Issue 3

WWW.BARCODEDMAG.CO.ZA

Issue 03

June/July 2012

Hang Suite Uncovered Body of art

Soundbooth Multimedia N0.

1 Hustler

Pure Art Proudly South African

Legends

路Vic Armstrong: Stunting into history books

Offramp Framed

July 2012

24

Contents

429

26 Editorial 3 4 Hang Suite Sol Phenduka Art Personified Uncovered 6 SA Film and TV Awards 7 Pixels Vic Armstrong Legends 8 Paramodel Craig Alan Art Lookout 9 Lebo Thinane Creative Chronicles 11 Soundbooth 14 Pure Art 5 Down 17 The Platform Expert feature 21 Off Ramp Mind Body and Art 24 Spot On Calvin Mlilo 26 Newsflash 28 Ground Up Back to the city 29 Multimedia Africa Has Game 32 Framed 34 Projekt 101 35 No.1 Hustler Ray Ray “Mr Ayoba� Madlisa 36 We Say 38

Publisher Infin8media Editor in chief Phumzile Twala (@PHUMIT) Creative Director Paul Sishange (@PaulS_RSA) Production Manager Mbuso Mafuyeka (@youngbuu) IT Manager Brian Ntuli (@Brian_DeITWiz) Sales Nomfundo Shabalala (@angelicshabs) Khethiwe Twala (@miss_kittyred) Contributing Writers: Taryn Jones (@stylishlytaryn) Bafentsoe Dopeill Art Molete Mduza van Gogh (@MduzavanGogh) Thabo Pillz Metsing (@Pillz_1852) Laurelle Williams (@laurellewilliam) Phumzile Twala (@PHUMIT) Photography: Phumzile Nkosi Mbuso Mafuyeka Phumzile Twala For general enquiries email: info@barcodedmag.co.za For advertising enquiries email: sales@infin8media.co.za

2

Barcoded Magazine

Editorial

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”-Scott Adams.

{

These words ring true particularly with this issue. With this issue, I feel that it’s safe to say with tons of chutzpah that we’re finding our footing. We chose an intriguing main theme for our third issue; one that pushed us to the zenith of our limits as creative beings. Choosing to celebrate the way artists interpret their work through use of the human body form is our way of encouraging our fellow artists to reflect on their contributions and to dare to be different.

Someone who lives up to the saying is producer Sol Phenduka, who enlightens us on his life in our Hangsuite feature. One man with unrivalled vision who managed to make a farreaching bang with his arrival in the entertainment industry by daring to be different is Ray Ray Madlisa who brought sexy back to TV ads. Check him out in No 1. Hustler. A man who can inspire many is Nuckleheadmedia’s founder Gemini Tumour. Read up on him to get better insight into his unique name in our Pure Art feature. Projekt 101 puts the spotlight on the works of Lebo Poen and we celebrate Youth month through photography in our Framed feature. Expression in its element is brought to the forefront through our focus on the annual Back to the city Festival, which was held on Freedom Day. Our contributing writers added some of their magic to the broth: Taryn Jones explores body art and creolization while Bafentsoe sheds light on a couple of new gadgets. Tying into our theme, Bafentsoe applies his knowledge on gaming into an ingenious look at modern gaming and our bodies. Thabo schools us on the different elements of music as part of Soundbooth.

I truly hope the body of this issue opens your eyes to the beauty that exists within the arts.

Using creativity to explore unchartered territory through body art is one of the numerous avenues our artists travel to reach new artistic summits. As we celebrate Youth month and commemorate the sacrifices made by the youth of 1976 in South Africa, I sincerely hope we are able to inspire the present day youth to aim to be trendsetters; to be the best and to leave a lasting legacy through positive work.

-Phumz

}

Barcoded Magazine

3

hang suite \\

sol phenduka

“MU

LTI

-TA

LENTED SO

L” House Producer, Yfm Breakfast Show Producer and co-anchor, Sol Phenduka lets us in on his upbringing, his aspirations and creative endeavours. Known for his wise-cracks on air, Sol is elevating radio standards while building his brand.

