IN: AFRICA

IN: AFRICA

A journey through african arts

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK INTO CAPE TOWN & LAGOS December 2011 - #1

IN: AFRICA

A journey through african arts

CONTENT ON THE COVER – Fatma Siad, photography by Itaysha Jordan Editors letter Food for thought: • Design Survey: Self Taught vs. Formal Education • BLACKTRONICA • Generation Next IN: CAPE TOWN • LOVE CAPE TOWN • IN ART - DANIEL TING CHONG • IN MUSIC - ZAMAJOBE • IN ENTERTAINMENT - STR.CRD • IN FASHION – Head Honcho • In: Mantsho IN: LAGOS • LOVE LAGOS • IN ART - Ibe Ananaba, Nnenna Okore • IN MUSIC – BEZ • IN FASHION - Lanre Da Silva Ajayi.

• IN PHOTOGRAPHY - JD ‘Okhai Ojeikere • In: Asa

After immense amounts of hard-work, deadlines and sleepless nights we’re finally here… the first issue!

It has been months of travel, meetings, fashion shows and under-ground performances and we’ve managed to collect all these wonderful experiences and put them on paper. Today we bring you an explosive inside look at two of Africa’s renowned cities – Lagos and Cape Town.

We would like you to experience these hubs of creativity through the eyes of locals, artists and musicians. This was the vision for IN: AFRICA magazine from the moment it first came to me as a hazy daydream, now it has finally come to life.

Our continent is bursting with creativity. The age of expression is alive and vibrant in every corner and every street. IN: AFRICA is a celebration of the creative revolution occurring around us on our wonderful continent.

IN: AFRICA will be bringing you the world of African arts and sub-cultures in one bi-monthly dose. We will be travelling our wonderful continent to bring you the leaders and innovators in the arts. In this first edition we will be presenting you with the artistic creators who are breaking new ground in their respective industries in Lagos and Cape Town. There are in-depth interviews into the minds of Cape Town-based couture designer Mantsho and Nigerian musician Asa. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together.

Sit back, open your mind and let the show begin.

The exploration of REAL arts in REAL Africa.

Tumi Moeti, Editor

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

BLACKTRONICA It’s 2am and the atmosphere is electric in the Meadow Land district of Soweto, Johannesburg’s most notorious township. Hundreds have blocked the street to party to kwaito, the slow-pitched locally produced house music that’s become the youth soundtrack for South Africa. Divas with cola-bottle curves take a breather on plastic chairs outside a shebeen, the illegal bar powering the jam with three home hifis rigged together to make a rudimentary sound system.

Youths rocking the mapantsul – slang for rude boy/street urchin – uniform of Converse sneakers and cloth sunhats with the front flipped up, eye women and sup Black Label, the bottled beer that fuels the township’s males. The atmosphere is jubilant, free, but edgy. Members of warring street gangs loyal to the IFK (Inkatha Freedom Party) and UDF (United Democratic

Front), many of them poor immigrant workers recruited from men-only hostels scattered throughout Soweto, survey the scene. Last week the IFK ‘chopped’ a man at a dance in a nearby community.

In the middle of this scene is a bright-eyed youth wilding out with abandon. “Ne di rocka, neh,” he shouts at his companion, ‘Jozi’ lexicon for, “This is rocking, innit?”

That youth was the now UKbased DJ Mo Laudi, currently spearheading London’s burgeoning African dance music scene. It was 1995, six months after apartheid ended, and Mo Laudi was in Soweto visiting his cousin. In contrast to the parties happening in his sleepy home city of Polokwane, northern South Africa, the Meadow Land dance was like an adrenalin shot of vibes. It was the best party he’d been to in his life.

“Kwaito was the best way of expressing the euphoria of

post-apartheid South Africa and the energy of the township,” he says. “We wanted to live and be young rather than always be going deep into politics. Until the 1994 election we’d lived politics every single day of our lives. Kwaito was a release, a way of totally letting go.”

Digital revolution Since the mid-90s digital revolution, new electronic music, like kwaito, has exploded across Africa. These new musical forms are rooted in the townships tourist boards omit from maps. They fuse contemporary western sounds that the current generation of 20-and 30-something Africans grew up listening to on treasured imported tapes, with more traditional party rhythms – Ivoirian zouglou, Congolese rumba, Ghanaian highlife - and dialects – the Twi of Ghanaian hiplife star Kwaw Kese’s, the pidgin English of Nigeria’s Stereoman.

From this background has emerged coupé décalé in Côte d’Ivoire, kuduro in Angola, genge in Kenya, bongo flava in Tanzania and contemporary makeovers of older genres such as rai in Algeria, funaná in Cape Verde and soukous in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

And that’s just scratching the surface.

This new era of beatmaking began in the 1990s when bootlegged copies of music production software Fruity Loops, Cubase and Cakewalk spread through ghettos quicker than new slang. “One copy of Cubase would service an entire township,” says Mo Laudi.

It’s taken until now for heads outside Africa to tune in. Thanks to MySpace, YouTube and LastFM, a single internet connection and a few well-placed uploads can take emerging subcultures previously off limits to new beatseekers around the globe.

Although possessing different sonic genes, each of these new genres marries the fruits of the DIY digi-

tal music revolution to the determination of youth to express itself with whatever resources are available (early kuduro tracks were made on mobile phones) and party, regardless of the chaos around them. Musical interpretations of social circumstances – civil wars, violent dictatorships, economic collapse - often come a few years after the turmoil has subsided; during its reign, the people want, need, some kind of escapism.

It’s no surprise that during the Ivoirian civil war (2002-2007), Côte d’Ivoire’s most unstable period in modern history, it’s most outrageous party music took off.

“People were scared. There were tanks on the street.

Businesses and schools were closed and there was an 8pm curfew in place,” says coupé décalé producer Bablee. “Because of the curfew people started going to the makis (outdoor clubs in marquees) during the day to drink and party. It was crazy.”

In the makis new dance styles with their own names and beat patterns were, and

still are, invented. Chelsea footballer Didier Drogba breaks into them when he celebrates a goal. The style boulance, for example, was choreographed to show off an outfit’s designer labels.

DJ Lewis invented the Bird Flu dance to help people conquer fears about the SARS virus. And the bobaraba, a dance that celebrates the shape and size of African ladies’ behinds, was so popular it started a craze in the markets of Abidjan for supposedly buttock-boosting vitamin injections.

Ivory groove Unlike other genres, coupé décalé was driven from 2002 to the present by the Ivoirian diaspora in Paris, France. It was invented by The Jet Set, a crew of seven youths led by the late Doug Saga, to get away from the hassles of daily life – money, family, and racism. They started chatting on the mic in clubs and engaging in showy acts: buying entire bars champagne, giving away designer clothes and bundles of 100-euro notes.

BLACKTRONICA

It was the antithesis of the previously popular soukous subculture from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where artists such as Papa Wemba took money from fans in lieu of dedications and shout-outs.

“We’d leave clubs in our underwear as we’d given away every piece of our designer outfits. No one had ever done that before so people went wild,” explains Jet Set member Boro Sanguay.

“When we give money away now it’s real but in those days it was just to create hype. We were broke, so we gave money to friends planted in the crowd and got it back at the end of the night.”

The illusion worked, the crew causing controversy in Cote d’Ivoire both for their lack of musical skill and seemingly bottomless wallets. They were accused of involvement in everything from credit card fraud to Internet scams and embarrassed the Ivoirian mainstream when, on visits to Togo and Chad, they threw money at the presidents.

Risk factor As with coupé décalé, controversy and grit helped Africa’s emerging music forms to spread. Kwaito pioneer Arthur Mafokate cemented his reputation with 1995’s socially rooted Kaffir, a track expressing outrage at its widespread use. Algeria’s rai artists caused a storm by refusing to temper their lyrics about sex, life and society, despite the objections of Islamists.

“New street music has to have dirty roots for it to take off,” reasons Jet Set’s Serge De Phalot. “We didn’t mind the rumors. Like gangsta rap, it gave us notoriety. Now we make legit money. I can say back then our

hands weren’t clean. We did street business (he won’t elaborate) but nothing serious. No one is going to give you money to start your thing so you have to make it happen yourself by whatever means necessary.”

Excepting coupé décalé and kwaito, both now mainstream and with their own industries, electronic genres are prevented from achieving the recognition and financial success they merit by a lack of funds. Ghana’s hip life has been massively influential, especially in Nigeria, yet lack of access to broadband and studio equipment man its artists can’t hit outside Ghana. Necessity is the mother of invention, and frustrating as this lack of infrastructure may be, it’s met with ingenuity. In Angola kuduro artists invite radio show listeners to meet them in the station’s car park to sign autographs and sell them CDs of the music they’ve just premiered directly from their car boots.

“For some artists, stunts like that are the only way they can make money,” says DJ Edu, the man behind 1Xtra’s flagship urban African music show.

International affair As well as a growing network of African music DJs feeding the music fans at home and abroad, eager for the new sounds, there’s a growing army of international talent that is waking up to, and spreading the word of, the exciting new rhythms from Africa.

American producer Diplo, British rapper MIA, French hip-hop crew 113 and UKbased production outfit RadioClit are already miles ahead of the pack. In 2006, 113 introduced French urban music fans to rai with a collaboration they dubbed Rai’NB, featuring Algerian

singer Mohamed Lamine and Ivoirian zouglou-cumcoupé décalé group Magic System. In 2007, MIA collaborated with Angolan/ Portuguese group Buraka Som Sistema on banging club tune Sound Of Kuduro.

And ghetto pop scenesters RadioClit recently released Bablee’s pure coupé décalé track, Bablee Samuz, on their Uppercuts label, as well as their own take on the genre, Secousse.

“It’s striking how similar global ghetto sounds like grime from the UK, kuduro from Angola and baile funk from Brazil sound sometimes,” says RadioClit’s Etienne Tron. “They all have the same kind of hungry energy. Where before kids in the West felt disconnected to what was going on in Africa, with the new electronic music, even though it sounds totally fresh and new, there’s a lot of common ground.”

Inside the Notting Hill Arts Club, a hip but unpretentious London nightspot, RadioClit’s monthly Secousse party is in full swing. DJ Mo Laudi is on the decks, mixing the latest cuts of African dance music with stabs of electro, house and broken beat. Although the majority of tonight’s revelers have never been to a township, or even have an inkling about the abject conditions and provocative actions that led to the raw beats they’re dancing to, you can tell by their entranced faces and the militant way they’re rocking their bodies, that they’re feeling it.

