one small seed issue 1

SA R18.50 incl.VAT

issu e01 october-december

2005

DESIGN ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY ART INTERNATIONAL STYLES LIFESTYLE

self promo

sowing since 2005

the contemporary culture magazine

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06 ¦flying with the sharks pcomp, public art and ralph borland’s new creation 10 ¦watch this blank space an alternative art showcase 16 ¦era of evolution world design congress – can designers aid society? 18 ¦speed of light photographers portfolio – denmark 25 ¦kitchen talk the controversial nadine gordimer biography will be imminently released 28 ¦movements in time choreographer ignatius van heerden explains the magic of movement 32 ¦handmade a unique shopping and beautifying experience has arrived in cape town 34 ¦daddy long legs a new – and vibrant – change to backpack accommodation 38 ¦transformation space architect iain low on rock art and museum exhibitions 41 ¦the project 001 architectual showcase – stefan antoni 46 ¦interface sometimes serious, often playful, but always technologically advanced 48 ¦affirmative fashion – the changing face of african fashion 52 ¦loading... creative websites 54 ¦shaking the blues son of a thousand blues cd launch 56 ¦music reviews 58 ¦lights, camera, aksie! focus on film – world cinema festival and anant singh’s latest release

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first issue founder and creative director giuseppe russo publishing consultant brendon bell-roberts managing editor jd van zyl graphic designer tracey-lee scully editorial contributors dylan culhane, angela boshoff, leigh van den bergh, melissa baird, mehita iqani photographers danie nel, andy lund special thanks marc herman, sacha park, bridgett stanford, margherita felitti, pietro russo, jimmy strats, simphiwe mtetwa, bruce cowie, orjon de roo, erinn williams, pol schroeder, nicholas pascarel, mark scott, creda communications editorial address: 198 buitengracht street, bo-kaap, cape town, 8001 tel.: +27 (0) 21 424 1648 fax: +27 (0) 21 424 1675 email: contact@onesmallseed.com published in association with bell-roberts publishing advertising sales and subscription enquiries: +27 (0)21 424 1648, contact@onesmallseed.com The small print: No responsibility can be taken for the quality and accuracy of the reproductions, as this is dependent on the quality of the material supplied. No responsibility can be taken for typographical errors. The publishers reserve the right to refuse and edit material. All prices and specifications are subject to change without notice. The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. No responsibility will be taken for any decision made by the reader as a result of such opinions. Copyright one small seed South Africa. All rights reserved. Both the name ‘one small seed’ and are copyright protected. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written consent from the publisher. one small seed does not accept responsibility for unsolicited material. This is a quarterly publication. ISSN 1816-8965.

planting the seed So here it is, our first edition of one small seed. It was sometimes easy to produce this magazine, sometimes tough, but always fun.

We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed creating it.

The launch of this magazine is our first brave step towards creating a supportive showcase of local talent. Similar steps will follow. one small seed is not just a magazine, it is a movement that will collaborate with local and international creators, exhibitions and events. It is also a drive to fervently support young local genius, and although we are unashamedly skewed towards South Africa, we will always keep you abreast of international change.

We think it is necessary to explain our understanding of ‘creativity’ because it is a word that we like to use often. For us, creativity is not just the carving of a beautiful sculpture or the production of dazzling fashion. It is anything that we can touch, feel, see and smell after being bold enough to make real our wildest imagination. Creativity is what happens when we make tangible that which courses through our veins and causes our hearts to beat faster. This creative rush, and a desire to showcase creativity in all its glorious forms, is what gave birth to one small seed. Creativity is also the ability to create something new and move forward without necessarily getting rid of the old. This approach is evident in our articles on rock art and African fashion, both of which tap into the ancient creative spirit of the continent.

With this first edition, we’ve planted a seed and we look towards you, the reader, to aid in growing it. Because one small seed is strongly rooted in local soil, we rely on you to send us your comments, thoughts, contributions or suggestions. When you speak, we listen; so don’t hesitate to email us: feedback@onesmallseed.com

giuseppe russo founder and creative director

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Call it art, technology or simply a tongue-in-cheek memorial. Ralph Borland’s latest unveiling sets a new precedent in interactive public sculpture. And like so many of his ideas, this one sounds crazy enough to work...

I’m sitting at a bar on Jetty Square eavesdropping on a conversation that could either be about sharks or a time machine. Phrases like ‘servo control rods’, ‘calibrated valves’ and ‘plastic wind-responsive gill chambers’ are bandied about through gulps of draught beer as if nature and technology resolved their inherent differences a long time ago.

Moments later Ralph Borland enters the room, much to the bartender’s satisfaction. ‘Aha! Here’s the artist himself,’ he announces. Ralph sits down and orders a beer, while I struggle to work out where to begin this particular line of questioning.

As a graduate of NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP), Ralph Borland is at the forefront of a relatively new field of expertise known as physical computing, or pcomp, which makes use of sensors, microchips and circuitry to activate interactive systems in the physical world.

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‘You mean like a burglar alarm?’ I ask. ‘That would be an aspect of physical computing, but when we talk about “pcomp” we’re usually referring to the specific culture around the technology. It’s a culture in which technology is employed to bring an initial idea to life, rather than the other way around.’ I’m seized by the sensation of having learned something new.

Pcomp in public art is similarly one aspect of a far more holistic science. In New York, Ralph’s ITP classmates included musicians, businessmen, social workers, VJs and engineers. A willingness to share ideas across and within different fields also seems to be a characteristic of the pcomp manifesto. At the moment Ralph is teaching and promoting the field through various courses he runs at Cape Town’s Michaelis School of Art and Wits University.

‘Pcomp has the potential to be demo­cratising. It can create art that responds to human presence, thereby helping the viewer make the initial step towards engaging with the artwork.’

Ralph’s latest installation on Jetty Square offers a positive vision for the synthesis of pcomp and fine art. Metallic skeletons of five life-sized sharks hover above swirl-patterned brickwork on the ground, revolving surreptitiously enough to generate a sense of being watched by these sharp-edged, gleaming monuments. The pcomp experience begins when an individual passes directly below any one of the sharks. A passive infrared sensor in the nose activates two servo motors and some basic circuitry which in turn transfer motion to two ‘gill chambers’ on either side of the head via push-pull rods. These chambers are then rotated to bring the active edge in line with the wind direction, liberating sound in much the same way as a whistle or flute works. In addition to this, large tail fins move the sharks randomly in accordance with wind currents that surge through the surrounding buildings on the foreshore.

But why sharks?

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As many Capetonians will already be aware, the shoreline reached up to Strand Street in centuries gone by. Ralph often refers to the project as ‘a haunting’, referring to an act of reclamation on behalf of the sea; a message from the ocean’s most venerable and primal warriors.

‘During our preliminary scouting of this area we noticed weeds and grass pushing up through the broken tarmac, which seemed like another kind of natural resistance and fed into the overall visual style and theme.’ The work speaks about the consequences of mankind’s manipulation of nature, becoming a damning reminder of the ways in which humans continue to mutate the natural order. ‘In light of global warming and the subsequent swelling of the oceans, perhaps these sharks are more of a reconnaissance party,’ Ralph jokes.

Working in close collaboration with Diekie van Nieuwenhuizen of Earthworks Landscape Architects enabled Ralph to integrate his artistic vision into a framework of broader environmental composition. The end result is a well-conceived, harmonious and thought-provoking use of public space – interactive without being obtrusive. Ralph hopes that the city offers more opportunities for artists to work alongside landscape architects in the creation of public installations. ‘It really is the way it ought to be. We’ve moved beyond the classical idea of art objects being stand-alone, unaffected and discreet.’