T

ake us back to your roots. Tell us about Solomzi Thandubuntu Phenduka before the “Sol Phenduka” brand was born?

Solomzi Thandubuntu Phenduka was born in 1987.

Like most black kids I grew up in a single parent household raised by a hard working strong mother.

I would say I come from a humble background ,however I won’t insult my mother’s hard work and great efforts in raising me by saying I’m from a poor background. I got a good education. I lived in Vosloo but was privileged to attend multiracial schools as soon as our beautiful country became a democratic state. I experienced everything any other township kid would: my first piece of music I ever owned was an Arthur Mafokate Cassette; Oyi Oyi was the album title. (Lol).From then onwards I was hooked on local music.

I studied the paths of most businessmen and realised they had engineering backgrounds and that’s what I studied in Varsity. I never took the entertainment industry seriously and regarded DJ’s and singers a joke, especially local ones because most didn’t seem to have the kind of wealth that inspires a typical high school student…In my late high school years I was strictly producing music and recording people for money in my bedroom, still doing it as just a hobby- I continued with that right throughout Varsity. The next thing I was comparing my music to that stuff on radio and realised that I could contribute something different to the SA music scene. I guess that’s the moment I decided I’ll take the music route in my life. Family was disappointed; I didn’t really care.

Having achieved what you have at this stage, (successfully completing the Y-Academy, producing and co-anchoring the Yfm breakfast show: Flava in the morning and producing chart-topping house tracks, among other achievements) would you say you’re content with the direction your career’s taking?

I’m blessed and grateful for what I’ve been able to do thus far, but there still is a long way to go. I believe I have laid a firm foundation. From now on it’s building and creating something that will be uniquely “me.”

In 2001 my mother bought a Pentium 1 computer and strangely it had music recording software. After fidgeting around, I realised that I could create music in my bedroom. Exactly a year later a class mate of mine at school shared “Fruity Loops” with me and other software for making music. That’s where my music production journey started; however I was already writing my own lyrics since I was a rapper since 2001….

Did you always know you would work within the arts industry and what was it that finally convinced you to take this route?

I’ve always been an artistic and creative individual.

Throughout primary school I was the best drawer/ sketcher in my class. In grade 7 I became a rapper and throughout high school I was the best rapper in school and possibly in the whole of Benoni since we’d battle rappers from other schools and I’d never lose a single one... People would tell me that I should pursue music. I would never entertain such people because in my mind I had set my mind on becoming a business man, a very corporate business man. That’s the vision I’ve always had for myself from an early age. Music was just an extra mural activity like sports (which I also excelled in)…

4

Barcoded Magazine

“I’m blessed and grateful for what I’ve been able to do thus far, but there still is a long way to go.”

You’re well-known for your keen sense of humour on air. Have you considered becoming a stand-up comedian?

I have and many people have suggested it, however I am focusing on radio and music at the moment. I will definitely consider it once the other two have taken off and once I’m comfortable with adding more to my “plate”.

What challenges do you face as an artist on a daily basis and how do you think this could be remedied?

PAPERWORK- I am not big on paper work, I am a doer and a creative mind. Unfortunately without the paper work, you don’t get paid for your work. So I would recommend any artist to get a team or person that they trust to handle things such as reading and drafting contracts. At times you have to do certain things yourself, so just do it. You get to learn a whole lot of things about the industry and this will allow you to one day be able run your own record label since you know what runs the business. So it’s empowering to handle your own paperwork as tedious as it is for the creative minded.

The South African radio industry is quite dynamic. How do you aim to stay relevant for the upcoming years of your career?

Radio is a conversation, people have been having conversations since the beginning of humankind, and we’ll have them until the end of time. All that changes are the issues of the day. As much as we all offer different brands of radio we need first stick to the basics, having relevant conversations with the listener; by doing this your radio expiry date will be when you die or lose your voice.