But is it rocka? “You crazy,” shouts DJ Mo Laudi over the beats. “Seeing Londoners get down to the music born in Soweto townships is totally rocka. It’s as rocka as it gets.”

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

DESIGN SURVEY: SELF TAUGHT VS. FORMAL EDUCATION We recently conducted a design survey to learn more about our growing community of creative professionals from around Africa. There has been little research on the creative economy in Africa and we appreciate all those that participated and encourage you to participate in upcoming surveys.

Our surveys concluded that 42 percent of African creatives have had some form of formal education while the majority,58 percent, are self taught. The results are not surprising as more creative professionals across the globe are opting out of getting a formal education. Many of our responders indicated the lack of education opportunities for them to learn about design and creativity and noted that the web had become not only their source of inspiration but also an important tool in learning new techniques and skills.

The truth is that there are not many options when it comes to design or art curriculum in Africa, especially when you are talking about the digital media industry. Over the past few months the ADA team had the opportunity to visit a variety of educational institutions that offered a focus in digital media or design and arts and here is some of the things we’ve found:

DEMAND FOR LOCAL DIGITAL CONTENT = DEMAND FOR SKILLED WORKERS The demand for digital content in Africa is growing exponentially and African media businesses/advertisers are staggering to fill up their programming, billboards and websites with local content. What they find is a huge discrepancy between this demand and the available skilled workers that can fill in the gap and produce digital content at a professional level. The result is businesses masked as informal education institutions offering digital media courses over a variety of creative fields. For a small fee you can pick up Photoshop, 3D/2d Animation, Graphic Design.

TECHNICAL SKILLS VS. DESIGN EDUCATION Unfortunately what we found is that the majority of students who attend these informal education institutions end up learning just the software and still lacked design education. You can easily pick up a manual on Photoshop CS5 but how does this translate into an overall design education that will prepare you to create value for your clients in the marketplace? Technical knowledge is only a small component in the digital media industry. The institu-

tions that offer a interdisciplinary approach and cover a wide range of subjects that develop your visual literacy skills as well as articulating the rationale for your designs and ideas are the most valuable.

FORMAL EDUCATION GIVES ACCESS TO EQUIPMENT One thing that can be said about getting a formal education is that for many African creatives it is a stepping stone to gain access to equipment and software that wouldn’t be otherwise made available to them. The truth is in this industry where new tools and technologies are emerging everyday ( it seems like just when you learn CS4, CS5 comes out, just when you have mastered Maya, everyone is using Cinema 4d) creatives are finding it nearly impossible to finance their education. By having more institutions are available to them they have the opportunity to learn, experiment and produce new projects.

THE REALITY IS THAT YOU HAVE TO BE SELF TAUGHT ANYWAY

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

From left: Tuma Basa / Rwandan / Born in Congo; Ibrahim Ndoye Born in Dakar; grew up in Brussels and Paris; Jeffrey Kimathi / Kenyan / Born an worked in Frankfurt, Lisbon and Brussels

GENERATION NEXT Yolanda Sangweni Photography: Dorothy Hong These certainly aren’t your National Geographic Africans.”

When Kenyan artist and Brooklyn resident Wangechi Mutu described the South African ska-punk band Blk Jks, who stormed New York’s now-defunct Zipper Factory last summer, she could also have been referring to the arty-party Africans who crowded the tiny theatre that night. We watched as lead singer Lindani Buthelezi glided his lithe frame across the stage, his hair unkempt in the tradition of rock musicians. He sang in a sulky drone reminiscent of Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, and his skinny jeans, black t-shirt and Converse All Stars indicated that he was at once a skinny African kid from the township, and now a moody rock star.

nd raised in Nairobi; lived and

Coverage in the right kind of magazines has garnered the band the kind of buzz New York’s too-cool-for-school hipsters, black and white, are quick to notice. It’s also caught the attention of well-heeled young Africans who now call the city’s five boroughs home – for some of them a permanent home, for many a stop on a transnational journey to more cities around the world. And though you won’t find the Africans at a Blk Jks gig wearing the traditional garbs of their homelands from head to toe, you will notice an aesthetic – one that has now evolved a name: Afropolitan.

The term can equally apply to Blk Jks. No one appears to question why a bunch of black kids from Soweto would gravitate towards rock and metal and fuse it with traditional South African styles such as township jazz or maskanda. The band’s cheeky mash-up of musical styles reflects their own Afropolitan cultural experience: the root is African, but it doesn’t end there.

The Blk Jks’ performance was courtesy of New Africa Live, a music showcase started in 2007 by four globetrotting friends from various parts of the continent, who have taken the Afropolitan idea to heart and collectively call themselves Afropolitan Society. There’s the MTV music programmer Tuma Basa (Rwanda via Congo via Zimbabwe via Iowa), a talkative 33-year-old who loves all things hip hop. There’s Ibrahim Ndoye (Dakar via

Brussels) and Jeffrey Kimathi (Nairobi via Lisbon via Frankfurt), who both work in fashion (Ibrahim as marketing manager for design house Boudoir D’huîtres, Kimathi as the founder and designer of Jamhuri Wear, a line of African-inspired streetwear worn by the likes of Akon, Damian Marley and Jay-Z, and featured in ARISE Issue 2 ). And there’s Somi (Rwanda via Illinois via Tanzania), a jazz vocalist with two albums under her belt.

But where did the word Afropolitan come from?

The Afropolitan Society founders first found the phrase in a much-circulated article by New York-based Ghanaian-Nigerian writer Taiye Tuakli-Wosornu in 2005. In it, she describes an urban African recognisable by a “funny blend of London fashion, New York jargon, African ethics, and academic successes”. This generation, Tuakli-Wosornu wrote, is the offspring of the “young, gifted and broke” students who left Africa in the 60s and 70s in search of new opportunities – some willingly, others forced into exile.

“We are Afropolitans: not citizens,but Africans of the world,” she boldly declared.

For some, the article and its famous phrase stood as an informal cultural manifesto for a generation of kids who grew up as equally influenced by their African heritage as by the West – the sons and daughters whose musical tastes are likely to include Afrobeat alongside hip hop, soukous, R&B and jazz. For

them, Afropolitan is an affirmation of an identity they have long sensed but never expressed. And Afropolitan sensibility is not limited to cities outside the continent.

You’ll find it in the newly emerging Afro-chic clothing lines popular with South African urbanites in Johannesburg and Cape Town, or in the evolving tastes of trendy Nigerians who frequent Chinese and Tex-Mex restaurants in Lagos, and even among the crowded salsa dance classes that are popular in Nairobi. Its outlook is expressed in the works of the Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye, the electro-pop of Ethiopianborn singer Kenna, the lyricism of the Nigerian-born British novelist Helen Oyeyemi, and the acoustic soul of the Nigerian singer Asa. “The first time I heard the phrase, I was like, ‘Wow, this is beautiful. This is me’,’” says Jeffrey Kimathi from his design studio in Harlem.

“I was always looking for something to call myself and this just explained my experience and who I was.”

Though raised in Nairobi, Kimathi spent time living and working in Lisbon and Frankfurt before settling in Harlem in 2001. He knew a few people in the city but had little urge to search out only other Africans, he says.

“I always had this sense that although I was African, I was a global creature, so the people I surrounded myself with had to reflect that – or else, why move to New York City?”

GENERATION NEXT

He started Jamhuri Wear two years later, after stints working as a stylist at MTV and interning for urban fashion house Ecko Unlimited. His ‘I Africa NYC’ tees – in which an outline of the African continent replaces the ever-popular heart logo of the iconic ‘I love NYC’ tourist t-shirt – were the hottest statement on New York streets last summer, transforming what started as an apartment operation into a full-on design house.

Tuma Basa, Kimathi’s friend, had a similar reaction to the word Afropolitan. “It just hit me right there and then. I was like, ‘This is me. This is half of my cousins, and a lot of my friends’,’” he says, before describing his extensive global footprint. “My family is originally from Rwanda, but I was born in the Congo.

I left there when I was five years old to come to the States, and then for my primary school years we moved to Zimbabwe, so I did all my high school and a little bit of university in Zimbabwe, before coming back in the 90s to live in Iowa City.”

As a teenager, Basa would toy with labels such as Halfrican and Geografrican to describe himself, even going as far as calling his imaginary autobiography Forever Foreigner. “I would ask questions like, ‘Do you have to physically be in Africa to be an African? What if your heart is in Africa? Are people in Africa the only ones who have a full claim on the continent?’ And I said, ‘No, I’m an African.

This is my reality and I’m gonna bring my flavour, my home, my continent to this new reality’.” ¨Like any immigrant kid, Basa found himself trying to fit into a mould of what he thought was expected of an African and an American boy, both

at the same time, and never got it quite right. “I always had to learn to exist on the inside from the outside, no matter which society or culture I joined,” he says. “It wasn’t a struggle, it wasn’t uncomfortable or inconvenient. It was just my reality.”

Afropolitan Society was not started “just to party and bullshit”, says Ibrahim Ndoye. As well as organising New Africa Live sessions, which draw a mix of fashionable young Africans with disposable cash, Afropolitan Society wants to make a difference back in Africa. “We thought it would be a great place for people to meet and have a good time,” says Ndoye. “But from a cultural point of view, we also know it’s a chance for us to give back to Africa. We’re young, we’re African, and we have skills and resources. Why wait for people like Bono to do it?”

“The people who heard it from me think I coined the term [Afropolitan], but I can’t imagine that I was the first person to think of it,” says the writer Taiye TuakliWosornu, 29. She is sitting in her Harlem apartment, decorated with a kaleidoscope of Gustav Klimt and Salvador Dali prints, neatly displayed with paintings of African masks and fabrics.

With her modelesque frame and torrent of black curls, you’d be forgiven for mistaking this London-born daughter of a Nigerian mother and Ghanaian father for a Tyra Banks hopeful, rather than an Oxford-educated cultural arbiter. “I was really surprised by people’s reaction,” she says. “It’s always great when someone can see his or her experience in your work. That, more than the popularity of the term, was what was so meaningful to me.”

It all began when a ma-

gazine editor asked the then grad-student to submit a piece for an Africa-themed issue. “He wanted me to write about things like postconflict resolution in West Africa and the future of oil,” she says, adopting a look of mock dismay. “I thought, ‘But we always do that’.’”

Instead, she wanted to draw from her own experience of growing up in London and Boston with her Yoruban paediatrician mother and African-American stepfather, with reference to her biological father, a Ghanaian who lived in Saudi Arabia.

