Music-Art-Fashion-Humanity
looking forward
For City People 1 Winter 2010/2011
For City People
Masters of Art Ezequiel de la Rosa Zancois Rice
Incredible Minds
We Love Recommended Price: â‚Ź5,50
s n a i b u N Les
Nneka La Melodia Chef Special Mart Reker
Grammy nominated Duo
Gafsa, Sexy Styles, L4, Money, and More...
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Together moving forward! YES! The LFM has its own website! All the details, behind the scenes, the team, extended interviews, videos, RSS feed, and more... You can even sign in via facebook and share your opinion with us!
www.looking-forward-magazine.com
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lfm
looking forward
Gaga’s Style
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Cutting and coloring are the specialties of Gaga Style. This hairdresser takes it further than that though! Gaga Style incorporates quality, creativity, and above all personality. The Master in Command Gaga herself makes the needs of any client a reality. Clients will leave as a personal, unique creation, having all their needs fulfilled.
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Opening Times Mo/Tue 12.00-19.00 We 10.00-19.00 Thu 10.00-20.00 Fr 10.00-19.00 Sa 10.00-16.00
Address: Prinsestraat 86 2513CG Den Haag phone: 070 365 26 95 email: info@gaga-style.nl www.gaga-style.nl
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Born in Europe Made in Europe
Inti Ferreira Fashion Shop Noordeinde 111 2514GE The Hague The Netherlands
www.intiferreira.eu info@intiferreira.eu
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8 Looking Forward
Visit
us at
www.theblueprint.nl
to find out about us,
Mobile Bar, Cocktail Workshops, and Events. our
Korte Houtstraat 5a 2511 CC The Hague Tel: 070 3450543 email: info@theblueprint.nl www.theblueprint.nl
For City People 9
10 Looking Forward
Website www.looking-forward-magazine.com Publisher Snatching Media Design www.snatchingmedia.com info@snatchingmedia.com
Editors Alexander Schroeder Francesca Schueler Creative Director Francesca Schueler Marketing Manager/Advertisement Control Julien Vidal
Contributors Winter 2010 Jalane Aparicio Jon Tarifa Daniel Bonilla Julien Vidal Dafer Kassis Semsa Ferreira Joke Schaper Mart Reker Michele Ferron-Leckie Tim Haman Jos Dirkx Sonia Bianchi Tonje Olsrud Wanted Journalists Promotion Stories Praise and Criticism info@looking-forward-magazine.com
Concept Francesca Schueler Print Drukkerij Morgenstond b.v. Printed in the Netherlands
COVER CREDITS
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, nor transmitted in any form, by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise -, without prior written permission of the copyright owner. For more copyright information, please check our website. ISBN 9789085707134
Music. Art. Fashion.
Photographer: Joke Schaper www.jokingtrojan.com Model: Nadia Palesa Make Up and Hair: Mart Reker Styling: Semsa Ferreira Production: Francesca Schueler for LFM Final Editing: Mart Reker
Humanity .
Edit or’s Note
For City People 11
“So you think I’m alone, but being alone is the only way to be. When you step outside, you spend life fighting for your sanity. This is a cold war, you better know what you’re fighting for” Janelle Monae sings in her song ‘Cold War’. I just love songs with a great beat, and enlightening lyrics. What she is saying here is that this is a crazy world, and surely it is. Even Nneka, in our interview, talked about the systems of certain societies, and how they put you as a person, you as a woman, you as a man, into categories. If you are content with those labels, so be it. I would be one of those people standing up against it. It draws strength to break free, and find your space to be courageous. You and I know that it does! However, once the reins have been removed, our feet are able to pace. You should not be afraid to fail, but instead try to expand heaven around earth. Don’t talk about insecurities, but say you need to know more! Let’s built cities for pioneers. Never stop dreaming of a better world, of a better life, only if we move we can achieve anything. I can tell you, while others grub and nothing happens, I was at the right place at the right time, and I was prepared! And when that happens everything will be arranged, and I am thankful for that. From time to time there will be the voice of doubt, whispering or hitting you in the face. But let the fire of your passion sizzle much louder and burn it all down. The key to success is passion, patience, and wanting to get better at everything that belongs to what you are passionate about. I mean, look at this magazine…. trust me….countless hours, countless compromises, countless phone calls, countless new connections, countless lessons learned, friendships gained. We somehow managed to have interviews with major artists that loved the magazine too! I told you…we are already writing our success story, and along the way, get you to write your own! Volle Kraft Vorraus!
Enjoy and Much Love,
Francesca Schueler.
12 Looking Forward
Music
Art
14
State of Foreplay
46
Ezequiel de la Rosa
20
Nneka
56
Zancois Rice
24
Les Nubians
60
Art on the Wall
28
Quintin Christian
30
La Melodia
34
Chef Special
38
L4
42
Fashion Sounds
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Fashion
Humanity
66
Ménage à trois
86
Let’s talk about money
74
Mart Reker
88
Let’s kick it off with GAFSA
82
Secret behind the capsule wardrobe
92
Playlist Deluxe
Foreplay 14 Looking Forward
-State of-
Jalane knows about the hot stuff
Smashing albums
Distant Relatives The “Distant Relatives” album of Nas and Damian “junior Gong” Marley, is off the chain! What an album to listen to at any time, any moment and any place. Those two and everyone involved in that project, which began in 2008, have broken the ice between Hip hop and reggae. Amazing vibes, sharp lyrics, intriguing flow and a production level that it is to die for. A superb choice of music for music lovers around the world.
Other big surprises within the music world are: The new album from The Roots “How I got over”. Q-tip is also part of my list with his latest record “Renaissance”, Big Boi and Sir Lucious Left foot with “The son of the Chico Dusty”. Believe me when I tell you, these records are amazing and you should check it out if you haven’t done it yet!
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Cocktail Mania I absolutely “love” the Blueprint Cocktail bar in The Hague, because of the stylish ambience, and having the entire staff smiling while serving you the most delicious drinks. I must say that, there is not much quality, or variety when it comes to cocktails in The Hague city. In my opinion they are the best because of their innovativeness, quantity and quality of cocktails. Of course also with a fair price tag! Blueprint also gives workshops for individuals as well as companies, where you can learn how to make cocktails yourself. You should try it out first and watch those malicious cocktails mess with your thirst and mind! Check www.theblueprint.nl for more info.
“I’m game” The game “Assassin’s creed, BROTHERHOOD” developed by Ubisoft is incredible. That game you have to play with every nerve you have. I personally haven’t finished it yet and I don’t want it to finish either! It is truly capturing, with a lot of action and new moves. The story is way deeper than the predecessor and definitely worth paying attention to. Another plus point is the educational aspect of the game. There seems to be a great wealth of culture embedded throughout the entire game. You really learn facts about the history of that time. People like Leonardo da Vinci, Machiavelli and many more come up repeatedly.
Airtravel Whatever the reason you have to travel long distances regularly, or just once a year for vacation, I have a few tips to give you. If I could have some influence on your choice of airline I’d tell you to fly with KLM/Delta/Air France. Why? Because they are one of my personal best, attentive personal, comfortable interiors, a variety of entertainment options, in case of flying really far away (TV shows, music, movies, series, games etc.), 95% on schedule, including a smooth take off and landing. What else do u need? Right, that is what I thought!
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New York CIty New York City has more gravity than any magnet! What comes to mind when thinking about the “Crossroads of the Worlds”? To name a few keywords: Statue of Liberty, immigrants, Broadway, Wall Street, Times Square, Architecture, the Meat Packing District. New York city and the Dutch share some amazing history even! Really New York was founded by the Dutch in 1624 as New Amsterdam, how cool is that? We will silently bypass the fact that the English took over control 42 years later, just to rename it “New York”. I am pretty sure the English Duke of York and Albany did not think about himself when he thought of the “new” name. Introducing the facts of today: New York is the most populated city in the United States of America. New York is tremendously important in the world of commerce. Anything dealing with finance, media, culture, art, fashion, research, education, entertainment, and even international affairs, with the UN headquarters being there, has to pass through New York. I think that city touches upon any nerve of western life. And even though the City of New York is so damn crowded (and it really is), it is only made up of fife boroughs. Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. It is a great feeling to walk down Wall Street knowing that in 1789 the US Bill of Rights was drafted right here in the Federal Hall by George Washington! Breathe that great history when you are there, in between cocktails at Soho and live music at Club Rose!
The www A place of limitless opportunities? No definite country code, only IP ciphers, and still sometimes it feels like a black whole. I sometimes cannot imagine having to pick up a real book to answer a question that might arise. How did that work again? Go to the index and look up a keyword, which are all ordered in alphabetical order...what a waste of time! Encyclopaedias must all be outdated in this ever moving world. Even history changed with the release of classified documents, thanks to Wikileaks. Now serious! I think I will just adapt the www to my personal needs. Thank you Facebook for making promotion much easier, thank you YouTube for all the documentaries and interviews with people that interest me, and thank you online shops for allowing me to pre-order my unique kicks before they hit the main stream shops! The LFM family and I love the www!
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Family Life We were all born into one. I myself have four brothers and one sister. You can imagine that my mother, as commander in chief at home, had to impose some mild form of military rule to make that work. I am one of those middle kids, the one that loved to cause trouble, annoy people, and pull prank after prank. Cannot say that those habits have vanished entirely, ask my friends! I cannot count the times I had to leave the dinner table, or stand in the corner to think about why, what I had done was wrong. Little Jalane standing in the corner of the kitchen, and even that did not stop we from hiding in the closet when my mother called my name, it did not stop me from hiding behind the front door and jumping out with a scream when someone entered. Good times, still makes me laugh thinking about it today. My childhood was crazy, wild, loud, full of laughter and love, and heated by the Angolan sun. Now looking back at that I think, although people there are not exposed to organized bureaucracy, they help each other to larger extends, than is the norm here. I lived in the Netherlands now for over 10 years, so of course I am more than used to the comfortable and cold life here.
What does it mean to me? Regardless where people are from, the bond we have with our closed ones, regardless of the fights and arguments, regardless of who is right or wrong, we know each other, we have grown together, and that is something priceless and exclusively significant. I don’t want to miss my blood related family, nor my small family I have now here. Being a father that I am, it is amazing to see something grow, being nourished by yourself, learning your ways‌truly amazing. Something worth protecting like nothing I have ever experienced before. Families come in any color, sizes, and customs. Protect that, and enjoy each and every moment you have with yours!