Being part of an industry that thrives on a fastpaced lifestyle, it’s easy to get caught up in the superficial side of things. But you’ve managed to remain straight-forward and level-headed. What keeps you humble?

What keeps me grounded is the knowledge that out there people have achieved 100 times more than me, so who am I to be arrogant? At any point in your life someone has more money, talent, cars, wisdom etc than you. That thought itself is humbling.

I have always believed that if you were born for this industry you will not only have the talent, but the right attitude that comes with the talent. Like a fish in the ocean, it was born to be there and every characteristic about it is conducive to its aquatic environment. Like an accountant or doctor all I am doing is my job (provide good radio and good music.) Just because it’s in the public’s eye it doesn’t mean I have to be arrogant about it.

Do you still have aspirations of being on TV? That would be a great challenge, I’d love to start my own show, own it and present it and do so many things on the screen that haven’t been done before.

With the ever increasing number of local channels on Pay TV, opportunities are abound. I have been told I have a good camera presence and charisma.

So TV is worth a shot.

What do you enjoy the most about your career?

Doing what I love and getting paid for it.

they wouldn’t have been as big as they are and you wouldn’t even know of their existence. If you were meant to be in this industry, you will do you and succeed at being you. You are talented enough.

Trust your instincts, do what comes to your mind first. You will stand out.

What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received from one of your mentors?

I don’t have a mentor, but the one thing my mother always told me whenever I tried to stop her from doing something because people around us would take note she’d say “If with everything you do you have one eye fixated on your actions and the other at what people around you say, you won’t get far.”

By: Phumz

WHATS

HOT!!!

What sort of ten-year plan do you have? Where should we visualize Sol Phenduka in the next few years?

It’s the small moves that count, what I do on a day to day basis. In 10 years time, I will own my own record label, my own TV channel, advertising agency, shipping business and I want to be a part of a new cell phone network/internet provider…..

These are a few lifetime goals, some will be realised within 10 years, and some won’t.

Are you currently involved in any initiatives for community development or charity work?

Not yet, once I am ready I will give back. You can’t give back with an empty hand.

Hot Club SCENES Tokyo Sky Plush Diamonds Hush Latinova Vacca Matta Mibar

What else can your fans expect from you in 2012?

My debut Album- self titled.

What advice would you give to budding artists out there?

Be yourself, you are an original creation. Be yourself. Think of one person in any industry that totally inspires you. If they weren’t themselves,

Barcoded Magazine

5

Uncovered \\

ART Personified

P

Piecing together body of work

B

ody language tells us that the body can be used to communicate messages in a way different to verbal communication. Those with the gift of the gab make optimum use of their main communication tool, the mouth, to get their points across. The rest of us use our mouths as well as everything below the chin to communicate.

Conveying messages through art is one way of celebrating the body’s ability to transform ideas into tangible works.

Art in its various interpretations has the ability to evoke emotions and feelings within us. How art is presented to us is the most fascinating aspect of the creation process. The human body used as a canvas or tool of expression of the many facets of art has the potential to captivate audiences from all walks of life. Humans have found a way of using each limb as an extension of their thoughts- a way of producing a final product conceptualised by the ingenious patterns of the mind.

Watching a dancer on stage as he/she glides or stomps in time with the beat, one can’t help but marvel at the creative ingenuity involved in displaying the art form.

With each twist of the waist of a belly dancer and each swirl of the foot of a contemporary dancer, kinesic communication is used to personify art.

Polynesian people figured out an artistic outlet early on- through tattoos. The thought of permanently scarring body tissue may deter many from getting their own, but the art remains one of the most popular forms of self-expression today.

Only a handful of people would consider plaiting hair to be an art, but considering how each strand of hair has the potential to be woven into intricate designs used to enhance beauty, it’s amazing how this skill is demonstrative of how hair, as an extension of the body is used as a canvas for displaying works of art.