“You’re going to school with Jewish kids but coming home to a house where Yoruba is spoken and only Nigerian food is served, and you’re spending every Christmas in Accra. So, like it or not, you do end up with a hybrid identity,” she says.

Hence the phrase Afropolitan. “Anyone who has lived through that kind of experience can identify with what I’m talking about,” she adds.

In New York, a city of immigrants,the experience that Tuakli-Wosornu and Afropolitan Society describe cannot be claimed by Africans alone. If anything, it is a consequence of globalisation and urbanisation.

But somehow it stands as a generational shift of sorts, a breaking away from the past. It’s no secret that African parents have traditionally held a tight grip on their children’s lives and professions. There are the oh-so-familiar stories of parents urging their children to become a doctor, lawyer or accountant.

Or those unavoidable (and often comical) abominations masked as lectures on the dangers of becoming too British, too American. But an Indian, Chinese or Jamaican acquaintance can easily

‘This generation, is the offspring of the “young, gifted and broke” students who left Africa in the 60s and 70s in search of new opportunities.’

‘We are Afropolitans: not citizens, but Africans of the world”

“The first time I heard the phrase, I was like, ‘Wow, this is beautiful. This is me, I was always looking for something to call myself and this just explained my experience and who I was.”

‘Do you have to physically be in Africa to be an African? What if your heart is in Africa?’

‘What I’m most excited about is our generation’s ability to change and get away from this pre-ordained career path set up by our parents’

He started Jamhuri Wear relate to (and share a laugh about) these anecdotes.

“What I’m most excited about is our generation’s ability to change and get away from this pre-ordained career path set up by our parents, in order to be seen as achieving some sort of success or influence,” says Vibe magazine’s fashion director Memsor Kamarake, who is Sierra Leonean but was born in New York City and grew up in London. “But even my decision to choose my own path is due to the choices my parents made. I thank them over and over again for their hustle.” In his tenure as fashion editor, Kamarake says he has made a conscious effort to put more African, particularly Sierra Leonean, models in the pages of Vibe. “I’m so proud to be called African,” he says.

“Even though I wasn’t born there, mine is a very African point of view.”

Perhaps Afropolitanism is also a way of preserving the African point of view, while rescuing Africa from the imagery conjured up when people on the outside think of the continent. In New York, where everybody has a scene, it’s also a way to create an aesthetic that people will be drawn to, and build a community around it. “If a marketeer were to target Asian Americans in the city, for instance, he’d know exactly where to go,” says Ndoye. “Even though [Afropolitans] are similar to African-Americans, we’re different – and not in a bad way. There are just many dimensions to us.”

But not everybody is buying into the whole Afropolitan thing. The Nigerianborn stylist and DJ Vincent Oshin says: “I just don’t understand the necessity of categorising Africans. It’s all words to me. One week it’s metrosexual, the next it’s Afro-punk. Yes, I’m an Afri-

can who grew up abroad, but I don’t need a term to define me. I am who I am.” Oshin was raised in Newcastle, in the north-east of England, and has been living in New York for eight years. On the turntables he spins the likes of Fela Kuti alongside the little-known Linda Lewis, a black British singer. “At the end of the day, music is music and people are people,” he says resolutely.

The contributing style editor of The Fader magazine, Mobolaji Dawodu, who has styled Outkast, Wyclef Jean and Kelis, shares the sentiment. “I’m just an African, man,” he says. “When you’re at the airport in Australia, nobody’s looking at you like, ‘Oh you’re an Afropolitan, you’re different.

They just see an African.

Some people are born in the village, others in the city.

That’s just the African experience.” Part of his African experience was growing up with a Nigerian father and an African-American mother in Virginia, “with a name like Mobolaji and eating strictly rice and stew everyday”, he adds with a laugh.

Hlonipha Mokoena, 32, assistant professor of anthropology at Columbia University, has her own theory about the Afropolitan concept. “It’s liberating in that it frees you from having to define yourself by ethnicity or a particular experience,” she says. “You define yourself like, ‘I’m a citizen of the world.’ Politically, I think Afropolitanism is a way to say we can no longer see ourselves as involved in some sort of anti-colonial, anti-imperial struggle. It’s a way to create new hope and a vision for the future.”

Though weary of labels, Ugandan-Austrian art-museum curator Isolde Brielmaier is eager to expand the definition of Afropolitan. “It shouldn’t be just about those people who got on a plane,

but also those who move in terms of their interests in culture, music and economy.

Whether they’re moving from Mali to Chad or Senegal to New York – it’s about people who move within these spaces and across these spaces.” Isolde grew up in Seattle, surrounded by American culture as much as by German and African.

“People see I have this überGerman name and they’re like, ‘Yo, I need an explanation. What’s going on here?’” she says, laughing. “Yes I grew up in the United States, but my cultural upbringing is definitely informed by my [Ugandan] father’s culture.”

In a way, the Afropolitan sensibility Taiye Tuakli-Wosornu describes is evident in the Harlem neighborhood she and 26,000 other Africans call home. Near her apartment is the vibrant Le Petit Senegal (Little Senegal), an inner-city bastion of everything West African, from traditional restaurants such as Africa Kine, selling egusi and dibi, to contemporary bistros such as Les Ambassades, serving French-West African cuisine. The area is also home to Bebenoir, a trendy boutique founded by the Guinean designer Ibrahima Doukoure.

As well as selling up-andcoming African designers, the shop hosts music showcases by new artists such as British-Nigerian soul singer Siji. You’ll also find this Afropolitan fusion in swanky downtown venues such as Merkato 55, a panAfrican restaurant in the Meatpacking District run

by Ethiopian-Swedish celeb chef Marcus Samuelsson.

“By saying Afropolitan, we’re not creating some make-believe movement,” says Basa. “You can find examples of it all over the city. It’s a consciousness that acknowledges the worlds we live in, as well as our origins.”

CAPE TOWN

Neighbourgoods Market

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

LOVE CAPE TOWN Emma Jordan

Lindiwe Suttle started out in the fashion industry and had her big break styling artists like BeyoncĂŠ and Ciara.

But with a voice and style like hers, it can’t be argued that this lady belongs to be in the spotlight herself.

She is currently working on her first studio album whilst running her selfmade clothing brand from her hometown Cape Town.

She takes us out and about through her city and shows us her favorite places.

Birds Café

1. Neighbourgoods Market This local market is in Woodstock, an area that’s becoming a hub for local artists.

The market supports over 100 specialty traders, from fine-food purveyors to young designers. It’s where I go to meet friends on Saturdays.

Don’t arrive late though – it shuts at 2pm and the good food sells out. The Old Biscuit Mill, 373 - 375 Albert Road, Woodstock 2. Bukhara Many people don’t know that South Africa has a large Indian community.

This posh north Indian restaurant is a well-loved institution in Cape Town.

Its slogan is, “Arguably the finest Indian cuisine on planet earth”, and I can’t argue with that. It has the most delicious curries and they are best shared. The tandoori chicken and lamb bhuna gosht are my recommendations. 33 Church Street 3. Birds Cafe An offbeat, German-run organic eatery fitted out with a shabby-chic decor of plastic milk crates and unvarnished wooden tables.

This is my favorite place for lunch when it’s brimming with the art crowd tucking into homemade and wholesome quiches, pastries, the legendary chicken pie and lemonade. Relax to the soundtrack of birdsong playing in the background. 127

Neighbourgoods Market

Jade Lounge

1. Neighbourgoods Market Bree Street This local market is in WoBree Street relax on a day bed and eat a4. Beta Beach odstock, area that’s 4. Beta Beach slice an of pizza.

Haul becoRoad, offI love this seclude ming a hub for local artists.

I love this secluded beach Beach Road, Granger Bay cove, which is a fa The market supportsBotanical over from the hustle an cove, which is a far cry 7.

Kirstenbosch 100 specialty traders, from of Clifton Bay and from the hustle and bustle Gardens fine-food purveyors to young of Clifton Bay and Camps This botanical garden is a Bay beaches. Flan designers.

It’s where I go toor boulders and surr Bay beaches. Flanked by big great place for a picnic meet friends on Saturdays. boulders and surrounded just to walk around and ex- by tiny bungalows Don’t arrive late though – it at romantic spot for by tiny bungalows, it’s a plore nature.

It’s nestled shuts at 2pm and the good romantic spot for couples, the foot of Table Mountain and ideal for secre food sellsmostly out. The Old Bisand ideal for secret swims and features curiousand uninterrupted cuit Mill, 373 375 Albert and uninterrupted sunbaindigenous plants. The largething. You can nor Road, Woodstock thing. You can normally see indoor greenhouse is cram- dolphins swimmin 2.

Bukhara dolphins swimming nearby med with exotic plants fromtoo. Bakoven Many people don’t know too. Bakoven different regions of South 5. Jade Lounge This popular Cham that South Africa has a 5. Jade Lounge Africa. It’s outstanding. bar and lounge is large Indian community.

This popular Champagne Rhodes Drive, Newlands out in what I’d cal This posh north Indian bar and lounge is decked 8. Julep restaurant is a well-loved out in what I’d call ‘Parisian Tucked away down a little plush’. It’s more r institution in Cape Town. plush’. It’s more relaxed on alley, Julep is hard to find the weekends but Its slogan is, “Arguably the the weekends but on Thursbut worth the hunt for one day nights the par finest cuisinecocktails. on plawild as the lounge day nights the party gets ofIndian its renowned net earth”, and I can’t argue wild as the lounge adopts It’s an intimate, relaxed anda hip hop-club atm with that.space It hasand thethe most a hip hop-club atmosphecozy barten- re. This is the plac delicious curries and they re. This is the place to rub ders really know their stuff.shoulders with mo are best shared.

The tandoshoulders with models, As its name suggests, the local celebrities an ori chicken and lamb bhuna local celebrities and stylish signature drink is the mint partygoers over o gosht are but my Irecommendapartygoers over of the age julep also like their mo-of 23. 39 Main Ro tions.

