend of mine showed me how to record songs on my laptop and I started recording really amature songs just for fun and to share with my friends. Years later during my finals in university, I felt like I had a lot to say and a story to tell and this led me to bothering a close friend of mine for studio sessions. That very first session was like finding a missing puzzle piece. It hit me deep; this, creating music, was what I was born to do. The rest, as they say, is the symphony of history.

RN: 2. How has the local music scene influenced your style and genre choices?

FH: Wow a lot! I was a huge Kwaito fan as a kid, I honestly think “Nkalakatha” by Mandoza was the first song I could recite word for word. As a teenager, I was really influenced by artists like Simphiwe Dana, Zolani Mahola, The Soil, AKA and Tshego.

RN: 3. Can you describe your unique sound and the elements that set your music apart from others in the industry?

FH: My music is led by my authentic expression of how I feel about certain moments in life. I would describe my music as different colours or stories of raw emotions that showcase the dynamic nature of being a human in this generation. Growing up in a small town in the Eastern Cape and later on moving to Johannesburg at 16 allowed me to explore different perspectives and cultures and these experiences have had a huge impact on my versatility as an artist. I see myself as a genre-bending artist who experiments with different sounds that fit a story or narrative I want to sing or rap about.

RN: 4. Are there any specific South African musicians or musical traditions that have had a significant impact on your work?

FH: Yes, growing up, Gospel was the only music ever played at my grandmother’s house so artists like Ntokozo Mbambo and Mthunzi Namba showed me the importance of passion. The Soil inspired me to be more authentic and prideful and AKA inspired me and I am sure millions of others have confidence in themselves. All these artists are talented but they also showed me it’s more than just the music.

RN: 5. Your latest single showcases a fusion of genres. How do you approach blending different musical styles, and what do you hope listeners take away from your music?

FH: Melodies are the key for me when writing any song, I approach each song differently based on how I am feeling or what I feel like expressing. I hear and consume music in such a dynamic way which makes it very hard for me to box myself to one sound. I hope my listeners can relate and be inspired by my music.

RN: 6. How have your own life experiences shaped the themes and lyrics of your songs?

FH: Every song is a page torn from the book of my life. “4 Peace Sake” my debut EP unravels the tales of my early twenties, while subsequent tunes delve into the drama of my mid and late twenties. Life writes the lyrics, and I simply translate.

RN: 7. Is it important for you to represent your heritage through your art?

FH: I think for me it is, home is where the heart is. Sometimes I get caught up in who I am internally and forget that a huge part of my identity is formed by the culture that raised me. I’ve always wanted to make a song about a Xhosa love song and I felt like dropping “Ungowami” was the perfect time to show the world that there is a different side of me as an artist and a person that means a lot to me.

RN: 8. Collaborations can be a powerful way to explore new sounds. Are there any artists, locally or globally, that you dream of collaborating with, and why?

FH: Most definitely, in South Africa, I’d like to work with Anatii, Tshego, Kabza da small and Zolan Mahola. These artists are very talented and I feel like I’d learn a lot from them. Globally, Dominic Fike, Kendrick Lamar, Ravyn Lenae, Saba, and Chance the Rapper would help me learn how to take my art to the highest level possible.

RN: 9. How do you stay true to your artistic vision while also adapting to changing trends and audience preferences?

FH: I try to remain authentic and open-minded at all times. I’m a huge music fan so am always aware of what’s happening in the industry, some trends work for me and some don’t but through it all I try to remain as authentic and adaptive as I can be

RN: Can you share any upcoming projects or collaborations that your fans can look forward to in the near future?

FH: 2024 is a big year for me! I’ve been working on a special project that will be dropping in 2024. I’m also working on getting more visuals out and having fun with it.

RN: 11. As an emerging artist, what advice do you have for aspiring musicians, particularly those trying to make a mark in the South African music scene?

FH: Trust in God and stay true to yourself. This journey is not for the faint-hearted, it’s for people who have the passion to never stop even when the odds are not in their favour. Another important thing is to realise that without consistent hard work and sacrifice your dreams might not come to fruition.