Craig Tracy, a world-famous body-painter creates stunning work by painting on the bodies of his models and placing them against captivating backdrops. His art stands out particularly because of how well he blends his subjects with the backdrops. Using immense precision and creativity, he uses the body as a blank canvas to transform into jaw-dropping images. Using specific body parts as the focal points of his pieces, he is able to produce works of art intriguing to the naked eye.

Being an artist requires one to be resourceful. Using the body to express art as a musician usually involves using the arms, legs or vocal chords to physically create, by morphing notes on black and white into melodies, addictive hooks and inspirational chords. Watching beatboxers in action as they twist and contort their lips to create sounds normally created by a combination of live instruments, it’s evident that art can be expressed in the most peculiar ways. It was Leopold Stokowski who stated that “A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.”

For a make-up artist it’s the face of the model that serves as a blank canvas.

Chiselled jaws, large noses, almond shaped eyes and chunky lips make this art that much more interesting. Being able to transform plain faces into magical expressions of art is one way of demonstrating the potential of talented artists. Now I can’t mention make-up without delving into movies. Who can forget the burnt Freddy Krueger face in Nightmare on Elm Street? I say kudos to David Miller for that masterpiece!

In my opinion, the body can be one big playground for those with creative impulses. Being able to express one’s abilities using the body is one of life’s biggest blessings.

Body of work.

The embodiment of art, for fashion designers lies in the presentation of their designs showcased by models strutting down ramps; their pouts and poses purposefully executed with the intent of bringing the designer’s creations to life.

To the designer, draping their work on the body of a model is akin to a painter revealing his ability to transform a blank canvas into something worthy of marvel and praise.

By: Phumz

Tattoo Trivia The World’s most tattooed person is Scotland’s Tom Leppard, who has 99.9% of his body covered with leopard- skin design.

6

Barcoded Magazine

Jordan Gray organized Cape Town’s first tattoo-a-thon for the Children’s Haematology Oncology Clinics (CHOC) Childhood Cancer Foundation, on the 15th of June2012.

The basic tattoo machine was invented by Thomas Edison in 1876.

S.A. FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS

PIXELS

// pixels

MZANSI FLICKS NOMINATED FOR AAMA AWARDS The African Academy Movie Awards are set to be held in Nigeria on April 22nd. One of the South African movies nominated is Otelo Burning, starring former Jerusalema and Generations star Jafta Mamabolo. Due for release across South African cinemas in early May, the film is set in Kwa-Zulu Natal and has racked up an impressive thirteen nominations in total.

Mamabolo plays the lead role as 16-year-old Otelo Buthelezi in the film, set in 1989 during the latter years of apartheid. The character has a deep fear of the water and is offered a chance to escape the violence of his community through surfing. This leaves him with the dilemma of having to choose between friendship and his dream. Directed by Sara Blecher and produced with a budget of R10 million, she has mentioned-”Our main challenge has been trying to get funding to start.”

The National Film and Video Foundation has been a great deal of help in this regard.

OTELO

OTELO

MZANSI DOUBLES AS SYRIA IN UPCOMING MOVIE It’s no news that South Africa has played host to a number of movie productions in recent years, but the latest is that our diverse scenery, multi-cultural population and relatively low production costs are making waves internationally.

Ruba Nadda, a Canadian director, remarking about Mzansi as a location said, “It’s better than Canada.”

In her latest film, Inescapable Nadda found a double for Syria (Middle East) in S.A. In the film, Chronicle the streets of Cape Town (home to one of the 10 best studios in the world) are used to mimic the streets Seattle. S.A. filmmaker Ronie Apteker comments, “You can get away with a lot more risk-taking. There’s no law here, and that’s what we love.”

S.A. FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS The Awards ceremony was held at Gallagher Estate in Midrand on the 9th and 10th of March 2012. The 6th edition of the awards saw Ryley Grunenwald nabbing the Best Director in a Documentary (The Dawn of a New Day) award. Production house Red Pepper flexed their muscle by winning Best Youth and Children Programme: Jam Alley Crew vs. Crew. New kid on the block Club 808 came first in the race for the Best Music Show (despite the controversy surrounding etv’s withdrawal from broadcasting the ceremony.)