33 Church of 23. 39 Main Road, Green jitos. Alley offStreet Long Street, Point 6. The Grand Beac 3.

Birds Cafe Point past Long Street Café And Restaurant An offbeat, German-run 6. The Grand Beach Cafe 9. Olive Green Cat organic eatery fitted out And Restaurant This jewelry showroom is For a city surroun with a shabby-chic For a city surrounded by the run by talenteddecor designers sea, Cape Town is of plastic milk crates and Green.on beach bars. Th sea, Cape Town is very short Ida Else and Philippa first real beach ca unvarnished wooden tables. on beach bars. This is the They can make anything This is my favorite place for first real beach café with an and their jewelry ranges authentic seaside lunch when it’s brimming authentic seaside feel. It’s in from simple to bold. I usua- Granger Bay, adja V&A Waterfront, i with the art crowd tucking Granger Bay, adjacent to the lly wear their statement was an abandoned into homemade and whoV&A Waterfront, in what headpieces for my stage lesome quiches, pastries, was an abandoned wareperformances and they are house, close to the the legendary chicken house, close to the working also creating somepie unique harbor. The views and lemonade.

Relax to harbor. The views of the jewelry for my debutthe music sea, Cape Town st soundtrack of birdsong plasea, Cape Town stadium and video from my album, whichTable Mountain cr idyllic setting in w ying the background.

127 Table Mountain create an isincoming out this autumn. idyllic setting in which to

51 Wale Street

LOVE CAPE TOWN

Opposite page The Grand Beach Cafe And Restaurant, above Julep, above right Neighbourgoods Market, right Julep

In: Art

DANIEL TING CHONG

We were pleased to take a little time to get to know South African Illustrator and designer Daniel Ting Chong. Daniel is a well-known illustrator with a dynamic portfolio working on several projects including the recent cover of Design Indaba magazine. Known for his ‘messy’ style Daniel’s work is engaging and inspirational.

Thanks for the interview. You are an award-winning designer from South Africa.

Thanks for the interview.

You are an award-winning designer from South Africa.

How did you get started in illustration? Give us a little background info about you.

I’m 23 years old and I was born in Cape Town. I’ve loved drawing ever since I was young. I had this really weird obsession with drawing different birds. I took art and design at school and that’s when illustration began to play more of a serious role in my life. I used to sketch a lot in books and on any paper I could find, and when I started to teach myself how to draw on the computer, it opened up a whole new world. I started to explore with vectors, shapes and shading, and I also played around with sketching directly on the computer. I went to Rondebosch’ Boys’ High School and studied design at Vega, after which I worked at the design studio The President. I am currently running my own studio, which has allowed me to work on a diverse range of projects. It’s great, I love it

We are always curious about how artists find their inspiration – Who are some of your influencers? Where do you seek inspiration?

There are tons of people that are influencers in my life.

I’ve always said that inspiration is in everything you do.

It’s in the music you listen to, the clothes you wear, your family and friends. When I am looking for inspiration, there are tons of books to go through in my studio. I’ve also got folder on my computer with jokes, funny pictures and specific images I really like – those help a lot.

Inspiration comes from tons of research, sketching and ideas bubbling in sketchbooks. I often do a lot of research before I start any project.

You were recently commissioned to design the cover for the 4th Quarter issue of Design Indaba? Tell us a little bit about the project; what was your inspiration and process behind the project?

This was a really really cool project to work on. I was asked to design the Design Indaba cover surrounding the idea of DIY (Do It Yourself). So I wanted to incorporate that idea into the cover, but more so, I wanted to make it interactive rather than just creating an illustration.

I wanted the reader to know that there was something more tangible about the cover than just its aesthetic appearance.

I wanted to work with typography for this project, which is why I made a template that can be cut out to form a 3D typography that spells the word DIY. So one would cut out the template and glue it together to create the letters. I looked at lots of instruction manuals one would find in constructing, for example, a desk or chair.

I liked the way the images were illustrated. They were mostly outline illustrations with a bit of type.

I looked at many different ideas before coming up with the idea of typography. Initially, I wanted to make a pop up and had some other ideas but I thought the typography idea was much more successful.

I took inspiration from this and illustrated all the objects one would need to create the DIY letters. So I illustrated a pair of scissors, cutting blade etc. I set the type with the illustrations on the cover in quite a messy way.

I had a few regulations to work around. I had to keep the format of the Design Indaba magazine and master head.

I wanted to incorporate the Design Indaba master head with my illustration, so I edited some of the master head and had some of the template over the master head so it wouldn’t feel so disconnected from the rest of my illustration. It was a really fun brief and I only had about 2 or 3 days to finish it. I also chose to use a silver pantone for the cover, as I believe using really beautiful inks on paper makes one appreciate something more.

DANIEL TING CHONG

Some of your work consists of painting and dimensional design? Could you let us know a little bit about it?

What is dimensional design, how did you get started?

I like to paint and design. I feel I need to do them both to survive. My design work consists of clean lines and typography, whereas my art is very messy, consisting of layers of colours that is chaotic and is all over the place.

I feel that my art balances my design work, as they are so contradictory in terms of style. I like to keep them separate, as they are two very different disciplines for me.

My art is my hobby and find it acts as my ‘break’ from design. My art is very loose and unpredictable, because I believe mistakes do not exist in art. In contrast, my design is very specific and provides a function that moves beyond aesthetics.

I really enjoy doing three-dimensional work. I find it exciting as it provides another layer to one’s work when your illustration or design doesn’t live in a computer screen or frame. It pushes you to understand the medium you’re using to express your work. You run into problems and things when trying to move your work into a dimensional space. But that’s the best part, because you learn and explore things. You understand different substrates and that’s where one grows as a creative.

Explore and play. Dimensional design hasn’t been a conscious decision for me; I think it’s just been a natural process for me and me wanting to explore different areas of design. The dimensional design projects I do usually start off as self-motivated projects, as I believe self-motivated projects make you grow as a creative.

What would you say is your favorite tool when working on a creative project?

My favorite tool would have to be my sketchbook. This is the most powerful tool everyone has at their fingertips because this is where every great idea begins. I believe that all of one’s thoughts and ideas are the key to creating a strong core, which is the foundation of a successful project. Ideas sometimes separate people more than a style or direction of work.

There seems to be a strong collaborative environment with illustrators in Cape Town, what has been your experience working in a collaborative space? Who are some of the artists that you have worked with in the past?

Yeah and it’s great that so many people collaborate in Cape Town. I worked on a really awesome collaboration project in 2008. I worked on a project with the Film Company, Fly On The Wall. We did this project for Discovery Channel where we had to paint ‘the fate of the earth’, but we had to paint in a circular canvas and we were on a time limit to paint. I worked with 6 other artists, to name a few – Warren Lewis, Ree Treeweek (The Black Heart Gang), and Motel7. I also did a cool VJ project with Jannes Hendrix from The Black Heart Gang. We did this 3D mapping show at The Assembly. I’m currently working on a project with the musician Sibot on some synced visuals to sound project.

I also share a studio space with Jordan Metcalf, Adam Hill, Emma Cook and Gill Benjamin. It’s an awesome space to be in as we bounce ideas off one another for the work we do. We feed off each other and inspire each other by providing input or watching ridiculous YouTube videos. We are also going to be forming a studio together and we currently have some projects in the pipeline already. I’m really excited about this. I also worked with Andrew Berry (photographer), who is one of the co-founders of the blog we-are-awesome.com . We worked on a successful tequila campaign earlier this year and we will also working on a big project next year.

Finally, any up coming projects we should know about?

I’m working on all kinds of projects at the moment. I’m currently working on an exhibition this December for a tattoo show where I have to paint on a mold of someone’s arm. Really fun. As I mentioned earlier, I am working with Sibot on some visuals to go with his new sound he’s producing. I am also working on a photographic project, where I’m putting together some look books. Currently, I am designing an iPhone app for a company in Australia.

There is an exhibition with Kidrobot and Toy Toi next year where I am customizing a Munny toy. I’ve just been asked to work on this super secret project for Red Bull. I don’t even know what it is yet. Otherwise I am currently working on the production of the pillowcases I designed, and I’m doing some illustrations here and there. Will keep you guys in the loop!

In: Music

ZAMAJOBE Zamajobe Sithole is evidently impacting the South African music scene with her debut album titled, NDAWO YAMI (My Place) the album that announces an arrival of substantial new talent on the continent’s recorded music scene, has just achieve GOLD sales status (sales in excess of 25 000 units).

Zamajobe received four nominations for SAMA 2005 in the categories; BEST NEWCOMER, BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM, BEST JOINT COMPOSITION (together with Erik Pilani), and BEST ENGINEER (Robin Kohl/Jazzworx) for the album NDAWO YAMI. First up is her astonishingly beautiful voice, which captivates with ease, and leaves listeners smitten in its powerful wake.

Zamajobe has never been one for the strident, at times overbearing vocals beloved by so many of today’s stars: as NDAWO YAMI more than reveals, Zamajobe uses her voice at times sparingly, often with a slightly breathless

edge, and always plump with just enough emotion to talk directly into the heart of anyone in hearing range. Next is Zamajobe’s performing ability and her ability to dominate a stage with the ease of an individual born to entertain. Her way with a song on a live stage was first evident on 2003’s Idols contest where the singer made it into the Top 10 and, during her performances, earned a devoted network of fans drawn to Zamajobe’s magic.

And then there is Zamajobe’s song writing gift, which is on excellent display throughout the album. In many ways, it’s this that she’s most elated about: “I have been singing and performing for years now,” she says, “but I’ve never been able to showcase my song writing ability before now which makes the album such an important project in my life.” Recorded at the Jazzworx Studio in Randburg, Gauteng, Zama’s debut release draws

together her singing, performing and song writing gifts into one immensely lovable package that will find a place with an ever-expanding base of quality music lovers throughout the country who will respond with enthusiasm to Zamajobe’s astonishingly sophisticated sound that yet always remains grounded in African soil. Zamajobe is driven to create original music that is a true reflection of who she is and where she is at - it is a process of constant evolution and NDAWO YAMI is an invitation to explore just that. Zama cites renowned performer and preacher, Pastor Benjamin Dube as a significant influence on her move into music. “I joined Pastor Benjamin’s church when I was eight and it wasn’t long after that, that I sang for the Church and Pastor Benjamin asked me to join the choir, where I remained for a long time.” In Vosloorsrus at the time, undoubtedly, through her involvement in the Church

as well as her mother’s love for the genre, Gospel music has exerted a powerful influence on Zama (heard in the most subtle ways on her debut) and as a teenager there were other forms of music that crept into her life. “My Dad was very open to all forms of music and so I grew up listening to funk, and jazz

and many others.” Zama says it “took guts to enter Idols.