RN: If you could define your music in three words, what would they be, and why do these words encapsulate your artistic expression?

FH: Real, raw, and colourful. These words showcase the versatility of my artistry and the importance of making music that comes from the heart.

24 November 2023
“The Greatest of A-Town”: Khenji Releases His Debut Album “Notes”

Lately, I’ve been getting so tired of my own music. My friends and I came to the conclusion that TikTok, and all its slowed and reverb versions of mainstream (often good) songs that are used in viral trends, is the reason that new music doesn’t hit the same anymore. So, naturally, I’m always interested when I come across an underground artist that mimics mainstream music genres, but in some way, adds their own ‘character’ or ‘interpretation’ to the generic to create something that will stand out more- and it’s even better when it’s a South African artist!

In my pursuit of discovering new music, I came across a Twitter account owned by Thato Mashigo (Khenji) a Musician, Writer and Producer from Alexandra, Gauteng. He recently released his debut album “Notes”, a 12-track celebration, which he describes in an article as “a brief record of points or ideas written down as an aid to memory.”

More times than others, I think we fail to call out musicians for creating albums that sometimes fall short of manifesting clear purpose or intent. I find it so enlightening listening to an album that sounds like a clear lived experience of someone- and I think this is where this album wins and makes it a project worth listening to.

Along with the announcement of the album on X, Mashigo unironically shared a couple of key takeaways from the album; notes of what the album is made of, what it represents and how it should be received by listeners.

“Notes is more than a story, it’s my perspective of Life”- Khenji/@SolarKhenji

Along with the Khenji, the album was produced by Lucas Mathule, an Alexandra-based producer.

As much as I do appreciate a solo album, featured artists on a tracklist always take an already good project to the next level, and that’s what happened here. I can hear from songs such as Plenty and Too Long that this album evokes so many feelings about community and the essence of one’s upbringing. In terms of its production value and artistic appeal, the album is an impressive way of characterising Alexandra’s music scene.

There’s all those present elements for the album to qualify as an alternative R&B album, but there’s also so many elements that make it a perfect blend of R&B, Hip-Hop and Jazz- Oh and those beats of drums just enhance the overall vibrancy that the music in this album reflects.

While I will admit that prior to this, I had never listened to local musicians’ albums from front to back (without skips), this was really fun to listen to. The album stands as a type of homage to the rawness of youth, but within that rawness, Khenji’s use of lyrics implies faith in one’s present state and hopes for one’s future.

You know what I like about @SolarKhenji music? You can hear the fun in his music. I can tell broer was having the time of his life in the studio.

A tweet by @master_rxph

Quite excited to see how far this emerging South African artist goes!

8 November 2023
Athi-Patra Ruga // An Inclusive History with ‘Queens in Exile’

Athi-Patra Ruga is an artist who hardly requires an introduction. Partaking in exhibitions and performances at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, The Film Will Always Be You: ‘South African Artists on Screen’ at the Tate Modern in London and the 55th Venice Biennale to name a few; the reasons behind him being considered a ground breaking South African artist is clear. Athi returns to Cape Town with a new body of work ‘Queens in Exile’ currently showing at the WHAT- IFTHEWORLD/GALLERY.

Assuming the tropology of myth as a neoteric retort to the era of post-apartheid; Athi is a designer of non-conforming identities. Using his built-up avatars as both satire and critique on the current social and political social status quo. Alternative realities and myths are constructed in an effort to look at the traumas of colonial history over the last 200 years from a detached outlook. From this removed distance wounds of the past that still remain, can be reflected upon outside of personalized grief and defensiveness.

Central to his practice is the philosophical magnetism and allegoric value of utopia. This mythical metaverse ensuing from his practice, has been constructed with both ease and poise. The creation and depiction of characters inhabiting Athi’s mystical realm create a space of self-reflectivity within a political, social and cultural context in which criticism and parody can be expressed. Utopia acts as an optic through which to view and process colonial history in order to provide critique on the present and pose a humanist vision for the future.

