AFRICA M A G A Z I N E Issue 18, AUTUMN 2014
INTERVIEWS Werner de Waal Jonathan Roxmouth
GOODBYE DOLLY LEGENDARY LESBIAN LOVERS 9 772304 85900 4
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FROM THE EDITOR “The State may not unfairly discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on one or more grounds, including race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth” These were words that changed the lives of every gay person in South Arica forever, and were words repeated at the Thank You Tata Memorial gathering in Somerset Rd on 9 December. The event attracted an interesting collective of queer people who came to remember and thank Nelson Mandela in a distinctively pink manner. It was thanks to Madiba’s leadership that South Africa became the first country in the world to enshrine the protection of sexual minorities from discrimination in its Constitution. This led to full equality under the law and South Africa leading the world in legalising same-sex marriage. Speakers included a pastor form the Good Hope Metropolitan Community Church, a rabbi and a gay white sangoma. Zackie Achmat gave an account of Nelson Mandela’s life and reminded us that Mandela was a revolutionary. While not forgetting the Nkolis, the Toms and the Achmats who put the gay issue on the agenda, Constitutional guarantees would not have materialised without Mandela’s support. So we have a lot to thank him for Yet with freedom comes responsibility, and gay South Africans can never be totally free until all gay Africans can enjoy what we enjoy. We do not have to look as far as Uganda or Nigeria to see how gay people are violated. Life beyond the comfort of the Gay Ghetto is not so fabulous. As we venture to celebrate 20 years of Freedom we must remember that our Democracy, as imperfect as it may be, depends on our vigilance. Use your right to vote on 7 May In this issue John French has been very busy interviewing Jonathan Roxmouth and paying tribute to the inimitable Joan Brickhill; Liberty Banks admits to being a moffie; we find out more about the new Mr GSA; report on Miss & Mr Gay Soweto as well as our usual array of art, film, fashion, food, theatre and music. Evan Tsouroulis MANAGING EDITOR: Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358 ISSN 2304-859X Published by: Patterson Publications P.O. Box 397, Sea Point 8060 Tel/Fax: 021 418 3039 E-mail: outmagafrica@telkomsa.net evan@outafricamag.co.za Advertising Sales: Robert Simpson 072 266 7051 Evan Tsouroulis 072 905 8489 Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358
Contributors: Daniel Dercksen, John French, Matthew van der Westhuizen, Bruce J. Little, Liberty Banks Additional Photography: Reno Horn, Simon Deviant, Bazil Deviant Printed by ABC Press, Cape Town
Copyright: All articles, stories, interviews and other materials in OUT Africa Magazine are the copyright of the publication or are reproduced with permission from other copyright owners. All rights are reserved. No materials may be copied, modified, published or otherwise distributed without the prior written permission of OUT Africa Magazine. The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by those providing comments in this publication are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinionsof OUT Africa Magazine or any employee thereof. OUT Africa Magazine and Patterson Publications cc., will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in any information contained in the publication.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE INTERVIEWS 3 2 WERNER de WAAL: 10 fascinating facts 24 BEHIND JONATHAN ROXMOUTH: John French caught up with the star of Call Me Lee
REVIEWS 42 WORD PERFECT 44 OUT TO LUNCH: Eating out in the gay village 45 OUT ON DVD: With Daniel Dercksen 46 OUT ON FILM: With Daniel Dercksen 47 MUSIC MOVES: 48 ON STAGE: With Daniel Dercksen
FASHION 12 - 15 MINISTRY CAPE TOWN: Edgy fashions from Cape Town
SCENE OUT
28 - 30 Who’s been spotted out and about on the party scene...
FEATURES 1 EDITORS COMMENT: 3 DRAG KINGS & BEAUTY QUEENS: Gay Glamour in Soweto 4 BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: Matthew van der Westhuizen comments on our liberation status 5 IKASI PRIDE: Bringing pride to the people 6 HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY: A new equal rights party is formed 7 COUNTRY GAY: A hot new country singer 8 LEGENDARY LESBIAN LOVERS: Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas 10 BURN BABY BURN: Afrikaburn is happening soon 11 THE GENIUS OF DA VINCI 16 DIVALICIOUS TRIO: We revisit with 3D 17 LIBERATING THE IMAGINE-NATION: This year’s Cape Town Carnival in March 18 GOODBYE DOLLY: John French pays tribute to the late Joan Brickhill 20 MOFFIE KEN JOU PLEK: Liberty Banks reclaims the M-word 20 DJ KHYLIE ROBUS’ TOP 10 DANCE TRACKS 22 THE BUZZ: News, snippets & gossip 26 CAPE TOWN PRIDE HIGHLIGHTS 27 G.B.F: Being out has never been so in 27 H4M Online Survey 32 HOW TO BE A MUSCLE MARY: A beginners guide to getting in shape 34 THE NEW AUDI S3 SEDAN: Setting a new benchmark 36 THE DOCTOR & THE DIVA: The battle for amfAR 37 QUIRKY THEATRE: What’s on at Alexander Bar 38 SITGES RESORT: Gay travel destination 40 MEN’S HEALTH ISSUES: Warts ‘n All 43 TRACES OF ECSTACY: An exhibition of Rotimi Fani-Kayode’s work
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Cover Credit Werner de Waal photographed by Reno Horn in Cape Town Mag 1
10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT WERNER de WAAL
26 year old Werner de Waal walked off with the Mr Gay South Africa 2014 title held in Cape Town in December. He grew up in the small town of Lamberts Bay in the West Coast and has until recently been living and working as a financial clerk in Wellington. He is an outgoing and energetic young man who loves making people laugh. He enjoys keeping fit and maintaining a balanced lifestyle. OUT asked the new Mr GSA to tell us ten things we need to know about him. student again at the end of February whilst moving to Cape Town. I’m very creative; I love drawing, painting, singing, acting and creating something out of nothing in contrast with my profession as an accountant. Good with numbers and I’ll paint you a pretty picture! 2.
I’m a former Mr Lamberts Bay title holder as well as the current Mr Mardi Gras 2013. You might think that I’m a Pageant Queen but, I can assure you that’s not the case. I’m just insanely competitive in everything I do.
3. I came out of the closet two years ago at the age of 24 years. I knew I was gay at the age of 5 but didn’t want to disappoint my parents like a lot of people out there. I told my mother and she accepts and loves me unconditionally. If I could give someone advice in the same situation, it would be to not be afraid and to love and accept who you truly are. 4. Some people think I’m uptight and full of myself but let’s set the record straight! (excuse the pun) I’m just extremely shy. Don’t get me wrong I’m a performer at heart. Give me a stage and I’ll make you believe I’m the most confided person you’ve ever met. 5. I enjoy going out for drinks and partying with friends, especially dancing but equally enjoy staying at home with my boyfriend watching DVDs and eating loads of snacks and cuddling the night away. 6. I’ve been in a relationship for almost 2 years with the most amazing man and you might be hearing wedding bells in the near future “wink-wink-nudge-nudge”. 7.
I’m a TRUE romantic at heart and go all soppy at the thought of BIG romantic gestures. I’m not ashamed to admit that Titanic is my all-time favourite movie (don’t judge me)!
8. Confession time: I try to eat healthy but I’m really terrible at it. Junk food is my kryptonite and I don’t have a gym routine. There! I said it, so stop in-boxing me for advice please…buy Men’s Health, its way more informative! HAHA!!!! 9. I’m very flexible and can put my feet behind my head…true story. (Let’s start with the boring stuff and leave the interesting, amusing and unexpected things for last) 1.
I received a diploma in Cost and Management Accounting from CPUT. I’m leaving my current work to be a full time Mag 2
10. Lastly, I plan on bringing back the Mr Gay World title which I’ll be competing for later this year in Rome. Lots of love Mr Gay SA (I just had to drop the title in somewhere, lol!)
DRAG KINGS & BEAUTY QUEENS T Gay Glamour in Soweto he Miss Gay and Lesbian Soweto pageant, first launched in 2000, fizzled out by 2006, due to lack of sponsorship. But the dream never died and the pageant featuring fabulous drag queens and butch drag kings was revived in 2012. The ninth edition of Miss Gay and Lesbian Soweto held at the Soweto Theatre in Jabulani at the beginning of December 2013 was by all accounts, a glamorous event not without its share of tears and tantrums. But it wouldn’t be a drag show without some drama! The event went upmarket, which suited much of Jozi’s Gay Glitterati. Miss Pride 2013 was in the audience as was the reigning Mr. Simply Blue and the newly crowned Miss Simply Blue. MCs Labelz and Boiki kept the show moving. Entertainment included a powerful poetry performance by Mpho Poposki and Tumi Ndweni wowed the audience with her rendition of Brenda Fassie’s Black President. The contestants strutted their stuff in casual, swim and evening wear. Nhlanhla “Fiona” Thabatha was crowned Miss Gay Soweto. First Princess was Collen Dimpho Tsotesi and Thao Tee was the second runner up. In the Miss Lesbian Soweto category, Paballo Tholwana took the crown while Ntombi Moagi came second and Vuvu Makubetse came in third place. While the production was critical success, the turnout was disappointing. However organiser Letebele Motswenyane is not discouraged and said that the event would continue this year. Pictures by Zanele Muholi/Inkanyiso
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BEHIND CLOSED DOORS MATTHEW VAN DER WESTHUIZEN
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iving in a democratic country, such as South Africa, has allowed us to express ourselves through the freedom that we have gained, including the freedom of sexual orientation. There are, however, still many people who feel that they will be ridiculed because of their sexual preference. This does not stem from discrimination by the law or by any political rights and/or fairness but rather something that hits a little bit harder and closer to home, and that is family. There are men and women out there who feel that they can’t be completely honest about their sexuality and therefore, feel the need to hide “behind closed doors.” This phrase means something different for every person who is hiding their honest sexual feelings. Let’s take a look at two of the meanings behind the phrase: 1.
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Many may feel that because of their actual sexual orientation, they will be abandoned by their family and in order not to face this ridicule, they decide to make the conscious effort of dating someone of the opposite sex. Their honest feelings are not expressed but rather repressed. One component that is sometimes, and quite usually, obvious about this type of person is that they take the persona of a “player.” They also usually are over the top about how sexually driven they are for the opposite sex. You can normally hear them say something like, “I am going to f**k that girl’s pu**y raw and when I am done with her, I am going to have a threesome with her two best girlfriends.” Whether or not they follow on this act, the expression of their sexual desires for the opposite sex is not one of misogyny but rather of a melancholic aggression that they feel towards themselves because they are not able to express their true feelings which are kept bottled up inside. The breaking point and true meaning of the phrase “behind closed doors” for these individuals becomes apparent when they either hook up with their girlfriend’s best gay friend or find themselves venturing to gay bars and clubs to express themselves in all honesty. There are individuals who come from religious backgrounds and because of their beliefs, feel that being gay is Mag 4
not seen as just and right in the eyes of God. The fear of the Devil and Hell are placed into their hearts and minds. They also feel the need to repress their sexuality, which, in some cases, leads to them becoming suicidal. This group of individuals are ones who actually need special observation because of their behavioural patterns. These individuals know that their families will reject them if they discover they are gay. A clear example of this scenario is evident in the book and film, Prayers for Bobby. In the story, Bobby, a young gay American questions himself about his sexuality because of his religious beliefs and upbringing. His parents, particularly his mother as shown in the film, are not supportive, leaving him feeling confused, scared and possibly abandoned. The results are tragic. One problem that is evident in the types of society that we live in is the fact that people immediately stereotype each other based on appearance. This media induced perception of an individual can crush their spirit and break down their motivation. Most people express the cliché that they think and live outside the box of what other’s think of them. We sometimes wonder how true this may be considering the fact that we are able to see all the stereotypical signs in that person’s appearance. The difference, however, lies within them. Yes they may dress, act and talk in a certain way that might have us thinking that we all have them all figured out but the reality actually lies within personal conversations with that person. Do they express themselves from within? More often than not, they do and we are completely oblivious to this due to the fact the media induced perception of image makes us think that we either superior or inferior to certain people and will not converse with them because of our egos. What is the point to all this then? At the end of the day, whether you are gay or not, you are still your own person. We should be living in an era where wondering if someone is gay or not shouldn’t be a thought that crosses our minds. Sexual orientation shouldn’t be of importance but should be respected and tolerated by all. It’s similar to the debate around religion. Each to their own through the spirit of Nirvana (freedom from suffering through liberation).