Author: Jalane Aparicio Images: Getty Images/iStockphoto
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La Melodia pg. 30
Les Nubians pg. 24
L4 pg. 38
PLUS Chef Special pg. 34 Quintin Christian pg. 28
For City People 19
Nneka pg. 20
Breathe....Music
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I WOULD SAY -IT IS N O T Nneka ABOUT US-
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Interview: Francesca Schueler Photography: Youri Lenquette
www.nnekaworld.com Occupation: Musician Main residence: Lagos “Pop music is a ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ world. A starburst of YouTube notoriety and then oblivion. Or at least it is for most. But when your journey has been as long and extraordinary as Nneka’s – when you’ve travelled 10,000 miles and are still only just starting out - then instant celebrity is the last thing on your mind. When your heart is as big as your Afro, when your talents stretch from teardrop soul-singing to freestyle rapping to a first-class degree from a top Continental university, when
you’ve got so much to say about so much, then you are in it for the long haul. Every year since her musical career took off in 2005, this Afro-German warrior princess has built on her successes, stretched her muscles, and widened her range. Her debut album Victim of Truth (released in the UK in 2007), an inspirational mix of hot loops, black consciousness and 21st-century soul music - was garlanded with praise by the British media. ‘As good as The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,’ said UK’s The Sunday Times” (www.nnekaworld.com/us/ biography). Read her interview for LFM on the next pages. The full recorded interview you can also find on our Website!
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before you gain the courage to become more than what the system or the people has made you to be, it takes a lot of strength... music has given me that space to be courageous. HOW DO YOU STAY STRONG AND MOTIVATED WHILE TOURING SO MUCH? Nneka: “I tell myself it is not about me, it is not about where I am coming from, it has to be said, it has to be done. But I do enjoy it, it is not mainly for the fun, it is my life. There is no other way I can express it.“
CAN YOU SHARE SOME MAJOR LIFE CHOICES, DECISIONS YOU HAVE MADE TO GET WHERE YOU ARE TODAY? Nneka: “It was not a conscious choice up till now. I still don’t consider myself as a musician plainly, or a singer/songwriter, something like that. My intention had never been to go into music professionally. Music is always and has always been something that I needed to express myself towards myself, and to get to know myself better, but at the same time it became something I could trust in; sort of a therapy, and it still is. I think the only way I have passed most difficulties and circumstances in my life was listening to the music that came out of me, so it is a very strange thing. To listen to the words that you speak that are not yours. It is basically almost like a spiritual thing I cannot explain.”
WHAT WHERE SOME MAJOR MILESTONES IN YOUR CAREER? Nneka: “You see, I never really set goals for myself. People should have goals of course. You should be ambitious and disciplined. I am glad I am able to express myself and that
I am being heard. That is the most important part for me. There was a time in my life where nobody heard me out and then you begin to develop a sort of inferior complex towards people around you. And it takes a lot of courage and strength before you gain the courage to become more than what the system or the people have made you to be, so I think music has given me that space to be courageous. “
IF EVERYONE IN THIS WORLD WERE LISTENING TO YOU RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO HIM OR HER? Nneka: “I would say it is not about us. That’s what I would say. We take ourselves too serious. That’s what I would say (smiling)!”
ARE YOU INVOLVED IN ANY HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH US? Nneka: “Yeah sure, I am part of an Organization. I think that is the reason why these people from the Niger Delta Memorandum organization contacted me, because they have seen that I support things like this. I also have my own foundation. We work in the Niger Delta. It is called Rope. The foundation was only created this year. Rope is still in progress, so unfortunately we do not have an online platform as of today.”
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE CALLED THE MOST ANTICIPATED NEWCOMER 2010 BY ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE? DO YOU EVEN CARE? Nneka: “I don’t really care, but I mean it is nice to hear compliments you know (smirks).”
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SONG OF YOU LATEST ALBUM “CONCRETE JUNGLE”, IF YOU HAD TO PICK ONE? Nneka: “The one I still enjoy singing very much is ‘Suffery’, and again it is about corruption, corrupt elections, and about constitutions that do people no good. The song is about postcolonial leaders. I will be performing that at the show for the Niger Delta Memorandum too.”
ANY UPCOMING EVENTS/PROJECTS YOU WANT TO MENTION? Nneka:“We are doing this workshop in the Niger Delta with the Rope foundation, for children in less privileged areas. It is going to be in two schools in Warri. The workshops will be based around a theme. The kids will be able to express their own personal connection to the topic through arts, for instance music, paintings, and poetry. The topic we chose is ‘Oil –Your blessing my curse’. “
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Breathe...Music 25
Les Nubians
Interview: Francesca Schueler Photography: Press Pictures
www.lesnubians.com
Origin: France & Cameroon Residence: Brooklyn, New York
Helene Faussart & Celia Faussart are “Les Nubians”. Their sounds are uprising, thoughtful, vibrant, and lyrical. They make sure their audiences join in their universal language … Esperanto! Our temperature is definitely rising at the sight of those two natural beauties, their blessed voices, and signature styles. “Adoring fans pay tribute to the French/Cameroonian sister duo for their continuous flow of jazzy nuances, hard hitting drum ‘n’ bass lines, harmonious melodies, conscious proclamations and humanitarian endeavors.” (www.lesnubians. com/bio)
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What were some life choices you have made that brought you were you are today?
How do you guys work together? Isn’t difficult to compromise sometimes?
“We lead a nomadic life and still travel a lot. You could say we are voyagers. We try to build bridges between cultures. People everywhere need to recognize what we share, so they can discover how beautiful our differences are. Personally, we share the love of music and its orthodoxy nature. The beauty of it is that music doesn’t compromise. We are strong-headed women. It’s not so easy to ‘be’ and remain in this male dominated music game they call the music business. From the beginning we wanted to link the African Diaspora to build a stronger continent and to promote a renewed, positive and vibrant image of Africa. AFRICA FOR THE FUTURE!”
“For sisters working together it is important that we always find a meeting point, and we do. Surely we argue, discuss and compromise but in the end we actually complete ourselves very well. We are sisters! One is the earth, the other is the air. One is the architect, the other is the painter. We write songs together, but also on our own. In the end our music sounds like us; united and in harmony.”
Can you describe some major milestones that helped you establish the artists you are today?
“We do suggest scenarios for our own videos sometimes, but directors are artists too, have imagination and may come up with ideas too. One of our favorite videos is probably Makeda. It has been shot in real conditions, no story, no decoration set, and no props. That was also our very first encounter with an American audience. During our very first promotional US tour, we performed at the New Orleans Carnival, on a stage under the bridge, where 40.000 people were dancing and singing our song. Real, live & direct, shot on video. Those are memories we will keep forever.”
“There are quite a few so let us start from the beginning. When we started our career in 1995 we met Abbey Moseka Lincoln, may she rest in peace. She encouraged us to dedicate our life to music. Having met and working with Senegalese Master Drummer Doudou Ndiaye Rose and his family, sons, and daughters reminded us of how blessed we are to work in family. One great gig for us in the beginning was in 1998. We opened for James Brown in Paris at Le Zenith. He gave us two thumbs up for heating the crowd before him! Then in 1999, we had a truly memorable live tour through the US with our album Princesses Nubiennes. That was the first time we toured the States. Shortly after we received two nominations for the Lady of Soul Train Award and won in the category Best New Artist. Another milestone was to now be surrounded and congratulated by peers ranging from Rachel Ferrel to LL Cool J. In 2000 we were nominated at the NAACP Awards, which is short for the (American) National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. We feel blessed to be on the path of history written by the hands of W.E.B Dubois and Martin Luther King. Also in 2000 we recorded the track ‘Love Language’ with Talib Kweli & Hi Tek for the Reflection Eternal album; a classic. Two years later thanks to GURU, R.I.P, we became part of the Jazzmataaz Family, on the Volume 3 album. We miss him so much! In 2004, so another two years later, we received a nomination from the Grammies for our French song J’veux d’la musique. Yes! MUSIC IS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE! In 2006 RED HOT & RIOT: Tribute to FELA KUTI. So collaboration wise milestones for us were to record and/ or and perform with artists such as Meshell NdegueOcello, Dead Prez, Cheikh Lô, Tony Allen, Keziah Jones, Yerba Buena, Manu Dibango, John Medeski, Ron Blake, Baaba Maal, Amadou & Mariam, Wumni, Mc Breeze, Blackalicious and of course Fela who is one of our African Heroes. Fela lives, always! In 2009, Barack Obama is President! We performed at the Inauguration Ball for him in Washington DC! In 2010 we released our latest EP NÜ REVOLUTION.”
Do you guys come up with the idea for music videos yourselves or do you have someone else doing that for you? Which one, if you had to pick one video is the favorite one?
Philosophy “Peace, unity, love and having fun!”
Humanitarian Efforts “We do support humanitarian efforts. Aids, sickle cell, malaria, emergency heart surgery for kids, pedophilia, women empowerment, education & culture, and human rights are subjects that we feel concerned with. We do support organizations like SIDADO in Cameroon, the RED HOT Organization, D.A.W.N in the US, La Chaîne de l’Espoir, La voix de l’Enfant, and the Respect Magazine in France for example.”
Prejudice “Prejudice is pre-judgment, evaluating and making assumptions on someone, often considering race, religion, gender, social background, or education. But do we have all the necessary knowledge to judge someone else? Prejudice is the son of ignorance. In this time of NÜ Revolution, we become Üniversal citizens, so prejudice has no place to live in this NÜ era.”
True Love “Yes. Love is what you make of it. You don’t find it. You make it, you cook it, you sing it, you dance it, you beam it, you plant it, and you grow it.”
Breathe...Music 27
“Prince. We were blessed by his presence in our last show in Minneapolis at the Fine Line Music Café. He came in to see the show and booked all the balcony sections of that venue. Prince came to OUR SHOW!!! Wow!!! That probably means we are making good music!”
Is there someone in the industry you have not worked with yet, but would be honored to? “Prince. We were blessed by his presence in our last show in Minneapolis at the Fine Line Music Café. He came in to see the show and booked all the balcony sections of that venue. Prince came to OUR SHOW!!! Wow!!! That probably means we are making good music!”