As I leave the bar, I notice that the bartender has hooked another patron into a discussion about robotic sharks and a time when water covered the earth. Their conversation turns to artistic rationale, which is when I realise I have the final line for my interview. People are talking about Ralph Borland.

Jetty Square is on the corner of Adderley Street and Hertzog Boulevard.

The installation is permanent and open to the general public at all times. www.ralphborland.net

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. . . blank s p a c e

Big enough to matter and small enough to care, Jonathan Garnham and Liza Grobler have created a new space to showcase some of Cape Town’s most promising artists. Just don’t call it a gallery, writes Dylan Culhane.

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at street level behind a large glass window is a tiny white room. It’s the architectural equivalent of an iPod, tucked away between modelling agencies and candy-coloured houses in Cape Town’s trendy Bo-Kaap area. Below me the city has already begun its late afternoon evacuation, and I’m waiting for the doors to this small space to be opened. They do so once a week for only a few hours, so I’m glad I arrived here on time. But is this really it?

Inside there’s barely enough room to swing a dwarf by the ankles. Once a month, however, patrons spill out on to the street for the unveiling of a new and exciting exhibition in this space. Despite its diminished scale, blank is still identifiable as an art gallery.

‘Project space,’ I’m corrected by Jonathan Garnham, an established artist and blank co-founder, who goes on to explain the relevant implications of the misnomer. ‘Galleries tend to make the artist pay for everything from rental to opening night snacks,’ a practice which, though long entrenched, places a lot of pressure on the artist to produce a large volume of work and generate enough sales to cover the cost of the exhibition itself. What blank offers is an alternative to the gallery scene. While all the artwork behind the big glass window can be purchased, the initiative is not motivated by sales alone. The absence of price-tags on Nhlanhla Hlongwane’s elegant ceramic creations seems to confirm these priorities. ‘We’re encouraging people to do what they want,’ says fellow project originator and artist Liza Grobler, who also shares a studio with Jonathan in Observatory.

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‘Our focus is on drawing younger artists into a more intimate and less intimidating exhibition environ­ ment,’ she explains. Removing the burden of cost and the difficulty of approaching established galleries with little prior publicity creates a wel­­­­­­­come and largely unexplored niche sector in the local art market.

‘At the moment virtually nothing exists beneath the upper-layer of Cape Town’s five or six renowned galleries,’ Jonathan points out. It seems then that the initiative has emerged as a response to an exclusive marketplace partial to already reputable artists and large-scale exhibitions. I’m starting to understand the extent and relative anonymity of the operation.

Keeping overheads low enables the duo to actively market emerging artists as well as showcase small exhibits of established creators at a lower financial risk to the operation.

The position of blank projects on the fringe of Cape Town’s art scene is represented geographically.

Located a mere stone’s throw away from the downtown art nucleus, they nevertheless fall just on the wrong side of Bree Street to qualify for a spot on the gallery walking tour.

‘There’s something nice about being on the periphery though,’ says Jonathan with a grin that I imagine betrays a disdain for the mainstream. As curator of East Berlin’s kunst+technik gallery for several years during the liberalised heyday of post-wall Germany, Jonathan is certainly no stranger to the underground.

He deflects the obvious credentials that a decade in the Berlin scene have earned him by noting that the kunst+technik space was arguably more renowned for its adjoining bar and club. While Jonathan is well aware that Cape Town is perhaps too lethargic to emerge as one of the world’s art capitals, the rationale behind blank is to beef up the city’s ‘cultural density’. In an artist’s utopia, project spaces replace the cor­ner café.

After talking to Jonathan and Liza it becomes clear that blank projects was conceived as more of a support network for artists than a single exhibition nook.

The team hopes to broaden its sponsor base in the near future and possibly start publishing a seasonal catalogue for all the exhibited artists.

‘We can foresee various scenarios, but for now we’re just trying to keep cool,’ says Jonathan. The prospect of a month-long solo exhibition for next-to-nothing has naturally had local artists lining up for the opportunity to take over the petite white room on Buitengracht Street and make it entirely their own. Tamlin Blake will be re-inventing the project space using glass beads and botanical imagery during October, followed by a sound installation by James Webb in November. blank projects 198 buitengracht street 072 198 9221 blankprojects@telkomsa.net Open every Wednesday from 16:00 – 19:00 or by appointment

Š one small seed // jimmy hansen // copenhagen

For one small seed’s first international feature, we have selected Denmark and the creative city of Copenhagen as our focus. Danish design is revered across the world and is marked by simplicity and functionality. One of the best-known Danish designers is Arne Jacobsen, for his legendary chair, ‘The Swan’.

denmark Full Name:

Kingdom of Denmark

Capital City:

Copenhagen

Their Flag:

The Danish flag, or Dannebrog, is the world’s oldest national flag.

Population:

5,384,000

Electricity:

230V 50HzHz

Dialing code:

+45

Driving:

In Denmark you drive on the right-hand side of the road and seat belt use is mandatory.

Well known for: Lego, the Little Mermaid and Danish Pastries.

Greatest Dane: Hans Christian Andersen

Miles and miles of coast: Denmark consists of 406 islands connected by numerous bridges and ferries. It has a total coastline length of 7,300km, or one-sixth of the circumference of the earth.

No one in Denmark lives more than 52km from the sea.

Favourite Danish Food: ‘Rrød pølse’ (red sausages, hot dog), ‘frikadeller’ (glorified hamburger patties) and ‘flæskesteg’ (roast pork).

Biggest Danish paradox: Although the Danes are internationally acclaimed for their design, music and architecture, they are hampered by one of the great banes of Danish mentality – ‘Janteloven’. This highly prevalent attitude of ‘who do you think you are?’ has been described as a collective neurosis where everyone strives to keep others down. But there is hope – young generations are lightening up and giving their fellow countrymen and women a much needed break.

Favourite Danish past time: ‘Hygge’, which roughly translates to ‘cosy’. The Danes spend an enormous effort on making life cosy with lots of candles, wine and evenings on the sofa watching the latest reality show. ‘Hyggelig’, the adjective, is one the highest accolades one can give an experience, be it a restaurant visit or meeting someone.

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era of evolution

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Thanks to fast-paced globalisation and the gradual merging of cultures, the world is now on our doorstep – and it’s got baggage. Leigh van den Berg explores the notion that designers can play a major role in tackling humanitarian issues in an ever-changing environment.

Danish design and architecture, particularly coveted in America and Japan, is emulated and admired throughout the world and revered by the Danes themselves. In fact, so great is Denmark’s love affair with cunning creativity, not to mention their appreciative understanding of it’s value, that it merrily declared 2005 to be it’s official year of design.

It is then little wonder that this Nordic gem also played host to the excitingly ambitious Era 05, the annual World Design Congress. This global event built on preceding conferences that took place in Helsinki, Gothenburg and Oslo, culminating over the 25th to 28th of September in Copenhagen. Most of the events took place in Denmark’s Dansk Design Centre according to the theme of – The Changing Role and Challenges of Design. In regards to the issues raised in Copenhagen, Era 05’s programme committee whittled the subject matter down to three universal challenges to which the usefulness of design can be measured – demographic changes, migration and urbanisation and cultural diversity. The congress also explored how design and it’s related industries can solve future societal problems.