IKASI PRIDE W
Bringing Pride to the People
ith the continuing debate over the relevance of Pride and the controversies surrounding Pride events in Johannesburg last year, many people in our community are looking for ways to make Pride more meaningful again. The main criticisms of the mainstream Pride organisations have been elitism, the lack of inclusivity, the absence of transparency and lack of consultation with the community about what it wants. Cape Town Pride has been subject to the same criticisms but has so far miraculously escaped the spectacular implosion suffered by Jo’burg Pride. Khumbalani Pride held separately and months after the Cape Town Pride Festival has been an attempt to “reach out” but has largely been unsuccessful. Last year nobody knew about it so it was poorly attended. Also there was the impression that it was a window dressing exercise on Cape Town Pride’s part to show that it is doing something for queers in the townships. The Ikasi Pride Project is a new community organisation just launched that aims to reintroduce and restore the essence of Gay Pride in marginalised townships and rural areas. It seeks to address the imbalanced and dissociated commercial Pride events by establishing all - encompassing extended events & seminars in townships and rural areas that create awareness, encourage activism and offer relevant information and resources to gay people who need it most. The goal is to create meaningful and mutually engaging experiences that do not marginalise people by race, gender, class or location. The Project wants to first eradicate
the issues that plague the gay community, thus empowering all members to address the challenges encountered outside of gay society, by creating equal access to information and resources, support and counselling. As an organisation, the aim is to build partnerships and alliances with organisations, activists and social communities in order advance our objectives for the LGBTI society. The Ikasi Pride Project is about reintroducing and restoring the essence of LGBTI Pride one township at a time and it has clear objectives are the following core areas: ● Redefining and understanding the meaning of Pride in a South African & African context. ● HIV/Aids awareness. ● LGBTI Rights & the Constitution. ● LGBTI networks and empowerment groups ● LGBTI Art, Film & Literature Organiser Sivu Suwisa says: “I must clarify that Ikasi Pride Project is not in attempt to create separate Pride events that oppose existing Pride events. We merely seek to extend the reach of current LGBTI events to townships and rural areas around South Africa. In addition, we aim to work with organisations in order to advance our core objective which is to offer information, support and resources to LGBTI people in marginalised areas, such as townships”. For more information about how to get involved with the Ikasi Pride Project, contact Sivu Siwisa at sivusiwisa@gmail.com or ikasipride@gmail. Like Ikasi Pride on Facebook. Follow on Twitter @ikasipride
The Return of George Michael
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fter some very tumultuous years, George Michael finally returns to making music and is releasing his first new album in a decade. It is called Symphonica was recorded as George completed his European tour of the same name in 2011 and 2012. The album is a collection of covers and original material. The first single is his version of Terence Trent D’Arby’s Let Her Down Easy. Symphonica is being released as a deluxe 17-track CD, standard 14-track album and as a ‘pure audio’ Blu-ray disc on March 17. Mag 5
HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY A new political party which claims to represent the interests of gay voters has been launched in time to contest the general Election on 7 May. The Equal Rights Party, headed by Prof Michael Herbst, hopes to focus attention in Parliament on discrimination still faced by gay citizens. Understandably, there is much scepticism surrounding the news of yet another political party claiming to represent us. Last year, the so-called LGBT Party of South Africa disappeared without a trace. One important difference is that The Equal Rights party is in fact registered with the Independent Electoral Commission, and it has published a very extensive Manifesto laying out its Statement of Belief and Aims and Objectives. However, it is unclear how they will implement their aims and objectives should they enter Parliament We put a few questions to the professor: OUT: How many seats do you think you could win? In other words, what percentage of the vote do you hope to win? MH: It is difficult to say what percentage of the vote we can expect, however, looking at the support we got when we collected signatures to get the party registered, it would appear that there is a considerable amount of support for the Party. It is also difficult, at this stage, to say how many seats we could win because of the proportional representation system. OUT: If you do not manage to gain representation in Parliament, how will you continue to pursue your aims and objectives? MH: We trust that we WILL gain at least one seat. However, should we not be Mag 6
successful, we will most probably keep the party registered and start a process of establishing structures for each of the provinces (something we have already decided to do should we gain a seat or two). We are hoping that apart from provincial structures, some of the bigger centres like Pretoria, Bloemfontein, etc. will commence with local structures that will feed into the provincial structures. OUT: Why should gay voters vote for your party when other parties already represented in government have openly gay members serving in Parliament and in local government? In other words, is there a need for a party with such a narrow constituency, admirable as its aims and objectives are?
MH: You are correct in stating that there are openly gay members serving in Parliament and in Provincial government. Their energy is expected to focus mainly on the business of the day of their respective political parties. In the case of the Equal Rights Party, our focus will be in only representing gender issues with a special focus on LGBTQI – this means that our undivided attention will be on gender and LGBTQI. This does not mean that we will ignore other human rights – this is what we stand for and will not hesitate to speak out. We will continually focus on whatever is current for LGBTQI. For example at the moment the Government not speaking out on antigay legislation in Uganda and Nigeria, or about the use of corrective rape to ‘cure’ lesbians
OUT: Will the Equal Rights Party be cooperating with existing gay rights groups/NGOs/activists, etc.? MH: The Equal Rights Party will not walk alone. Without working with, and cooperating with, existing role players and any other future gay rights groups, NGO’s and activists, the Equal Rights Party will have no future. We believe that our presence in Parliament will strengthen the wonderful work done by the mentioned groups (because of a strong political voice) and together we can really do something for all the LGBTQI people in South Africa.
us that Deputy President Magdalene Seguin is “committed to the struggles of LGBTQI individuals”. Michael Herbst is Professor of Health Studies, currently involved with the Cancer Association of South Africa. He holds a doctoral degree (D Litt et Phil) which he earned following his research on male sex workers in Pretoria.
Professor Herbst stressed that many individuals were only reading the LGBTQI focus within the Party’s Manifesto. The Equal Rights Party is also concerned with the economy; social justice; safety and security; protection of culture; independence of the judiciary; violence against women and children and other forma of gender violence. However the party does have a special focus on LGBTQI issues:
Other than their declared commitment to the gay community, little is known about their credentials to represent the gay community in Parliament or elsewhere and what experience they actually have in gay activism. Whilst saying that the party will be working with existing gay advocacy organisations, Herbst did not name which ones in particular or whether any had actually endorsed the party. He did say that party has “other strong personalities waiting in the wings – who will become involved once we are assured of Parliamentary representation, inclusive of individuals with management and financial experience and skills”, so perhaps some of these people have advocacy experience.
Party President Michael Herbst told us that he was “looking forward to representing LGBTQI in Parliament”. He also told
To view the party’s manifesto please mail outmagafrica@ telkomsa.net and we will send it to you.
COUNTRY GAY
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osey Greenwall stands out among the clutch of up-and-coming country singers. He is, well, umm – attractive.
The blond-haired blue-eyed Kentucky (USA) bred hunkster won the Colgate Country Showdown in 2006 and was signed to a record deal in Nashville at age 19. When the label discovered that Josey was gay, he was promptly dropped. Now the singer is finding his own way, writing his own songs and getting his music out there on his own. He ia also a model and is in a committed relationship with Brazillian model Rodiney Santiago (pictured with him below). It also pays to have a talented photographer in your pocket and a smokin’ hot bod. Not a bad voice, either. Have a listen - find him on You Tube, his latest single is Stuck in my Head...
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Legendary Lesbian Lovers
Gertrude Stein & Alice B Toklas Mag 8
Would there have been avant-garde art and literature without Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas? Possibly, but they had a seminal influence in the careers of Matisse and Picasso among others, setting the tone of modern art for decades to come. The Paris apartment they shared at 27 rue de Fleurus became the epicentre of new art and writing as well as a hub of influence on music, fashion, and an emerging sense of freedom for gay people all over the world. Besides the heavy hitters of culture like Picasso and Hemingway, Stein and Toklas were friends and collaborators with the most influential gay artists of the early 20th century: Jean Cocteau, Thornton Wilder, Cecil Beaton, Virgil Thompson, and Sam Steward among them.
out. They and remained together for the next 39 years, until Stein’s death in 1946. Both wrote books about the other.
Stein and Toklas were both California girls, but met in Paris. After the death of Stein’s parents, she followed her brother Leo to Paris in 1903, where he was studying art. On September 8, 1907, her first day as an American expat in Paris, Toklas met Stein. The two fell instantly in love. Toklas began visiting Stein at the Rue de Fleurus apartment daily. Stein took Toklas on as an unofficial pupil and began transmitting her culturechanging perceptions about art to Toklas. Eventually Alice moved in and Leo moved
“Her face was sallow, her nose was big or even huge, and hooked and at the same time almost fleshy, the kind that artists try not to draw. And she had a real moustache, not the kind that old women often grow, but the sturdy kind, which started when she was first going into adolescence. I don’t think she ever tried to shave it, or have it plucked out or removed chemically or with hormones, as a woman might do today. She wore it unblinkingly, as far as I can tell, although of course as a person of unusual
Stein often referred to Toklas as her “wifey” and addressed her as “baby precious.” Writing late into the night, the author liked to leave notes next to the pillow for Alice to find in the morning, signed “Y.D,” short for “Your Darling.” Stein’s writing was famously difficult but her most accessible and famous work was The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas. In an ideal, civilized world of human rights and equality, theirs would have been a marriage — and it would have been one of the happiest and most exemplary in literary history. In her memoir, What Is Remembered, Alice relays her first fateful encounter with Stein: “It was Gertrude Stein who held my complete attention, as she did for all the many years I knew her. I knew her until her death, and all these empty ones since then. She was a golden brown presence, burned by the Tuscan sun and with a golden glint in her warm brown hair. She was dressed in a warm brown corduroy suit. She wore a large round coral brooch and when she talked, very little, or laughed, a good deal, I thought her voice came from this brooch. It was unlike anyone else’s voice — deep, full, velvety, like a great contralto’s, like two voices.” Slim and simply worded yet incredibly moving, What Is Remembered endures as a projection of Toklas herself, one that stays with you long after the lights have gone out. Apart from being Stein’ great love, Toklas is remembered for writing her unusual, revered memoir-disguised-as-cookbook chronicling their life together. In the foreword to the Folio illustrated edition of The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook, M. F. K. Fisher paints an expressive portrait of Toklas, which seems to begin rather ungenerous but quickly turns lovable, bewitching even:
awareness she must have known that some people were taken aback by it. A friend of mine who admired her greatly, and often travelled with her in her last years, wrote that Miss Toklas wore her close-cropped hair, which stayed black well into her eighties, in bangs ‘faintly echoed by a dark down on her lip.’ This amuses me. It is typical of the general reaction to something that would have been unnoticed except for her obvious femaleness. Another friend said more aptly, or at least better for my own picture, that her strong black moustache made other faces look nude.
Stein & Toklas boarding in Newark photo by Carl Van Vechten She had remarkable eyes, very large and lively, the kind that seem to send off sparks that sometimes look glowing with an inner fire. Probably people who were intimidated at first by her fixed upon them with relief … that is, until they forgot their shyness in the deft, supple way she moved and talked. She was a tiny person, not five feet tall, I think, and she dressed with a studied daintiness, except for the clunky sandals on her pretty feet. … She loved dramatic hats, and after Miss Stein’s death she wore them oftener… big extravagant creations with feathers and wide brims, and always the elegant suits and those clunky sandals. Nobody has ever written, though, that she looked eccentric. Perhaps it was because of her eyes. . . .” .Stein and Toklas have achieved almost mythical status. They have become a symbol of a happily “married” lesbian couple. Volumes of books about their lives continue to reveal the complexity of their relationship. Mag 9
BURN BABY BURN
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At the end of April every year, thousands of ladies and gents, lady boys, trannies, tannies, honeys, homeys, hippies, bunnies, queens, unicorns and Africorns, make the Big Trek to the Karoo Desert in the Northern Cape to participate in South Africa’s biggest contra-cultural celebration – AfikaBurn!
nspired by the annual Burning Man Festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, AfrikaBurn is the spectacular result of the creative expression of a community of participants who gather once a year in the Karoo to create a temporary city of art, burning structures, theme camps, costume, music, mutant vehicles, performance and much, much more! All of this is created through the volunteer culture of the citizens of Tankwa Town, a temporary city formed from the imagination of its citizens. It is the culmination of a year’s worth of planning, anticipation, dreaming, building and creation. Every year the results are nothing short of spectacular: a gathering of wildly creative people who share a taste of how the world could be made anew. If previous years are anything to go by, AfrikaBurn 2014 promises to be bigger, better and even more mindblowing than before. Apart from the amazing experience of spending an uninhibited week with like-minded souls, AfrikaBurn has a set of core values that are certainly contrary to the mainstream. AfrikaBurn’s aim is to be radically inclusive and accessible to anyone. The stranger is welcome and respected. No prerequisites exist for participation in the community. The touchstone of value in the culture of the phenomenon will always be immediacy: experience before theory, moral relationships before politics, survival before services, roles before jobs, ritual before symbolism, work before vested interest, participant support before sponsorship. Nothing is for sale but ice at the event. Nothing! There are no vendors, no advertising or branding. It just does not fit in. It is not even a barter economy – it is a de-commoditised zone with a gift economy that is about giving without expecting anything in return. This community values creative cooperation and collaboration. It strives to produce, promote and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, and methods of communication that support such interaction. The AfrikaBurn community is committed to a radically participatory ethic, believing that transformative change, Mag 10
whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. The world is made real through actions that open the heart. AfrikaBurn values civil society. Immediate experience is, in many ways, the most important value in the AfrikaBurn culture, which seeks to overcome barriers that stand between people and a recognition of their inner selves, the reality of those around us, participation in society, and contact with a natural world exceeding human powers. No idea can substitute for this experience. Unsurprisingly, AfrikaBurn respects the environment and is committed to leaving no physical trace of its activities wherever it gathers. But so much for the philosophy. It might sound suspiciously
like a Hippy flashback. But for anyone who has been to AfrikaBurn, it is a welcome respite from the pressure and reality of modern life, as well as being a voyage of discovery. It is a sensory overload and a unique platform for radical self-expression. In many ways it is a spiritual experience. Ask anyone who has been bitten by the bug and who returns to AfrikaBurn year after year. This year’s theme is The Trickster. In his novel Jitterbug Perfume, Tim Robbins says; “A sense of humour…is superior to any religion so far devised.” Tricksters are heroes of culture, mythological characters that are found in stories throughout the world: Coyote, Raven, Tortoise, Anansi the spider, Zomo the Hare, Eshu – the mischievous messenger of the Yoruba gods, the Chinese Monkey King, Krishna, Hermes, Loki, Bart Simpson, Bugs Bunny, Jack Sparrow, Beetlejuice, Evita Bezuidenhout. Sometimes funny, often sly, and almost always subversive, Tricksters transcend boundaries and time. They possess magical powers of transformation; they are the shape shifters, clowns and jesters of our world. As he wanders along, ignoring boundaries, awaiting chance opportunities the trickster is simultaneously Hero & Fool. Royal courts recognized the role of the jester, capable of poking fun at the powers that be. Without their disruptions, cultural stagnation would result. AfrikaBurn is a jester; it is a call to play, to question, to catalyse change for the greater good. AfrikaBurn was born out of impulse; to create freely, to experiment, to express, to dare, to do, to celebrate, to inspire and set the creative flames alive. Burn Baby Burn!