Anything else you want to share with our readers? “Welcome to the NÜ Revolution. We released an EP version of our new songs, available only online on our web site www.lesnubians.com and at our live performances. The full Nü Revolution album will be out in April 2011. Tours and performances through the US, Europe and Asia will follow. New videos are on the way! One is already available online, along with Les Nubians apparel, NÜ revolution tee-shirts,
posters, and so on. Shout outs to our brother Blitz the Ambassador and The Movement, who features on the EP and album. We’ll be sharing his stage January 12th at SOB’s in New York. More shout outs to all music lovers! Check our music family on the web, J.period, John Banzaï, Bams, Eric Roberson, Tete, Jean-Michel Rotin, and Piranha Head. That’s some good music for your ears!
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Quintin Christian
Breathe...Music 29
Live Tech Rebelz
“the Shift of Consciousness” Interview: Francesca Schueler Photography: Press Picture
Job Music Producer/ Engineer/DJ Location London UK www.soundcloud.com/ quintinchristian
Obsession
Cool
“Music is my obsession. The actual obsession started with my first tape and that grew from collecting great records to being obsessed with how they are made. Next thing you know you’re a music geek and you’re obsessed with synthesis and modulation.”
“The Shift of consciousness”.
Humanitarian Efforts “I’m currently involved in some youth projects here in London and I’m interested in a few other organizations. Check out the Love Police.”
Designer Look “I’m not really a ‘fashionist’. If it’s comfortable and it makes you feel good about yourself, it’s cool. I’m into supporting young designers rather than big name brands.”
First thing you do in the morning?
Prejudice
True Love
“Stereotypical ignorance”.
“Have a shower and think about what a great day I’m going to have.”
I do believe in true love but not the kind from fairy tales. Real love doesn’t run as smooth. I have found it though.
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Job Musician Location Amsterdam, The Netherlands www.lamelodia.com www.twitter.com/lamelodia www.facebook.com/lamelodia www.myspace.com/lamelodia
La Melodia
Breathe...Music 31
“Can I kick it? Yes, I can!”
Interview: Jalane Aparicio Photography: Floor Knaapen
Can you explain your name? “Since I was in secondary school I made music. Everyone there called me Melodee. Only my parents and my family call me by my birth name, which is a secret by the way. Of course my main goal in schools was to finish. I made music on the side and carried on like that all the way through university as well. When I graduated I wanted to do something that I really like. That was making music full time. I started doing that in 2004. The reason why I chose La Melodia is because there are already so many people in the business that go by the name of Melody, some way or the other. My producer Percy came up with the idea of using a variation of Melody and started calling me La Melodia, because my father comes from the Caribbean. In Curaçao, where my father comes from, they speak Papiamento, which is a combination of Spanish, English, Dutch and Portuguese. Melodia is Portuguese for melody.”
What is your main kick and motivation to perform? “I like going on stage. It’s mad and it gives me energy and sometimes maybe too much (laughs). I am spreading my music through the obvious channels like internet, CD’s and vinyl. But that doesn’t compare to the feeling I have when I get on stage, bring out musicians, and just perform music live to the max while there arises this direct connection between me and the crowd. That gives me so much energy and makes the crowd my ecstasy! To stand before a crowd and just do my thing, show this is me, this is what I’m doing, this is my music, really gives me the kicks.”
What was the worst moment you have had while kicking a performance? “The worst moment was actually during someone else’s performance. In ’98 or ’99, Lone Catalysts did shows in Holland and I met them in Eindhoven, where I’m from. They asked me if I wanted to come to Amsterdam and perform at the Drum Rhythm Festival with them. That festival was huge so of course I was down for that. Then they asked me if I actually wanted do a feature with them on stage! I was like ‘oh my God, I’m going to feature the Lone Catalysts in front of this huge crowd! Sure, let’s do it!’ So we had this agreement that the chorus is going to be ‘Can I kick it? Yes I can’ and then I jump in and just drop a verse. So we are at the show, Jason (Rawls, of the Lone Catalysts) started
the chorus, I jumped in, did my verse, and people started cheering mad loud but this was actually the first time I was standing in front of a huge crowd and I heard my voice so well over the monitors that I got totally shocked. Everyone was hyped and I forgot my lyrics after four lines already and started mumbling (laughs) and then returned to ‘Can I kick it? Yes you can!’. I was just completely overwhelmed by the huge audience, their response, and hearing my voice properly instead of through a crappy monitor that we were used to. Yeah, that was my worst moment but I learned a lot from it.”
You being from Eindhoven and now living in Amsterdam, please share your perspective on Hip hop in those cities and the outside. What do you see? “In Eindhoven Hip hop used to be a big thing. A lot of artists came over for shows, even some from the States. We had crazy Hip hop parties and DJ’s from Amsterdam or other main DJ’s coming over to spin. Everybody even wanted to spin for free. We just had this good vibe with parties in the woods and on the bridge and stuff like that, until the police came. Back in the days in Amsterdam, Hip hop was always happening but it wasn’t the Hip hop capital of Holland. In the last couple of years, Eindhoven has gone down to the point where almost nothing is going on anymore. There are some Dutch Hip hop like rappers stepping up and they do organize some parties, but it’s not that major anymore and it’s definitely not focused on bringing artists from across the scene our way. Amsterdam does have a lot of shows you can visit, a lot of artists coming over; a lot of Hip hop-related parties but it’s more commercial. But then again, that’s a worldwide trend anyways. So I think in Holland, especially in Amsterdam, they take a look at what happens in New York. I don’t want to say they copy the style, but to some extent they do actually. There is a lot of commercial Hip hop.”
Is it safe to say that Holland’s Hip hop lacks a little bit of its own identity? “Hmm, it used to be like that, because we only had maybe two major Hip hop artists here or at least rappers you know, lyricist, MC’s: Brainpower and Extince. Those were the main guys, running the scene, and the Osdorp Posse. And then, a couple of years ago when Opgezwolle stepped up and the Jeugd van Tegenwoordig, Dutch Hip hop started to develop
32 Looking Forward more, became creative and found its own identity. So we had multiple styles and different people stepping up creating styles. That was cool. But I think right now, there are a lot of small groups trying to copy those guys and I’m not feeling that.”
I’m doing this’ and suddenly that turns to ‘he tries to hustle me’ or ‘she tries to screw you over’, either way, physically, mentally, financially, somehow! That side of the business was quite a surprise. However, it is a very interesting business and I’ve been walking around for quite some years by now. I understand how it works. The music industry is changing though; shifts from offline to online, the ways to promote these days, difference between music business and music industry and more. Again, all of that can be confusing but also interesting.”
What do you think about Fashion from a female perspective?
So how do you feel about Hip hop coming from outside of Holland and American Hip hop? “Thank God there are still artists, who are trying to be creative and refreshing. But I think that this whole (sighs) commercial vibe going on and that everything needs to be more ‘banging’ and more whatever, is so superficial. The stuff they rap about is only about clubs, about getting drunk, and even about using coke. I don’t know what the heck they’re all using, but you know? It’s just that I am really not down with that stuff.”
Can you talk about some of the difficulties you had throughout your music career? “All the things I wanted I achieved. My goal was never to make a hit song or become famous. That sounds weird but truly, that was never my aim. I always wanted to make music I like, spread it across the globe and do shows abroad; and that’s what I’m doing right now so that’s good. But of course you want to take it to the next level and not just do two shows in New York and two shows in Cape Town and that’s it. I want to start doing tours but we’re not there yet. Probably that has to do with the fact that we don’t have management, I think. I take care of La Melodia’s management myself, but I think it’s very difficult to find an international manager; somebody who has a grip on things, a good strategy, and who can fill us up in that kind of way. That’s definitely a difficult thing; the whole music business and how it works, that was kind of difficult and often shocking! In the beginning, you feel like ‘oh it’s great now
“Is it important? I think it’s made an important thing and that’s why it is important. A lot of Hip hop related artists actually were the first ones doing it; not just having their own big Hip hop label or their own name as a brand but also getting involved with fashion, fragrances and maybe even jewelry. I don’t know about actions such as putting your name out there as a brand and not just putting yourself out there as a Hip hop artist. A guy like Q-tip for example doesn’t really fight for commercials. That guy just makes music, and he still can be a brand right? I have a lot of respect for Q-tip. He even invited me to perform at his party at Santos Party house in New York and I went. That was sick! Totally off the hook! He even gave us props! He was like ‘wow, I thought you guys were an underground act or something’. He didn’t think we were as professional as we are you know, so yeah, I respect Q-tip. I love the dude. That was the first show in New York we ever did, and we got mad love from the crowd. This was the place where Hip hop started. You’re getting respect back; you’re getting love back, that’s crazy! I’m just happy I had that opportunity. That was also my first time in New York.
What is your view on politics and the economy? “You’re sure your readers want to hear that? I think that what is going on right now is just shocking, especially the economic crisis last year. It’s just insane. At the same time more and more people populate this planet. We all want more, we all need more. We produce more garbage. That’s very bad for the environment. I have the feeling that the whole world may collapse some time soon. How bad can it get? Politicians are too busy with their own power and own position instead of thinking about what’s best for the country. I think it’s just inevitable that this whole thing is bound to explode some way or another. We can’t go on like this. Look at politics in Holland. We now have a right wing government. We actually had one for a couple of years, but now we have an extreme right wing, as in a Mike Tyson right Jab! A lot of people voted for this guy called Wilders from PVV. Right now they’re doing tracings in order to find out
Breathe...Music 33 how people would vote if you asked to vote today. They think Wilders and PVV would be the biggest party in Holland. To me that is shocking, because he is all about segregation and kicking foreigners out. He says it’s just people that believe in Islam, but by that he’s creating a division. The same thing is going on in other European countries and in my opinion that is a very bad thing. If I were in a position to change anything, I would try to have a reasonable conversation with someone like Wilders and for him to be honest in it as well. Often I feel as if those guys aren’t honest. So I want to have a conversation with Wilders and tell him then ‘I want to talk to you. I don’t want to hear your stories you tell the outside world. I want to talk to you! You can’t kick out all those from Morocco. Come on get real!’ So yeah, I would just like to have a normal conversation with him and start being real (laughs). It is common sense that you not always can speak the truth in a position like that. If you were speaking the truth all the time, they would have to kill you, because you might be blocking other people’s businesses.”
What do you think of Obama then? “I’m very happy he is the president of the United States right now. It gives me hope that things can change. And of course he’s -I don’t want to say a puppet- but of course he’s in the system and he has a lot of strings attached, so he is limited in his actions. I do believe in him and I trust him, so I think it’s hopeful that America has a black president.”