I never thought I would win but just entering took a great deal of guts! And even though I didn’t take the first spot, it gave me the platform to be noticed.” Indeed. Idols judge Dave Thompson, Marketing and A&R Director of BMG Africa noticed Zama’s talent,

early on - and gave her the chance to spend several months working in the BMG Demo Studios, laying down the guitar and vocals of the original songs now included on her debut release. Zama says she’s grateful for the opportunity to hone her song writing skills: “I thought that I could write before going into the demo studio

ZAMAJOBE

into Jazzworx,” she says.

“But the months of working on the songs, crafting them into real things whilst in studio, has allowed me to really grow.” Working with Zama on her album is another newcomer to the South African scene, guitarist Eric Pilani whose obvious gift for his instrument of choice adds immeasurably to NDAWO YAMI, providing the thread that joins all 12-tracks together. “I would sing something to Eric and he would transfer it to the guitar, and we would expand the song from there. Even though I have been playing the guitar for a few years, having Eric, who is so experienced, as my collaborator, meant the process just flowed and I think we have come up with songs that people will love.” With Erik Pilani producing with the assistance of the Jazzworx team, and Zama’s creative input, the album is fresh and engaging - moving expertly between a broad swathe of genres - jazz, folk, traditional, Latino even, pop and, in moments, adult contemporary. The songs are diverse with the likes of Ye Wena Sani (a township-lingo driven, rootsy piece) sitting comfortably alongside ”Wondering”, featuring gentle guitar work and breathy vocals. And these are just some of the most captivating tracks on an album that is never short on musical magic. “Ndawo Yami” is another exquisite offering: a track that showcases Zama’s highly evocative voice, gently moving across a musical bed that gradually adds layer after layer of instrumentation to create a song of pure beauty.

“Come With Me” is yet another song that benefits from a restrained production hand, always allowing Zama’s lyrics

to pull the listener in, again and again, on the wings of the artist’s delicately restrained voice. But NDAWO YAMI also benefits from a variety of musical moods. “Taxi Ride” is underpinned by a Latino bedrock that moves Zama’s voice into different territory; a place where it’s upbeat and rhythmical in a way that adds a bold new dimension to the song.

“African Girl” is similarly uplifting, flowing with ease in song that pays positive homage to African girls throughout the continent, in all their beauty and intelligence. “Nothing compares to this experience,” Zama says of creating NDAWO YAMI. “I’ve been singing for Pastor Benjamin for a long time and even provided vocals for a group that Eric had, performing at Kilimanjaro in Joburg and other places, and there was the whole Idols experience. But crafting an album that speaks totally of who I am is just such a joy that I truly hope everyone out there is going to feel it as much as I do.” Born in Frankfort on the 19th of February and raised in Vosloorus, Zamajobe Sithole started singing professionally at the age of nine with Pastor Benjamin Dube and has featured on several of his recordings to date. Her early Christian and Gospel musical influences have contributed to Zama’s live performance experience as well as her inclination to express herself with sincerity vocally, and weave soulful elements into the music she writes. Her musical influences range from the likes of Gabriella Anders, Judith Sephuma, Sade and Eric Essix to George Benson and Letta Mbulu amongst countless others. Zama has always been inspired by arts

and culture, which is yet another element that is evident in her musical expression as well as that of her way of life.

She started playing guitar at 17 and has experienced the live circuit in Johannesburg performing both at public events (for example. Kilimanjaro and Kippies Jazz International) as well as corporate events. Creativity is in every fiber of her being.

Not only does Zama write her own songs, she has also spent a year doing Latin American dancing professionally and thrives on the entertainment industry as a whole with very ambitious plans and strong visions to venture out into different aspects of the industry over the next couple of years. Zama is passionate about upliftment programs and would like to be more involved with NGO’s. Whilst growing up Zama had a very keen involvement in modeling and won titles such as Miss Vosloorus and Top 10 finalist for Miss Gauteng and whilst in primary school she was named the first ever Miss Colin Mann Primary. Although she claims to have disliked her high school life at Sunward Park due to the emphasis being placed on sports and not enough on arts and culture, she has some very pleasant memories from primary school where she took part in dance, poetry, modeling and singing.

In: Entertainment STR.CRD FESTIVAL

SOUTH AFRICAN STR.CRD FESTIVAL SHOWCASES LOCAL STREET CULTURE South Africa might be better known for its headline-grabbing politicians and, currently, its brutally efficient rugby team, but there’s a different side to the country. Street culture -- in the form of cuttingedge fashion, sneaker worship and hip-hop music -- is a huge industry, with local labels like Butan Wear and Head Honcho making waves both nationally and internationally.

This past weekend, Cape Town saw its first large-scale event dedicated to chronicling, showing off and generally taking the temperature of local street culture: STR. CRD. The event took place in the city’s hip Biscuit Mill area.

It saw South African companies showing off their wares alongside international brands such as Nike and Swatch.

International acts including Theophilus London flew in to join local crews on stage for a series of performances. The event is two years old and organizer Hardy McQueen says

that he and his team wanted to provide an outlet for an extremely fast-growing scene. “STR.CRD was really an opportunity to showcase street culture,” McQueen says.

“Not only to showcase it but to show its relevance in South Africa. We had a great event in Johannesburg last year, but there was a real demand for it up in Cape Town, so we decided to move the event here.

It took a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears, but it was worth it.” Rapper Tommy Jinx, of local hip-hop trio IllLiterate-Skill, flew up from Johannesburg to rock the event. “It was overwhelming,” he reported. “You can imagine the crowd: hip-hop heads, sneaker freaks, bloggers. Huge amounts of people. It was a great platform [to network].

And there were some great people there.”

In addition to the physical product, there was space for the digital, too. Internet penetration in the country might

be low (just under 14 percent of the population) but local blogging is alive and well. Blogger The Ordinary Girl (from local site The Blagg) says that despite a late winter chill, the event was highly worthwhile. “I think the cold weather made the outdoor event a little uncomfortable but toyi-toying [dancing] to [local group] Blk Jks made it a tad more bearable,” she said. “It was [our] first experience, so expectations were high.” Several local bloggers were invited specifically to chronicle the event so that, McQueen says, “the rest of the country could join in, too.”

The long-term impact of the event on the country’s street culture remains to be seen, but it the word is spreading.

McQueen says he’s already been contacted to run STR. CRD events in other countries, he says, and wants to do them in Angola, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana.

In: Fashion

HEAD HONCHO Today we speak to Nick Kaoma, he is the CEO of Head Honcho.

Head Honcho Clothing is a burgeoning Cape Town-based clothing company that was founded in November 2008

by Nick Kaoma and Mzoxolo Gcwabe.

Head Honcho designs, manufactures and markets streetwear clothing that appeals to an urban market that comprises of trend-loving and boundary-pushing young South Africans.

The company has grown its product line from just t-shirts and caps a season ago to inclu

de cardigans, varsity jackets, hoodies, shirts, tank tops and dresses for ladies.

Their mission as a brand is to blaze a new trail, pioneer new fashion techniques and discover new ways of interacting with young urban South Africans. Our objective is not only to produce attractive fashion, but also to ensure that the clothing is embedded with a core underlying message.

Head Honcho is now available at SHESHA and select SPORTSCENE stores in and around South Africa and from their website www.headhoncho.co.za.

HEAD HONCHO Please introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Nick Kaoma, I’m 27 years-old and I am the founder and CEO of Head Honcho Clothing. I am originally from a small town in the Free State called Qwa Qwa. I have been living in Cape Town since ’02. My hobby is making history.

You’re the CEO of Head Honcho, what exactly is it that your company does?

Head Honcho is the leading local streetwear clothing company in SA. We make some of the freshest gear for progressive ladies and gents out there. Head Honcho is all about using clothing and other platforms as an opportunity to inspire peeps to LIVE PROGRESSIVELY.

When did you start your company and what inspired you do it ?

We officially launched the business in November 2008.

However, my partner Mzo and I laboured on it for a year straight before we dropped our first range. What inspired me to start the company was the simple desire to create something magical that reflects the spirit of our times.

As fans and consumers of everything urban and street, we felt that South African streetwear lovers were being short-changed in terms of quality and originality. Personally, I watched the game from the sidelines for 7 years straight while silently lamenting the half-heartedness that epitomised the approach from many local brands.

In a nutshell, we decided to change the game.

Where can people buy Head Honcho Products?

Head Honcho retails at all SHESHA stores (www.shesha.mobi) and at select SPORTSCENE (www.sportscene. co.za) stores nationwide. We’re also launching an online store at the end of September so peeps will be able to be buy our gear from anywhere in the country and have it delivered to them.

There’s lots of competition in the clothing industry, what do you think young South African designers have to do in order to make it in this industry?

Sportscene is obviously a very big deal for us so our medium-to-long-term goal is to increase our presence in the chain. We’re looking forward to get into more Sportscene stores and to improve our visibility in every store.

We’re also working on plans to get the brand into a number of key African markets. Hopefully, these deals will be concluded in the next month or two.

Head Honcho recently made Headlines by becoming the first South African streetwear label to be stocked at major retailer Sportscene.

What’s next for the Head Honcho Group?

READ as much about the industry as possible… If you don’t like reading then watch YouTube videos of successful designers and other industry people. You need to be a sponge .. suck as much stuff about this game as possible. Talk to sales assistants at stores, speak to fabric suppliers, printers, CMT’s … Develop a feel for what it takes to make it in the industry. Never stop learning.

BE Original. Don’t compromise on quality. Learn some financial management skills. Market the s*#t out of your brand. Watch out for the vultures. Swim with sharks but don’t get chewed. Hustle hard. Don’t give up. Make some millions.

Would you encourage other young South Africans to start their own business and why?

I would, as long as you’re doing it for the right reasons.

After all, entrepreneurship is probably the only way we can solve our unemployment problems. A lot of guys are getting into fashion because they think it’s cool and glamorous or because they want to rub shoulders with entertainers. If those are the reasons why you’d like to become an entrepreneur the industry will chew you and spit you out faster than you can say STREET. Only start a business if you have the following 1) Passion for a particular industry 2) A unique product or service offering 3) Business acumen that will help drive your company.

What do you enjoy most about running your own company ?

The fact that our work inspires young people to LIVE PROGRESSIVELY.

In: Mantsho

MANTSHO

Mantsho is a Sotho name that explains the roots of young black woman, an exclusive fashion brand that is vibrant, bold and expressive.

The divine creation of Mantsho garments are inspired by Palesa Mokubung’s personal cultural and social experiences and this is how Mantsho relates to the people. Mantsho is of high quality in terms of design, fabric and production, using fabrics of quality from stores such as Vlisco.