Now just how, a sceptic might ask, would designers assume that they might assist in solving the world’s greater problems? The short answer would be ‘with ease’, according to Lise Vejse Klint, an architect, the president of Danish Designers and moderator for Era 05. Klint reasons that it is because of a designer’s ability to solve problems ‘based on underlying values, such as economics, feasibility, sustainability, product conditions, user experiences and ethics’ that they make for great troubleshooters.

Designers are also comfortable considering solutions that ‘aren’t based upon “technocratic” adaptations of existing scenario,’ she says. ‘They are namely able to relate to innovative, radical models, or in other words, strange questions that can lead to a better understanding of an issue’s complexity and potential.’

A good local example of how designer ‘openmindedness’ has solved a major problem would be South Africa’s very own Imvubu Project’s Hippo Water Roller. Not all of us are lucky enough to enjoy water on tap and millions of people have no choice but to walk many miles, often several times a day, to fetch it. Traditional, backbreaking water collection methods leave much to be desired and include carrying awkward five litre buckets on your head. However, the Hippo Water Roller makes it possible for even a small child to transport an impressive 90 litres at a time. Consisting of a super sturdy plastic barrel, screw-on cap and clip-on steel handle, the empty Hippo weighs no more than 12kg, even at full capacity it’s easily pushed on the ground.

The Hippo is just one of several in­­ novations highlighted on www.massivechange.com, a web­ site that’s part of an ongoing project about the power of design and its potential to serve the greater good. The project, Massive Change, is

an initiative of Bruce Mau, possibly Canada’s most prolific designer, in conjunction with The Institute without Boundaries and includes a book and internationally touring exhibition. ‘The exhibition is really about the human capacity to plan and produce desired outcomes,’ says Mau. ‘Design is a tool we have always used to shape the way we live and Massive Change is an exhibition of both the way we want to live and the tools we are going to use to get there.’

Mau feels that if designers really want to make a difference, in the true humanitarian sense, its best they get to work on a real grassroots level.

After all, does the planet really need another ‘designer’ kitchen appliance or heat-retaining coffee cup (although that would be nice…)? The Massive Change website highlights some pretty exciting innovations, all of them oh-so-simple, that are literally changing the lives of the not so fortunate masses around the globe.

One of them, an easy, peasy (but not Japanesy) invention that’s worth a mention is the Bicycle Ambulance. It is an astonishingly elementary idea, yet something that’s making a huge difference in the lives of many. The Bicycle Ambulance is designed to assist in the transport of patients in rural African areas to nearby hospitals or clinics.

Consisting of a stretcher held to a metal frame by recycled bicycle wheel inner tubes that also act as shock absorbers, the Bicycle Ambulance was designed by a team of international producers lead by Niki Dun – another bright Canadian.

Increasingly, designers are coming to learn that they don’t have to clone beloved pets or establish peace in the Middle East in order to rock the planet. Nor do you have to be Canadian or Danish! The best ideas are often the most basic and can start within your own community. In a recent interview with Icon, Ravi Naidoo, CEO of South Africa’s Design Indaba, says: ‘It’s a delicious concept to take high art and design technology as a solution to the problems of a developing economy.’

So sure, keep on designing and dreaming, bring on those flying cars, robotic child minders and spray on clothes, we’re sure to eat them up.

This way, the innovators can say: ‘Look what we can do, see how far we’ve come!’ But surely, now that we can do anything, the real question is this – just what are we going to do first?

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the speed of light The notoriously dark and seemingly endless Nordic winters instill not only a subtle melancholy in the population, but also an extremely personal and intricate relationship to light. Highly attuned to the effect of light on matter, mood and form, the near reverence Scandinavians have for light is reflected in both their general mentality and the body of work their artists produce: joyous, tentative, subdued, unadulterated.

Nearly ten years ago as Denmark’s first photographic agency, portfolio-cph was founded to bridge the gap between photographer and client and to showcase this unique talent to the local and international market. Since then they have established themselves as the leading Danish agency and represents some of the most talented Scandinavian photographers. one small seed has in conjunction with portfolio-cph selected four of these photographers that we believe are especially artistically endowed.

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international style

As the assistant to Mikael Jansson, one of Denmark’s most renowned photographers, Jimmy Hansen has learned the magic of excellent lighting. He has turned it into a somewhat obsessive hobby, experimenting endlessly with new methods while never compromising quality. Jimmy’s classic twist on fashion photography and his outrageous humour in commercial photography has made him wildly popular in both genres. What secures Jimmy in the transient business of photography is not just his sheer talent and creativity but his ability to consistently deliver photos of extraordinary quality with fresh and edgy concepts.

Christian GeisnĂŚs is a thoroughbred commercial photographer with a twist. He is a veteran with nearly twenty years under his belt and has worked for literally every major client in Denmark as well as a number of international ones. Some years ago, Christian took a break and reconsidered his relationship with work and photography. He embarked on a journey that took him halfway around the globe, shooting the people he met and the situations he encountered. He returned happily with a renewed passion for photography and a stronger sense of direction. Always a flawless technician dedicated to the art of light, his work is immaculate and emanates a sophisticated humour.

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Nicky de Silva is the creative director for HE magazine, Scandinavia’s premiere male fashion periodical. He is an active contributor to diverse fashion editorials and also manages to work advertising projects into his schedule. With his unstoppable enthusiasm, Nicky’s work displays a range that would strike one as erratic, were it not for the unmistakable ‘red thread’ that runs through his work. He has an unfettered passion for photography, a desire to find the centre of everything and screams out his discoveries with every click of the camera. His use of lighting is extraordinarily bold and distinctive for it’s fearless integration of shadows to create tone and texture.

Lars Ranek prefers to work alone on location, sniffing out sacred corners, magical landscapes, enigmatic portrait subjects and generally just tramping about the globe with his camera, capturing frame after frame of awesome beauty. The picture that Lars submitted as his graduate piece to the Photography Institute where he was educated, is still the final shot in his portfolio and emphasizes that his eye, and heart, have always been in the right place. His work is often described as romantic and there’s no doubt that this photographer has a knack for finding the innate beauty in everything, from sushi to camping wagons. With a fleet of cookbooks, interior design books and countless lifestyle shoots, including Vogue and Architectural Digest, behind him, Lars’s sheer competence is enhanced by a laidback approach to perfectionism and a tireless curiosity about his subjects, whatever they are.

CAMERON PLATTER LIFE IS VERY INTERESTING 28 SEPTEMBER – 22 OCTOBER 2005

Bell-Roberts Contemporary Art Gallery 89 Bree Street, Cape Town 8001 T +27 21 422 1100 F +27 21 423 3135 info@bell-roberts.com www.bell-roberts.com

kitchen talk

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Not much remains unsaid in the wake of the front-page tiff between Nadine Gordimer and her ‘unauthorised’ biography author, except for one thing – nobody actually knows what it’s all about. The imminent launch of No Cold Kitchen promises to set that straight writes JD van Zyl.

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The Sunday Times poster against the wall of Ronald Suresh Roberts’s

apartment in Cape Town immediately catches your eye – ‘Gordimer bans book’ it cries in bold letters. Another remnant of the hotly publicised fall-out between the Nobel laureate and the author of her biography. For the last fourteen months Nadine Gordimer has been trying to halt printing of the book because of disagreements on its content, but according to Roberts, the end is nigh.