... we got mad love from the crowd. This was the place where hip-hop started. You’re getting respect back; you’re getting love back, that’s crazy! How is your family? “Both of my parents are healthy, but not together anymore. My father lives in Curaçao and my mother lives in the South of Holland. We have a huge family, because my parents have about seven brothers and sisters each. They all got married, got kids, separated, got more kids and got married again, and so on (laughs). So my family is big. I try to visit my father once a year and see my family in the Caribbean then. My mom’s whole family I see at least once a year as well, because we have this family weekend thing going on. My cousins are living all over the country, so when we do shows in cities they live in I call them up and ask if they want to chill out.”
How does career and love work together for you? Would you quit one for the other? “I’ve had a relationship for nine and a half years now. This might sound a bit hippie-like, but I think love is one of the most important things in life. So (sighs), I have different things that I’m good at. I love making music, but there’s also other sides of me that I love to develop. If, for some weird reason, I would have to stop making music in order to be with the man I’ve been with for nine and a half years now, I would choose for him, because I know his love is unconditional. I can always lean on him even when I’m old and wrinkled and don’t have the energy anymore to grab the mic, he still is going to be there. He is also the producer of my new album Electronic Love by the way. It’s about things that are going on in my life and in my love life, and also the drama and the struggles you have in your relationship.”
If heaven exists and you go there; God opens the gate...What do you think he would say to you? “Welcome. (laughs) Come on in!”
What is the very first thing you do when you wake up? “I take my phone and check what time it is because I don’t have an alarm clock. If it’s too early, I go back to sleep. Normally, I just take my phone and get busy. We released our new album not too long ago, so during that time I got busy with promoting it. I also check all my Facebook pages. Every day we have about 20 new friend requests.”
Tell us about your new album. “The new album is really cool because we haven’t released it the old-fashioned way through a label. We wanted to experiment with all the stuff that’s going on online now. Many people are downloading music for free and labels have low CD sales. That’s why we thought to do it ourselves and put the main focus on the online release and a limited vinyl edition, needless to say that we are huge vinyl lovers. Then we have this thing in the artwork that if you put the album in front of a webcam, you’ll see us appearing on screen in the studio thanks to Augmented Reality. And thanks to that we have an extra feature for people who buy the physical album instead of a free download.”
Is there anything else you want to tell people that don’t know you? “Well, they need to get to know us. La Melodia is feel-good music; it’s about creating a vibe and sexy Hip hop. That’s what we do. You have Melodee on the rhymes and I.N.T. on the beats. Together we are La Melodia and we know how to rock a stage, so come by to check out our shows and check out the new video. We have a new video clip of the song ‘Give It Up’ and yeah I like it. There are more videos coming out so get to know us!”
34 Looking Forward
Guido Joseph potographed by Sacha Steenvoorden
Breathe...Music 35
Chef Special
Interview: Francesca Schueler
www.chefspecialmusic.com Chef Special...what a yummy name these guys have chosen for their musical constellation. Their lyrics are extremely fun to listen to, smart and to the point, just the way we like it. We also saw them on the Dutch TV program “de Wereld draait door”, which they also used to record a quick and super creative music video! We surely look forward to hear of these guys, and mark their next gig in the area in our agendas! We love music, and we love food! In the end music and food have a lot in common, and all must be cooked until ready for serving! The uncut version of this interview you can find @ www.looking-forward-magazine.com @ Extras.
What Else
Joshua Nolet photographed by Menno Hendriks
Wounter H.: “My band and I are recording an album right now, and it’s going to be awesome. The launch will probably be around March and I hope everybody is going to check it out.”
good enough. With Chef’Special we had milestones like the first CD, playing for big crowds, people singing along to our songs, and playing live on national radio and TV. My next milestone will be hearing our music when I’m in a supermarket.”
Beginnings
Importance
Wouter P.: “From the very beginning it was clear to me. When I was born there was a bright light. I felt as if the circles of eternity were trying to tell me that I had no choice. I was already their chosen one. Then a voice whispered slowly ‘you will become the drummer of the legendary band Chef’Special’. Then I knew. I looked my mother in the eyes and told her to buy me a drum kit and now here I am!”
Mile Stones Joshua: “Making and recording the album is one for sure. I mean, when you are eleven years old that’s all you dream about. Now it’s almost done and that is still amazing to me. Also the bigger festivals we are doing now give me the feeling that we are really getting somewhere. To see thousands of people jumping up and down really does something to me.” Wounter H.: “I had a Ska band in school, and one highlight for me was that people began to sing along with songs that I wrote. Another milestone was passing the auditions at the conservatory because I always thought I wasn’t
Wouter P.: “As a musician, to see people I didn’t know before show up at gigs and find out they know the lyrics and songs we are playing. That’s great!”
Inspiration Jan: “There’s way too many to mention. Anything really in daily life situations, as well as modern and classical history of art, philosophy or science is inspiring to me. I find the way the media works very interesting and also I’m fascinated by marketing strategies, commercials and advertisements. One thing that comes to mind is the way that sarcasm and humor can really give me a lot of energy. I’ve always been in love with Frank Zappa and his lyrics. Another powerful example of the effects of humor and sarcasm is Southpark. Humor is a very important source of energy to me I guess, and sarcasm has the ability to reveal certain truths.”
Philosophy Guido: “In general I think you should always set your own standards to things you do. Sometimes people tell you
36 Looking Forward
Jan Derks photographed by Ron Koffeman
Wouter Heeren photographed by himself you’re good at something. Sometimes they say you suck. That can be confusing and restraining your growth. The only standards you really have to meet up to are your own. So I try to set mine as high as I can. That doesn’t mean I always meet up to them but at least I’ll know where I stand.”
Humanitarian Efforts Jan: “At the moment I don’t support anything, mainly because of my insufficient funds. I think there is a need for humanitarian efforts because we as individuals don’t live up to the responsibility each of us has to one another. If every human being practiced one’s full responsibility as such, we would not need NGO’s or other charity. This subject is difficult because of the question whether or not humanitarian efforts are working out well. Some even say that the way they work now sustains the unbalanced global situation. The way most organizations work at this moment proves to be inadequate. Profits often are only made for the organizations themselves and their management, instead of for the people in need. As for the billionaire type of artists supporting humanitarian efforts, I often wonder why they don’t just contribute substantially instead of doing publicity stunts, wearing an anti-landmine shirt or showing off a new pair of sunglasses to Nelson Mandela.” Guido: “I’m supportive towards them but I don’t actively support any right now. In general I think people should be helpful to one another, especially when they are in a
relatively comfortable position like we are in this country. I do think that the effect of humanitarian efforts should be measured objectively. If something doesn’t work, there’s no point in continuing it just by principle.”
Next to your Bed Wouter H.: “Books and popular scientific magazines.”
Prejudice Jan: “It’s hard not to think about the current fear of the Islam, fueled by certain politicians. I think prejudices are a result of fear-based thinking and being unsatisfied about your own life. To me it seems like a crime when politicians take advantage of the unsatisfied state of people and deliberately create prejudices on that fertile ground. I also think that it’s very hard not to have any prejudices at all. When I read back the last bit of my opinion on humanitarian efforts there’s a prejudice about right-wing politicians. I would love to be able to believe in their good intentions. A good example about prejudice is how the new government cuts a lot of funding to the arts, while continuing to support corporations and businesses. In my opinion there is no difference between a flourishing gallery, individual artists or an independent organization like Chef’Special, compared to what appears to be seen by the government as ‘normal’ or ‘real’ businesses. We all pay taxes, we all contribute. I like to see an artist as a plumber and a plumber as an artist.”
Breathe...Music 37
Wouter P.: “As a musician, to see people I didn’t know before show up at gigs and find out they know the lyrics and songs we are playing. That’s great!”
Wouter Prudon photographed by Sacha Steenvoorden
L4 on the roofs of New York City 38 Looking Forward
New Album, New Sounds, New Video, Improved Vibe www.l4music.com Author: Jon Tarifa Pictures: Daniel Bonilla and out of new music video
Stamina, Mic-Nif, DNA
Breathe...Music 39 Unlike most journeys we have experienced, our trip to New York started off on the wrong foot. After departing from Amsterdam Airport, we safely landed in Madrid. It’s where it all started: we spent an entire day waiting for our next flight to NYC. Not because of the time of our next flight, but because the plane had, not one, but two engine failures upon departure. We didn’t think we’d make it to NY alive. Luckily we did! We landed in New York around midnight (local time), got questioned and searched at JFK –of course–, and then took a cab to Manhattan, where we’d stay. We thought we had our accommodation arranged, but there was a big misunderstanding, so we ended up not having anywhere to stay the first night. Next day was a new day; first priority was to get ourselves situated. I have family living New York, so I was able to stay with my cousin whereas Stamina and DNA crashed at a good friend’s apartment. We made some calls and let the people with whom we had contact know that L4 was in town and ready to rock it! We slowly got into the New York “vibe” and began doing what we came to do. On Tuesday 28th September, Tristan, L4’s keyboard player, joined us in New York and the very next day we started rehearsing with the Embassy Ensemble, the live band of Blitz the Ambassador. The band and Tristan worked very well together and after approximately 45 minutes of rehearsal, we were ready. Thursday 30th September, we hopped on the bus to Washington DC, where we would play our first show in the US, together with Blitz the Ambassador and the Embassy Ensemble. On the way, Stamina and I were writing lyrics whereas DNA was half asleep, still recovering from the night before; business as usual. We then talked to a group of Australian girls who were headed to DC for a swimming competition. They were very enthusiastic about L4. A few of them even downloaded our album from iTunes, so it was a good bus ride to DC after all. Club LIV in Washington DC welcomed us with open arms; it was a great location with a great crowd. We were all surprised by the positive reactions from the crowd after the show. People were interested in getting to know us and our music. They liked the fact that we brought a new sound, something different from what they were accustomed to
hearing every day. This was the night we had been waiting for! After returning to NYC the next day, we pretty much did nothing but relax, recover and have a few drinks at that place called Concrete. Above Concrete, on the ninth floor of that same building, was Saga’s studio, where we’d record all the new songs we did while in New York. Meanwhile, we scheduled a few meetings in Brooklyn with James Bartlett and Terence Nance from the Movement (two of the people who worked closely with us). We brainstormed about the video we’d shoot while in New York. Fantastic ideas came up, but we first had to record the song... So we started working intensively in Saga’s studio, just five floors above DJ Premier’s studio. We were constantly racing against time, which didn’t work to our advantage. Besides working in the studio and rehearsing with the live band, we also enjoyed the Big Apple with friends or people we got to know there. New York is all about meeting people and being at the right place at the right time. One evening, we ran into Godfrey (actor/comedian) who invited us to his live show the day after. One a lazy afternoon, I went to Starbucks with a friend met two young ladies who had their own online radio show on Street Market Radio. After telling them we were a live Hip Hop band from Europe, they immediately invited us to the studio for a radio show/interview on the following Friday evening. It turned out to be great and lots of fun. People from all over the world could watch us live in the studio online and write their comments. Talk about a coincidence! On Monday 4th October, we went to Village Underground, a place in Manhattan where they have jam sessions with some of the finest musicians in town. DNA and Tristan got there first and signed up to get on stage. They were already done performing when Stamina and I arrived but we all stayed to enjoy the rest of the night watching these amazing performances.