Mantsho (meaning ‘brutally black‘) is undeniably setting a new global fashion and attitude trend.

Fashion designer Palesa Mokubung was 19 years old and just out of design school when she started working as in-house designer for local fashion brand Stoned Cherrie in 2000. In 2003 she decided to spread her wings with her big break happening after she entered a young fashion talent competition for which she produced a fashion show using themes from South Africa’s “10 Years of Freedom” celebrations as inspiration.

After winning the competition, she travelled to India and New York to showcase her first solo range.

2004 saw Palesa designing her first solo collection for the 8th annual SA Fashion Week. This collection created hype and rave reviews in fashion media circles, indicating that Palesa is the young designer to watch. She has since participated in various other high-profile events.

Born in Kroonstad in the Free State, Palesa Mokubung has been a designer since she can remember, as a result she studied clothing production at Vanderbijlpark Technical College. When she finished her studies she started working in the Stoned Cherrie design studio, eventually becoming the company’s top designer but

after three years she decided to spread her wings. In 2004, as a solo designer, she entered the South African Fashion Week and her designs created hype in the fashion industry, giving her the opportunity to participate in various shows around the world.

You have travelled all around the world, what have learned from that has kept you going? Yes I have travelled to many places and it’s a number of things that keep me going:One, never travel with a low phone battery, never travel without Dollars in your pocket, and at least have sms roaming its cheap. I have learnt to also lead my life as normally as possible especially when I’m away; I still wake up and check my emails, check in on my production at the studio, check in with my clients or on any projects we might be busy with then explore whatever country I’m in thoroughly during the day to be back at the hotel in the evening. I must have a good nights rest so I can have blissful bright beautiful days in which to explore.

Now I know that if I have eaten the local food, listened to live music, hung out with the locals learned a few new words, bought books, art, fabrics and jewellery, explored the markets, made some friends, met a few women and sold a few garments. I can go back home with yet another beautiful life experience and that’s all travelling is; beautiful life experiences.

You took a break from fashion week, why? I took a break from Fashion Week for a number of different reasons and the major one for me was lack inspiration which was scary for someone as gifted as me. I had run out of inspiration, I wasn’t

moved or shaken enough to create so I sat with my uninspired self and learned that I’m not always creative. Sometime the dresses don’t come in dreams I don’t see shapes and figures and form at random moments no matter how hard I try. So I stopped trying and cut myself some slack. I was tired I guess, so I took a rest. How hard was it to come back? It wasn’t hard to come back.

During the time I was on a break from fashion week I did a financial and retail mentorship programme for six months with Sanlam.

This showed me something different about this industry and left me better inspired.

So everything worked out - it always does.

You’re known for the ‘brutally black couture’, apart from yourself who else has made creation of Mantsho a success? Definitely my mother and my brother for telling me I was the best ever since I can remember. My staff, my clients, my mentors, media publications, friends, neighbours, all the models who’ve given their all on the ramp, students who follow and sing my praises, anyone who’s ever thought I was talented and God for putting this ever shinning star above my head - I’m really gratefull for that.

Given a chance to collaborate with any designer in the world who would it be and why? Let me first work with Gwen Stefani because I have a crush on her! “I am inspired by spirituality, love, sex, war and South Africa – the label has evolved from these concepts,” says Palesa.

Designing and manufacturing her own fabrics has been a dream come true and Palesa marks this as one of her most outstanding achievements.

LAGOS

LOVE LAGOS Genevieve Nnaji

Budding Nigerian actress and singer Genevieve Nnaji shows IN:AFRICA all her favourite spots in her city Lagos. She started her acting career as a child actress in the then popular television soap opera Ripples at the age of 8. In 1998 at the age of 19 she was introduced into the growing Nigerian film industry with the movie “Most Wanted” and has since been making her mark.

In 2005 she won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.[3][4][5] CNN states that she is referred to as the “Julia Roberts of Africa”.[6] As a resident of the bustling city Lago, she knows every café and secluded restaurant to enjoy an authentically Nigerian experience.

MARCO POLO Marco Polo launched late in 2005. The menu has a strong seafood bias, with Croaker, Prawns, Lobster, Crab and Squid all on offer in various forms.

The interior is sleek, well lit and inviting. They serve an array of international dishes and also serve traditional Nigerian seafood dishes. They are located on 9 Karimu Kotun Street Victoria Island.

The Neighbours Café Lovers of Makossa and Juju should make their way to this restaurant and bar, where hospitality is the order of the day.

From 7pm-12am on Wednesdays, you can enjoy Victor Ade, aka Ice Water.

Friday is for Makossa addicts with N500 gate fee.

At Neighbours Cafe, you may not be able to resist the Nkwo-bi and Isi-Ewu

with refreshing drinks and juices available to wash down the delicacy.

Upstairs is accommodation for those who wish to feel more at home.

Suya Spot The Ikoyi Hotel Suya Spot in Lagos, Nigeria, is not for the fainthearted — or for vegetarians. Suya means “to fry” or “fried meat” in Hausa. The kebab eatery located in the parking lot of the famed, British-colonial-era hotel offers up deliciously spiced meat — and plenty of it.

You’ll find the Ikoyi Hotel nestled in a comparatively quiet and leafy corner of Nigeria’s otherwise bustling and noisy commercial capital in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Bahia bar Lagos

Great place, great bar, very friendly staff, fine food and live music. The bar is on the beach, it is really a fun place to go to if you want to feel happy!

Amazing ambience and such a relaxing secluded spot! You feel at home if you are in a bikini or dressed up. Some of the staff have been there for a long time and its lovely that every time we visit they remember us.

Jazz Hole Jazz Hole is more than a bookshop. This is the home of African music, with its own recording label, a place to listen and read, or take a cup of tea in its cafe (with, at a guess, 40 varieties of tea available). It is the most blissful place to retreat to from the hot, humid, noisy city that is Lagos.

Located on Awolowo Rd Ikoyi.

In: Art

NNENNA OKORE Nnenna Okore first came to the attention of the Lagos art scene in 2001, as a participating artist in the New Energies exhibition organised by celebrated contemporary artist El Anatsui.

Since then, Okore has steadily made her mark as a sculptor of tremendous promise by ingeniously transforming discarded materials – newspapers, magazines, sticks, fabrics, even rope – into intricately beautiful works of art. She combines a Neo-Dada (artists influenced by Marcel Duchamp’s elevation of items, such as the lowly toilet seat, to works of high art) appropriation of ordinary, discarded items as artist’s materials, with a feminist reclamation of traditional feminine drawing room tasks – stitching, weaving, embroidery – as avant-garde art processes.

Her process is painstaking.

Each stitch, twist, coil, curl and roll of the recovered materials used to create sculptures and installations is a considered act of reinterpretation. Of the trash-bound items she uses for her art, she says, “I’m trying to find meaning for these materials, to find ways of giving them value.” It was a desire to physically articulate her feelings about America’s wasteful consumer culture – an aspect of life in the US that shocked Okore when she moved from Nigeria to Chicago – and an initial interest in recycling that sparked the creative process that would become her career-defining aesthetic.

A 2005 MFA graduate of the University of Iowa, Okore’s career is on a rapid ascent. Important fellowships and residencies include the UNESCOAschberg Fellowship for

Artists (2006); Artist Full Fellowship at Global Art Village, Delhi, India (2007); and a feature in the Angaza Afrika – African Art Now exhibition (2008) at The October Gallery. She also has a number of upcoming shows in Nigeria and across the US later this year and next.

Okore called her breakout solo show in London last year Ulukububa – Infinite Flow. Together, Ulukububa (the Igbo word for butterfly) and infinite flow symbolise her artistic imagination and the opulence of Igbo and Nigerian fashion, particularly women’s ceremonial attire. Using rolled and coiled clay as her primary material, she created highly structured, fabric-like installations that evoked decadent laces and rich brocades. No one has ever made recycling look so stunning.

In: Music

SUN IS RISING Having conquered his native alternative soul scene, Nigerian singersongwriter Bez’s upcoming gigs take him to Nairobi and Addis Ababa.

Real name Emmanuel Bezhiwa Idakula, Bez makes alternative soul, an understated and unusual hybrid of soul, jazz and R&B music that sets him well apart from the main stream Afro-hiphop movement. His songs of love and heartbreak are modern acoustic gems that fit right beside the music of singers like John Mayer, Amy Winehouse and John Legend.

A natural performer with

a charismatic and playful stage presence, Bez has already opened for international sensation, Asa, performed alongside Nigeria’s premiere entertainers on the Rhythm Unplugged Concert series and been showcased as part of the exclusive Hennessy Artistry series.

From big band shows with his swinging five man band to intimate acoustic showcases led by his masterful guitar playing, Bez is a performer to behold. See Bez, Hear Bez, Feel Bez. A new soul man is here.

Since then Bez has released his new album, Su-

per Sun, featuring the singles More You, Zucia Daya and Stop Pretending, as well as newer soulful cuts including Technically and Stronger.

Bez’s video for More You, directed by Kemi Adetiba, was also nominated for an award at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards in New York recently.

Bez is scheduled to tour Nairobi and Addis Ababa on January 6-9 and January 20-29 respectively. For more visit www.bezidakula.com.

In: Fashion

LANRE DA SILVA AJAYI Lanre Da Silva Ajayi is the founder of self-named design label. In seven years her passion for fashion has gotten stronger making the label a fashion growing favorite among the media, celebrities and fashion lovers.

LDA the brand first arrived in the fashion scene in 2005 with iconic 1940’s couture signature designs - a result of what has evolved into a much more modern

and cutting-edge brand. The label’s collection has grown to include couture, prêt a porter, and accessories such as hairpieces and statement jewelry.

The trendsetting Nigerian designer gives us an exclusive preview of what to expect from her contribution to the ARISE Spring 2012 Designer Collective at New York Fashion Week.

LANRE DA SILVA AJAYI What do you think will define S/S 2012 for you?

My S/S12 collection, Labor of Love, takes the trends of bright clashing looks and a refined ladylike silhouette and infuses them with fresh new ideas. It features modern classic cuts and architecture to result in a cutting-edge collection.

What can we expect from your collection?

Labor of Love is a mix of the architecture of Italy with the vibrancy of Africa – in particular Nigeria, which is evident in the choice of colors. Africans are not afraid to embrace bright and eye-catching colors. It’s part of the culture to stand out and I have taken that part of Africa and the architecture of Italy and brought them together in what you’ll be seeing in this collection.