Film still from ‘Over the Rainbow’ 2017

‘Queens in Exile’ came about from a desire to tell more accurate stories. Not intended as an exercise of alteration to paint over gaping holes in history; Athi unearths exclusionary national myth and collective memory. In this act, he moulds a world in which the exiled reign. A land that belongs to queens that have been lost and forgotten from our memories.

The lives of anti-apartheid and gay rights activist Simon Nkoli, Senegalese dancer Feral Benga and Sylvia Rivera, a US transgender activist are the icons that Athi chooses to highlight. Asking his audience to question the canon with fresh eyes. His exhibition acts as a reminder of the need to enforce more accurate accounts of history inclusive of womxn and queer icons.

A project spanning over three years comes together in ‘Queens of Exile’ and functions simultaneously as a continuation on the critically acclaimed exhibition ‘The Future White woman of Azania Saga’ in 2014. Athi’s viewer is imbedded in an immersive exhibition. A large-scale projection of ‘Over the Rainbow’ leaves you mesmerized, electrified.

‘The Elder’ 2015

Hand embroidered tapestries completed with meticulous precision, elaborate foliage sets built up of flowers, flowers on flowers, golden leaves. These are the visual signifiers of an artist painstakingly unafraid of his boldness. Many of Athi’s works are works that live on past physical existence and traverse into mental existence.

After Athi’s return from the Foundation Louis Vuitton in Paris, local audiences have the opportunity to engage with the work of this internationally acclaimed artist who can only be deemed a master of his medium.

Film still from ‘Over the Rainbow’ 2017

5 December 2017
Making a name within the frame

I once came across a quote by Steven Fry that read, “a true thing, poorly expressed, is a lie.” These words seemed to tumble around in the back of my mind as I made my way through the survey of Michael MacGarry’s films. Beginning with an animation made as a student in 1999, the exhibition traces his output as a filmmaker, and as a first time viewer of a number of the works, it was refreshing to see a progressing clarity of vision and form as MacGarry masters his craft. Filmmaking is central to MacGarry’s artistic output, and a number of the sculptures, which he exhibits at solo shows, often begin their lives as props for the films, or like his photographic series, take the films and their themes as their reference point.

Held in the basement of the Wits Art Museum, with the walls painted black and the room left dark, ten films are spread throughout the space, either projected onto the walls or on flat screen TV’s, with headphones and bean bags, allowing for a more intimate viewing experience.

Still from Sea of Ash

A kaleidoscope of themes come together, both in the individual films as well as collectively, revealing some of the pressing issues of our day which have been the focus of MacGarry’s practice. Using the form of narrative cinema to combine notions of historic and current imperialism, modernity, migration, economic disparity and urbanization amongst others, MacGarry holds up a poignant mirror to some of the most prevalent issues across Africa today. Excuse me, while I disappear (2015), poetically depicts China’s overshadowing presence in Angola by weaving the narrative of a young municipal worker in and through the huge, largely unoccupied residential buildings constructed in Kilamba Kiaxi, a new city built by the Chinese outside Luanda. Moreover, in the midst of all this, there is a constant interrogation of the artist’s own position within these grand narratives. We see this self-reflexivity most predominately in films such as LHR – JNB (2002 -2010), Sea of Ash (2015) and culminating very personally in the most recently made, two-channel film installation titled Parang (2017), which focuses on the artist’s family history in the Far East.

Speaking to the artist, he said the title for the show came from a feature film he is currently working on and incorporates some of the recurring themes of representational violence seen in a variety of his work. The title, Show No Pain could also be somewhat revealing of the artist’s own practice; giving us as viewers a small insight into the demands and trials placed on an artist pursuing such a career, and the thick skin you have to grow to “make it in the art world.” For someone who’s CV boasts works shown at the Tate Modern and Gugenheim Bilbao amongst other prestigious international institutions, it is fitting that WAM would acknowledge a local artist in the middle of what promises to be a lifetime of progressive artistic production.