40 Looking Forward Time had come for our next show in Le Grand Dakar, an amazing Senegalese restaurant. Once again, before the show we did some fine-tuning that day with the Embassy Ensemble. We were received very well and had “fingerlicking-good” food waiting for us. Once again, we received great reactions and established a good contact with the people we met.
As we stepped out, still laughing, we ran into old school rapper Peter Gunz
like everyone knew exactly what to do. The venue was simply beautiful, vintage and jazzy. We rocked the hell out of that place and stayed to enjoy the rest of the evening. Later on, another band started performing and somewhere towards the middle of their show, they asked for L4 to get back on stage and drop a couple of freestyles! I got up first then DNA and Stamina got on the “mic” as well. Just to make the sound complete, Tristan got behind his Melodica and there we were again, giving people that good music. Yet another night to remember! Studio time: we spent the entire next day in the lab creating new music for L4’s up and coming project(s). While recording and brainstorming, we invited Blitz the Ambassador to the studio. We started from scratch and turned nothing into something. When he came through, there was this great energy going around as everyone was in their own world writing to the song. The beat was on repeat and everyone zoned out. As it turned out, the song we recorded with Blitz would be the one we we’d shoot the video clip for. Next step was to send the song for James and Terence to listen, put the storyboard together and plan the shooting days and locations. During the recording process, we also worked with Ezra and Brian (Sax and Bass from the Embassy Ensemble) and Maicah, who also participated in 5 More Days from the Counting Coins album.
After the show at Le Grand Dakar, Stamina and I rushed to Godfrey’s Comedy Show, getting there just in time. What a great night, full of laughter and stomach cramps! As we stepped out, still laughing, we ran into old school rapper Peter Gunz, who used to be big in the 1990’s; notably from the song “Uptown”. We exchanged numbers and parted ways to find out we ended up at the same after party. We spoke about working together the next time we would get back to NY. On Wednesday 6th Oct, bad news came as our next –BIG– show at Le Poison Rouge got cancelled due to a double booking. That was a bit of a shock, so Brian (Bass player from the Embassy Ensemble) managed to arrange another show for L4 in Brooklyn at Club Rose Live Music the next day. No need to really rehearse for this show because it seemed
We felt time was running out and we had a lot to do before heading back to Holland. We scheduled a photo shoot with Ezequiel De La Rosa a few days before leaving. He had the audacity to start the shoot at 7am. None of us were ready, only he was. It was so cold and Ezz had us running around Manhattan; nice locations and great pictures and definitely a good experience for us though. And now we have a new face for L4’s press material. Later, I’m walking on 5th Avenue, heading towards DNA and Stamina, when I get a call from Malathi (a good friend we know from Holland but who lives partially in NY) saying she’s in the area and asking if I was up for a bite to eat. Now, since I never say no to food, I met up with her. She was also about to
Breathe...Music 41 meet a friend from Holland in New York. I had no idea at first who she was meeting, until the dude showed up. He goes by the name of Maikal X (formal member of Postmen). We know each other through music and meeting a few times in festivals. However, Stamina and Maikal go WAY back. So I call Stamina and tell him to get down to 5th Avenue to meet me and Maikal X. He was like “WHAT? For real?”. We had lunch together. It was really nice and ironic at the same time because we hardly ever meet in Holland but we had to run into each other in the middle of New York City. After that day we met up a few more times and had a few drinks, discussed a few plans and so on. By now, we had covered pretty much everything besides the last few recordings in Saga’s studio and the video shoot. The video shoot took two full days. It was directed by Terence Nance and filmed by Shawn Peters. Day one spread from 11am to midnight and all over the city: so tiring but so worth
the while. Day two was also long, but we had a lot less to get done so it didn’t feel as exhausting. Even after these two very intense days of shooting the clip, Terence and Shawn would still have to go back to some locations and film the scenery again. Besides that, they continued in Ghana, where Blitz the Ambassador would film his role in the video. After our part of the video was done, we had a little less than a day to enjoy the rest of New York and buy the last few things we needed to buy. Saying goodbye was kind of hard, especially coming back to the cold Netherlands. Anyways, it was a great experience, not only for me as an individual, but also for L4 as a band. We hope to go back to New York early next year, but then with our own full live band and show them how L4 REALLY does it!
Where: Achterom 8 g 2511 AJ Den Haa 070 3450852 iek.nl info@patermuz iek.com uz www.paterm
Fashion Sounds 42 Looking Forward
Author: Julien Vidal Pictures: Flickr.com
RUN DMC @ 363 Oxford Street September 1986 Press Release
MUSIC AND LIFESTYLE ARE LINKED AND THIS FOR SEVERAL REASONS AND ON SEVERAL LEVELS. YET NOT ALL OF US AGREE ON WHICH COMES FIRST AND THEREFORE INFLUENCES THE OTHER. ONE THING’S FOR SURE, NO ONE DENIES THE RELATION BETWEEN MUSIC AND LIFESTYLE. MANY ORGANISATIONS EVEN CHOSE TO COMBINE BOTH WORDS FOR THEIR NAME AND BOTH NOTIONS IN THEIR MISSION STATEMENT. LET’S HAVE A LOOK HERE AT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
“Music is what life sounds like.” Eric Olson FROM A FASHION STANDPOINT The obvious link that comes to mind is the one between fashion and music, or the way people dress according to the type of music they like. It has existed throughout the 20th century: the poppies in the swinging 60’s flare pants and Disco, Soul and Funk music in the 1970’s, Hip hop and baggy pants in 1990’s… To illustrate this, let’s zoom in on the latter. It all started when, in the mid 1970’s, breakdancers in New York started wearing sneakers for the comfort they offered while performing as well as how they matched their outfits. This “look and style of the street” quickly spread and was adopted by more and more people outside the circle of breakdancers. That embrace would define the next 25 years of Hip hop fashion. In 1986, Run–D.M.C.’s song “My Adidas” told the places the band had been and what it had achieved, arguably enabled by the said pair of shoes, its comfort and its special touch (Run–D.M.C. wore them without laces). Some brands saw real potential in endorsing groups and bands (adidas and Run–D.M.C.) and therefore cater to a much wider audience. adidas went on to form a long-term relationship with Run–D.M.C. and Hip hop more generally. Other brands soon followed. If you’re interested in the advent of sneakers in Hip hop culture and as a fashion accessory, I recommend you watch ‘Just for Kicks’; excellent documentary. The approach brands took worked just well; so well in fact that some artists now design their own product lines: Missy Elliott for adidas (yet again), Kanye West for NIKE and Louis Vuitton. Some kind of shift occurred and now clearly music, via artists and their sense and vision of fashion, has a direct impact on fashion and trends.
MUSIC AND LIFESTYLE... Let’s zoom back out for a minute. Lifestyle means the way a person lives. Assuming this, music can have a certain influence on one’s way of life. We all have in mind the good old –somewhat inaccurate– cliché of the rock star, singing about social revolution, freedom of speech and sexual liberation while expressing himself any time and way he pleases, enjoying recreational drug use and the pleasures of the flesh without strings attached. “Sex drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” right! Furthermore, ask DJ’s like Carl Cox and David Guetta how much impact their music has on their lifestyle. They perform in clubs, at night and everywhere on the globe so odds are they wake up when commuters head back home and finish their day as the sun rises.
Breathe...Music 43 When it comes to people who don’t make music, music can be source of inspiration, a sort of maxim. In that sense “My Adidas” by Run–D.M.C is pointing out that success is achievable in other ways than crime for a kid (in that case a black kid) from a tough neighbourhood. So yes, to some extent music can influence lifestyle.
... OR LIFESTYLE AND MUSIC? On the other hand, if we look at the bigger picture we realise that a certain way of life or social condition serves as a foundation for music. In fact, both rock and rap music, for example, found their origins in a youth that felt misunderstood by the institutions and trapped in society. In a rather different way, this is applies to Spirituals (also known as Negro spirituals) and Reggae as well, with the release of the best of Bob Marley and the Wailers album Rebel Music in 1986 and 2002. Music here is a channel, a mean of expression. It “gives a voice to anything we want or need to express” (in our last issue of Looking Forward, “Music is the Answer”, pp.30–31; very interesting column!). Great examples of rebels are Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Who, The Doors, Sex Pistols, Public Enemy, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Nirvana and so many others...
REBEL MUSIC YOU SAID? Yes, at least at the beginning. As we’ve seen above, brands, marketers, communicators see potential profit in an upand-coming music movement and its growing fan base. For business purposes, the rebellion is “sanitised”. Trends are set, although the very essence of rebellion is to overthrow what’s established. Nevertheless some artists manage to stay true by either staying out of the mainstream music business or using it to spread their message even more.
COMMUNITY BUILDING Social groups based on music taste often come to life naturally. Music being the cornerstone of the group, acceptance is the name of the game. On the contrary, massive campaigns push the buttons of our need to belong (one of our basic social needs), in order to build communities from scratch. They promote a lifestyle, a dress code, a language even. Whoever doesn’t match the profile doesn’t belong. Yes segmenting the market helps marketers define targets, adapt their strategy, make and evaluate sales, but is it what it all comes down to? If I were to follow that logic, would that mean I can’t enjoy a good old Gospel since I don’t go to church on Sundays? Do I need to dress in adidas track suits and or baggy jeans, wear rope chains and Timberland boots to be a Hip hop fan or artist myself? Finally, does that mean I can’t dance Salsa or go to a Buena Vista Social Club concert because I’m not familiar with Cuban Spanish? Come on!
IN THE END, Whether it is genuine or simply made up, there is an undeniable and close relation between music and lifestyle.