Afrika B 2014 s urn t a rts on Monda y at noo 28 Apr 2014 n and Sunda y 04 M ends on ay www.a frikabu 2014. Visit rn.com all the inf fo need to ormation yo r u surviv e as as boo king tic well kets
The Genius of da Vinci
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ive hundred years after his time on Earth, Leonardo da Vinci is probably still the most famous artist in the world and his painting of La Giaconda, popularly known as the Mona Lisa, is probably the most famous artwork in history. Every day thousands of people queue at the Louvre Museum in Paris to see it. Leonardo was the archetypal Renaissance Man. His contemporary biographer Giorgio Vasari sums him up: “In the normal course of events many men and women are born with various remarkable qualities and talents; but occasionally, in a way that transcends nature, a single person is marvellously endowed by heaven with beauty, grace and talent in such abundance that he leaves other men far behind... Everyone acknowledged that this was true of Leonardo da Vinci, an artist of outstanding physical beauty who displayed infinite grace in everything he did and who cultivated his genius so brilliantly that all problems he studied were solved with ease. He possessed great strength and dexterity; he was a man of regal spirit and tremendous breadth of mind” It may come as a surprise to those who have only seen self-portraits of the artist as an elderly bearded man to learn that in fact he was a tall, athletic and extremely handsome man in his youth. What is not surprising is that Leonardo’s Notebooks show a preoccupation with men and with sexuality. He was no stranger to scandal or controversy, and was tried but not convicted of sodomy. He was courted by various Italian potentates for his artistic skills as much as his ingenuity for building war machines. There is little about Leonardo’s sexuality or personal life in the Da Vinci – The Genius exhibition currently showing in Cape Town. It is nevertheless a fascinating insight into the mind of a genius who was more than a painter and a sculptor. He was also an architect, an engineer and an inventor. The world-shattering scientific and artistic principles Leonardo discovered are truly awe-inspiring and often centuries before their time. The exhibition displays over 200 exhibits of Leonardo’s work, including interactive, life-size machines faithfully crafted by Italian artisans from Leonardo’s codices or notebooks. There is also a mesmerising ‘Secrets of Mona Lisa’ display showcasing the Mona Lisa in a completely new light, a life-size replica of The Last Supper, realistic replicas of his sketches, anatomical drawings and Renaissance art, interactive touchscreens, and more. Da Vinci – The Genius has been seen by over three million people in over 40 cities worldwide. This breath-taking tour of discovery has been drawing such huge crowds since opening in Cape Town in November that the run has been extended until the end of March Da Vinci – The Genius can be seen daily from 09:00 – 21:00 at Chavonnes Battery Museum in the Clock Tower District, V & A Waterfront. Last admission 90 minutes prior to closing. Tickets are R140. Students and pensioners: R110 Mag 11
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BREAKOUT IN EDGY MENSWEAR FROM MINISTRY CAPE TOWN
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Photographer: Donizeti Ronald Model: Maycon Colombo Garments by Ministry, Cape Town. 51B Napier St, de Waterkant Tel: 021 418 7878. info@ministry4tyle.com
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DIVALICIOUS TRIO
Three years have passed since we last featured Cape Town’s Divalicious Drag Trio 3D in the pages of this magazine. In the intervening years the ever-fickle scene in the nation’s drag capital has changed, with a bevy of new performers competing for the limelight. Venues have opened, closed, moved, transformed. Drag remains as popular as ever…the packed nightly performances at Beefcakes and the overflowing weekend drag nights at Zer021 Lounge attest to that. What has not changed is the public’s ongoing adoration of 3D. It’s not hard to understand why. They are sassy, professional, and immaculate. One can hardly forget the mass hysteria when 3D appeared at Cape Town Pride two years ago and security had to usher frenzied fans off the stage.
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some new projects. Tiara Skye told OUT: “As a cabaret group we never thought we’d make it this far but we have been recognized as artists, which was our goal. So whatever you put your mind to, know you can do it. We would like to show everybody that anything is possible “. She also thanked their fans for allowing 3D to entertain them and be part of their lives. “Thank you for believing in us and allowing us to live our dreams!”
D has a special bond with Pride. Angel Lalamore, Kat Gilardi and Tiara Skye first stepped out as a group at Cape Town Pride four years ago. Since they unleashed their energetic act on the world, they have performed all over Cape Town and the Peninsula, in the Garden Route and in Gauteng. But it’s not just all about the queens: 3D perform at many charity benefits and Kat has organised her successful annual One Night Only benefit which provides the opportunity for some of the Mother City’s best drag artistes to share the stage. 3D is currently working on Mag 16
3D photographed by Ashley Craig Brandt. www.ashleycraigbrandt.co.za.
To celebrate their fourth birthday, 3D is embarking on a series of dates. Follow them on Twitter: @Three_D and Facebook- 3D Divas Cabaret to find out details of performances.
Liberating the IMAGINE-nation in the Rainbow-Nation
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n the five years since the Cape Town Carnival was born from the imagination of Rachel Jafta, the Mother City’s biggest, brightest and boldest street carnival has grown from strength to strength, even more so since bursting out from Long Street, the original location. The city’s famous Fan Walk in Green Point is the ideal place to showcase the spectacle magnificent large scale floats, outrageous costumes, and impressively choreographed dance routines. This year’s theme is “Imagine”. The Carnival’s Creative Director Brad Baard says: “Imagination is the magic ingredient that makes new things possible and transforms old and outdated ideas. If you can’t imagine it, it’s hard to believe you can do it. We want to tickle people’s imagination with a sense of possibility,” says Brad Baard, the Carnival’s Creative Director. Creating the reality of a shared celebration of cultural diversity and creativity that brings us all the people of South Africa together, is part of the Cape Town Carnival’s mission. It’s one of the reasons that the Carnival was selected as an official project of World Design Capital 2014. The Cape Town Carnival is a glamorous celebration of African identity, diverse communities and cultures, and the transformative power of creativity. On the afternoon of the event, Carnival-goers are encouraged to Own Your Streets as the Fan Walk turns into a pedestrian walkway filled with fun, food and folk enjoying the freedom of the city streets. The spectacular parade consisting of over 2000 begins as the sun sets at 7:30pm and is anticipated to last about 2 hours. But that is not the end of it: Two of the biggest names in South African entertainment will keep the party rocking. The nation’s hottest band Mi Casa will be performing live. They are a hard act to follow, but only a DJ of the stature of DJ Fresh would be up the task. Cape Town Carnival happens on Saturday 15 March. It is a free public event Mag 17
Goodbye Dolly Joan Brickhill: 1924 – 2014
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oan Brickhill, the undisputed doyenne of South African musical theatre, mega-gay icon and mentor to so much aspiring young theatre talent died peacefully in a Johannesburg frail care facility 7 weeks before her 90th birthday on January 15th 2014. Although she retired from leading lady performances back in the 1980’s due to ill health, Joan was the blonde Showbiz bombshell that the public associated with glamour, musicals and South African theatre. Not only was she doyenne of the theatre, she was also one of the greatest South African gay icons. Joan once told me that people had come up with a new collective noun: “A Brickhill of gays” - and that was not very far from the truth! Being queen bee of theatre Joan always had a swarm of gay men swirling around her, wanting to absorb some of her lavish glamour and artistic talent direction. She was everything a gay icon should be: beautiful, glamorous, talented, quick-witted and she was always brimming with showbiz pizzazz! And Joan loved gay men! Right from her infamous second husband and theatre impresario, Louis Burke, to her numerous casts and dancing troupes, to her adoring gay public who delighted
graceful and physically astute as a super-charged performer should be. I just stood there in the wings, incredulously holding her stick, absolutely speechless in awe and utter amazement! Joan was born in Durban way back in 1924 and made her stage debut at the tender age of 2. Her life and career, which included extensive work in theatre, radio, television and film, spanned more than six decades. Joan was a child star, winning the “most talented child in the country” award. For more than 20 years, Brickhill and her flamboyant husband Louis Burke were the dominant force in musical theatre in South Africa. Their story included the heroic battle to try and save His Majesty’s Theatre in Johannesburg for seven years. From the mid-1960s to the mid1980s, Brickhill-Burke staged a series of long running and wellattended musical productions to try and bolster their coffers. Aside from being a successful producer, director and a theatre star, Joan was also a singing, dancing and acting performer. She came to national attention as the star of a series of Minstrel and Follies Extravaganzas which ran for more than a decade. Brickhill’s
John French pays tribute to the Grande Dame of South African Musical Theatre in seeing her big movie star persona and entertaining antics. I remember very well Joan always making a guest appearance at every Gay Pride march in Johannesburg during the 1990’s and she often arrived for the Gay and Lesbian Film Festivals. She supported the gay community as much as it supported her and it was a very loving and beautiful relationship. Joan also took part and performed at several AIDS Day concerts at The Civic Theatre, well into the time of her life when her health and frail body were starting to falter. I remember vividly one AIDS Day concert where Joan had rehearsed and hobbled the entire day on her walking stick. I remember standing with Joan in the stage wings as they announced her entrance. Joan handed me her stick and through some miracle of Brickhill magic, she sashayed onto stage like the dazzling star she was and she did not one, but two laps of honour, as elegant and Mag 18
first feature film was Nor the Moon by Night in 1958, in which she played the lead role, Harriet Carver. Follow That Rainbow in 1979 was her second feature film. One of her greatest theatrical successes was playing the part of Miss Hannigan in Annie in 1978, and the title roles in Hello Dolly in 1980 and Mame in 1982. Crossing racial barriers in Apartheid South Africa, Joan and Louis also directed and presented the first South African play in KwaZulu-Natal to be performed for multiracial audiences. Meropa later went on to tour the country. Joan received an honorary doctorate degree from Tshwane University of Technology in 2005. Brickhill received a D Tech (Musical Theatre) Honoris Causa in recognition of, among others, her role in laying the foundation for formal degrees being offered in musical theatre.
Joan had been a teacher of the performing arts, formally and informally, for sixty-five years. She taught many present-day entertainers (working in South Africa and abroad) their craft in the musical theatre industry or was the inspiration for them wanting to enter the theatre. Many stars of the acting fraternity acknowledged Joan as their greatest teacher. Well known musical theatre director Teddy Davies remembers: “While still at school I was taken to see the first Minstrel Scandals at the beautiful Alhambra Theatre (now Shell House Alas!) and it inspired me towards the world of theatre beyond anything I had seen before. I went to see further five performances and realised I was not returning to see this milestone South African production but to see the star of the show, Joan Brickhill. Joan mesmerized me and literally became part of my life. To this day many friends call me ‘Joan’ not out of jest, but as an endearment. On the news of her death so many phoned to say they were thinking so much of me knowing this spiritual link I had the this incredible lady. Although I had only met her briefly on a few occasions she chuckled in that deep special voice when learning I had adopted the name of Joan in her honour. Joan was very spiritual and the artistic muses bestowed on her their greatest theatrical gifts: beauty (oh how beautiful she was) panache, pizzazz, dance, comedy, stage direction, costume designing, actress, unbound less energy and that captivating smile. I watched, I learned I copied and carried so many of these gifts with me even to this day. At her memorial to watch that incredible film clip of the entire Hello Dolly Sequence (which I was honoured to see at His Majesty’s Theatre in Johannesburg watching eight encores of the piece) as much as I wanted to smile - I could not as I openly wept watching this beloved beautiful grand dame of the theatre at the height of her career. Joan, may you sing and dance for all eternity leading the chorus of Angels on that staircase in Paradise. I miss you - we all miss you.”
infinite wisdom and gentle intuition, Joan had nurtured and handled over the reins to so many aspiring young and talented South Africans. One of her most well-known protégé’s and pupils is the actress Diane Wilson who told me: “Joan Brickhill may not have given birth to any children but she had children in the hundreds. A mother is one who nurtures, guides, instructs and cares for her offspring and that Joan always did.”
Joan and her husband Louis Burke proved to the world that South Africans could produce musical theatre of a worldclass standard. It was her leadership and ability to assemble, shape and creatively direct just the right mixture of South African talent that produced the golden age of South African musical theatre on a scale and of a standard comparable to the best in the world. Joan and Louis cracked it internationally by directing the US Broadway production, Meet me in St Louis, which achieved four Tony nominations. Brickhill-Burke productions staged on a commercial basis and without any subsidy a dozen major international musicals, one of which was Hello Dolly, and half a dozen original music revues of her own creation. Ten of those musicals went on national tours and two were taken abroad – one, namely Meropa / Kwazulu, with an all-Black cast, achieving the honour of being the first South African musical production to be included on the bill of a Royal Command Performance in front of The Queen at the London Palladium and enjoyed a long run in London. Her honours and awards were plentiful. Joan was twice winner of the Best Radio Actress and twice winner of Best Performance in a Musical awards. Her greatest accolade was being nominated for a Tony award on Broadway for her choreography in Meet me in St Louis. Despite her theatrical status and countless theatrical accolades, from costume design to casting, it was Joan’s rare ability to discover and mentor of young South African talent that Joan said she was most proud. With her death, there seems a massive void on centre stage, but in her
I shall leave the last words to Percy Tucker, another South African showbiz heavyweight and the founder of Computicket who reminisced: “Joan was a child Zulu dancer, at 11 the most talented child in Natal, then idolised teacher in Durban, took Johannesburg by storm in 1963 with Oklahoma, great mother figure for young acolytes, award winning choreographer and actress, wonderful singer, dazzling dancer, superb director, insightful producer, magnificent costume designer, gardener extraordinaire, shrewd negotiator, great party giver and supreme hostess, humanist and listener, storyteller and broadcaster as well as TV star, Royal Command participator, Aids fund raiser and so loved by all but above all
Joan was that rare commodity, a true leading lady, indeed the first lady of musical theatre, the epitome of old style glamour who made show stopping staircase descending an art and will forever be one of the greatest stars in the theatrical firmament of South Africa.” Rest in Peace, leading lady and ascend your golden stairway to heaven.
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MOFFIE ... KEN JOU PLEK Liberty Banks (Glenton reclaims the M-Word
Matthyse)
Ek is ‘n moffie. Ek is sommer ‘n groot moffie! Daar is niks verkeerd om ‘moffie’ te wees nie. ‘Moffie’-wees is so normaal soos vrou-wees, man-wees , Menswees. Soos hulle sê: ‘Different is the new normal’.