‘There is not much that has not been written or said about No Cold Kitchen,’ he says with a wry smile. ‘The media has made sweeping statements of perceived betrayal in the biography, yet they have never seen the correspondence or the content, and don’t know much about Gordimer either. I look forward to an end of the speculation when the book will be released in November and everybody will finally be able to read it for themselves,’ he adds. Behind him rivulets of rain career down the blue window panes that overlook a cheerless City Bowl and Table Mountain as he paces around a glass-top table. Although Roberts maintains that his relationship with Gordimer continued to be very close until completion of the biography, and that he remained in awe of her until the last word was written, it is clear that the affinity has been tainted by the preproduction proceedings.

‘She has always had the prerogative to do what she likes to without having to pay too much attention to the strict niceties of law,’ he explains. Roberts cites the half-joking comment of Anglo-Indian writer, Salman Rushdie, at a launch in New York, ‘Gordimer is a bully. We all do what she says. We’re waiting for her to give us her orders.’

‘But you can’t write a biography based on instruction,’ Roberts shrugs. ‘Gordimer wanted me to remove all the text that made her human, but that is exactly what I set out to achieve.

When we first met, she was so revered that she was relegated to the unjoyous realm of school textbooks. I wanted to rescue her from that and restore her to a vivid livingness through humanising the austere impression that people have of her.’

He goes on to explain that like JM Coetzee he saw Gordimer as a visitor from the future and at the onset wanted to understand how she got so far ahead. ‘This women has taken part in an extraordinary phase of this country’s history as well as that of the rest of the world, and has written a number of exceptional books. That is what I wanted to write about. I also wanted people to go on and read her work once they have finished No Cold Kitchen.’

This title seems as suited to its contents as it does to the proceedings surrounding it. ‘It is based on the saying “if you can’t stand the heat – get out of the kitchen”, and is a theme that reverberates throughout the book.’ Up to now Roberts has been facing the furnace diligently and promises to continue doing so until the book is in its rightful place on shelves in SA and around the world.

No Cold Kitchen is scheduled for release on the 15th of November to bookstores nationwide.

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performing arts profile

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With a string of awards and impressive experience notched next to his name, Ignatius van Heerden is set to blaze through SA theatre. By JD van Zyl.

Silence.

Complete and utter. That was one of the most significant differentiators of his recent dance performance at the Baxter Theatre. The auditorium, before filled with shuffling noises, the fidgeting of a cellophane wrapper, giggling and subdued chatter, was stripped of sound, all eyes fixed on the stage.

Unflinching. Spellbound.

Of course one can easily berate this change from the previous performances and ascribe it to the sombre music that swooned the crowd to silence, or even the solitary mannequin that was basking in dramatic light on stage. But none of that explains what you feel afterwards. In less than seven minutes Ignatius van Heerden’s performance inspires more than many in excess of two hours. Afterwards you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you have been moved profoundly and that you have witnessed something truly exceptional.

When prodded about the effect his productions have on the audience, he waves the obvious personal nature of the question away with a flick of his hand, laughing, and resorts to its technical aspect.

‘When I choreographed that piece, I centred it around a specific message that I wanted to convey through my movement,’ he explains. ‘Moving is something we all have in common. It’s almost like a universal language and is a great medium for communication.

From the day we are born we move and during a performance the audience also move. They might only be tapping their fingers or nodding their heads, but in their minds they trace my motion, and by doing so actually get the message out that I worked into the piece. All of this happens on a very intimate and personal level.’

On stage his movements are nimble and fluid like syrup, yet also swift and almost mechanically calculated. Especially striking is his ability as performer to seemingly dissolve on stage, leaving you only with the essence of the piece. Although some of his productions in the past have been labelled as excessively avant-garde, Ignatius’s recent productions speak of a level of maturity and sensitivity one would only expect from an artist much older.

This compassion is also reflected in his choice of subject. In the production at the Baxter Theatre’s Dance Festival, for example, he relayed the tender tale of a boy’s coming of age. Delicately he depicted the rift between one’s heart and what is socially acceptable. He is also currently busying himself with a production to spread knowledge and awareness of HIV/Aids through dance and choreography.

Despite his fairly recent active involvement with the elements of movement therapy, Ignatius boasts an impressive foundation of dance experience and accolades for his young age. While still studying at TOM Arts College he received the Choreographer of the Year Award as well as the sought after FNB Vita Award for Most Promising Male Dancer. He was also selected as one of ten young choreo­graphers to participate in the FNB Dance Umbrella’s Choreographic Residency and then went on to receive the JOMBA Young Choreographers Grant. He has choreographed scores of productions alongside some of SA’s most prominent artists and companies, and has performed in an equally notable number. These include the international tour of African Footprint and more recently Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Yet Contemporary Dance is the discipline that has a special place in his heart ‘because of the free reign it gives.’

‘When I dance or choreograph a piece, the music and my instincts tell me how to move and I just leave my body to follow that,’ he says, smiling coyly. ‘In Contemporary there is also a lot more scope for inter­ pretation and to convey a message, and I suppose it is that freedom that I love.’

And that is exactly what makes Ignatius’s productions utterly memorable. It speaks of unbridled passion that is marked by humility for his talent. In his performances he dances his heart out and the result is something deeply touching. It is soul-full.

Ignatius will be performing in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Theatre on the Bay from the 5th of November 2005.

Š one small seed // lil blkcat

Shoehorned between buildings in trendy De Waterkant you’ll find a unique beautifying ex­perience that holds the promise of a total makeover.

The stairs climbing to Hand are perilously steep. A gleaming white tunnel

wraps around you as you ascend to the second story of a revamped redbrick building in Hudson Street. Mottled walls, mocha coloured beams that bear the salty blemishes from decades of seeping rainwater and black wooden floorboards all whisper authenticity. From the onset it is clear that this is not the place you go to for mass-produced sobriety.

Hand does not allow itself to be filed into any precon­­­­­­­­­­ ceived shopcategories. It is not a restaurant, café, hair salon or fashion retailer.

Yet it is, and then some. ‘Hand is a lifestyle concept store,’ explains co-owner Hélène Bull. ‘Eh,’ you say? Well, simply put, it is a one-stopbeauty-shop – the perfect solution before a roaring night on the town.

You can just lounge about if you like, or have a bite to eat, get your hair done, sort out your fashion requirements and get accessorised. All with a special touch of course.

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Hélène, a fashion designer by trade hailing from Durban, opened Hand earlier this year in partnership with hair stylist cum fiancé, Michael Scott, in response to consumers’ growing hankering for individual attention.

‘Everything is made by hand and we do not stock anything that is produced in bulk,’ explains Hélène as she casts her eyes over the shelves stocked with colourful jewellery and beaded Indian slippers. ‘We celebrate individuality and focus on customisation. Even the clothing we offer can be customised by the designer according to the requirements of any client.’

‘We are not a hair factory,’ Michael quips, ‘I do everything by myself and do not pawn customers off to an assistant for colouring, even if that means that it takes slightly longer. The focus is on quality and an overall enjoyable experience.’

Much of their stock has been sourced from European flea markets like the antique French sheets that Hélène unfolds with deft hands. ‘This linen formed part of a wedding dowry and has the initials of the newly wedded pair embroidered by hand in the corner. The quality is exceptional and it is always smooth and cool to the touch.’ At Hand you’ll also find candles, hand made of course, from the Marionhill Monastery.

Their dextrous approach is also mirrored in the food on offer. Health sandwiches and gourmet salads are prepared specially by Michael, and as with everything else, the focus is on quality.

Michael perfectly summarises the concept of Hand whne he says, ‘Most people are sick of being treated like a number, and by providing some unique and special attention we are hoping to change that and make their life a little bit more special.’