44 Looking Forward
Art on the Wall pg. 60
3D Artist/Animator Zancois Rice pg. 56
For City People 45
Photographer Ezequiel de la Rosa pg. 46
Embrace...Art
46 Looking Forward
Ezequiel de la Rosa
“I have been very fortunate to always work in the field I have desired to work in.” Interview: Jalane Aparicio Picture of Ezequiel: Private
www.ezequieldelarosa.com
INSPIRATIONS LOCATION New York
OCCUPATION Photographer in Beauty, Fashion, and Editorial
PERFECT PICTURE “Good lighting, make up, styling, and professionalism from all artists and team involved in a shoot are always essential.”
“My inspiration comes from everywhere and everything that I experience and that attracts my eye. I always try to do new things in my field, always have and always will. I have worked with so many amazing models, celebrities and fashion clients and have been inspired by each and every one in many different ways. That is the beauty of my profession. I am exposed to a wide variety of talent.”
PHILOSOPHY “You must love what you do in order to always be content and I have been very fortunate to always work in the field I have desired to work in.”
Embrace...Art 47
The following four spreads are his work. Thank you Ezequiel for sharing your vision!
48 Looking Forward
Embrace...Art 49
Photographer Ezequiel de la Rosa Mua Chifumi Nambashi Hair Stylist Cherie Johnson Creative and Art Direction Mariano Testa Models Meijhan Mock Emily Wilson @New York Models Designers Zac Posen Ruben Singer
50 Looking Forward
Embrace...Art 51
52 Looking Forward
Embrace...Art 53
54 Looking Forward
Embrace...Art 55
56 Looking Forward
Skyhand Zan
“No Half Sleeping! Even if the end result isn’t what I planned for, at least I have the satisfaction of knowing I tried and did the best I could.” Interview: Francesca Schueler Picture of Zan: Private
www.zanswork.com “My name is Zancois Rice. The name Zancois is a derivative of Francois. My mom and dad wanted something cool like Zanzibar or Zanzy and liked the sound of Francois so they combined it to Zancois. I call my freelance service Skyhand, and I am Skyhand Zan.”
Location “Originally, I am from NYC, but currently I am living in San Francisco, California.“
Occupation “I am a full time CGI Artist/Animator. However, I am still available for freelance work. I am specialized in 3D character modeling and animation for a variety of platforms including, but not limited to: film, video games, broadcast television, print, toys, pitches, etc.”
How did you end up being an “artist” like you are? Can you describe some life choices you made, some inspiring people you met along the way...hard work, practice, or did it come natural? “Wow this is a big one. Well, I’ve been an artist since I was about two to three years old. I started copying whatever I saw. Soon I began copying what I saw in comics following the best comic artist. Comic Book Artist like Todd McFarland, Jim Lee, Bart Sears, Mark Bagley, Joe Quisada, Jeffery Scott Cambell, Joe Maderaira and many others. Following these artists not only made me learn their styles of art but also gain valuable knowledge of the human anatomy. While drawing my favorite superheroes was quite awesome it still wasn’t providing enough information. I needed to be able
to draw, not only to copy, but also to draw from memory. I knew that being a famous comic artist obliges you to not just copy the same style as the great masters. You have to have your own styles. That is when I began drawing people from magazines and various books. My copying abilities soared and my images began to look realer and realer. However, my own drawing from memory had still not reached the level I had hoped for. Drawing was never about practicing to me. Actually, it was all driven by inspiration. I continued to draw things I saw and so my skills improved gradually. Then I attended the Art & Design High School and majored in Commercial Art. In all honesty, Art & Design did not do much for my drawing abilities. Instead, I became fascinated with rapping. If you attended Art & Design in the early 90’s you wanted to rap as well, plus it was a good way to fit in with others. Nonetheless, I began learning about computer animation at Art & Design. The only memorable class I remember was Mr. Ray’s computer graphics class. That was the only class I took seriously even though my records don’t reflect that (smiles). Once I finished High School I got a job at Kinkos as a computer services co worker. I learned how to use Adobe Photoshop and many other programs there. Photoshop is the most addictive program for any digital artist, especially when you first learn it. Once you continue it gets even better and better. Eventually, I matured into an experienced Graphic Designer. At Kinkos, I was hit with a salary cap I wasn’t feeling. I knew I wanted to go to college but I hadn’t figured where yet. I wanted whatever I majored in to involve Graphic Design. One day I was reading the Next Generation magazine (Video Game Magazine) and found an ad for The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. In that ad they offered majors in Graphic Design
Embrace...Art 57 and Computer Animation. I was like ‘What! I can build my drawings in 3D and animate them. I’m sold!’ So I contacted the school, got accepted, and learned computer animation. The Art Institute was one of the greatest experiences in my life. I met other artist from all over the nation, who all aspired to be the next big thing. I quickly gravitated towards many top artist of the school; too many to mention here, learning and teaching skills we all picked up prior to attending A.I.P. Once I graduated, I looked for work like everyone else stressing over my loans. Unfortunately, my skill set was too advanced for most vacancies. Most jobs primarily wanted Graphic Designers. I worked at several Graphic Design companies to my total dissatisfaction. I quit or was fired as fast as I got the jobs. Finally, I got my break in video games working for Firefly Studios as a 3D Animator. That’s when I started my career in 3D.”
Inspiration “Nowadays, I find inspiration in professional photography and then try to replicate what photographers do in 3D. I still find inspiration in fantasy and other forms of entertainment. I find that I am happiest when reaching for reality in my work.”
Philosophy “My Philosophy is to keep God first and to follow through with whatever I set out to achieve. No Half Steppin’! Even if the end result isn’t what I planned for, at least I have the satisfaction of knowing I tried and did the best I could to reach that goal. Love is most important! Love leads me and I love what I do, enough said.”
Any regrets about opportunities not taken? “No, I have been offered many opportunities to fulfill individual goals as well as company goals. Many people have big ideas and dreams, and I’m all about helping folks to achieve their vision. However, if the money isn’t right I’m not moving in on it. If the work doesn’t fall within the parameters of what I do and specialize in, then I’m not taking it unless I have no choice and my situation is that bad, which it has been before (smiles).”
Any upcoming plans, projects you would like to share?
Which software do you use to create your art? “Primarily, I use 3D Studio Max and Mudbox to create my characters and other assets. Max is good for building the general shape of the model and Mudbox is good for adding high detail to the model created in Max. I also utilize Photoshop for texture detail and After Effects for post production animation of my models.”
What else? “I want to give a shout out to God for keeping me strong with love and faith. I want to give a shout out to my Mom’s who never lets me get by with half done work and is always blunt about her opinion even if that annoys me. I love you Ma! More shout outs to my crazy cousins Sean, Jeru and Jermaine. What up G’s?! Shout outs to my little cousins who just got here ‘hey little one’s I love ya’ll’. Shout outs to all my friends and family and all the people who helped me to reach this point in my life. You guys rock! And shout out to the world, get your act together and release the Bloom Boxes already! Peace.”
“I have a partnership with Apricot Brown LLC, who is releasing a children’s book that I illustrated in 3D about self esteem in the near future. Also, I’m collaborating with Double 7 Images on future projects and writing a weekly blog on their website www.Double7world.com.”
The following images are his work. Enjoy the art of 3D Character Modeling.
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Art on the Wall Focus on the Israeli West Bank Barrier Author: Dafer Kassis Pictures: Private
Eight years ago, the Israeli occupation started building a separation wall on confiscated Palestinian lands, separating Palestinian areas and cities of each other. The wall, which thus far spreads over an area of 650 km inside the West Bank, annexes about 50% of the West Bank and handicaps movement from one region of the West Bank to the other. This fact makes the Israeli excuse of building this wall, a security wall, hard to believe. The construction and structure of the wall, up to three to four meters high concrete blocks, is by far the ugliest fact on the ground Palestine has ever witnessed throughout the long years of the Israeli occupation. This construction makes the wall as obvious as the sun, a hard to miss presence that enclaves and swallows the Palestinian lands. Since many Palestinians, have carried on with the peaceful resistance against the occupation, they have started to look for other means of proving to the Israeli occupation, and to the whole world, that even with the presence of this massive structure, the Palestinians can still resist peacefully, make life a bit better, even though we are denied a most important right, that being the right to move freely. Enter art! For me as a kid, Art class was an hour I looked forward to. It gave me time to do my homework in other subjects, and prepare for the next day. Needless to say, I never had anything artsy about me. Adding insult to injury, my art teacher told me once “Dafer, you are a great student, but your brain cells that are involved in arts have not grown, and as it seems, they never will”. I always took this as a compliment, because I thought, who needs art. That won’t feed me or my future children, so I was okay with such assumptions. . Nowadays, as I see the growing importance of art in our daily lives as Palestinians, I am slightly regretful about my
Embrace...Art 61 persistence in not feeling any interest in this direction. I feel a slight jealousy. The reason for these mixed feelings inside me is that the newest and “coolest” way of resistance has become art and the usage thereof. Art? You may ask, yes, art! This form of resistance is sweeping over Palestine as a new method for pursuing our struggle for freedom and independence. Over the past years, Palestinian artists and international ones, gathered around to express their opinion about the apartheid wall, by painting and drawing on it. They are working on transforming the ugly, concrete, massive structure into a beautiful landscape and make do with this fact on the ground. Of course, many people are against this idea, since they are beautifying the tool that is used as a torture technique that is turning Palestinians lives into a living hell. Nowadays, the segregation wall forms a platform for both artists and non-artists for self-expression. All over the West Bank, people have chosen to leave their touches on it. Graffiti, caricature, slogans and pictures are being imprinted and painted, some with a message that denounces the occupation and its brutal effects on Palestinians, and some with messages that leave hope in the hearts of those who read them. Pink Floyd sang “Another brick in the wall” in the 70’s; the same line was written by the band on the wall in Bethlehem. Furthermore, Banksy, the famous UK graffiti artist had left his signature in Palestine by painting numerous sketches on the wall. The list is long, as locals and internationals are using their creativity to make the message clear: facts on the grounds are to be changed and we use all forms of resistance to amplify this undeniable truth. Art, namely painting is an important measure in this regard.
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The wall, which thus far spreads over an area of 650 km inside the West Bank, annexes about 50% of the West Bank and handicaps movement from one region of the West Bank to the other.