Can you give us a progress report on your collection?

The collection is basically ready; we are just making the finishing touches like tacking loose hems and steaming the clothes.

What three words describe how you feel as NYFW approaches?

Excited, thankful, expectant.

What essentials are you packing that you couldn’t do without at NYFW?

My BlackBerry, a vintage autumn jacket, an oversize leather handbag, lip-gloss and lipstick, and a pair of heels.

LDA produces six major collections every year and has showcased locally in Nigeria and internationally including the This day Africa Rising Festival, London (October 2008), ARISE Africa Fashion Festival, South Africa (June 2009) and the New York Couture Fashion Week (September 2009), Arise Magazine Fashion Week, Lagos (March 2011) and the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Spring 2012 Made in Africa by Arise magazine, (September 2011).

‘An LDA woman is the personification of sophistication, femininity, brilliance and boldness, which are the inspiration for each of her collections. Lanre states “Couture, color and boldness with an edgy twist are the signature of my designs” In 2009, the first flagship boutique was launched in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria. The label is also stocked at Temple Muse in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. Other retail stockists will be coming soon to various major cities across Africa,

In: Photograhphy

A SNAPSHOT Nigerian photographer JD ‘Okhai Ojeikere has recently been internationally renowned for his striking black and white photographs – the most famous of which depict Nigerian hairstyles. His works double as a historical archive, highlighting the diverse aesthetics and cultures that characterize his country.

IN: AFRICA spoke to Ojeikere about visual art in the Nigerian capital, being a young photographer and embracing new technology.

How has the visual arts scene in Lagos changed over the past few years?

I think that there has been a lot of improvement, compared to what it used to be. The photography side of the visual art was not taken to be part of art but now [curators] incorporate it in anything that they do.

In any area they now invite photographers. Before it was not always like that.

Just about three years ago, they started recognizing photography as part of art.

And on the photography side there has been a lot of development between then and now. As you know, almost every photographer uses digital cameras nowadays.

When I started photography,

there was nothing like even ordinary flash. We would use daylight, the only available light. But now we use studio light, we use flashguns, so it has changed a lot.

Have you started to use some of these new developments in your practice or have you stuck to the ways you worked in the beginning?

I try to use new technology to some extent – I use flashguns now, I use studio light.

Only, I don’t use digital cameras at the moment. I have just told [my son] that I would like to buy one digital camera because I see a little advantage over the conventional camera, in that with the digital camera, when you take photographs, you can preview, see what you’ve taken, right on the spot, which was not available with the old technology.

So you’ve worked with a mixture of commercial photographers and contemporary artists?

When [aspiring photographers] come to me, they go through general training.

Those people who have an interest in commercial photography, we talk to them on that level. Those who want to be studio photographers,

we talk to them on that level.

What are you currently working on?

I have more than enough [material]. You know, I was doing analog photography.

Now I’m working on scanning them into digitalized images. There are archives of various subjects. No new projects at the moment.

The newest project is the Nigerian ladies’ gele hairstyle, which is a continuous exercise.

What do you think could help to move the arts forward in Lagos?

Whoever wants to pursue the arts has to be very focused and dedicated in his profession. You have to be patient. You cannot be in a hurry. I have over 60 years’ experience. You cannot start today and want to compare yourself. You cannot go back to what I did yesterday and want to do it today. You have to take it easy and get really focused and do what you want to do.

And lastly, what do you see for the visual arts in Lagos, all of the visual arts?

Ah. It’s going to explode very soon.

While photographers in the 1960s focused mainly on commercial oriented photography, Ojeikere had other ideas. He always wanted to understand society and to map cultural dimensions. His choice of projects usually reflects the interests and constraints of the communities in which he experienced.

“Hair Style” is one of many photographic projects that Ojeikere started in 1968. The “Hair Style” photographs depict cultural and ethnographic differences. They provide us with an opportunity to look back at what was in vogue in the 1960s and to make comparisons with hairstyles of today.

In: Asa

SMOOTH OPERATORS

Helen Jennings Renowned for fusing her Nigerian roots with contemporary soulful pop, singer/ songwriter Asa earned international acclaim as an intelligent and socially-conscious new talent following the 2008 arrival of her self-titled debut album. All of which has now paved the way for this month’s release of her new, eagerly-anticipated sophomore set ‘Beautiful Imperfection’. Which - currently and prestigiously featuring as Album Of The Week on the UK’s BBC Radio 2 - is already being pioneered by its infectious offshoot single ‘Be My Man’.

Whose upbeat, soul-snapping retro groove is ear-catchingly injected with a familiar rock tinge inspired by British punk band The Clash.

SMOOTH OPERATORS

US-born saxophonist Pamela Williams opened the show with a set of super smooth jazz, which marked her Lagos live debut. After an interlude by local ventriloquist Bariyu and his Pigeon-speaking dog puppet, veteran South African guitarist Jimmy Dludlu took the audience on a five-stringed journey through his signature Afro-tinged jazz sound.

But the biggest draw of the evening was headliner Asa, who turned the show into her much-anticipated home coming gig. Looking especially cute in a black polo top, white tutu and high heels (which were eventually kicked off in favour of bare feet), she danced her way through tracks from her current album Beautiful Imperfection with her full band in tow. Maybe it was the tinkle of her ankle bells (part Pied Piper, part Morris dancer), or maybe it was the sheer joy the Paris-based singer songwriter exuded during the performance, but by the end of the evening, she’d bewitched the fully seated crowd into standing up and swaying along to her soulful, Yoruba-infused pop.

Born Bukola Elemide in Paris in 1982, at two years old Asa moved to her family’s home in Lagos, Nigeria. Where, as the only girl in a family of four in an African city that was simultaneously vibrant and turbulent, she grew up frequently finding solace in her father’s fine record-collection of classic soul and Nigerian music - including such iconic artists as Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin, Fela Kuti and Sunny Ade.

All of which ultimately led to an 18-year-old Asa (meaning ‘Hawk’ in Yoruba) signing herself up to a music school, where the ambitious and tenacious teenager quickly learned to play guitar, and was before long shaping her own, distinctive sound. A sound which, boasting songs delivered in both English and Yoruba, would ultimately lead to the winning fusion of contemporary soul, pop, reggae and funk - complete with emotive vocals and soul-stirring melodies - that can today be heard throughout her first two albums.

Meanwhile, upon returning to France in 2004, an ever-evolving Asa soon began cutting her teeth alongside artists like Manu Dibango and Tony Allen on the Parisian music scene. A grounding which would eventually lead to the 2007 release of her aforementioned debut LP ‘Asa’. Which - spawning the hit singles ‘Fire On The Mountain’ and ‘Jailer’ - would go on to attain Gold-selling/ Top 15 status in France as well as widespread international recognition. In turn resulting in an extended transcontinental tour taking in Europe, North America, Africa and Japan, with Asa also gaining the public support of globallyacclaimed music greats Lenny Kravitz and Angelique Kidjo along the way… … Fast-forward to April 2011, meanwhile, and with the UK release of her aforementioned second album ‘Beautiful Imperfection’ coinciding with a co-headlining date at London’s Barbican Hall (alongside fellow contemporary West African musician Tiken Jah Fakoly), a chilled-out Asa

- whose talents have been favourably compared with Bob Marley, Macy Gray and Nina Simone - reacquaints herself with ‘Blues & Soul’ Assistant Editor Pete Lewis, to discuss her new set’s musical and lyrical direction while also explaining her ongoing love for the culturally- differing cities of Lagos and Paris.

The title of her new album, ‘Beautiful Imperfection’ “’Beautiful Imperfection’ basically represents the way I see life. The name actually came about from an interview I did about a year ago. I was asked to describe my life. And my reply was ‘Well. it’s really beautiful - but at the same time it’s IMPERFECT!’… And what I realised from that, is that I actually LIKE the imperfection! I like the little surprises that life gives you, because I feel it HUMBLES you and makes you THINK! You know. I’m always on a journey.

I’m always moving, I’m always thinking, I’m always wanting, always finding… I’m always looking for something, and searching for something better every day. So, when I started to compose the songs for this album, I wanted to make sure I didn’t lose that Asa ELEMENT! You know, I wanted to really be MYSELF! Which, as I say, is where ‘Beautiful Imperfection’ COMES from.”

What Asa wanted achieve musically on ‘Beautiful Imperfection’ “I wanted to go back to the music I was listening to when I was a kid - from soul and funk to hi-life, Afro-beat… You know, because I LOVED them all, I wanted to MIX them all! And vibe-wise the main purpose for me with this se-

cond album was to be Because last year, aro cember/January, I ha changing experience made me see everyth differently. And becau that, I felt I needed to whether to do the sam people might expect A or to try OTHER thing eventually opted to tr rent things. And as I s main aim was to be ha for the people LISTEN the record to feel good How Asa feels ‘Beauti Imperfection’ differs l from her self-titled 20 LP “Well, I’m not the pers three years ago. You k going on the road arou first album meant I w a lot of different place experiencing a lot of d cultures I’d never see perienced BEFORE. S way it taught me a lot the world and - while was definitely a beaut perience - it also TOUG me, to where I now un tand a lot better what Plus it also meant I be see life ITSELF differe that this time around I was thinking differe had different topics to about. And like I just s was definitely in the m be colourful, to be hap as you can see from th to (the album’s first s My Man’ - to DANCE! se, though I do dance didn’t really get a cha SHOW that on my firs because of the kind of I was writing about.”

Briefly breaking down the album’s key songs “Every track on the a stands on its own, and

e HAPPY! ound Dead a lifewhich hing use of o choose me things Asa to do, gs. So I ry diffesay, my appy, and NING to d TOO!” iful lyrically 008 debut

son I was know, und the was seeing es and different en or exSo in that t about overall it tiful exGHENED nderst I WANT! egan to ently. So d, because ently, I o TALK said, I mood to ppy and he video single) ‘Be Becaua lot, I ance to st record, f subjects

n some of s album d has a

meaning and a feeling that I want to portray. But, while they all have interesting things to say, at the same time they’re all DIFFERENT! Like on ‘Dreamer Girl’, because I’m a dreamer myself, I’m saying that it’s not stupid and it’s not naïve to DREAM! And that people shouldn’t lose their dreams and lose their hopes, because a lot of great things we’ve heard about have been born out of dreams before becoming REALITY!.. So yeah, I am talking about a lot of varied topics that in turn each reflect the different parts of Asa. Like on ‘Preacher Man’ I’m talking about my RELIGIOUS side, while with ‘Why Can’t We’ I’m asking the basic question ‘Why can’t we be HAPPY?’… Which was inspired by the experience I had in December/January last year.