Hand is situated at 28 Hudson Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town. 021 425 9912

33

conceptual space

aaaay long legs Cool New Concept Hotel in the Heart of Long Street

By Dylan Culhane

34

If you’re travelling overseas, chances are you’ll inevitably find yourself confronted with one of two accommodation options. Either fork out wads of travellers cheques for the luxurious uniformity of a hotel or take your chances at a backpacker lodge where you’ll inevitably end up sharing a bathroom with a dozen wild-eyed Aussies.

Property developers Jody Aufrichtig and Nick Ferguson have recently opened the Daddy Long Legs Hotel in Cape Town as a response to this predicament. Born out of their own frustrations as young travellers who could never find the right place to stay, the team has created an environment where a limited budget needn’t preclude comfort, privacy and a memorable hotel experience.

‘Ultimately we’ve created a place where we would want to stay,’ says Jody. ‘Somewhere that’s affordable, spotless and in a central, vibey part of town. There’s nothing like it at the moment.’ As my tour of the hotel continues, this claim gains everincreasing credibility.

If location is everything, then Daddy Long Legs certainly has it all. Situated on Long Street within spitting distance of Greenmarket Square, the hotel couldn’t be more central. Or more vibey.

A communal bar area flows out onto a balcony overlooking the rabble of social pilgrims on the street below. With a shiny new liquor license and plans for various parties and open-mic sessions, the aim is to indulge in the street’s cultural scene while still maintaining a sense of seclusion and intimacy for the guest.

The rooms are removed from the noisy street and are arguably the hotel’s biggest attraction. Jody takes me into each of them, where artists and artisans work feverishly to put the finishing touches on the chambers they’ve been assigned to.

‘We’ve created a shell for thirteen established and emerging artists to complete. Each of them is provided with a budget and allowed complete artistic freedom.’ It’s exciting stuff, and the variety within makes my head spin.

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We start off in the Mentos room, where a polkadot motif in Perspex, linoleum and mirrors places the décor somewhere between The Jetsons and The Party. Jody plays around with a switch that alternates and blends light from primary coloured bulbs above the bed. Across the hall and in stark contrast is Finuala Dowling’s ‘Palimsest’, an elegant and cosy tribute to the Virginia Woolfe/Bloomsbury era. In a room ‘for readers, about writers’, Finuala has used the idea of anonymous texts shining through the texts we read.

‘Life can be like going into a second-hand bookshop, sifting through the letters, bills and divorce notes that people use as bookmarks,’ she tells me.

With novels lining the walls, a gramophone next to the bed and a window overlooking a rainswept Long Street, I feel the opening lines of a sonnet stirring somewhere deep inside me, then quickly exit the room.

All of a sudden I’m surrounded by sunsets. Daya Heller spent two months photographing them and has converted dozens of these beautiful images into a wallpaper design that interacts with mirror tiles on the ceiling to create a vibrant, yet soothing environment that makes optimal use of the limited space. Down the stairs at the end of the hall I turn into the ‘Freshly Ground’ room, designed by the members of the selfsame band. I imagine a dreadlocked Swiss muso lying on the bed and just loving the space.

I love the vibe of the next room the most. Kim Stern has interpreted the ‘complete artistic freedom’ clause rather liberally it seems. There’s Braille on the walls, astro-turf on the floors and she’s even replaced the ceramic loo in the bathroom with a chrome prison-issued toilet-sink combo. But the coolest feature of this particular hotel room is a flat screen TV hooked up to a waterproof karaoke unit in the shower – something I have long felt should be standard in all homes.

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The tour goes on. In ‘You Are Here’, Andre Vorster has covered the walls and ceiling with topographic maps of varying scales. A pink dot on each map marks the viewer’s present location, thereby orientating them.

Robin Sprong, an emerging talent on the country’s photography scene has also chosen to enhance the tourist experience by printing breathtaking Karoo landscapes as wallpaper for his room, ‘Far From Home’.

‘The idea of any holiday is to get away. What this room aims to do is take the guest even further away, hopefully also inspiring them to physically explore some of the beautiful areas that surround Cape Town,’ says Robin, busy installing matching lampshades and blinds that complete the simulated landscape. No stranger to the DLL phenomenon, Robin designed the interiors for the self-catering Daddy Long Legs Suites, an equally funky and affordable guest house a few blocks up the road.

The existing suites are thriving, and Jody and Nick are hoping for equalled success in their latest hotel venture. With no shortage of alternative ideas and a comfortable relationship with some of South Africa’s most talented artists, failure seems unlikely.

If all goes to plan, Jody foresees franchises as far afield as Mozambique and Victoria Falls.

However wacky the individual rooms may appear, the entire project is wrapped up tightly with solid business acumen and extreme attention to detail, converging on a comfortable and enjoyable stay.

Add ‘conscience soothing’ to that list too, since a percentage of the nightly fee is given to a charity associated with the room you’re in. So if the photographs at reception can’t help you decide on the room that best suits your personality, then the prospect of a well-fed kitten might.

‘I want Daddy Long Legs to be a fun, positive and interactive place where people can feel the culture of Cape Town without necessarily stepping outside,’ Jody tells me proudly as we lean against the balcony railing and survey the passers-below. In a town this schizophrenic, a stay at Daddy Long Legs may just be the ideal way to experience its multiplicity.

transformation space 38

The open area also hints at our limited knowledge of the artefacts, their mythical nature and the San’s imperative relationship to space.

‘In the San culture there are no physical boundaries as we know them, the people are nomadic and their entire life circles within space.

Where Western civilisation primarily concerns itself with enclosed and functional spaces like houses and buildings, everything for the San centres around the relationship between people, with space as the medium.’

Much importance is placed on the ‘public’ space, which has intentionally been left without pillars, exhibits or other elements that would fracture it. ‘For me one of the biggest things that I have done here is this empty space. Very little in the world is completely new, except for our own individual experience of those things and that’s what makes this voided space the most dynamic part of the ex­hibition – it is where all those experiences are taking place.’

The keen interest that Iain Low has in the relationship between architecture and cultural identity made him an ideal candidate for designing a new home for the rock art collection. ‘For me space is the physical manifestation of power relationships so I wanted to establish a neutral area with the exhibition, something that is not linked to the old or the new,’ he explains. The result is a large dark and quiet, almost meditative cave-like space, where modern design of glass and metal is interwoven into natural rock and images of a San landscape. ‘In this exhibition there is no chronological step-bystep way in which you need to view it,’ Iain adds. ‘Instead we rather focused on a cognitive personal understanding and the abstract experience.’

an exhibition space for a San painted rock mass is somewhat of a challenge. Doing that within the constraints of the historical Edwardian SA Museum even more so. Yet the result of the Iziko Rock Art Collection speaks of unequivocal success – it is a space which captures the essence of rock art and that puts the visitors and their experiences first.

Recreating

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/Qe | The Power of Rock Art: Re-installation by Iain Low with Roger van Wyk, Jenny Sandler, Johnny Jacobsen and Y. Tsai.

This truly has become an exhibition where the space and people are put at the forefront, and the architecture thereof second. More creations of this kind would indeed be a welcome sight to the droves of stale and musty museums across the country.

When old spaces are recreated they are likely to be either popular with the people or profound for architects. /Qe – The Power of Rock Art has proven to be both. It recently received an Award of Commendation from the Cape Institute for Architecture and has been lauded by local and international architects for the way in which it has provided the San culture with dignity and for its contemporary representation. On a public level it has re-engaged the people, tourists, visitors and school groups and was also chosen by contemporary poet Antjie Krog for the launch of her reconstructured San narrative collection.