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ell Darling… I have been called ‘moffie’ ever since I can remember. And for a long time the word hurt me and made me feel less human. It felt like there was something in me that I wanted to rip out roots and all. It felt like there was something wrong with me, something that needed to be fixed. So, for a long time I felt like ‘nothing’ or ‘something’ – something abnormal! Even though it did not show on the outside, the nothingness was certainly felt on the inside. It is amazing what one apparently ‘simple’ word can do. Moffie! The question that I always had was why would anyone want to humiliate me and make me feel less human. I wrote a piece on my feelings at probably one of the lowest points I found myself at. It goes as follows:
My Body! My identity! My Pride! What’s mine to you? If I got a penny every time it hurts, I probably would be so rich by now. Like a piercing knife through my bodily flesh. You rape my humanity every, single, time! ...whilst having the audacity to look me in my eyes as you turn away... with full confidence that what you do is right MY body has become the commodity you use to boost your ego. I struggle to rid MY air of the foul smell you leave behind... I try to bury YOUR pain deep within my mind under piles... and piles... and piles... of positive thoughts... But MY SELF-WORTH still remembers. Oh, how it remembers. Self-worth is a fragile thing – So, what is mine to you? Mag 20
It often baffles me how loaded the word ‘moffie’ is. It unlocks so much human emotion when it is used. But one can understand why this is the case. For the most part, the word ‘moffie’ is associated with too much negativity for many accept those who find their liberation through their oppression. However, because of the negative public understanding in the use of the word ‘moffie’, it still keeps most of its negative effects. The effect of the word was felt in a post I recently put on Facebook. I was surprised at the amount of supporting comments it drew but also at the cautious inbox messages received. The post was entitled ‘Het Jouself Lief’ and read as follows: I choose to love myself for who I am – Just as I am! Ja, ek is ‘n ‘coloured’. Ja! Ek is ‘n ‘moffie’ – So what? And yes… I come from the rural area, Darling! Ek dra my ‘lables’ met Pride. The best gift we can give ourselves is LOVE, Only then we can start loving others. I posted this status out of shear frustration of the multitude of labels placed on my body and my identity from both people within my community, the LGBTIAQ, and society at large. Some
were saying “No, why would you call yourself a ‘moffie’? You are a gay man! Gay man just sounds much more respectful”. Others were saying that I am a drag-queen slash female-impersonator and that I should be proud of it “because you make a beautiful woman”. But this is only one aspect of who I am. So, I have found a word which I despised not so long ago that closely describes who I am with my multitude of identities. That eloquent, allinspiring, almost on-point word being ‘MOFFIE’! Yes, ‘moffie’, the very same word that ‘supposedly’ straight people use to oppress ‘effeminate’ men or men who show effeminate qualities. But even close to home, the very word that butch, less effeminate gay men or men who do not drag (female-impersonate) use to mock and dehumanise more effeminate gay men. Quite frankly, it would seem that a large amount of people appear to view a ‘moffie’ in a negative light. They associate other words such as ‘being dirty’, ‘uneducated’, ‘dumb’, ‘poor’, ‘loud’, ‘joke’ and ‘thing’ with it. Exceptionally, some members of our community or supporters of our challenges use the term as a means of empowerment. This we do by claiming the use of the word. We decide to use it amongst each other to describe a particular type of individual. We take the negative stereotype out of the word. Hence, to some of us ‘moffie’ refers to a male person who happens to be homosexual (gay) who is proud, fierce, original and very much capable of being anything he wants to be. I have resolved that as one of many I will reclaim the word
‘moffie’ as an acceptable word to use because whether I like it or not society uses it to describe me and perhaps you as well. Looking back to the 1970’s, the use of the word ‘queer’ was highly contested because of the negative labels associated with it. Today it has been reclaimed and used as acceptable language within society at large. Clearly, the word ‘moffie’ will continue to exist within our vocabulary. The chance of it not being used in public is very slim. And since people will be using it (are using it) on a dayto-day basis the next best thing to forcing people not to use it is to reclaim the power that it carries. Once upon a time the word ‘gay’ was seen to be an insult. Yet, today people use it freely to describe their sexual identity. So ja… ek is ‘n moffie! En ek ken my plek! My plek is waar en wat ek wil hê dit moet wees. We as the ‘moffie’-community have the ability to shift the power in the use of a word from describing us negatively to describing us as being the proud, fierce, original yet very much capable human beings that we are who just happens to be different from the ‘supposed’ norm in society. Photography by Shane Swart Comments and feedback on this article are welcome. Facebook: Liberty Banks Email: glenton.matthyse@gmail.com
DJ KHYLIE ROBUS’
TOP 10 DANCE TRACKS
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hylie is a 24 years old DJ currently lives in Cape Town. She has always had an “ear” for music and has been lucky enough to apply it to every aspect of her life. She has been involved in the international music industry since 2011 – a late bloomer. As well as being a DJ, Khylie is also a musician – she plays Guitar, Drums, Bass Guitar and sings, all of which she has done overseas. She started DJing in 2009 and entered an amateur DJ competition and won. Since then she has been playing various local and international venues - but has only recently come out onto the gay scene, having played at the White NYE Party, as well as having a regular gig at Beaulah. Khylie says “I absolutely LIVE FOR reading a crowd. There’s no greater feeling!”
OUT asked Khylie for her Top 10 Dance Tracks of the moment: 1. Blow (Circuit Remix) - Kesha 2. Animal - Martin Garrix 3. Boneless - Steve Aoki featuring Chris Lake4. Afterglow (Dyro Remix) Wilkinson 5. Hey Brother (Alex Slam Remix) Avicci 6. How I Feel (SCNDL Remix) – Flo Rida 7. Paint me like a French Girl (La Cruz Remix) – BreakDLaw feat. The Gltichfox 8. Diamonds (Alessio Remix) Rihanna. 9. Tsunami - DBVVS & Borgeous 10. Addicted to You - Avicci
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THE BUZZ TO HELL AND BACK WITH YOKO ONO
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epending on who you are, Yoko Ono is the harridan who broke up The Beatles or she is a wacky Avant guard performance artist who has been in the music business for 50 years. Ono has released over 20 original albums, crossed boundaries and
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SASHAYING WITH THE COVERGURLZ
ith the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race imminent and anticipation surrounding the show building like never before, the Supermodel of The World has dropped a new album -- but with an elaborate publicity stunt that only the drag doyenne could come up with. All 14 queens from the upcoming season six of Drag Race are featured on the album – called CoverGurlz - and each one does a cover and a music video of RuPaul’s greatest hits! Can you imagine the pressure? “Putting this album together has been a real master blaster! Turn it up, and let ‘em scandalize!” RuPaul told the Huffington Post. In this sixth outing of the most ground-breaking series in “herstory”, RuPaul will be introducing 14 of the fiercest drag queens in the US. “This season of RuPaul’s Drag Race is perfect for viewers who want to ‘butch it up’ after watching a month of Olympic figure skating!” exclaimed RuPaul. Once again, RuPaul will be joined by the hottest celebrities in pop culture today to help judge every second of the face primping, wig snatching and tuck tightening action. They include Neil Mag 22
genres, and has still found new ways to connects with fans. Like Joan Collins and Joan Rivers who also turned 80 last year, Ono is an indefatigable spirit who managed to get two songs in the Top 20 of Billboard’s year-end Dance/ Club chart in 2013 and notch two consecutive Hot Dance/Club Play chart-toppers, a record shared only by Avicci and Daft Punk. Hold Me (featuring Dave Audé) and a cut of Walking on Thin Ice 2013 -- are the latest in a long string of dance/ club successes for Ono. The latter is a remix package of the seminal Ono tune the singer recorded with John Lennon on the last day of the late Beatle’s life. The New Year has begun with the release of Bad Dancer, her first single from her new Plastic Ono Band album Take Me to the Land of Hell.
Patrick Harris, Adam Lambert, Khloe Kardashian, Eve, Paula Abdul, Bob Mackie, Chaz Bono and his grandmother Georgia Holt. Together with show regulars Michelle Visage and Santino Rice they will decide who will stay, lipsync for their life or “Sashay Away.”
IT’S RAINING MEN .... AGAIN!
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he gay community from Florida to Zimbabwe has been blamed for every kind of natural disaster from fire to flood and the odd earthquake and eruption in between. AIDS was supposed to have been divine retribution for our wicked ways. Mostly these pronouncements have been met with derision, but the claims by British Councillor David Silvester that the government’s decision to legalise gay marriage caused the nation to be “beset by storms” prompted activists to create the Facebook group “Get It’s Raining Men To Number 1,” in reference to the popular 80s hit by The Weather Girls. “For decades now, this song has been used as a gay anthem, we thought it fit all the better based on UKIP councillor’s comments regarding storms and floods being caused by LGBT people and gay marriage,” the group noted on its Facebook page. “Let’s show that the power and community of gay people pulling together is stronger than his idiotic views of us, as well as also celebrating the new laws being passed on equal marriage in the UK.” Three decades after its original release, this 1982 hit has danced all the way back into the British Top 25 thanks to the social media campaign, which has the full support of Martha Wash, the sole surviving member of the original Weather Girls, who has been promoting the cause on Twitter. While Geri Halliwell’s version of the song debuted at No 1 in 2001, the disco original only ever reached No 2 in the UK, although it hit No I in the US Disco Charts. Martha Wash rerecorded the song in 1997 with RuPaul.
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KYLIE COMES BACK
t’s been four years since the Pop Princess released Aphrodite and Kylie fans have been hyperventilating at the thought of a new album. The good news they all have been waiting for is that Minogue’s new offering Kiss Me Once is being released this March. The first single off the album Into the Blue is a sun-kissed pop anthem that bodes well for what is to come. Kylie has collaborated with Sia and Pharrell Williams on this endeavour. “Making this album was quite a journey but I loved it,” says Kylie. “2013 was a year of big change, planning and preparation for me and I’m so excited that 2014 is finally here so I can share this new
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SPREADING THE LOVE IN FUNKY TOWN
music. Into the Blue is really special to me as it encapsulates a lot of what I’ve been feeling. I’m thrilled with the response and I can’t wait for you hear the rest of the record
THE CASE AGAINST 8
wo gay couples who waged a five-year court battle to restore same-sex marriage in California are back in the spotlight, in a new documentary by filmmakers Ben Cotner and Ryan White that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo, and lesbian couple Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, finally achieved their goal last June. But The Case against 8 recounts the long and often dispiriting judicial battle they fought to get there. The story begins on November 4, 2008 -- the day Barack Obama became the first ever African American US president, but also the day Californians voted in a referendum on so-called Proposition 8 to outlaw same sex marriages. The “Prop 8” decision came only a few months after the state’s top court had legalized gay marriage, and some 18,000 same-sex couples had already tied the knot before the referendum blow. Gay rights campaigners acted immediately, creating the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) to take the case to court, where they filed a first lawsuit in May 2009. As well as the roller-coaster legal fight, the film also focuses on the two couples who became the face of gay marriage in California, putting huge pressures on them. “They never knew
that the case would become so big and they didn’t know that they would become the cement of the story,” says co-director White. “But on top of that, the idea of having a documentary crew following them probably was not the thing that they wanted most at the beginning,” he added. The filmmakers said they were careful not to get carried away by the strong emotions on both sides, over the five years. But their objectivity was seriously challenged when the US Supreme Court restored the right of gays to marry in California, on June 26 last year. “Two days later, we were at the weddings and that day was the hardest day to film because it was so hard for me to concentrate on the film,” said Cotner. “I just wanted to be a part of the wedding with them. I didn’t want to be a filmmaker at that moment.”
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he Gem of the Garden Route will be transformed into a gay Funky Town this autumn when the 2014 Pink Loerie Mardi Grass and Arts Festival takes place in Knysna from Wednesday the 30th of April to Sunday the 4th of May. Some of the highlights of the five day festival include the Miss Butch and Femme Competition and the Miss and Me Pink Loerie Drag Pageant. One of the most popular events is always The Mr Pink Loerie Mardi Gras. Three of the past Mr Mardi Gras have gone on to win Mr GSA later in the year.
A4 Globeflight Pink Loerie Mardi Gras & Arts Festival 2014 Advert Final Monday, February 03, 2014 7:18:56 PM
As usual there will also be a flea market during the entire festival, an art exhibition and a community outreach initiative. The main event is the Parade itself that will be taking place on Saturday 3rd of May, followed by various after parties. For update info visit: www. pinkloerie. co.za/2014 Mag 23
BEHIND JONATHAN ROXMOUTH Sunsets in Camps Bay were even more spectacular last December with South African musical sensation Jonathan Roxmouth thrilling audiences at Theatre on the Bay with his phenomenal portrayal of Joe Gillis in the hit musical Sunset Boulevard. John French caught up with Jonathan to find out about his next project: Call me Lee, a high camp musical extravaganza showcasing the Queen Mother of show business, the legendary piano-playing Liberace. Jonathan, you’ve become the ‘Meryl Streep’ of South African musicals! Your career path is a success story of note. Was it all planned? How easily have you achieved success and are you happy with all you have achieved? Meryl Streep! I’m stealing that quote. I don’t know whether it was planned but I certainly knew I wanted to be part of South African Musical Theatre. It has been an interesting ride so far - not necessarily easy. Theatre is an inordinate amount of work and I have had to work twice as hard to keep afloat. You have a new show about the legendary Liberace. Tell us more … When I was performing The Phantom of the Opera I had two hours of make up and prosthetics before every show. That’s a lot of idle time and inevitably my brain started cooking up ideas for new shows. My grandmother introduced me to Liberace when I was in primary school when I took up the piano so I have always wanted to do a show about him. He was the first “showman” incorporating music, glitz and glamour and paved the way for Elton John, Boy George and Queen so I figured it was worth a look. His story is quite extraordianry and, ultimately, he was the highest paid entertainer in the world. Liberace: is he an 80’s relic or 21st century legend? I wouldn’t have written this show if I didn’t think he was worth writing about. Liberace is still as entertaining as ever. Between the piano music, costumes and spectacle it is the perfect show for the stage. Why the Liberace revival at this time? The movie, the show … Lee seems to be making money again? Yes and no I’m afraid. The proliferation of straightforward impersonators did some damage to the brand and the Liberace legacy faded quite substancially. With the movie, people have realised how unique his entertainment was and have rediscovered him. About time! What was your inspiration for your Liberace show? What resources have you used to shape the concept, recreate the music and capture the essence of the man? To be honest, I really just wanted to play his music. It is a unique blend of technical brilliance and showbiz camp. The essence of Liberace was his childlike innocence when he played. He was just a piano player from Milwaukee having a great time. I Mag 24
John Fren takes ch look a a entert t the a & his iner Libera new ce sho w
wanted to write a show that he would have approved so I used his autobiography and concert footage to reshape the show into a more personal account of the man. Not to mention the costumes and furs…! What did you think of the ‘Behind the Candelabra’ movie? I had mixed feelings about it as it was not an objective view of Lee. It was Scott Thorson’s jilted view of him and so he came off as something that I doubt is remotely close to the truth. That said, I thought Rob Lowe stole the film. Will Matt Damon be joining you on stage? ;-) Ha ha no … he was already booked for the Broadway production of Good Will Hunting … but I have two exciting new talents with me. Weslee Lauder will be playing Liberace’s Mother, Brother and Costume Designer. Samuel Hyde will be playing Liberace’s agent, Scott Thorson and a few other surprise roles. Liberace was known for his extravagantly camp and very expensive show costumes. How do you capture that in your show? At great expense! The costumes are basically the set so I refused to skimp. They have totalled about R55 000.00 so far and I am very happy with them as they are as close as dammit to the originals. What are you hoping your audiences will take away from the show? I just want people to have a good time. Lord knows we need it at the moment. Let’s now look ‘behind the candelabra’ at you. Who is Jonathan Roxmouth? I am a very normal person offstage. I find that balance to be very important. I sleep late, read a lot and like to spend time with my people. And I love Super Mario. As an actor who has made it, what advice would you give to aspiring actors out there who are still trying to crack it? Never allow yourself to be boxed. Versatility is the only way you can have a long term career in this business. Are the bright lights of overseas stages calling you? Show me a performer who isn’t! Yes the West End and Broadway are very enticing but I have resigned myself to the fact that when the time is right it will happen. If not, there’s always the post office. Is there a dream role out there that you have not yet claimed? Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. Please give us more details about your Liberace show: When? Where? Tickets can be purchased at …? CALL ME LEE will be running at Theatre on the Bay in Cape Town from 15 February to 19 March. We then go to Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Main Theatre in Johannesburg from 1 – 27 April. Tickets price from R120-R160 and are available from Computicket. Mag 25
CAPE TOWN PRIDE HIGHLIGHTS
Cape Town Pride Festival is become one of the most anticipated events on the gay social calendar. It serves as an opportunity to celebrate our country’s great Constitution with characteristic flair and flamboyance and to make a unique contribution to promoting diversity and tolerance in the Mother City. As usual, the 10-day Festival will host number of assorted events, from the serious to the totally frivolous. - Here are some of the highlights: Pink Party Friday 21st February.