Still from Excuse me, while I disappear

Still from Sea of Ash

8 May 2017
Khaya Witbooi // A Floral Kingdom of Historic Imperialism

Soil of the land pours fourth from a concrete fissure. Protea graves lie on an earthy deathbed. The indigenous plants strewn across the floor. Blood-red seeps from a glinting gold surface. A legacy of Eurocentricity. Wilting in the sun. “The garden itself as a place of symbolic and material production, where sublime beauty still emerges as a surplus value of the dirty hands of others labor.”

History Begins with a Garden is captured within the surrounding greenhouse-glass walls of Gallery MOMO. Artist Khaya Witbooi collaborated with Italian born, Barcelona based curator Mariella Franzoni to put the show together. In his work Khaya digs up the roots of a colonial history. In exploring the, “genealogy of gardens and gardening in South Africa, bringing to light its relation with slavery, land dispossession and nationalist propaganda.”. Gardens appear at the intersection of both beauty and violence.

Made in SA (Anna de Kooning)

“The rhetoric of aesthetic and civilization was at the origin of the colonial and apartheid enterprises that built the Company’s Garden and, later, Kirstenbosch in Cape Town as symbols of power.”. The systematic trafficking of plants mirrors the enslaved movements of human migration during colonisation. Rich and vibrant in colour, Khaya’s complex images juxtapose a history of iconography grown from the garden of colonial South Africa with contemporary popular culture.

Queen Elizabeth II, Jan van Riebeeck and Cecil John Rhodes are used to access the historical narrative of South Africa. Problematising their prevalence. Their positions of power are subverted through the use of CCTV cameras, the moon landing and Tweety Birds. South Africa’s historic mining practices are referenced through featuring the yellow Looney Tunes character – canaries were carried down to the depths of the earth in mine shafts to test for fatal levels of carbon monoxide or methane. In his pieces, a matrix of meaning are articulated through subtleties – a visual critique of the colonial seed.

“For a colonized people the most essential value, because the most concrete, is first and foremost the land: the land which will bring them bread and, above all, dignity.”

― Frantz Fanon

Hortus Conclusus

The Plant is a Flag

30 March 2017
“Hipnotic” Art – An Interview with illustrator Lungile Mbokane

I interviewed illustrator Lungile Mbokane about where his artistic journey began and his experiences at the Design Indaba this year.

Tell our readers a bit about you and your journey as an illustrator?

My journey as an illustrator began in 2011 when I signed up for graphic design as a career that I wanted to pursue. It has been a journey filled with challenges, good and bad, but worth going through because they have resulted in who I have become as an illustrator. My first entrance to the field was in 2013 when I was designing a poster for a movie titled “Hear Me Move”. I made it all the way to the top 4 of the competition.

How do you like to describe your work?

My work is a series of thoughts, events and activities that I happen to experience in my daily life. I try to capture everything around me to feed my source of inspiration. I have always pursued abstract forms of illustrations. I try to translate the world from my point of view. Abstract concepts and forms tend to be best describe my work because when something is abstract it holds more than a single meaning.

Do you have particular themes that you enjoy working through?

Yes I do. Authentic art is the theme I enjoy working with. This means I can explore various concepts but with intentions of producing proudly African inspired art that has the ability to create and blend work that can be internationally recognized. My themes can range from music, culture, and many ideas that I collect daily that I can explore as an artist.

Tell our readers about “Hipnotic” / “Hipnotic Art Movement”.

Hipnotic Art Movement came about when I had a feeling about using my art as a tool that heals me. The name comes from Hypnosis which is similar to how I perceive my art. It is a drug (medicine) that is prescribed by the doctor (artist). I added a hip feel to the name by spelling it out “Hipnotic” rather than “Hypnotic”. The first three letters ‘H-i-p’ define my work as relevant and current.

Tell our readers about your experience at the Design Indaba this year.