According to Iain, museums and the representation of artefacts is a unique opportunity for the re-representation of cultural identities that the past may have damaged or denied. ‘When power changes, space has to change and this exhibition is helping to set the San record straight,’ he adds.

These pieces are fronted by a wall of cantilevered glass that doesn’t interfere and draws one through the space into the realm of the exhibit. A strip of landscape images behind this structure form a horizon line that also dissolves the walls of the exhibition space and gives one the feeling of standing in the middle of a vast terrain.

The largest examples of rock art in this collection are paintings on slabs of rock that come from Zaamenkomst. ‘These arrived on the back of a trailer,’ adds Iain as he points to the rock mass, mounted behind a vast expanse of solid glass. ‘They were lifted from the construction site of a new road and if one of the construction workers hadn’t sent it to the museum it may well have been lost like most other indigenous cultures.’

SOUTH AFRICA’S ONLY AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE ON CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ART

Available from Exclusive Books, leading bookstores and from the Bell-Roberts bookshop Bell-Roberts Publishing 89 Bree Street Cape Town 8001 T +27 21 422 1100 F +27 21 423 3135 info@bell-roberts.com www.bell-roberts.com

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42

Gauteng’s

magnificent climate lends itself to seamless indoor-outdoor living. This crucial lifestyle factor inspired a desire for a home that represents the role the owners see themselves as playing in the creation of contemporary South African society. The clients requested a style that was indigenous without being ‘curio-fied’ and globally relevant without being derivative (as is the case with the imported ‘Tuscan’ trend).

43

The home is situated on a long, narrow site that runs from the street towards the valley below. Its double volume entrancespace features a floor plane that echoes the elongated contours of the site. A clean, strong staircase with glass balustrade leads to the upstairs gallery space. The home’s linear layout allows the wide centre passage to link various living areas as well as the indoor and outdoor spaces. This is accentuated by the careful placement of lighting in bedrooms and bathrooms in order to create unexpected dynamics.

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The architecture is simple and cubic, allowing for the interplay of surfaces and elements to create a sculptural whole. Surfaces are sheer glass or carefully punctured solid masses. The slits and holes allow light through and offer pauses in the otherwise immense surfaces. Horizontals are accentuated on floor surfaces, eyebrows and the roof. The materials were kept simple and natural. Taupe stained maple was used for the wooden surfaces, natural stone comprised the floors, wall surfaces were texture trowelled and the ceilings and bulkheads were kept crisp white. Stainless steel and white glass surfaces add sophistication and create fresh contrast to the natural, soft materials.

In keeping with the seamless indoor-outdoor philosophy, existing feature trees were carefully surveyed and the house was designed around them, allowing for the creation of special courtyard spaces.

Each space is thereby allowed to relate dynamically to the garden.

Sliding doors allow the inside out and the outside in. During the day the light filters into the interior while at night dramatic garden lighting creates a magical feel, allowing the garden and house to become one. A ground floor gallery contains sculptural trees visible from the courtyard. The double volume trees slide through a recess in the ceiling, their canopies visible from the upper gallery.

The upper level gallery space, which connects the two main suites, each with its own magnificent view, also enjoys a beautiful view into the garden.

The living areas, on the lower end of the house, open onto an intimate covered verandah, which then spills out onto a large terrace, down a few stairs and into the garden. This flow is reflected in the swimming pool that runs down the length of the property and features a raised children’s pool that overflows into the main pool. Other outdoor features include an ample parking court and garages with a subtle eyebrow overhang that guides visitors to the front door.

interface

mp4 for more

watching mp3s

Never heard of an MP4 player? Then remember where you heard it first. Where an MP3 player only supports audio and data files, an MP4 player like the Archos AV420 can record TV shows or movies directly from a TV, VCR, PC or satellite receiver. It’s small (12.5 x 7.8 x 2cm) and lightweight (280g) for carrying around so that you are never out of touch with Survivor or your favourite soapie, ever again. It also acts as an image bank for digital photos and can store up to a million jpegs.

If you are not keen on bulky MP3 players and don’t need to carry thousands of songs with you, then consider the UniQue watch as a cost-effective option for always having a tune or two in your ear.

The MP3 watch comes in either 128Mb or 256Mb and loading songs is as simple as transferring files from a PC to a USB Memory stick and changing the selection of tracks is just as uncomplicated.

The sound quality is exceptionally impressive and it comes with a 5-mode equaliser (Jazz, Rock, Classic, Pop and Normal), can skip forward, backwards, pause and play at random. It is water resistant, has a battery life of five hours and charges through the USB connection when you load songs. Mind you, it even tells the time!

Now for the teccy info: Its 20Gb memory (also available in a massive 100Gb) can hold as much as 400 hours of TV programmes. It boasts a TFT LCD screen of 8.9 x 9.6cm, (QVGA) 320 x 240 pixels, 262 000 colours and TV output with video playback near DVD quality of up to 704 x 480 @ 30 f/s using AVI format. The resolution of the screen is excellent and the battery life for video watching is around 4 hours. The sound quality is somewhat disappointing though, especially when listening through the builtin speaker. It is also rather difficult to navigate, even with the manual. Once you have a handle on it though, this truly is an exceptional little product.

The UniQue 256Mb MP3 Watch retails for R999

The Archos AV420 20Gb MP4 Player retails for R4,999

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double trouble

robosapien

If VOIP gets you excited, then the DUALphone is an absolute must. This cordless phone enables you to choose between using a normal telephone line for phoning the mate down the street or Skype for speaking to the long lost friend in Oz.

Pets are so 1999, get a Robosapien! It is the first robot based on the science of applied biomorphic robotics (as in building robots inspired by the principles of biological principles), and will have you hooked whether you are five or fifty.

Setting up is as easy as easy can be: Connect to the PC via the USB port, install the software and get talking. When calling via Skype you simply press the ‘PC’ dial button, for landline dialling the normal one. One of the drawbacks is the fact that it is difficult to determine whether another Skype user is online or not, but when using SkypeOut to dial ordinary numbers overseas (at a fraction of the cost of course) this is hardly worth worrying about.

Robosapien comes with 67 pre-programmed functions, which includes picking up objects, throwing them, dancing, kung-fu and yes, even belching. If that is not your bag, you can program your own 84-step program and watch in gloating contentment.

The perfect party trick has to be the setting that sees your robot responding to sound stimuli as he dances to the beat. This is a great toy that ensures hours of fun. Your son or nephew will be only too happy when you do eventually tire of it.

The Olympia DUALphone retails for R1,300

Robosapien retails for R649

products supplied by

www.

.co.za

n io sh fa 48

The face of African fashion has changed, maturing into volup足 tuous sophistication.

Angela Boshoff sets out to meet two designers who helped bring about this change.

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African fashion is no longer about beaded tunics, linen panelled skirts and wild game prints. Designers are sacking the curio shop collections and concentrating more on personal interpretation and playful combining.

This evolution was mirrored at the recent Nokia Cape Town Fashion Week (NCTFW) where, bedecked in a refreshing combination of fabrics, from cosy knits to textured linens and embroidered silks, models showed off creative and sometimes decadent garments. African designers seem to have finally warmed to the idea of establishing their own trends and exhibiting their own ideas, using South African landscapes, cultures and people as their muse.

Ghanaian Haute Couture designer Ali Adam agrees that Africa is finally claiming its place in the fashion world. According to him South Africa and the rest of the continent definitely have an amazing array of talent in the industry and we should be proud of who we are and show it in our work.