Because, with me just wanting to get out of the sad mood I was in, l needed a song with lyrics that would inspire me to DO that - and they CAME!” Asa’s friendships with her superstar supporters, US black rock icon Lenny Kravitz and Beninoise singer/songwriter/ activist Angelique Kidjo “With Lenny Kravitz I was opening for him in Nice. And, because I love his records, I was hoping to get a glimpse of him in person - but his bodyguard wouldn’t let me THROUGH!... Anyway, later that same day he was coming out of a room somewhere backstage, saw me, called my name - and started singing ‘Jailer’! Which of course really SURPRISED me - and from that I was suddenly able to get past this huge bodyguard in front of me and SPEAK to him! So he told me a story

about how, when he was 15 years old, he’d worked in Nigeria as a stage-boy for one of the big promoters there.

And from there we became friends, to where we actually went on to do a couple of duets together in his LIVE shows!...

Then Angelique Kidjo I met in Malawi, and was so pleased to discover that not only is she a great ARTIST, but she’s a also a really great human BEING! I mean, there aren’t many people high up there who are willing to be nice to people that are just starting out. But she WAS! She was motherly, she was caring... And so, as with Lenny, from there we started an ongoing FRIENDSHIP!... So yeah, I’ve had really good experiences with them BOTH!” Asa’s feelings about the two very different cities she calls home - Lagos, Nigeria and Paris, France “To be honest, I can’t really live without EITHER of them!

I can’t stay away from Lagos for too long because Lagos gives me my inspiration and my spirit. But then, on the other hand, Paris is where I like to work and RECORD! Plus I love the FREEDOM I get there! I love the fact that in Paris I meet so many different people from so many different backgrounds, countries and cultures who can all live together and share MUSIC! So, while my family and cultural origins may be in Lagos, Paris is the city that helps me create and write, and enables me to reach out to the rest of the WORLD!” The album ‘Beautiful Imperfection’ and single ‘Be My Man’ are both out now through Dramatico/Naïve

US-born saxophonist Pamela Williams opened the show with a set of super smooth jazz, which marked her Lagos live debut. After an interlude by local ventriloquist Bariyu and his Pigeon-speaking dog puppet, veteran South African guitarist Jimmy Dludlu took the audience on a five-stringed journey through his signature Afro-tinged jazz sound.

But the biggest draw of the evening was headliner Asa, who turned the show into her much-anticipated home coming gig. Looking especially cute in a black polo top, white tutu and high heels (which were eventually kicked off in favour of bare feet), she danced her way through tracks from her current album Beautiful Imperfection with her full band in tow. Maybe it was the tinkle of her ankle bells (part Pied Piper, part Morris dancer), or maybe it was the sheer joy the Paris-based singer songwriter exuded during the performance, but by the end of the evening, she’d bewitched the fully seated crowd into standing up and swaying along to her soulful, Yoruba-infused pop.

Born Bukola Elemide in Paris in 1982, at two years old Asa moved to her family’s home in Lagos, Nigeria. Where, as the only girl in a family of four in an African city that was simultaneously vibrant and turbulent, she grew up frequently finding solace in her father’s fine record-collection of classic soul and Nigerian music - including such iconic artists as Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin, Fela Kuti and Sunny Ade.

All of which ultimately led to an 18-year-old Asa (meaning ‘Hawk’ in Yoruba) signing herself up to a music school, where the ambitious and tenacious teenager quickly learned to play guitar, and was before long shaping her own, distinctive sound. A sound which, boasting songs delivered in both English and Yoruba, would ultimately lead to the winning fusion of contemporary soul, pop, reggae and funk - complete with emotive vocals and soul-stirring melodies - that can today be heard throughout her first two albums.

Meanwhile, upon returning to France in 2004, an ever-evolving Asa soon began cutting her teeth alongside artists like Manu Dibango and Tony Allen on the Parisian music scene. A grounding which would eventually lead to the 2007 release of her aforementioned debut LP ‘Asa’. Which - spawning the hit singles ‘Fire On The Mountain’ and ‘Jailer’ - would go on to attain Gold-selling/ Top 15 status in France as well as widespread international recognition. In turn resulting in an extended transcontinental tour taking in Europe, North America, Africa and Japan, with Asa also gaining the public support of globallyacclaimed music greats Lenny Kravitz and Angelique Kidjo along the way… … Fast-forward to April 2011, meanwhile, and with the UK release of her aforementioned second album ‘Beautiful Imperfection’ coinciding with a co-headlining date at London’s Barbican Hall (alongside fellow contemporary West African musician Tiken Jah Fakoly), a chilled-out Asa

- whose ta favourably Marley, M Simone - r with ‘Blue Editor Pet her new s lyrical dir plaining h the cultur of Lagos a The title o ‘Beautiful “’Beautifu basically r I see life. T came abou I did abou asked to d my reply w beautiful time it’s IM what I rea is that I ac imperfect surprises because I and make know. I’m I’m alway thinking, always fin looking fo searching every day to compos album, I w I didn’t los MENT! Yo really be M say, is whe fection’ CO What Asa musically fection’ “I wanted music I wa I was a kid funk to hi know, bec all, I want all! And v purpose fo

alents have been y compared with Bob Macy Gray and Nina reacquaints herself es & Soul’ Assistant te Lewis, to discuss set’s musical and rection while also exher ongoing love for rally- differing cities and Paris. of her new album, l Imperfection’ ul Imperfection’ represents the way The name actually ut from an interview ut a year ago. I was describe my life. And was ‘Well. it’s really - but at the same MPERFECT!’… And alised from that, ctually LIKE the tion! I like the little that life gives you, feel it HUMBLES you es you THINK! You m always on a journey. ys moving, I’m always I’m always wanting, nding… I’m always or something, and g for something better y. So, when I started se the songs for this wanted to make sure se that Asa ELEou know, I wanted to MYSELF! Which, as I ere ‘Beautiful ImperOMES from.” wanted achieve y on ‘Beautiful Imper-

d to go back to the as listening to when d - from soul and i-life, Afro-beat… You cause I LOVED them ted to MIX them vibe-wise the main or me with this se-

SMOOTH OPERATORS

cond album was to be HAPPY! Because last year, around December/January, I had a lifechanging experience which made me see everything differently. And because of that, I felt I needed to choose whether to do the same things people might expect Asa to do, or to try OTHER things. So I eventually opted to try different things. And as I say, my main aim was to be happy, and for the people LISTENING to the record to feel good TOO!” How Asa feels ‘Beautiful Imperfection’ differs lyrically from her self-titled 2008 debut LP “Well, I’m not the person I was three years ago. You know, going on the road around the first album meant I was seeing a lot of different places and experiencing a lot of different cultures I’d never seen or experienced BEFORE. So in that way it taught me a lot about the world and - while overall it was definitely a beautiful experience - it also TOUGHENED me, to where I now understand a lot better what I WANT! Plus it also meant I began to see life ITSELF differently. So that this time around, because I was thinking differently, I had different topics to TALK about. And like I just said, I was definitely in the mood to be colourful, to be happy and as you can see from the video to (the album’s first single) ‘Be My Man’ - to DANCE! Because, though I do dance a lot, I didn’t really get a chance to SHOW that on my first record, because of the kind of subjects I was writing about.”

Briefly breaking down some of the album’s key songs “Every track on the album stands on its own, and has a

meaning and a feeling that I want to portray. But, while they all have interesting things to say, at the same time they’re all DIFFERENT! Like on ‘Dreamer Girl’, because I’m a dreamer myself, I’m saying that it’s not stupid and it’s not naïve to DREAM! And that people shouldn’t lose their dreams and lose their hopes, because a lot of great things we’ve heard about have been born out of dreams before becoming REALITY!.. So yeah, I am talking about a lot of varied topics that in turn each reflect the different parts of Asa. Like on ‘Preacher Man’ I’m talking about my RELIGIOUS side, while with ‘Why Can’t We’ I’m asking the basic question ‘Why can’t we be HAPPY?’… Which was inspired by the experience I had in December/January last year.

Because, with me just wanting to get out of the sad mood I was in, l needed a song with lyrics that would inspire me to DO that - and they CAME!” Asa’s friendships with her superstar supporters, US black rock icon Lenny Kravitz and Beninoise singer/songwriter/ activist Angelique Kidjo “With Lenny Kravitz I was opening for him in Nice. And, because I love his records, I was hoping to get a glimpse of him in person - but his bodyguard wouldn’t let me THROUGH!... Anyway, later that same day he was coming out of a room somewhere backstage, saw me, called my name - and started singing ‘Jailer’! Which of course really SURPRISED me - and from that I was suddenly able to get past this huge bodyguard in front of me and SPEAK to him! So he told me a story

about how, when he was 15 years old, he’d worked in Nigeria as a stage-boy for one of the big promoters there.

And from there we became friends, to where we actually went on to do a couple of duets together in his LIVE shows!...

Then Angelique Kidjo I met in Malawi, and was so pleased to discover that not only is she a great ARTIST, but she’s a also a really great human BEING! I mean, there aren’t many people high up there who are willing to be nice to people that are just starting out. But she WAS! She was motherly, she was caring... And so, as with Lenny, from there we started an ongoing FRIENDSHIP!... So yeah, I’ve had really good experiences with them BOTH!” Asa’s feelings about the two very different cities she calls home - Lagos, Nigeria and Paris, France “To be honest, I can’t really live without EITHER of them!

I can’t stay away from Lagos for too long because Lagos gives me my inspiration and my spirit. But then, on the other hand, Paris is where I like to work and RECORD! Plus I love the FREEDOM I get there! I love the fact that in Paris I meet so many different people from so many different backgrounds, countries and cultures who can all live together and share MUSIC! So, while my family and cultural origins may be in Lagos, Paris is the city that helps me create and write, and enables me to reach out to the rest of the WORLD!” The album ‘Beautiful Imperfection’ and single ‘Be My Man’ are both out now through Dramatico/Naïve

Publishing and contact details: EDITOR IN CHIEF Tumi Moeti editor@inafrica.com DESIGN Ana Ordoñez design@inafrica.com PUBLISHED BY IN: AFRICA Magazine 62 Kanaleneiland, Utrecht 3527VM CONTACT DETAILS +31 (0) 63 284 8862 info@inafrica.com www.inafrica.com © 2011 In: Africa Magazine