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Facts In a 2005 report on “The Humanitarian Impact of the West Bank Barrier on Palestinian Communities” , the United Nations stated that: “..it is difficult to overstate the humanitarian impact of the Barrier. The route inside the West Bank severs communities, people’s access to services, livelihoods and religious and cultural amenities. In addition, plans for the Barrier’s exact route and crossing points through it are often not fully revealed until days before construction commences. This has led to considerable anxiety amongst Palestinians about how their future lives will be impacted...The land between the Barrier and the Green Line constitutes some of the most fertile in the West Bank. It is currently the home for 49,400 West Bank Palestinians living in 38 villages and towns” (pg.4 version 5). Supporters of the barrier say that it protects Israeli civilians from Palestinian terrorism. Statistics have shown that over the past year terror attacks, like suicide bombings have decreased by 90%. However, opponents argue that Isreal just uses that excuse to annex Palestinian land under the guise of security. Of course the underlining history, and the never ending struggle of those two nations is vast, and we have to take a look at the cold facts. Even at that point the International Court of Justice ruled, more than once that the barrier is a violation against international law and human rights.
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Cocorose London Competition pg. 83
Cover Fashion Story pg. 66
Capsule Wardrobe pg. 82
For City People 65
Mart Reker pg. 74
Feel....Fashion
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Her: Jeans Jacket: €149 Silk Dress: €195 Bracelet: €30
Ménage à trois
Him: Pullover: €85 Jeans: €109 necklace: €69 All Inti Ferreira
Introducing the Sexy Style! Author: Semsa Ferreira @Inti Ferreira
Love in Style - the General Principles of Chic A classy woman buys what she likes, wears what she likes, and remains silent. Chic goes hand in hand with individuality. Thus we must know our body, our face and our true identity. Excellent posture and a proud glance are fascinating, no matter what we wear. Chic requires nonchalance, but also a certain degree of severity. Chic is always a half size bigger than her usual size. A scan over her body should not reveal any contours, nothing should stick to the body, and nothing should dangle. Chic never reveals what “woman” wears underneath. Chic is having your own scent and keeping it, whether it is Neroli oil from Medina in Fez, or a touch of vanilla. Chic women emphasize one element of their outfit and not six. Chic is classic, but not conformist. Chic lies in the detail, whether we see the most beautiful eyebrows in the world or smell a purely captivating perfume from Florence.
Liebe mit Stil - Allgemeine Grundregeln des Schicks Eine Klassefrau kauft was ihr gefällt, trägt was ihr gefällt, und schweigt. Schick hat mit Individualität zu tun, aber dazu müssen wir unseren Körper, unser Gesicht und unsere wahre Identität kennen. Eine gute Körperhaltung und ein stolzer Blick wirken faszinierend, ungeachtet dessen was wir tragen. Schick erfordert Nonchalance, aber auch ein gewisses Maß an Strenge. Schick ist immer eine halbe Nummer groeßer als ihre übliche Masse. Bei einem Blick über ihre Konturen sollte nichts am Körper haften, aber auch nichts hängen. Schick enthüllt nie, was Frau darunter trägt. Schick bedeutet, einen eigenen Duft zu haben und dabei zu bleiben, gleich ob es Neroli Oel aus Medina in Fez oder ein Hauch Vanille ist. Schicke Frauen betonen ein Element ihres Outfits und nicht sechs. Schick heißt klassisch, aber nicht konformistisch. Schick liegt im Detail, gleich ob es sich um die schönsten Augenbrauen der Welt oder rein betörendes Parfüm aus Florenz handelt.
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We
Photographer Joke Schaper Mua/Hair Stylist Mart Reker Models Nadia Palesa Ana Lucia Strub Garbor Torpoi Fashion From Inti Ferreira Styling Semsa Ferreira Creative and Art Direction Francesca Schueler Final Picture Editing Mart Reker
Her: Both Shirts: â‚Ź69 All Inti Ferreira
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Her Left: Coolmax Dress: €189 Him: Dress Shirt: €89 Tie: €39 Jacket: €298 Her Right: Shift Dress: €235 All Inti Ferreira
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Want
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It
Her Left: Coolmax Dress: €189 Comme il Faut Shoes: € 320 Him: Dress Shirt: €89 Tie: €39 Jacket: €298 Scarf: €79 M.Bech Shoes: €399 Her Right: Shift Dress: €235 Comme il Faut Shoes: € 199 All Fashion Inti Ferreira
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Like
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That!
Her Left: Silk Blouse Long: €229 Him: Pullover: €85 Necklace: €69 Her Right: Silk Dress: €195 All Inti Ferreira
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Mart Reker
“...Love is unpredictable, it will happen when you least expect it.” Interview: Francesca Schueler Picture of Mart: Private
www.martreker.nl
Occupation
beginning of 2005. Now, after 14 years experience in makeup and 7 years in hairstyling, I know I have found my destiny.”
Hair- and Make-up Artist
Importance Location Based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, but also Germany, Cape Town and the rest of the world.
What Else “I will skip winter in Holland again. Instead I will go to CapeTown and work with some very good photographers over there. Clients are welcome to contact me (smiles). After Cape Town it’s time to get an agent in Holland again. I already have a German agent but in the Netherlands I get too busy organizing everything by myself.”
Dream “I would love to become the face of a successful make-up brand and also find a good way of combining my skills as a trainer, techniques, and the urge to beautify people by learning simple tricks.”
Beginnings “I had walked quite a few paths before I discovered what makes me happy and what gives me energy. I studied Building Engineering, although I actually wanted to study Arts. During my studies I got in contact with a make-up brand that started to promote and sell. I got so good at what I was doing there that I began to give lessons to groups of beauticians and hairdressers. As another side job I started working for several theater and dance groups. From that I gained the particular expertise of creating extravagant makeup that resists rough circumstances, such as heat and sweat. After my studies, I worked in the building industry. I felt very unhappy and stressed there, so I decided to specialize my make-up skills at House of Orange and follow intensive hair-training courses in 2004. I quit my ‘normal’ job in the
“To be passionate about art, pictures, photography and painting is important to me. But also to work with my hands, with people, diversity in work sphere, creating looks and always having the urge to make people more beautiful than they already are. I come to wonder why I’ve ever taken up Building Engineering studies?!?”
Inspiration “I get my inspiration out of watching video clips, movies, and websites of other artists, Fashion TV, reading (fashion) magazines and visiting art-exhibitions. All of these not only inspire, but also keep me up to date.”
Philosophy “Pleasing everybody! I know that sounds weird, but I want to make everyone happy. I love to see smiles on faces. My favorite life motto is ‘Life is like a box of chocolates, you’ll never know what you gonna get. So enjoy every chocolate with the fullest satisfaction and biggest smile you’ll have.’”
Prejudice “First look at yourself before judging another. Try to see positive things in someone instead of only the bad things.”
Next to your Bed “Lip balm and my phone. I love the sound of my phone’s wake-up alarm (smirks).”
True Love “I have found true love. People will meet several soul mates in life; people that inspire you, support you or teach you something. Be patient. Love is unpredictable, it will happen when you least expect it.”
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Hush now. . .
We are melting at the sight of Mart. A true angel...
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Busy Bee
Mart in Action
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Photographer Daniel Gieseke MUA/Hair Mart Reker
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Photographer Antonia Steyn MUA/Hair Mart Reker
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Photographer Gavin O’Neill MUA/Hair Mart Reker
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Photographer Martin Sweers MUA/Hair Mart Reker
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The Secret behind -the-
Capsule Wardrobe Author: Michele Ferron-Leckie @wearittowork.co.uk
kinds of bags - a small formal one and a larger bag for every day use. Looking at this small list, you can probably go back to your closet and find a few of these items already! Now you just need to be smart about creating one that works for you.
Photography: Joke Schaper Did you ever have a “I have absolutely nothing to wear to work” moment? Ever been late for a meeting or work, because of wardrobe malfunction, and your bedroom spattered with clothes? Is your closet also full of clothes, but you cannot find anything to wear with your new pencil skirt? Of course you have, we all have. The Solution is - A reliable, classic collection of timeless pieces that can be called on in any fashion emergency, whether you cannot find anything to go with a new skirt or need a neutral accessory to tone down a striking dress, the capsule collection is every troubled girls friend. Getting dressed should not be a shore, and if it really turns out to be a time consuming problem you should sit down and rethink a little. A girl needs a (work)wardrobe that functions above all. According to Susie Faux, who came up with the concept in the 1970s, the ideal capsule wardrobe consists of two pairs of tailored trousers, a shift dress or a pencil skirt for more formal occasions, a well-fitting jacket, a coat, and a casual jacket or smart cardigan. As for the shoes, we ladies ought to have one pair of flats and one with a sensible heel, and two
We suggest, with eye on the ‘work wardrobe’ that you choose two business suits for women, one skirt suit and one trouser suit in basic colours, which can be matched with other pieces. This will prove greatly versatile for any working woman. The capsule is essentially the backbone of your wardrobe that should always work. It has to go with everything and should be based on timeless, best quality items (cotton, cashmere, and silk), with the most flattering cuts and tailored to especially fit your shape. Just think that those pieces are a small investment that will transcend fashion trends. If you think having a capsule wardrobe is dull, think again. It is the secret of the savvy. You can liven up your selection with colorful, less expensive, trendier accessories - think of the fun you can have with jewelry, scarves, shoes and bags! When it comes to colors we advice natural colors. Depending on the season you might want to pick darker ones for the cold season, and lighter ones for the warm season. What it comes down to is understanding who you are and how you live your life.
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Would you like to study International Media & Entertainment Management? Visit the Information Evening of Inholland University The Hague on Wednesday the 12th of January 2011.
Compet it ion Cocorose London foldable ballet pumps are the sole of chic for fashionistas feet - and the adored footwear of celebrities, models, career girls, trendy travellers, bridal belles and yummy mummies. Stylish and uber-comfortable, the unique ballet pumps come folded in a chic purse, with a hidden back pocket that holds a folded, black satin, mini-shoulder-bag. They are designed so that, when your feet begin to ache from wearing skyscraper heels, you can now simply kick them off, slip into your Cocorosers’ and slide your stilettos, along with the purse, into the shoulder-bag! The Sunday Times Travel Magazine calls Cocorose London, ‘The Saviour Shoes, the best foldable pumps out there’; and BAFTA select them for their exclusive Gift Bag given to the Nominees’& Presenters at the Orange British Film Academy Awards.