His collection, inspired by ‘medieval times’ was made up of a delicious mix of silks and taffetas that fused old and new, European and African. Think corsets, bodices and extravagant skirts that are made even more beautiful by the traditional Ghanaian freehand embroidery and bursts of colourful Kente fabrics that were hand woven in Ghana – a trademark of his design.

Ali, who dressed Miss Sierra Leone, Miatta Dabo, for the Miss Africa International 2004 Beauty Pageant says: ‘Ghana has been a great inspiration to me but Cape Town, where I am based, is a wonderful place to make beautiful garments.’

Zimbabwean designer, Sonny Mackolisky, who flew in to showcase his collection at NCTFW believes that up until recently ‘Africa has been too busy imitating fashion trends from other parts of the world, but is finally discovering its own style.’

Sonny got into fashion quite by accident. ‘At one point in my life, when I was a bit younger, I had a job waitering on roller skates. My cousin needed roller skaters for a sequence in a show and asked me,’ he laughs. ‘A bit before the show their clothing suppliers let him down and one of my sisters and I agreed to make the clothes. I’ve been designing and making garments ever since.’

Sonny, known for his sometimes over the top designs says: ‘If I had to analyse my signature I would say it’s working with products that no one else would work with. In the past I’ve done both a porcupine collection and one from chain-mail that was made up of press-studs, hooks and eyes.

People either love or hate my clothing and I enjoy getting a reaction; it’s indifference I hate.’ Sonny’s designs were made up mostly of decadent looking knits and stretches, which according to him ‘gave the garments flow’.

When it comes to future designs, Ali reckons that he will definitely still be using raw silks and blasts of colour. ‘I might also add some lace and other transparent fabrics to create a sexy yet sophisticated look.’ When it comes to the future of South African fashion Sonny, on the other hand, is not entirely sure what to expect. ‘To be honest, as far as trends are concerned, I think anything goes. I don’t believe there is such a thing as a particular style. Over the past ten years we have seen things like minis and platforms come and go. Each time something comes back from its particular era it means it’s stayed and so hasn’t actually gone anywhere.’

Perhaps as long as African designers stick to what they personally find inspiring, whether it’s city architecture or savanna trees, there might no longer be a need to look outside of our continent for inspiration. Whatever your thoughts, brace yourself, because a whole wild world of exploration is waiting to be unleashed onto our catwalks.

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Polaroid photos and masking tape form the supporting backbone of Billy Harvey’s cyber home. If you have never heard of this American singer don’t give it a skip – his website is reason enough to visit. It’s creative layout, attention to detail and general programming is brilliant and it is easy to while your time playing around as you listen to Billy’s new CD, Pie. His apartment is depicted in a collage made up from Polaroid photos of different rooms which are connected by masking tape.

When clicking on a room, Billy waddles into the photo as he continues to serenade. By clicking on the background you zoom out and can lead him to another room. The attention to detail is phenomenal like the volume that fades in or out according to your zoom and the way in which you can manipulate Billy’s movements. Instead of a flat photograph, the illustration has depth with furniture inside each that has been created from other photos or pictures that have been folded in 3-D fashion.

It is a pure visual feast.

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Not sure if the new sound system will work with your L-shaped lounge suite? Then check out www.sonystyle.com.mx/lounge where you can view the latest Sony product in situ. Although the site is in Spanish, navigation is basic enough so it’s not much of a bother.

Various rooms (lounge, office, garage etc.) features Sony products that one would expect in that environment, with technical specs, cost and the option of adding it to your shopping basket. Navigation is soft with elasticity in menus pop­ping up. The colours and their gradients create a comfortable atmosphere and the 3-D rendering is exceptional. This is much more than an online shopping page – it sells the entire Sony concept and lifestyle with great success.

‘Intricate plot twists, riveting car chases and a dose of wit.’ That’s how BMW describes The Hire – a selection of short movies on their website www.bmwfilms.com. The Hire was first launched in 2001 as a new era of short films, all in the region of 8 minutes, which have been created by top-notch directors (think John Woo) and producers (like Ridley Scott).

The main draw card of the movie, however, is a brand new BMW car- like the spunky Z4 that is driven to the max in the latest season. This website is noteworthy for two main reasons other than its damn fine flicks. Firstly, it is revolutionary in the way that BMW created a version of feature films that works well on the Internet. Although one might be ill inclined to watch an entire movie online, these films are short, punchy and gripping: Once you start watching you want to see it all. Secondly, this is an ingenious marketing tool where BMW can go full throttle in showing off their latest models to a dedicated audience. And they do that beyond any doubt.

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This British photographer manages to make the most of high detailed photography with special attention to lighting and intense digital postproduction to create show-stopping images. His subjects – ranging from soccer icon Thierry Henry to the latest VW Golf – come to life in the pictures where the background is always neutral and the subjects are cast in vividly bright colours. A minimum amount of navigation is supplied ergonomically by having the buttons following the mouse cursor, similar to buttons on a car’s steering wheel.

The website design on this page is as much reason to visit as the sterling image that Mr. Fisher presents.

shaking the

blues Listening to Son of a Thousand Blues is like having BB King, Santana and Jimi Hendrix jamming in your living room, writes Melissa Baird at the launch of their first cd. Photographs by James Strack.

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I was listening to their live recording after a very relaxed first meeting with the intention of classifying their music. But noting their influences is one thing, trying to mould them according to a musical definition quite another. They have plugged into the classical rifts of blues and rock but their sound is edgy, evolutionary and raw.

Originating from Argentina, Mauritius and South Africa, this quartet of philosophical rockers met at a party in Cape Town and after jamming together for just more than a year, they have just finished recording their first album. Sitting outside in the cold, crisp air on a shiny winter’s day I wondered aloud why music was so important to them.‘It saved my life,’ Frederico told me earnestly as he remembered how close he had come to ending what he believed to be a futile existence. His lifeline became his music and his presence is rooted in this cross-over from the dark side into the light. Nicholas and David are equally passionate about their music and all of them have been playing instruments since their early teens. When watching their adroit movements and surrendering to the music that cavorts in your ear, you could be forgiven for thinking they were born holding their respective instruments. There was a moment of silence and David picked up his video camera to film us as I asked them about their hopes and wishes. Laughing, they looked at each other and almost in unison spoke about their desire for a collective wake up call. Frederico explained that the relentless drive of materialism and the need to possess objects or people is what causes so much pain. ‘People think love is attachment and need,’ he said, the camera’s whirring sound continuing as if in consideration of this thought. What is ‘real’ for them is anything that fires a spirit on and that can lead to unity of self. Like music. Frederico quotes himself to illustrate the possibility of this awakening: Full of me, Thinking I was my body, Full of me, Thinking I was my skin, Silence and separation disappears.

They may be utopian but their philosophy is inspiring although they remain strangely selfeffacing. Is this the birth of a new generation of spiritual rockers with no signs of spaced out blankness or hedonism?

Whatever their cause, these young men are as ‘real’ as any artist you would meet who is living an uncompromised approach to their dream. It is easy to appreciate their fresh, underground re-creation of the sounds first crafted by the blues and rock legends of the past. Their thick, funky rifts blend into one another, punctuated on occasion by Frederico’s deep, dulcet voice and David’s playful percussion that conjures up Mauritian visions of white sand and rosy sunsets. If their music was a colour it would be claret red, and it would feel like velvet, sexy and smooth.