This event kicks off the festival and is a circuit party in the true sense of the word as the R20 ticket provides access to all participating gay venues in the gaybourhood. From 8pm
Ms Cape Town Pride Saturday 22nd February.
Heels, sequins, feathers, over the top glamour, tantrums and tiaras as well as top notch entertainment are just a few things to expect from Cape Town’s most prestigious drag pageant. Hosted by Genevieve le Coq and Eugene Mathews Joseph Stone Auditorium, Athlone. Tickets: R50 & R100 for VIP. 7.00pm for 7:30pm
Miss Butch/Femme Saturday 22nd February.
So why should the drag queens have all the fun? Pride, in association with the fabulous MISS Parties and Beaulah present a first for Cape Town. Mirror Mirror on the wall, Who’s the butchest and femme-est of them all? Find out as well as experience the fabulous Burlesque entertainment on hand. Beaulah Bar. Tickets: R50. 7.00pm for 7:30pm
Pride Comedy Night Sunday 23 February.
Beefcakes famous Comedy Night hosted by Camp Cockney MC Martin Davis. Starring gregariously gay Shimmy Isaacs, with guests gorgeously gay Kellyn Coetzee and Hot Hot Hot Devin Gray! Beefcakes. R70 Cover Charge with proceeds to Pride Shelter Trust. 7.00pm. Reservations encouraged. 021 425 9019 or capetown@ beefcakes.co.za”
Teddy Bears Sports Day Sunday 23rd February
Have you ever seen a Drag Queen throw a handbag like a discus? Or a Bear tap out a Twink in a Rugby match? Get ready for the 100metre mince! An afternoon of sporty fun. Entry R10 . Venue to be confirmed. From noon Mag 26
God Save the Queens Thursday 27th February.
Some of the peninsula’s best loved, most popular and most outrageous drag artistes come together for a night of dazzling entertainment to remember. Beaulah Bar. Tickets R60. 8.00pm
Pride Parade Saturday 1st March.
The best news is that this year’s Parade will follow the traditional route through the CBD after a brief exile to 3 Anchor Bay! Starting at the Gallows Hill Traffic Department on Somerset Rd, a queer panoply of floats and marchers will take back the City Centre before returning to the Village for day of revelry. Starting at 12.00 at the sound of the Noon Day Gun
Pride Fair Saturday 1 March.
The usual after –Parade jorl will once again be happening in the heart of the gaybourhood in the streets surrounding Crew Bar, Beaulah, Amsterdam, the Backroom Bar and Beefcakes. Two stages of entertainment featuring live bands, drag performers, dancers and DJs. Plus the usual food and drink stalls as well as a mini-market selling all kinds of interesting delights. Gates open as soon as the Parade is over around 1.30pm. Entry: R30 Please note: Details correct at time of going to press. For specifics of events please visit www.capetownpride.org or like Cape Town Pride Festival on Facebook. Also follow @capetownpride on Twitter
G.B.F
Being out has never been so in.
I
n G.B.F., social warfare erupts when three high school clique queens drama diva Caprice, Mormon princess ‘Shley and blonde fashionista Fawcett, battle for supremacy. This season’s must-have accessory — and golden ticket to becoming prom queen — is a G.B.F., or a gay best friend. The only problem? There are no gay guys at their school, at least none who are out. But a Grindr-like app allows the girls to identify the closeted Tanner. They immediately pounce and makeover Tanner into their ideal arm candy, forcing him to choose between popularity and the true friends, including his own B.F.F. Brent that he’s leaving behind. Tanner is transformed from a shy social outcast to the high school’s hottest commodity. , G.B.F is a fun and frothy romp through high school with nods to Pygmalion, Mean Girls, Glee, and John Hughes. Megan Mullally (notorious for playing Karen Walker in Will & Grace) plays Tanner’s sympathetic mother
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We want to learn more about the lives of MSM (men who have sex with men) and especially what they know about Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP). PEP is short-term antiretroviral treatment to reduce the likelihood of HIV infection after potential exposure, either occupationally or through sexual intercourse. The information you provide will help us to ensure that our programmes are relevant to the needs of MSM.. http://h4msur vey.limequery.com/261152
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Mag 27
SCENE OUT
NYE - THE WHITE PARTY - CT Myrna at Beaulah
Manila von Teez
DJs Sean Oxley & Mia
Gregoire & friend
Oola
Chey & Rosemary
Menzi & Sebastian
Bambi
DRINK CROWNS PREMIUM ENERGY DRINK WITH PRIDE! Mag 28
MR GAY SA CRUISE - CT nn
Gerrie & Joha
Mr GSA Finalists
Ralf
MR GAY SA FINALS - CT The finalists on stage
y Le Roux
Mary & Rox
Roxy Le Roux
Jacques T erre’Blanc
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Mr GSA - Werner de Wa
Lola Fine, Werner & Genevieve Le Coq
MC Graha m
Richards & Werner de Waal
DRINK CROWNS PREMIUM ENERGY DRINK WITH PRIDE! iend Gerhard & fr
Swimwear fashion show
Kilt fas
hion sh
ow Mag 29
THANK YOU TATA - CT
Zachie A
chmat, R owan Sm ith & Pastor Beulah
Odidiva
Heather Mac
MINISTRY LAUNCH - CT
Mr Gay SA finalists modelling Ministry fashions
Werner de Waal
BEEFCAKES Champagne Le
A whole chunk of Be
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Princess Pop!
Mag 30
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Mag 31
HOW TO BE A MUSCLE MARY A Beginner’s Guide to Getting in Shape So you woke up today, looked in the mirror and said to yourself, “Gosh darnit (or #$^@ $#@$@), I’ve got to get in shape!” Just one problem though – you don’t quite know HOW. It’s okay; we’ve all been there. This might be the first, tenth, or even the fiftieth time you’ve tried to lose weight and get healthy. Sure, things didn’t work last time, or the time before that, or even the time before that…, but things are going to be different THIS time, right? Ever heard any of the following comments: I had to give up the gym, after five weeks! • Too much money! RXXX/month is a lot for a wekking gel. • It didn’t seem to be doing me any good at all. • It exacerbated my LBS (Lazy Bitch Syndrome). • My boss and I kept seeing each other nekkid in the locker room! • I hate working out. I mean I really, really hate it … . . . So, now I’m working on developing an eating disorder instead. Or I don’t have six-packs. I have a keg. What’s the point! Embarrassed about being labelled as a gym bunny or a muscle mary? You CAN just be Joe Gay who likes to exercise?
O
K – So just how does one go about getting in shape - let’s get started.
I recommend a three-pronged approach to guarantee success. 1. Education: know HOW to get in shape 2. Inspiration: know WHY you’re getting in shape 3. Support: having others help you along the way to get in shape If you can successfully combine these three crucial steps, then you’ll have a fightin’ chance at getting in the best damn shape of your life.
Education 1) Be specific with your goals so that you can actively plan what steps are needed to achieve them. Mag 32
If you are setting goals – be SUPER SPECIFIC, write them down, and plan them out. Understand that Rome wasn’t built in a day. This is NOT a diet, or a quick fix, but a LIFESTYLE CHANGE. Don’t expect overnight results, or abs in two weeks. This will be a slow, steady progress. 2) Identify your kryptonite. If you tried to get in shape in the past and failed, it’s important to know WHY. Did you get sick and give up after a few days? Did you go on vacation and say “why bother?” Maybe you just got bored? If you sucked at getting in shape last time, educate yourself on the hurdles and kryptonite that made you suck, and work on either avoiding those pitfalls or develop methods to deal with them. 3) Clean up your diet. Believe it or not,
80% of your success when it comes to getting healthy will depend on your diet – unless you are running marathons on a daily basis, you cannot outrun your fork, and you can’t out-train a bad diet. I honestly cannot stress the importance of this enough. Whether you want to count calories, cut out certain foods, or attempt a new diet all together, this is the most important step you can take: Now, most people suck at eating better because they try to make TOO many changes at once, their stomach freaks out and they run back to their comfort foods. My advice? Pick one food change every few weeks, and stick with it. Whether it’s eating less calories per day, drinking one less soda, cutting out sugar, skipping that chocolate after dinner or eating more vegetables … small changes can lead to big successes in the long run.
4) Find an activity that makes you happy, and do it all of the time. Do you like to run? Awesome, do that (just do it right). Do you like to lift weights? Great, but make sure your workouts don’t suck, get a trainer to show you the correct way of doing the various machines and perhaps he/she can work out a training programme for you. Maybe you like yoga, dodgeball, rock climbing, or whatever! If you tell me that “I don’t like to exercise,” then you just haven’t found the activity that makes you happy yet. We are genetically designed to be active. If you don’t like to move, then it’s time to try new things until you find something that you DO like. Just keep trying new stuff until you find something that you like. And then do it as often as you can. Remember, your diet is 80% of your success or failure. Exercising regularly will help you build muscle, strengthen your heart, lose weight, increase your endurance, stamina, and/or flexibility. On top of that, regular exercise keeps your mind thinking healthy, which in turn will keep your stomach thinking healthy, which will cause your mouth to want to continue eating healthy foods. It’s the circle of life. In a nutshell - Put it all together: These are the steps you can take today: Determine your goals or habits you want to establish. Write them down and hang them up. Determine why you sucked in the past and how you can avoid it in the future. Start cleaning up your diet in whatever method works best for you. Pick an activity that makes you happy, and do it. A lot.
Inspiration Ask yourself WHY do you want to get in shape? What is your reason? Is it: To impress a cute co-worker/friend/ neighbour or acquaintance? Or Win a weight loss competition? Or to be healthier with your significant other? Or even prove everybody wrong who said “you can’t do it? Most importantly have a reason! Write it down, hang it up in your bedroom, have a calendar alert pop up every day, whatever. But keep that reason for wanting a better life at the front of your mind at all times. If success stories are your inspiration there are thousands on the web, but maybe success stories aren’t your thing maybe you like to get your inspiration
from wanting to be like your favourite actor, sports star or that hottie that moved in next door…
Support Last but not least, you will need support Yes, I understand its kind of challenge to be the lone ranger trying to succeed against insurmountable odds….but it’s not necessary. Once you decide to get in shape, want to know the best way to guarantee success? Make it public. Tell all of your friends, start a blog, and/or inform your co-workers and ask them to keep you accountable! Unless you like being called a quitter, you’ll probably think twice about skipping out on your workouts.
Perhaps you need a different kind of motivation and support to succeed. Try money. A colleague said he would pay his friends R1000 if he didn’t get in shape for his wedding six months down the line. He didn’t have R1000 to lose, so he decided instead to just get on with it … it worked! If you can find people who are stronger than you, work out with them, people who run faster than you, run with them, or people more educated than you and ask them questions. These people will motivate and inspire you. They are people whom you can turn to when you need advice or help. If you don’t know anybody in real life, well there is loads of fitness advice out there, especially at your gym – don’t be afraid to ask. Try and find a workout buddy! There are going to be days when you want to sleep in and skip your workout. There will be afternoons following a crappy day of work where all you want to do is chill. Find somebody who’s at a similar level of fitness as you, and work out with them! He/she will push you on days when you’re dragging, and vice versa. You can inspire and support each other, feed off of each other’s success, and offer up tough love when the complaining gets too much (and yes, there will be complaining). Ok I get it - you don’t have anybody to turn to for support or advice… well thanks to the internet we’ve got you covered. There are some amazing FREE apps out there with loads of members with whom you can interact. Men’s Health (UK) 6 top fitness apps are: SmartRunner, Nike+ GPS, Sports Tracker, Adidas MiCoach, Endomondo, Cardio Trainer. I use JEFIT which has an online community of over 25 000 users. So Educate yourself, find your inspiration, and create your support group and you will begin a whole new healthier, fitter and more fabulous lifestyle! Mag 33
THE NEW AUDI S3 SEDAN – SETTING A NEW BENCHMARK IN MOTORING
Audi has one of the most expansive line-ups of niche luxury models in the industry, but when it comes right down to it, the newly launched Audi S3 Sedan is sure to take the motoring industry to new levels when it comes to safety, comfort and technological advancement in the compact car sector. You see, just because Audi also makes technological and engineering marvels like the R8 sports coupe and A8, A6, A4, A3 and A1 luxury cars, doesn’t mean that they don’t have a similarly obsessive development process on the new S3, S3 Sportback and S3 Sedan.
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he most recent addition to the Audi line-up is on course to solidify its role as the benchmark for the entry-level luxury car interior quality, exterior styling and under-thebonnet performance.