Inholland University Theresiastraat 8 The Hague www.Inholland.com
The shoes cost £45, come in size Small (3-4), Regular (5-6), Grande (78) and selected styles in Extra Shot (9). Available from www.cocoroselondon.com To win your pair just answer the following question:
Win three pairs of Cocorose London Foldable Ballet Pumps
A dream shoe for stylish mavens, whose tootsies will welcome Who starred in The Devil Wears them after a hard day’s night of working, shopping, travelling or Prada? partying! A. Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall B. Julie Roberts and Cameron Diaz C. Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway Send an email with your answer to francesca@looking-forwardmagazine.com, plus your shoe size, name, address, email and phone number. Winners will be randomly selected from correct entries received by email and informed by email. The Editor’s decision is final. Ends January 31st 2011.
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Playlist pg. 92
About Money pg. 86
Let’s Talk About
MONEY
B
For City People 85
GAFSA pg. 88
Be...Humanitarian
86 Looking Forward
Let’s talk about Money
Tell us Tim... We are dying to know! Author:Tim Haman CEO @Fairtrading Technology Picture: Private www.fairtradingtech.com
Tim Haman, a Swedish serial entrepreneur started his first companies in The early IT industry and is now providing software platforms to the financial markets. He sets his interest into the global economy, turning global problems into personal “for-everyone” solutions. Of course you are daily thinking about money in some way. But have you for once really thought about the depth of it entirely? Money is what we all chase every day. We use up years to save, but only seconds to spend. Why is our world so focused on money, profit, returns of investment, yield and risk? Does money give you happiness or just easier choices? What does money bring to the table that is so important, that mankind is prepared to do almost anything in order to get more? In old times when we started to travel, we also started trading with each other. The first set of trades regarded our basic needs. Some owned food and could trade for skin to make clothes. In the beginning nearly everything was used as money. Eventually, some people emerged into the role of merchants. Merchants who delivered, started piling gold and silver, and founded business expansion models.
Today we read about the silly iPhone game Angry Birds that took an estimated 3-4 weeks to develop and deploy, sold millions of copies in the App store, and then was sold to Electronic Arts for a whopping $20 Million. If someone had told this tale back in 1990 we would have concluded him/her to be utterly mad. Is the world spinning so fast that we should plan differently for our pensions? Do we need to slow down and really switch on our brain for a moment? Today’s media pressure works hard on the mission to stop thinking and start accepting what is there. At least, that is a very easy conclusion. What is the value of money? The money in your wallet is notes and coins, or a plastic card connected to your bank account. You use that as money every day. But the more important question is; is that money or just a utilization of money? Will it still be money in 20-30 years from now? Look at the money in your wallet. You will find it to be simple paper, metal and plastic. Others decide how much it is worth; either our governments (through inflation, taxation) or the market in comparison to other countries and currencies. It does not contain any real value at all.
My first 1 ounce gold coin was purchased for $334 and soon it might buy me a new car. In the foreign exchange market (Forex) the turnover per day is $4 Trillion per day. Just a fraction of that money exists in notes and coins. The rest are just invented numbers in a database at banks. Back in the 70’s the Euro did not exist, so let’s look at the US Dollar for a while. How much value of $1 remains today, if we compare it to 1970? Sure, forty years is a long time, but it depends on what you use as a measure. The answer is less than 7 cents! That gives a loss of 93% in forty years, 80% in thirty years and about 60% in twenty years. Do you want to save for your pension in Dollars now? But we have Euros here, so no need to worry, right? It’s still paper, and when the Euro was created, wasn’t it backed by some US papers in the bottom? There is another angle to this. We saw it in Iceland and we saw it in Zimbabwe. What happened there is that money got out of the hands of those in control, or that a market just crashed. The market is about faith or ‘believe in value’. Therefore, the conclusion is that the purchasing power of
Be...Humanitarian 87 the money we use today is rapidly decreasing outside of our control. A few options are thus in front of us: 1) We keep the form of money we have today and just accept the changes ahead. 2) We change the money system to something different but it remains in the control of others. 3) We invest our savings in something that always preserves its purchasing power. First of all you need to find some facts and educate yourself in relation to your plans. Knowledge is the key to success, regardless of what you do. For more than 3500 years, gold and silver are our only true forms of money. They preserve their purchasing power over time and are the perfect store of value due to their rarity. All gold above ground is a cube of 18 meters. Gold is also tax free (no VAT). After WWII in 1946, a barrel of crude oil was priced about $1.63. At the same time an ounce of gold was worth $34.71 (1 troy ounce = 31.1034768 grams) or an approximate 1, 5 grams of gold buys a barrel of crude oil. Today, a barrel of crude oil is priced at $70 (so far 2010 average) and gold is at $ 1350 per ounce. In this case, a barrel of crude oil costs 1, 63 grams of gold. So a $100 000 saved in 1946 in your mattress or 3000 ounces of gold? For your pension plans it might be a good idea to buy a gold and silver coin here and there. Perhaps even a whole bar. Store it where it is safe and don’t sell it cheap. This is not by any means a recommendation. You need to find your facts and decide for yourself. Where is the gold price heading? Currently, it seems at its history record high. In the 1980’s gold’s top price was at $850 per ounce. If we adjust today’s Dollar value with inflation, that makes well over $2 400! As you can see, there is plenty to go from here. A new concept might evolve in the future, where the bills in your wallet will have a gold thread containing real value. The notes will have the functions of today’s coins (the small value), and the gold and silver coins will be the ones hard to exchange due to their high value. I purchased my first 1 ounce gold coin for $334. Soon it might buy me a new car! Or we might still use the same money we have today. Regardless, gold retains its purchasing power and if the money today gets ballistic, created out of thin air, these coins and bars will come in very handy.
Sources: http://www.measuringworth.com/uscompare/ http://inflationdata.com/inflation/inflation_rate/historical_oil_prices_table.asp http://www.kitco.com/scripts/hist_charts/yearly_graphs.plx
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Let’s kick it off! We truly worthship our friends from GAFSA (girlsandfootballsa) down in South Africa. We will have their stories coming back, because they are THAT essential. After having viewed their documentary “can I kick it?” we felt the urgency to pull GAFSA in this issue again. It is amazing to see how they are moving forward, and how the idea of one women has grown into something actively supporting the attempt to secure girls and young womens future in South Africa. In a patriarchial state, where women are generally regarded as less valuable than men, where rape occurs every 14 seconds, and where unwanted pregnancies destroy teenagers hope for an educated future...GAFSA is assisting in building a lasting network throughout the country to change that! And it is already changing! Read their progress on the following pages. Visit their website www.girlsandfootballsa.com to find out how you can become part of that change!
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The Untold Story of Women’s Football in South Africa Author: Jos Dirkx Lindiwe Mkhize, right back for the U17 South African national women’s team, giggles nervously and asks, “Am I going to be on TV?” Six months later, her smiling face, sweet words and fighter spirit are indeed shared with a broad South African audience. Together with seven other players of the national team, the girls share stories about what football means to them. Fran Hilton-Smith, the manager of the South African team, and Desiree Ellis, Laureas Ambassador and ex player of Banyana Banyana, discuss the challenges that women’s sport faces in both South Africa, and the rest of the continent in “Can I Kick It?” which tells the untold story of women’s football in South Africa. The documentary brings to light the inequalities the girls and women face on and off the field, and highlights furthermore why it is significant that women play the male dominated sport. The players discuss how football has kept them away from drugs and alcohol, and has made them stronger and more determined to reach their goals.
Life for girls in South Africa is not easy. It is estimated that one girl is raped every fourteen seconds and that girls have a significantly lower chance of finishing their secondary education than boys because of teenage pregnancy and their role as care takers in society, and over 31% of women in South Africa are unemployed. These stories go unheard. In addition, the positive effect that sport has for these girls and women is also widely ignored. With the coming of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, there is no better time than now to invest in women’s development through sport. A gripping story of the state of football for women in South Africa, “Can I Kick It?” is a film dedicated to giving women who fight for change the credit and attention they deserve.
The Girls Meet “The Girls” Author: Sonia Bianchi The nervous smiles on every girl’s face struck me as unusual for our typically boisterous team of girls. Instead of greeting us with the usual noisy laughter and hugs, the girls quietly filed in two by two to the stadium, anxiously looking towards the field where the South African national women’s team, Banyana Banyana, was warming up. During the preparation for the African Women’s Championship, Banyana Banyana (which means “The Girls”) has attended several week long training camps in various locations in Stellenbosch. They worked hard throughout
Be...Humanitarian 91 these weeks in an effort to be one of two teams traveling to Germany for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup this coming June and July. The girls from our workshops were lucky and thrilled to spend an afternoon on the field with these talented athletes. The green field alone was a treat, as the girls play on a small cement pad by the school, but meeting these professional female players was the real excitement of the day. The girls remained excited, but quiet while the team signed their jerseys and hats, but all that changed once a football was introduced into the mix. Then the girls we’re used to, loud, laughing and playful, emerged as they took the field with their mentors in tow. After working on the basics, shooting, dribbling and heading, our girls walked off the field with more than just new football skills, but also with inspiration and motivation to continue working hard like their new idols.
African Women’s Championship Author: Tonje Olsrud Tensions are high. Janine van Wyk places the ball down just outside of the Nigerian penalty box, and takes a step back. The Sinaba Stadium in Johannesburg is packed, the turnout for this game is the best yet in the tournament – and it’s no wonder. On home turf, the hosts Banyana Banyana are taking on the queens of African women’s football, the Nigerian Super Falcons. They are down 0-2, but there is always the second half; the Girls have brought their A-game
for a reason. Every four years the African Women’s Championship serves as the qualifying tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The championship’s two finalists will be representing the African continent in Germany 2011, in what is surely the most prestigious and glamorous event within female football. As hosts, expectations of the South African Women’s Team are high. They have performed admirably in recent years, winning the second place in the 2008 African Women’s Championship, and attaining their best ever FIFA ranking in 2009. This November 4th however, they came face to face with the fierce competition. With unshakable confidence, Nigerian coach Eucharia Uche expressed before the game that she was not worried about the Banyana Banyana. Having won seven previous African Women’s Championships, the Falcons dominance in women’s football on the continent is undeniable. Janine van Wyk however, placed that free kick in the top corner where Nigerian goalie Dede had no hope of reaching it. The girls fought on for the second half, having in the end to admit to a 1-2 defeat. Fortunately, Banyana can still reach Germany by beating Mali and the winner of group B. Possible? Definitely! The toughest match is already out of the way.
92 Looking Forward
Photographer: Jason van Oijen
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