Son of a Thousand Blues believe in themselves and, unsurprisingly, in love. One of them in particular speaks of his beautiful Iranian lover with a look of faraway bliss in his eyes while his friends gently tease him. Whether love of beautiful women or of life and the music they can create, Son of a Thousand Blues will playfully move forward on the bright roads ahead as they plan to tour South Africa, Europe and Mauritius next year. They are not in a hurry though. Be sure to go to www.sonofathousandblues.com to buy their hot debut album, unsullied as it is by commercial rules and formula’s. It’s likely to shake you awake without even trying.

Son of a Thousand Blues are: Frederico Fernandez (Argentina) – vocals and lead guitar, David Blackburn (Mau­ri­tius) – bass and percussion, Nicholas Rochecouste (Mauritius) – drummer and Paul Brogan (South Africa) – rhythm guitar.

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n n

musicreviews Adam Freeland

This is a serious killer compilation of treasures from Mr. Freeland’s private record collection. Some old, some new, some well known and some more obscure, but all in all a superb selection of some damn fine music. It is a progressive back-to-my-place-steamed-after-a-big-night-out inspired musical journey, taking you from revved up and ready to rumble, gritty Brit rock, to soulful rock & blues down through to electro-ambient chill. Listen out for: Yoga Means Union by Ambulance LTD, It’s Not Too Beautiful by The Beta Band and the truly killer track, Maggot Brain by Funkadelic. An awesome CD indeed.

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by Damian Martin

back to mine

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Remix albums have never rated high on my all-time-favourite list, and certainly not those that involve remixes of classics like Billy Holiday’s Don’t Explain or Serge Gainsbourg’s Je t’aime…Moi Non Plus. Yet, the Couch Records duo of dZihan & Kamien, have pulled-off something really special here and put a damper on what now seems to be a rather silly notion of Never Remix.

Nothing is sacred, but then nothing should be mutilated either – rather embraced and enhanced. That is what this duo has done on every level. They’ve taken a collection of original gems to reset and polish them into a surprisingly enjoyable collection of intelligent late-night lounge jazz. You just can’t help but wanna play it all over again.

fakes

dZihan & Kamien

Thievery Corporation, needing no introduction, has always had a way of thrilling and delighting with their fusion-fuelled style of chic funk. With their latest offering, The Cosmic Game, TC joins the A-list of brave artists blazing a musical revolution against the political injustices of our turbulent times. With tracks like Marching the Hate Machines into the Sun and Amerimacka, this album eloquently and irreverently sticks a finger up at the establishment without looking back.

the cosmic game Thievery Corporation

Unified with an ensemble cast of truly talented vocal features, like The Flaming Lips, Gunjun and Arjuna Pashwami, TC have braved the uncertainty, chaos and complexity of our time to bring an exceptional journey into transcendental auditory art, where the world once again makes sense.

An interesting and intriguing soundscape into the world of Triosk; Moment Returns can immediately be ranked with its com­­­­­­­­patriots – Tortoise, The Cinematic Orchestra and Jan Jelinek. Although it’s not an all together unpleasant album of ambient fused electro-acoustic acid jazz, quite frankly it feels a little like the Lone Gunman riding the Little Train that Wished it Could, that is set somewhere in space. This album very soon runs out of steam and just doesn’t seem to know where it’s headed or what it wants to be when it gets there.

moment returns Triosk

‘Scandinavian contemporary music’ is what the cover says, and volume three at that. Now, usually when one thinks about Scandinavia, you would think Nokia, Saab, Hans Christian Andersen, and ok maybe ABBA, but it’s not exactly the greatest music producing region of the world. It can then be understood why this ultra sexy and decidedly debonair selection of tracks catches one rather off-guard. They call it ‘an acid jazz interplay of funky house with an air of laid back chill.’ We call it a 60-minute love affair of lust and desire. Nordic style.

nordic lounge vol 3 Various

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own’s Cape T y folks, e a goodie. d a re rn set to b r popco and Get you ema Festival is Anat Singh in to C s lk ta World Berg n den .

Leigh va e know th in Festival rs othe Cinema r and d rl o W vembe e Town of th of No the Cap This year, the 11th to the 20unch of films mostthat b m d o le n fr o a runs of – a wh reening er heard will be sc e probably nev ’v e which w ood thing. g is a very

m fil 60 Everyone loves Hollywood blockbusters a la Fantastic Four and War of the Worlds, while the sensitive, controversial or foreign language gems tend to get a little lost amid the slew of star-spangled sensations. For this reason alone, festival’s like this are imperative, serving as a showcase for over 110 well-deserving international feature films, documentaries and shorts, whilst offering a much-needed alternative to the space invaders and Jessica Alba’s abs.

One such cinematic delight is celebrated director Anant Singh’s much anticipated Faith’s Corner, an innovative drama, directed by Darrel Roodt (Yesterday, Cry the Beloved Country). The movie stars Leleti Khumalo (Hotel Rwanda, Yesterday) as Faith, an embattled homeless woman struggling to raise her two kids whilst begging at a busy Johannesburg intersection.

Shot using old film stock and a hand-cranked camera, Faith’s Corner is a silent film devoid of ‘talk’, and gives a ‘voice’ to those we ignore via an emotive soundtrack composed by Philip Glass (The Hours, The Truman Show). ‘The film provides an insight into the day-to-day difficulties of poverty stricken people and their struggles to survive, and explores the grave social problems of poverty and joblessness that confront South African society,’ explains Singh.

Scenes from Anat Singh’s Faith’s Corner, directed by Darrel Roodt

If you’re interested in making movies, he reckons South Africa’s an excellent place to be. ‘There is a great deal of confidence in the South African film industry right now and this is the result of the international acclaim our films have received.’ Singh goes on to mention the success of award winning films like U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, Drum and Yesterday. The latter being the only local movie ever nominated for an Oscar and another of Singh’s productions. ‘There is a definite buzz in the industry and this is evident in the large number of production that has taken place over the last year,’ says Singh. He also believes these festivals ‘provide a meeting place for the exchange of ideas and a platform for forging new relationships between people involved in the film industry, including directors, writers and producers.’ One such meeting place is the Sithengi Film & Television Market, which runs concurrent to the Festival from the 15th to the 18th of November.

Mike Auret, the Film Festival founder and director, feels much the same and expects the Festival to stimulate a fast-growing industry that’s brimming with potential as well as act as ‘a glamorous showcase’ for noteworthy films, with red carpet events just about every night. Ideally people should think of Cape Town as they would think of Cannes, Toronto and Berlin – cities that are synonymous with internationally renowned film festivals. Also, because one of the biggest challenges facing cinema today is having to compete with the increasing popularity of home entertainment, Auret would like to see the Festival act as a draw card in luring people back into the cinema. ‘Nothing beats the experience of watching something up on the big screen with the right sound.’

So, should you feel like a little thought-provoking, not your average cup o’cin­ema – or merely just a tale devoid of car chases and people who vote for Bush – get on down to any of these venues: Artscape Theatre Centre, Cinema Nouveau V&A Waterfront, V&A Amphitheatre, Labia Theatre, Cinemax in Mitchell’s Plain, Kismet in Athlone and the FAWU Hall in Gugulethu. ‘Put it this way,’ grins Auret, ‘you won’t come to the Festival and see a bad film.’

To win a set of VIP tickets to the festival SMS your name, email address and answer to the following question to 076 472 6360: ‘What anniversary is Sithengi celebrating this year?’ SMS’s charged at normal cellular rates. For a clue visit www.sithengi.co.za.

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Š one small seed // orjon de roo // i.take.pictures@orjon.com

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Š one small seed // orjon de roo // i.take.pictures@orjon.com