Even on basic models, Audi plastics and leathers and chrome trims feel solid, with expert precision in the overall interior assembly and the S3 setting the pace. The addition of a boot is just one factor that makes the new Audi S3 sedan a more powerfully persuasive proposition than the two S3 generations that have gone before it. It’s a great looker, good value and a compact performance player that’s impossible to overlook. Mag 34
HOW DOES IT DRIVE? Powered by a 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine delivering 206kW and 380Nm and mated to the German manufacturer’s six-speed S-tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission and transfered to the tarmac with all-wheel Quattro, the Audi S3 sedan will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 5.3 seconds with its dual clutch transmission – and reach an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h. I bet you are saying WOW!!! That is impressive but to most lay-gay-people out there that means absolutely zilch… what you boys want to know: Is it quiet? Is it powerful? Is it fast? Is it
IS THE INTERIOR STYLISH? Open the driver’s door and you will come face-to-face with modern, stylish stitched-leather sport seats, a flat-bottom multifunction steering wheel and grey instrument dials that will satisfy that stylish gene that gay men seem to have. Audi enjoys a reputation for crafting excellent interiors, and the S3 lives up to that hard-won stature. It has a ‘thin dash’ design to impart lightness and sportiness, along with round vents and a clean, simple set of heating and ventilation controls. Key driver touchpoints including the thick-rimmed steering wheel, stainlesssteel pedals and leather-wrapped shift knob - all feel substantial and are well-located. A new retractable seven-inch Multi Media Interface screen is the cabin’s technological centerpiece, governing everything from audio and navigation to telephony and vehicle settings.
automatic or manual? etc. Well this baby is truly a gem in the world of turbocharged, direct-injected engines, the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder that is the heartbeat of the S3 sedan purrs like a kitten but pumps out a remarkably potent 211 horsepower/258 ft-lbs of torque with few aural reminders that this beauty is only a four banger. Yes, she is the trailblazer in the compact luxury sedan market. The A4 made it okay for BMW and Mercedes to install more fuel efficient four-cylinder engines in their 3-Series and C-Class sedans. But neither BMW nor Mercedes has managed to invent a smoother, more pleasant sounding four-cylinder luxury powertrain than Audi’s excellent motor. So to answer your technical questions the new S3 Sedan is quiet, has a real kick under the bonnet, sure to leave any competitors eating your dust and is available with a smooth-shifting 6-speed manual as well as the S-tronic automatic gearbox that changes so smoothly you won’t even feel it, but regardless of transmission, the all-wheel-drive S3 is most definitely quick.
The screen is tied to Audi’s latest-generation infotainment architecture. The MMI controller now features a largerdiameter jog dial that integrates the company’s excellent gesture control pad, and with Google Maps integration (not to mention available 4G LTE broadband wifi), this is about as slick a setup as you’ll find at any price.
THE LOOK The S3 differentiates itself from the rest of the Audi A3 sedan range with unique front and rear bumpers and side skirts, a single-frame grille, modified air intakes, brushed aluminium exterior mirror housings, a model-specific rear spoiler and a chrome-tipped quad-exhaust system that highlights a black rear diffuser. This car is without doubt a hottie, and will be the envy of every gay man, be he a conservative professional who wants an established look or a young car-free lad who’s wanting to look fast and trendy. This sedan is a leather-lined thrill ride for those who love to drive, the S3 is the true meaning of a sedan designed for both luxury and sportiness, we most certainly recommend the S3 Sedan as a place to spend your hard-earned income. Mag 35
THE DOCTOR & THE DIVA The Battle for amfAR: Beauty & Brains Versus a Killer Virus
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wo women could not be more different. One was a medical scientist specialising in cancer research and the other was a glamorous movie star. Yet Dr Mathilde Krim and Elizabeth Taylor did have something in common: a desire to fight ignorance, denial and stigma surrounding AIDS. A new HBO documentary, The Battle for amfAR, shows that Taylor’s greatest role was that of AIDS activist, and that Krim was her greatest co-star. Two times Oscar winner Elizabeth Taylor was the child star who became as famous for her tempestuous love life and her fabulous jewels as for her stellar acting career. Known as “the most beautiful woman in the world”, she married eight times, twice to Richard Burton. In the last chapter of her life she put her fabulous wealth put to good use. Soon after the first cases of AIDS were reported in 1981, Mathilde Krim recognized that this new disease raised grave scientific, medical and socio-political questions. She dedicated herself to increasing the American public’s awareness of AIDS and to a better understanding of its cause and its modes of transmission. Galvanized in her youth by scenes from the liberation of World War II concentration camps, and by her parents’ wilful ignorance of the human calamity, Krim decided that only science could “replace all these stupidities with facts, with real knowledge.” When AIDS erupted, she turned her research in virology toward solving the problem. But she realised that in order to raise public awareness she needed to enlist the support of a high profile personality. And she happened to have a very important Hollywood connection: her husband Arthur Krim was the long-time chairman of United Artists and founder of Orion Pictures. So Krim was acquainted with Elizabeth Taylor and one fine day she picked up the phone and called Taylor who almost immediately said yes. So In 1985 the two women started amfAR, a foundation involved in every important advance in AIDS research and which still active today. As a private organisation, amfAR could make research grants more quickly than any government entity and funded studies that were key to the development of protease inhibitors, which have made HIV manageable for many patients. The film shows how Taylor dazzled members of Congress with her star power and even persuaded old Hollywood colleague Ronald Reagan to break the silence on AIDS that characterized his presidency. Even before her “dear friend” Rock Hudson got sick and died of AIDS, Taylor put herself out there on an issue that frightened and disgusted most people. The film starts with the beautiful Taylor showing her earthy side at a press conference. There had been a “huge, loud silence about AIDS”, she said. “And I finally thought, ‘Bitch, do something yourself.’ ” As Taylor makes clear, she didn’t much like her celebrity— Mag 36
except in this case. As she put it, “There are times when being famous is useful; it comes in handy.” Fashion magnate Kenneth Cole, who chairs amfAR’s board of trustees, brought the idea of the film to the Oscar winning filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman who were also responsible for The Celluloid Closet and Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt. He wanted to shine a harsh spotlight on how society’s fear, and the need to believe that HIV infection was not a real threat to anyone but oversexed gay men and the occasional haemophiliac, impeded research and public education. The filmmakers jumped at the idea of telling the story of these extraordinary women and to remind audiences that despite advances in treatment, AIDS has not gone away, and there is still much work to be done around the disease. “I think there is a sense of complacency, not just about supporting the research but about being safe,” Friedman says. The directors provide further context by zeroing in on Ronald Reagan’s shameful response to the crisis, reminding viewers of his complete lack of leadership on AIDS. While Reagan was barricading himself from knowledge or experience with anything that might have shaken his simple worldview, Taylor and Krim leaped in. One of the film’s most touching moments comes in hearing about how Taylor, wanting to support unpopular needle-exchange efforts, visited one such program and told the most marginalized women that they could be beautiful. She also refers to the government’s failure to support these programs “an act of premeditated murder.” Sometimes it helps to be a real drama queen! Meanwhile Krim became best buds with New York’s Mr. Leather after riding with him on a Gay Pride float and laughs about the education she received from gay men about their sexual practices. Relative to the obstacles her efforts encountered, Krim faced long odds. That she figured out how to leverage the influence she had to effect real progress speaks to a kind of sustaining optimism. The film ends on that note, with Krim’s exhortation to people who feel they can’t make a difference. To those who think “I’m just a little guy; I can’t have an effect on public policy,” Krim offers this admonishment: “It’s not so, you know. Everybody can do something.”
QUIRKY THEATRE ALEXANDER BAR
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he intimate upstairs theatre at the quirky Alexander Bar continues to offer an appetising buffet of some of the country’s best independent productions. Here are some forthcoming highlights: A Delicate Light A middle aged white woman alone in a dark room awakens to navigate her past, present and future. She constantly seeks light, an escape from her shattered sense of self. Her candid confessions and recollections are emotionally engaging; the humorous absurdity of life juxtaposed with heartache. A contemporary work dealing with abandonment, fear and madness. Starring Michele Belknap. Until 15 March Rose Red Here the fairy tale of Snow White turned on its head, as told through the eyes of the Evil Queen. Aimed at adults, this musical production is a wickedly fun, original and moving take on her story. It is cleverly woven together with light-hearted comedy and popular songs from Tori Amos, Annie Lennox and Brandi Carlile to Lady Gaga. This highly acclaimed performance by Dianne Simpson has been hailed as “a first-class performance…with perfect timing and often very funny asides…an hour of finely honed entertainment that touches the heart”. Directed and produced by Pieter Bosch Botha. Until 15 March The Unexpected Man A man and a woman sit opposite each other in the detached intimacy of a train compartment. They have never met. He is a world famous author; she is the ardent admirer of his work. She carries his latest book in her bag. Silence... This play is a literary masterpiece, written by the Tony Award-winning Yasmina Reza. Touching, funny and poignant, you get sucked into the imaginations of the two characters who are desperate to break out of their inner worlds and make a connection with each other. With Shaun Acker & Zanne Solomon. Until 22 March The Late Night Boylesque Show A sexy show in the same vein brought to you by some of the same team who dazzled in the Boylesque show last December. For dates and times for all these shows as well as for secure online bookings visit: shows.alexanderbar.co.za. Telephone bookings and enquires: 021.300.1652 Alexander Bar & Café, 76 Strand Street (Corner Loop), Cape Town CBD, 8001 Mag 37
Sitges Resort For Alternative Lifestyles
If you are planning a holiday in Europe during our winter, and you’re looking for some summer sun with a great gay vibe as well then the place to be seen these days is Sitges in Spain. So hip, so now and OH SO GAY!!!
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ocated on the Costa Dorada, Sitges is wildly popular among the southern Europe resorts, particularly with gay tourists. It gets very crowded during the summer, and most of the tourists at this time are young swinging Europeans. Yet Sitges never gets tacky, as so many gay-oriented resorts do. Instead, Sitges is a city rich with culture and Bohemian ideals. The Spanish modernismo movement sprang from the artists and craftsmen here, and Sitges still is at the core of much of Spain’s arts. Dali and Federico Garcia Lorca both visited here during the heyday of Sitges, which ended abruptly with the Spanish Civil War. Sitges is still a city of art, but it has never regained its prior prestige. In addition to its rich heritage, Sitges is convenient to Barcelona (a 30-minute train trip or 45-minute drive).
What to Do The Carnaval of Sitges, just before Lent, is a kaleidoscope of fancy dress, feathers and sequins, and vibrant floats. The King of the Carnestoltes starts the party on the Thursday prior to Lent, and the carnival ends on Ash Wednesday with the Burial of a Sardine. Sant Bonaventura is when the gay population of Sitges hold their own grand celebrations. If you’re gay, this is a perfect place to party while you vacation. Mag 38
Sitges has beaches and bars close together, but it’s not so large that you get lost in the crowd. Summer and Carnival are the times to mingle with the gay crowd; in the off season, Sitges gets quiet. During summer, though, one beach is primarily gay, while the other is very much a nudist beach, further out of town between Sitges and Vilanova. If you can’t find the nude beach, stop at the L’Atlantida disco and ask for directions. There are other beaches, of course, and water sports from swimming and sunbathing to waterskiing and scuba diving. The beaches to the east tend to be quieter — Aiguadoic and Els Balomins are examples of these. The Playa San Sebastian, the Beach of the Boats, and Fragata Beach cater to families. The Playa de la Ribera is where the younger crowd go. All beaches here are top-optional for women. For more intellectual pursuits, there are three excellent museums in Stiges. The Museu Cau Ferrat, in a building that was once two 16th century cottages, was Santiago Rusinol’s home, and today holds his works as well as paintings by El Greco and some small Picassos. The Museu Maricel holds Gothic and Romantic paintings and sculptures as well as ceramics from Catalan. And the Museu Romantic, you can see how a Sitges family of wealth lived in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Where To Stay San Sebastian Playa is probably the best hotel in Sitges. Located right across from San Sebastian beach, it has a wedding-cake facade and an Art Deco interior. Each guest room has a balcony overlooking the sea. Its amenities include a restaurant, bar, and private garden, as well as babysitting for anyone who needs it. If you prefer to be inland, the Hotel El Xalet is a ten-minute walk from the nearest beach. This contemporary Modernista hotel almost looks like a Gothic church. Antique mosaics in the lobby give the hotel a unique atmosphere. You’ll also find a small pool in the private garden and a refreshing roof terrace to have breakfast on. The restaurant is open only during the summer. If its a gay hotel you looking for then the 3-star hetero-friendly Parrot Sitges Hotel is a good bet. There’s also the Apartamentos Sunway Tara-Gay which are well equipped apartments close to the beach.
Where to Eat El Velero, on a beachfront promenade, is one of the best restaurants in Sitges. The glass greenhouse terrace holds the best seats. The food is excellent, with a focus on fresh seafood. With cocina del mercado, or whatever’s fresh in the market, cuisine, Els Quatre Gats is named for an old Barcelona cafe that Picasso favored. Enjoy fresh grilled fish, lamb with local herbs, veal kidneys in sherry sauce, and garlic soup, this restaurant is sure to please your palate. And the restaurant’s only a few steps away from Passeig de la Ribera.
Fitness If keeping yourself in shape is your thing, then Parrot Fitness in the Parrot hotel is a great place to meet gay guys and work out.
Nightlife The nightlife in Stiges is hectic, colorful, and primarily gay. Look for the maps that are distributed to show you where the gay bars are. But try out Bar Azul on Bonaventura it’s a great meeting point to begin your night out. If drag is your thing, try out Bar Comodin, home to some of the most famous drag acts in all of Catalunya. A stones throw from the beach is Bonita Bonita a new trendy wine/ cocktail lounge bar in the heart of Sitges. For the more daring there is Bears’ Bar which is open all year round on Fridays and Saturdays. The bar is dark and cruisy with two dark rooms, a sling room, St Andrews Cross and XXX videos playing on two video screens. The latest addition to the Sitges scene, Mojito and Co is located in the heart of Sitges gay district and offers delicious cocktails from 5pm on the terrace. Sitges friendliest bar and terrace is Ruby’s which opened in March 2011 and has set the town alight with a great atmosphere, fantastic cocktails and its warm welcome. A favourite for several years now, XXL Sitges is a popular dance bar, packing in both visitors and locals alike with its heady mix of dancing and cruising. There are of course other bars and meeting places for you to explore. If you looking for the raunchier, sleazier experience then Man Bar should satisfy your curiosity. It is a Leather / rubber / sports / skin / uniform gay bar for guys only. It is cruisy, sleazy and dark. The largest gay disco bar is Mediterraneo, in a restored 1690s house. You’ll love the covered terrace, the Iberian garden, and the company. Bourbon is another great gay bar for the younger set. On Tuesdays in summer there a gay beach party. For a mixed crowd, try Ricky’s Disco. It’s near the beach, and has a really great dance mix. Copied with permission from: http://plrplr.com/35863/sitgesresort-for-alternative-lifestyles/
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WARTS’N’ALL By Bruce J. Little
“Look, I’m not a perfect person. I have my warts. I sometimes say things that get me in trouble. I wear suits that are cheap. But I say what I think and I believe what I say, and I’m willing to say things that are not popular but ordinary people know are right.” - Howard Dean
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hat if the warty frog you kissed didn’t turn into a handsome prince? In fact, what if the handsome prince that you did manage to kiss, gave YOU a wart! EEK! I know, right! Let’s take this frightening “Fairytale” a little further: What if that prince kissed you in your “no-no-special-place” (crotch area - stay with me people!) and gave you a wart there? Proceed to placing wrist to forehead, rolling eyes into the head and crumpling into a pale heap on the floor. Being gay is already a bit like doing squats in a tight pair of jeans – a bit of a challenge - but now chuck being more susceptible to genital warts and HPV related anal cancer (than our heterobrethren) into the mix, and a gay man just wants to toss all his A&F vests out of his gym bag! It’s just too much! Why us? HOW MUCH MORE CAN WE TAKE? (And the Academy award goes to…) It’s not that bad. Loosen the drawstring on your hot pants and breath deeply. Knowledge is empowering (not in the same way Creatine is, Cecil) and all you need is some information and you will feel much better. Deep breaths, drama is needy and needy is unattractive. A virus known as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) causes genital warts. However, many people who have been infected by this virus do not get genital warts. In fact, many infected people do not suffer from any symptoms at all. They are like human luggage (designer of course!) merely carriers for the virus. It’s kind of like playing Russian roulette with your private parts. What makes HPV even more finicky is that you can become infected even if the person you are playing with is wearing a condom. HPV can be transmitted via skin to skin contact with the genital areas that the condom does not cover, Mag 40
like the area around the penis and anus and even the mouth and throat can be infected. There is no silly or fun way to mention that there are strains of HPV that can cause cancer of the anus, penis and oropharynx. It is very difficult to test for these cancers in the early stages and just as challenging to prevent them. The most effective protection is abstinence, but we all know how difficult this may prove to be. Even a committed, long-term relationship is no guarantee that you will remain HPV free. It is quite prolific, yet it is comforting to know that it does not result in cancer for all who are infected
with HPV, only a small percentage. Gay and bisexual men are 17 times more likely to develop anal cancer than their straight counterparts, which makes HPV awareness and education important for us as a community. Freezing the little buggers off (warts, not your ex, Cecil) or having them surgically removed can treat genital warts. They can also – at times - spontaneously disappear after a period of time, but it is always best to get these things checked out by a health practitioner. They are also known to come back after treatment, so multiple treatments may be necessary. Warts don’t turn into cancer. Cancers of the penis, anus and oropharynx can be treated with radiation and chemotherapy and early signs and
symptoms of these diseases are: •
Penile cancer - first signs may appear as a thickening and build up of tissue and/or discoloration of the penis. Sometimes the penis may erupt in painless sores or growths that can bleed on occasion.