My experience at the Design Indaba Festival was something that helped me to grow as an artist. Being part of something that surrounds you with other types of artists had an impact on how I now view myself and my work. The platform helps you reach and meet a lot of young, inspiring creatives who have the ability to influence and change the world through their work. I was able to see the results of simple ideas made into something effective and the power of creativity on one stage. The series of events that took place during the festival became something that I can treasure for a lifetime. I’d say it’s something that can help you move to the next level in your career.

Tell our readers about some of the awards you have received and projects you have been involved in.

Last year I was part of the Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards and received an award for being identified as one of the top 100 exhibiting artists. I have been part of Conte Magazine, an amazing magazine that puts creatives together. I was featured in their second issue, Africa, and their third issue, Revolution. I will feature in their up coming issues titled The Raw and 20 Something, which are going to be released in April and May respectively. I was also part of the annually held SA Taxi Foundation Art Awards and was a top 30 finalist. I am currently part of Design Indaba’s emerging creatives class of 2017. I am also currently part of Fiercepop which is an online exhibition that has amazing artists and exhibits their work in places such as Amsterdam, New York, London, Cape Town and Johannesburg.

What are you working on at the moment? What can we expect from you this year?

At the moment I am working on expanding myself as an independent artist as well as the distribution and availability of my work to the public. What people can expect this year from Hipnotic as an artist is more work to being dished out. I have been compiling my work for years and I am slowly getting it out for people to receive. People are looking at a recent Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design graduate who is ready to put his qualification to good use.

Anything else you would like to mention about you and your work?

My work is forever evolving and changes just as much as the world turns. I aim to explore as much as I can with various concepts and ideas because I feel that all artists need to keep up with the times. Texture, loose ink brushstrokes and collage play a huge role into how I fuse digital art and traditional art.

To check out more of Lungile’s work follow him on Facebook and Instagram or check out his Behance.

24 March 2017
Sikelela Damane’s exhibition State Of The Nation Address (SONA) – “Speaking the truth should not be substituted for being radical”

As the high priestess of soul, Nina Simone said, “You can’t help it. An artist’s duty as far I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.” This is exactly what artist, Sikelela Damane achieved in his current exhibition titled, State Of the Nation Address (SONA).

From the historical removal of the Cecil John Rhodes statute at the University of Cape Town to the dodging of rubber bullets while peacefully marching in the streets of Johannesburg, Sikelela was initially inspired by the South African student Fallist movements and how they have “commercialised being ‘woke’ and addressed complex patriarchal and racial constructs.”.

Sikelela deliberately represented the students asking for free decolonized education as “heroes of our generation” instead of being in a state of melancholy since they are a group that is both marginalised and frightened.

Moreover, it is the chunk of land that Sikelela layered on the floor of the Kalashnikovv gallery that speaks to the state of a nation that is frightened about its mission to address the struggles of the marginalised.

Land is a deeply contested issue in South Africa and Sikelela’s idea to address this issue in his work began when President Jacob Zuma stated that the main objective of his government would be to re-address the land. Even though, Sikelela suspects the President’s main objective is to end his term with the affection of Black South African’s, Sikelela seized the opportunity to metaphorically engage with relationship between land and Black labour.

It was in the process of excavating land from outside the gallery and moving it inside that was emotional for Sikelela. “I felt laboured, hard laboured in particular and reminded of Black Labour and how Black males and females in this country became cheap exploits to nourish and pamper this land.” In addition, the accidental displacement and replacement of Sikelela’s land installation helped him further speak to the illusionary ownership of South African soil.

“I like to think of myself as not of a radical but an artist who simply paints the truth. What is a radical, and to whom? Speaking the truth should not be substituted for being radical. And it’s assumed that radical equals being a fighter, an anarchist. I say I paint out of love and hope”, said Sikelela.

In his exhibition currently on at the Kalashnikovv gallery, Sikelela does more than paint. He sues acrylic, aerosol, markers and earth on canvases. He also uses objects such as land and a tyre to address the state of the nation.

Check it out the art walkabout this Saturday or see his artwork on Instagram.

23 March 2017