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Anal cancer - red flags are anal bleeding, itching or discharge and/or swollen glands around the anal or groin area. Sometimes anal cancer may not present any symptoms at all.
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Cancers of the oropharynx can present as a swollen or sore throat that does not go away and at times, constant coughing. Other symptoms include hoarseness of the voice, weight loss and a lump or build up of tissue in the throat or neck.
This does not mean to say you must go home and wrap yourself up in cling film and sterilize your jockstrap before you dare kiss that guy you’re having dinner with later, it’s about knowing what is at risk and making an informed decision. Nothing truly worthwhile is risk free. But the best thing you can do (when preparing for battle) is to study and understand your opponent so you know what you are up against. Ask any cage fighter! (Now you have an excuse to talk to one) Bruce J. Little is a media consultant for Health4Men, a project of the Anova Health Institute NPC, funded by USAID through PEPFAR. This article represents Bruce’s personal views. Health4Men supports sexual health services for MSM. For free screening and any information about your sexual health, visit your nearest Health4men clinic, h4m.mobi (on your phone) or www.health4men.co.za
CUM EAT SOME MOR
MARCH diary Friday 7th Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 14th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Sunday 16th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Thursday 20th Human Rights Day Party – Cum celebrate your rights · Friday 21th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Friday 28th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund · APRIL diary Friday 4th Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 11th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Tuesday 15th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Thursday 17th Easter Weekend Party – Cum find your Easter Bunny · Friday 18th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Sunday 20th Family Day Party – We are Family · Friday 25th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund · Wednesday 30th Workers Day Party – Cum Work it MAY diary Friday 2nd Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 9th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Wednesday 14th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 16th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Friday 23rd Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund· Friday 30th Fire Crotch Night – Free Entrance with Red Pubes
WORD PERFECT BONKERS: My Life In Laughs Jennifer Saunders R275 Jennifer Saunders is a brilliant comic that has become a British institution, making people laugh for three decades. She first became known in the long running sketch show French and Saunders which she co-wrote and starred in with her comedy partner, Dawn French. But she achieved international notoriety with the wacky and irreverent hit television series Absolutely Fabulous, which she co-wrote and in which she also starred as the hilariously insufferable champagne swilling, Edina Monsoon. She has won three BAFTAs (including the Bafta Fellowship), an International Emmy, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d’Or, two Writers’ Guild Awards and a People’s Choice Award.
A self –confessed procrastinator, she as finally written an autobiography, partly in response to a bout of cancer – nothing like a life threatening disease to make you evaluate your life. Saunders says “as the steady march of time takes its toll on my memory and the vultures circle, I thought I should have a stab at recollecting how it all happened. . .’ Bonkers is a funny, touching and disarmingly honest memoir, filled with stories of friends, laughter and occasional heartache - but never misery. From her childhood on RAF bases, where her father was a pilot, to her life-changing encounter with the young Dawn French, on to success and family, the book charts her extraordinary story, including the slip ups and battles along the way.
THE ABSOLUTIST John Boyne R155 A masterfully told tale of passion, jealousy, heroism and betrayal set in the gruesome trenches of the Great War and its immediate aftermath. In September 1919: twenty-oneyear-old Tristan Sadler takes a train from London to Norwich to deliver a package of letters to the sister of Will Bancroft, the man he fought alongside during the war. But the letters are not the real reason for Tristan’s visit. He can no longer keep a secret and has finally found the courage to unburden
himself of it. As Tristan recounts the horrific details of what to him became a senseless war, he also speaks of his friendship with Will--from their first meeting on the training grounds at Aldershot to their farewell in the trenches of northern France. The intensity of their bond brought Tristan happiness and self-discovery as well as confusion and unbearable pain. Of course, the great secret is that Tristan and Will were lovers. An easy and enjoyable read.
THE TRAPEZE ARTIST Will Davis R159 Although his parents thought he was nice and kind-hearted and teachers saw him as a good boy, secretly the unnamed protagonist of the novel hates his drab, ordered world and longs for more. Then, when he was fourteen, a new boy arrives at his school. Edward exudes the coolness of a latter-day Oscar Wilde. Edward listens to Patti Smith, watches Fassbinder films and is familiar with the writings of Gore Vidal, and one evening, kisses him in the moonlight. It is hard not to fall in love with him. Forty years old and fleeing from a life he can no longer handle, he stumbles upon the circus. Not knowing why, Mag 42
only that he must, he gets in his car and follows after it, refusing to listen to the doubts that plague him, determined to build a new home and family. The Trapeze Artist draws together the past, present and future of one life to create a work of startling dexterity and vision - a haunting and heart-breaking account of a child, a boy, a man, desperate to free himself from the suffocating weight of his desires, his family and his grief. It speaks of what it is to grow up gay in a straight world, to be unable to communicate with those you love, of the sweat, passions and tempers of circus life, and above all, the joyous longing to break free, and to swing higher and higher.
All books available at The Bay Bookshop, Cape Quarter, Cape Town. It is and independent bookstore and one of the few left in the city with a decent gay literature section
Traces of Ecstasy Rotimi Fani-Kayode (1955 – 1989)
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studio allowed him to create new icons whose sexuality and keen sense of mortality offered a vision of the black body outside of common Western perceptions.
t seems opportune that while Nigeria has just introduced draconian anti-gay laws, the South African National Gallery in Cape Town is hosting an exhibition of a renowned gay Nigerian-born photographer who lived and worked in Britain. Rotimi Fani-Kayode was active in the gay political response to the HIV/AIDS crisis and was a leading voice among black British artists during the flourishing queer culture of the late 1980s. Influenced by his experience as an African exile in Europe and his spiritual heritage — his family were keepers of the shrine of Yoruba deities in Ife, Nigeria — Fani-Kayode staged and photographed performances in his studio in which the black male body served as a means of expressing the boundaries between spiritual and erotic fantasy.
“On three counts I am an outsider: in matters of sexuality, in terms of geographical and cultural dislocation; and in the sense of not having become the sort of respectably married professional my parents might have hoped for,” Fani-Kayode said. “Such a position gives me the feeling of having very little to lose.” In a career spanning only six years, often in collaboration with his late partner Alex Hirst, Fani-Kayode’s photographs constitute a profound narrative of sexual and cultural difference, seminal in their exploration of politics of desire, diaspora, displacement, spirituality and the black male body.
Like his contemporaries Derek Jarman and David Wojnarowicz, Fani-Kayode positioned his photography as a public and political act, even while he broke with the predominant approach of documentary realism practiced by many black and African Diaspora artists. For Fani-Kayode, the imaginative space of the
Traces of Ecstasy is a retrospective of large-scale colour and black-and-white photographic portraits created in the late 1980s by Fani-Kayode, before his untimely death in 1989. It is currently displayed at the South African National Gallery, Company’s Gardens, Cape Town.
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OUT TO LUNCH EATING OUT IN THE GAYBOURHOOD Cape Town’s De Waterkant Village is a cosmopolitan, avant-garde, cultural urban refuge, there is an abundance of restaurants, gay bars, venues and clubs. Famed for being Cape Town’s a gay friendly hub, the village is within walking distance of the fashionable nightspots. In this issue, we visit three popular spots in the Gay Village CAFE MANHATTAN 74 Waterkant Street, 021 421 6666
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have been to the new Manhattan for a meal twice since it re-opened - once for lunch and the second time for an evening meal. The lunch-time meal was with great friends, the festive season was in full swing and the place was packed to capacity with a colourful crowd from all over the sub-continent and beyond. The drinks flowed, starting with cocktails, which were to die for but thimble-sized so not worth the price… so we switched to our normal drinks which were served with a smile by an über-sexy waiter. My battered fried fish & chips was delicious and is highly recommended. Others at the table had burgers and salads and the general opinion was that the food and the service was great. The second time I went was for dinner. Being a Friday night the joint was brimming to bursting. We booked well in advance, requesting an outside table which we got. Unfortunately it was the very first table beside the door so became a through-route to anyone trying to access the balcony/patio area which, as the evening progressed, became more and more inconvenient. The table was also the size of a postage stamp barely holding the 3 plates, glasses, condiments etc. The crowd was loud and the table beside us was particularly raucous which together with the other very irritating aspects didn’t make for a pleasant meal. The service was not good; after our first drink we were never offered another. Fearing dehydration in the 32 degree heat, I joined the stream of people passing our table to the bar where I ordered separately - yes he was cute! I
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had the fillet steak accompanied by a pepper sauce which I must say was very tasty indeed. Another of the party had the battered fish (on my recommendation), and pronounced that it was excellent. The third person chose the pepper burger, and whilst it looked great he was not totally happy, commenting that the sauce was tasteless. But I think this had more to do with our seating arrangements and bad service than the food itself. So whilst the food at Manhattan has been good, the vibe great and the service OK, it is wonderful to see the old standby, (which was closed for a couple of months and a dive for even longer), open under the new ownership of Madame Zingara. The makeover is gorgeous! Welcome to the village. I know that it will go from strength to strength and I foresee it becoming the best bar / restaurant for gay people and their friends in de Waterkant.
THE VILLAGE CAFÉ 159 Napier Street
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his quaint, street-side cafe offers delicious homemade and healthy meals and over the years has become part of the hub of the Village. No self-respecting gay man or woman should miss the opportunity to indulge in one of their fabulous breakfast choices or their scrumptious light meals and sandwiches. Mid-morning tea with a slice of Melk Tert is not to be missed! The Village Café is a gem - a great spot to get some respite from the summer heat; take a seat in the shade of the trees, sip on something cool and watch the passing parade. It is after all the “GAY” village so there is always something or perhaps someone interesting passing by.
ZABAD FOOD LOUNGE Corner of Jarvis & Napier Streets, Tel: 021 419 9555
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ocated in one of the best spots in the Cape Quarter once occupied by the very popular Lazari, this restaurant, with a large patio in the front and a small smoking patio on the Jarvis St side, is a perfect spot to view the talent, attracting both visitors and local gay clientele. Zabad is well known for their breakfasts. I’ve eaten there a number of times, having had the full English, omelettes and even the healthy option, (not at the same time!!), which was worth every cent. The main menu is extensive offering everything from light meals, cupcakes, sandwiches and salads to more substantial pastas and grills. I haven’t had a lunchtime meal, but have had good reports. Zabad is also very popular during the day for coffee, tea’s and their cakes the carrot cake is stunning! I can vouch for that! It’s a perfect spot for cocktails. Served in long glasses and tasting like nectar from the Gods - our mango, banana and strawberry daiquiris went down singing hymns! They also have a full bar if cocktails are not your thing. Under new management for a few months now, Zabad Food Lounge is a relaxed, informal place, furnished with sofas and arm-chairs to make your dining experience comfortable and laid-back. Free Wi Fi is also available so you can catch up on your emails whilst waiting for Mr Right... and to steal a quote from Joan Rivers, “Zabadaba do me!”
OUT ON DVD LET’S WATCH DVD’S WITH DANIEL DERCKSEN The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey The 3-disc Blu-Ray Extended Edition is a must have for any avid collector! It has 9 hours of heavenly features that include never-before-seen film footage, and an intelligent and captivating indepth look at the production. On Disc One there’s intriguing audio commentary by director Peter Jackson and screenwriter Philippa Boyens and a look into New Zealand, home of Middle Earth. You can experience the making of the film on Disc Two, through a multipart chronological history of the filming, from pre-production through principal photography, including fascinating boot camp training for the main cast and the world of digital and special effects. You can also get to know Bilbo Baggins and journey through Middle-Earth with the filmmakers, from concept to the spectacular New Zealand locations.
Diana If there’s a tragic love story that’s definitely going to capture your heart, it is Diana, a compelling portrait of the Princess of Wales during the final two years of her life. One of the most endearing aspects of the film is that in her performance of Diana, Naomi Watts never attempts to impersonate the iconic Princess and celebrity, but delivers an astounding real performance of a woman imprisoned by fame, and robbed of love. Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, who gave us a powerful portrait of Hitler during the last days of the Fuhrer’s life in Downfall, Diana is a consummate masterwork that skillfully draws us into the world of a woman who triumphantly conquers her isolation and loneliness and sets out on a quest to become a major international campaigner and humanitarian.
The Evil Dead A remote cabin in the woods becomes a bloodsoaked chamber of horrors when a group of 20-something friends unwittingly awakens an ancient demon this must-see and highly anticipated reboot of Sam Raimi’s 1981 cult-hit horror film The Evil Dead. Featuring a fresh young cast, it is a bonechilling film that combines all the raw excitement and gleeful gore of the acclaimed original with a series of shocking new twists. The Bonus features a great behind-the-scenes doccie on director Fede Alvarez and the gory special effects.
Behind the Candelabra Love and passion are shattered by the malevolent corruptness of fame and fortune in this intimate odyssey into the madness that was Liberace. When a handsome young stranger Scott Thorson walked
into Liberace’s life in 1977, a torrid romance was born that is as relevant today as it was then: despite their age difference and seemingly different worlds, the two embarked on a secretive five-year love affair and tempestuous relationship - from their first meeting backstage at the Las Vegas Hilton to their bitter and public break-up.
Great Expectations It is glorious to indulge oneself in the sumptuous nostalgia of British director Mike Newell’s grand Great Expectations. Newell’s spectacular realisation of Nicholls’ text is invigorating and has an undeniable charm, affording us an opportunity to become a part of the world Dickens created in 1860. Dickens’ classic Romeo and Juliet tale about a boy who passionately yearns to capture the love of a girl whose heart has been turned into ice, is British filmmaking at its best.
Musiek vir die Agtergrond This charming Afrikaans film explores the compromises we believe we have to make in order to protect and care for those we love. It is also about the price we have to pay for our ignorance in believing that money and success will make up for all the emotional problems we have or might have in the future.
Killing Them Softly A provocative film based on George V Higgins’ novel Cogan’s Trade, Brad Pitt is terrific as a charismatic psychopath from hell, an enforcer hired to track them down three dumb criminals and restore order. It is brilliantly directed by Australian filmmaker Andrew Dominik, who also gave us The Assassination of Jesse James.
Chained This is a shocking exploration of a psychopathic serial killer who raises a young boy for 9 years with the hope that the young man will follow in his bloody footsteps. There are superb performances from Vincent D’Onofrio as the ruthless hunter and Eamon Farren as the imprisoned Rabbit who has to clean up the mess after each murder.
Prank Writer-director Yiuwing Lam takes a young man’s obsessive compulsion to the extreme in this cuttingedge thriller that pulls no punches and delivers a shocking conclusion. When three high school students, sick of living in fear of bullies, plan the ultimate payback, their prank explodes when they go too far, and they realise that getting even can have deadly consequences. Visit Let’s Watch DVDs on Facebook or visit www.writingstudio.co.za
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OUT ON FILM LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES WITH DANIEL DERCKSEN Live Opera on the big screen The Metropolitan Opera series offers some great viewing at Cinema Nouveau, kicking off with Dvořák’s Rusalka (from March 8), a lushly romantic adaptation of the Czech folk tales Hans Christian Andersen used as the basis for The Little Mermaid. Alexander Borodin’s epic Prince Igor (March 29) has its first Met performances since 1917 in a new production staged by Dmitri Tcherniakov in his Met debut, with Ildar Abdrazakov singing the title role of a Russian hero whose life is complicated by romantic intrigue, political rivalries, and familial disputes. From April 5, a new production of Massenet’s Werther, stars Jonas Kaufmann and Elīna Garanča in their first Met performances as the brooding poet Werther and his unattainable love, Charlotte. La Bohème returns from April 26, with Stefano Ranzani leading Franco Zeffirelli’s classic production that also stars Barbara Frittoli as the consumptive Mimì and Jennifer Rowley as the coquettish Musetta. From May 23 Maestro Levine conducts Mozart’s Così fan tutte.
Live Theatre on the Big Screen The National Theatre Live series as Cinema Nouveau offers The National Theatre’s epic production of War Horse from April 12, based on the celebrated novel by the Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo. Actors working with magnificent, life-sized puppets by the internationally renowned South African Handspring Puppet Company lead us on a gripping journey. Academy Award winner Sam Mendes (Skyfall, American Beauty) returns to the National Theatre to direct Simon Russell Beale (Timon of Athens, Collaborators) in the title role of Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear from June 13.
March highlights Meryl Streep plays the pill-popping matriarch Violet Weston, and Julia Roberts plays her complicated daughter Barbara in the adaptation of Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer-winning play August: Osage County. Their lives have diverged until a family crisis brings the daughter them back to the Midwest house she grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised her. I, Frankenstein is set 200 years after his shocking creation, with Dr. Frankenstein’s creature, Adam (Aaron Eckhart), still roaming the earth and finding himself in the middle of a war over the fate of humanity. Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel recounts the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the wars, together with Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who Mag 46
Visit Let’s go to the Movies on Facebook or visit www. writingstudio.co.za
becomes his most trusted friend. It stars Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law and Angela Lansbury. Judi Dench plays a woman searching for her adult son, who taken away from her decades ago when she was forced to live in a convent in Stephen Frears’ Philomena.
April highlights South African Sharlto Copley stars in Europa Report, where a crew of international astronauts are sent on a private mission to Jupiter’s fourth moon. Hours is set during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and follows a father’s desperate attempt to keep his newborn daughter alive in the wake of the storm’s destruction. Darren Aronofsky’s Noah stars Russel Crowe as a man “righteous in his generation,” who must build a wooden ark and save a remnant of life from the Flood. In All Is Lost - Academy Award winner Robert Redford stars in an open-water thriller about one man’s battle for survival against the elements after his sailboat is destroyed at sea. One Chance is based on the true story of amateur opera singer and mobile-phone salesman Paul Potts, who auditioned for “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2007 for a lark. Parkland recounts the chaotic events that occurred in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Grace of Monaco stars Nicole Kidman as the newly minted Princess of Monaco, former actress Grace Kelly, who proves herself against all odds by leading her adopted country in its struggle against France when it tries to take over Monaco.
May Highlights Filth follows a scheming, manipulative, misanthropic man (James McAvoy) who spends his time indulging in drugs, alcohol, sexually abusive relationships, and cruel plots and systematic bullying of his co-workers and friends. The Railway Man recounts the capture and torture of Eric Lomax (Colin Firth) by the Japanese in World War II when he was sent to work on notorious “death railway” in Burma. He struggles for the next 30 years to come to terms with the trauma. Firth also stars as Ron Lax in Atom Egoyan’s Devil’s Knot, set in 1993, when Arkansas was rocked by the brutal murders of three 8-year old boys playing in the woods. Lax volunteered to represent the accused and was shocked to find that the case was based entirely on circumstantial evidence, prejudiced assumptions of the teenagers’ love of Goth culture and heavy metal music.
MUSIC MOVES VINYL JUNKIE Spinning right round baby right round, like a record baby, right round
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he increasing availability of music in a Compact Disc format from the mid-Eighties led to the general demise of the vinyl record. By the Nineties only club DJs and a few diehard purists played their music from a vinyl disc. Today, even the CD is becoming obsolete thanks to the i-Pod, smartphones with music players, and the ease of downloading music from the internet. Yet there remains a certain nostalgic romance attached to the Long Playing record: the clarity of sound, the ritual of turning the record over, and the works of art which constitute the album covers. Yet the vinyl record has never really disappeared. It has remained the Height of Hip, the Climax of Cool. The best DJs continued to spin vinyl and eschewed CDs. A few specialist shops still stocked new vinyl, while many second hand shops and flea markets have been doing a roaring trade in used vinyl. So while many believed that records were history, they are now making a comeback. Dance music magazine Mixmag suggests that “the consumers’ desire for a tangible product” is the driving factor. “In the past few years more mainstream acts have begun to release on vinyl again, meaning the format’s resurgence has moved from a nostalgia-fuelled hipster phenomenon to something with mass-market appeal.” Thirty years after the first CDs appeared, worldwide record sales have steadily grown in the last three years. You know that vinyl is enjoying a renaissance when music labels start releasing local artistes on vinyl as well as CD, and main stream music outlets like Musica start selling new vinyl records. We undertook a reconnaissance mission to see what the local Musica had in stock, and the catalogue reads like a muso’s wet dream. We found some of the most seminal albums of the last half century, from the predictable to the unexpected, listed here: Joni Mitchell –Blue Massive Attack – Blue Lines Madonna – True Blue The Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band The Ramones self-titled first album Portishead – Dummy Alanis Morisette – Jagged Little Pill St Germain –Tourist Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Frankie Says Greatest Hits Prince and the Revolution– Purple Rain The Smiths –Hatful of Hollow T Rex – Electric Warriors Daft Punk – Random Access Memories U2 - The Unforgettable Fire The Rolling Stones – Grrr! Greatest Hits Green Day – American Idiot Arno Carstens - Atari Gala The Killers – Battle Born Lady Gaga – The Fame Depeche Mode -Delta Machine
We were told that new stock comes in regularly. The prices were not as outrageous as we expected, starting around R169 and averaging R250, which is around the same price of an imported CD. The most expensive record was Lady Gaga which was going for R350. We also found a beautiful retro looking record player which included a CD and a cassette player with a radio, capable of converting your priceless vinyl to CD or MP3. This was selling for R3000. New and used vinyl can be found at the following shops in Cape Town and Johannesburg: Revolution Records Specialises in rock but also stocks a great selection of jazz, funk and soul. Spend time rifling through the bargain bins which contain many gems. 85 Lower Main Road. Observatory, Cape Town 083 623 6071. Mon-Sat, 09:00-18:00 Mabu Vinyl The 2012 Oscar-nominated documentary Searching for Sugarman about cult musician Rodriguez has made Mabu Vinyl a tourist attraction and pop-culture icon. Co-owner Stephen “Sugar” Segerman, who featured in the film, says “In the past the only vinyl in Cape Town came with the DJs playing 12 inches of house music, but it’s changed completely; vinyl’s come back more in pop, rock, soul and jazz.” 2 Rheede Street, Gardens, Cape Town. Tel: 021-423-7635 Roasting Records Trades in new and quality used LP records, as well as record players and other sound equipment. Located inside Deluxe Coffee Works, 6 Roodehek Street, Gardens, Cape Town Record Mad Stocked with over 70 imports and reissue titles and new stock comes in twice a month. Prices range from R5 bargains to R2000 collector’s items Shop 4, Linden Place, 59 4th Avenue, Linden, Johannesburg Chilli Vinyl Sells new and used vinyl, 7” and EPs as well as imported and local pressings. Shop 19, Value Faire Shopping Centre, Cnr James Crescent & Old Pretoria Road Midrand, Gauteng. Tel: 011 312 4185 Warm & Glad Sells a small selection of brand-new, freshly pressed imported vinyl, but can order. 357 Jan Smuts Avenue, (corner St Alban’s Road) Craighall Park, Johannesburg. Tel: 011 781 0455
Mag 47
ON STAGE
LETS GO TO THE THEATRE WITH DANIEL DERCKSEN Sean Bovim’s Queen at the Ballet in Jo’burg
MAIN FESTIVE GOODIES The Beauty of Incomplete Things in Jo’burg Following a successful world-premiere season in Cape Town and the support of OUT Magazine, The Beauty of Incomplete Things will wow Jo’burg audiences at Pop Art Theatre and The Play Station in Parkhurst in May, with Rowan Studti, Wojtek Lipinski and Andre Lombard. “Absolutely fantastic and thought provoking to the soul and our journey through life. This play is for ALL people - not exclusive to Gay Life! It is the mirror to our souls!” said foreign visitor Guido Benoit. “The blurred lines between friendship, attraction, power and love are sensitively explored through the contorting relationships between the three men. It has soul. Pain, confusion, infatuation and rage pulse through the air with tangible force”, said critic Ella Grimwade. And from Beefcakes Grant Eglin: “Moving and thought provoking. Good to recognise myself in your characters. Do yourself a favour and go and see some good (real!) drama!” For more information on dates and show times, send an email to beauty@ writingstudio.co.za or call 072 474 1079 Rowan Studti in The Beauty of Incomplete Things
Bryn Terfel in Concert - Unique International Celebration With a Grammy, a CBE and the Queen’s Medal for Music to his name, Bryn Terfel is one of the most sought-after opera singers in the world and in celebration of South Africa’s 20 years of democracy will be coming to Cape Town on May 2 and 3 at the Artscape Opera House. Accompanying him on stage is the Cape Town Opera chorus, winners of the 2013 International Opera chorus award and 70 members of the Wales Millennium Centre Only Kids Aloud Chorus. This is a unique opportunity to see over 120 voices on the opera stage and is one of the many celebrations marking Cape Town Opera’s 15th Anniversary.
New Cape Town Philharmonic Season Pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi is returning to Cape Town to complete his interpretation of the Rachmaninov piano concert cycle with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra on May 8 under the direction of Theodor Kuchar. The season of three concerts begins on April 17, with Peter Daniel as conductor, and also as soloist in the Mozart Violin Concerto no 5 in A, K219, “Turkish”. At the third concert on April 24, Ben Schoeman will play the Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto, also with Daniel on the podium. In addition to the symphony season, there will be a gala concert with Midori, the sensational Japanese American violinist. This will take place at Artscape Opera on May 8 when she will play the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto under the direction of Arjan Tien. Mag 48
After two sold out seasons in Cape Town in 2012, receiving rave reviews from public and media alike, Sean Bovim’s long awaited Queen at the Ballet will be on at the Joburg Theatre from 26th March – 13 April. Queen at the Ballet uses the athleticism of rock ballet en-pointe in a high impact production that will entertain people of all ages. It captures the story of the great pretender, Freddie Mercury, told through the medium of dance. Set to over 20 of his greatest hits (including ‹Who wants to live forever›, ‹Another One Bites the Dust›, ‹Barcelona› and many more), viewers are taken on a journey through the fascinating life of one of the world’s greatest singers. The audience can expect to see tender pas de deux interspersed with exciting rocking group numbers performed by over 20 of South Africa’s top dancing talents. Michael Hankinson’s exquisite, recorded orchestral arrangements of Queen’s music are further enhanced by the live gymnastic vocals of Johannesburg’s renowned rocker Cito, Daniel Fisher and Angela Kilian (Sunset Boulevard & Evita) makes a special guest appearance singing “Barcelona” with Cito.
Twilight of the Golds at Sandton’s Theatre on the Square From March 19 to April 12 you can delight in Jonathan Tollin’s story that captures the essence of a regular fairly well-to-do Jewish New York family. When the pregnant Suzanne is persuaded by her geneticist husband to have an amniocentesis, the tests reveal some challenging results for the young couple and the family - whose lives are never the same again.
At the Kalk Bay Theatre in Cape Town Not to be missed is the Roland Perold Show from 7 to 31 May. Fans will remember Roland, who has delighted audiences in shows such as Coward and Cole and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. For more information, visit Let’s go to the Theatre on Facebook or visit www.writingstudio.co.za
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