Speak Out- popular among SABC2 viewers, made it through tough contention to win the award for Best News & Actuality Programme-another Red Pepper production.

Jam Sandwich (Meerkat Media and Mahala Media) took the award for Best Reality Show, while Curious Pictures had its hands full courtesy of Intersexions winning as Best TV Drama Series, augmenting to numerous wins in other categories in which it was nominated.

Big ups to all nominees and winners!

Barcoded Magazine

7

Legendz \\

Vic Armstrong

Vic Armstrong:

Stunting into history books

A

stunt, according to Wikipedia, is defined as an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre or cinema.

Hailed as the most prolific stuntman of all time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the legendary Vic Armstrong has managed to elevate the art of stunts to a new level. Armstrong is renowned for leaping 18 feet off a galloping horse onto a speeding tank, thereafter fist fighting a group of Nazis atop two moving vehicles, in an Indiana Jones film.

His work has garnered him respect in the film industry as well as industry-standard injuries (metal plates in his shoulder and shin often get him attention from metal detectors.)

Schooled in Kenya, England and Glasgow among many other places, Armstrong’s lifelong dream was to be a steeplechase jockey, racing horses professionally. He made his debut in the 1966 film “Arabesque,” as a stunt rider. This led to a glorious, four decade long career that saw the father of four graduate from stuntman, to stunt co-ordinator to stunt director. He’s managed to remain relevant in an age whereby film is dominated by digital effects. Fusing the physical exertions required in stunt work with

computer effects is how the art is performed lately.

The only stuntman to receive a BAFTA award for Lifetime Achievement, this legend has recently directed the action sequences for “Thor,” “The Green Hornet,” “Salt” and “I am Legend.”

Vic Armstrong’s body of work also includes the Indiana Jones franchise, work on the Superman films and the James Bond films. He’s worked with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Blake Edwards, Ridley Scott, James Cameron and Martin Scorsese. He has documented his experiences in an autobiography aptly titled: The True Adventures of the World’s Greatest

Stuntman. Of his work on “Tomorrow Never Dies” (1997 Bond Film,) he had this to say: “I think you get a real bang for your buck in that and I enjoyed making it. It was just a nice, big Bond, going back to the old style.

It just kicks arse, and you believe he’s in there getting his arse kicked as well.” A man of legendary status in the film world, Vic Armstrong contributed towards revolutionizing the art of stunt work. With a successful family business, it looks like his name will be around for a long time.

By: Phumz

8

Barcoded Magazine

Paramodel Craig Alan Art

// lookout

CRAIG ALAN ART PEOPLE INFUSED POP ICON PORTRAITS

R

evolutionary, brilliant and ingenious are the first words that usually come to mind when one encounters the artistic endeavours of Craig Alan. Born in 1971 in San Bernardino California, U.S, the visual artist moved to New Orleans in his youth. He had a flair for replicating the human figure, which managed to get him some bucks while expressing his creative impulses through street portraiture.

While at the University of Mobile, Alabama he began making a name for himself through his brilliant displays of excellence. He earned an academic award for studio arts. He eventually moved on to working in theatre, which augmented his knowledge and skill considerably.

His appreciation of the human form is evident in his work, which expresses his technical sophistication and an elaborate imagination.

His career is a combination of ingenious creativity, broad knowledge, refined skills and unique vision. One example of his unique vision is expressed in his work in which he uses real humans as pixels in order to create portraits of pop culture icons.

His portraits have included John F. Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe (complete with her signature crimson lips.) In the portraits individuals are strategically placed in order to create

images identical to his subjects.

If this work is anything to go by, there sure is a whole lot more to come from Craig Alan, who continues to exhibit his work across the U.S.A.

“Revolutionary, brilliant and ingenious�

Barcoded Magazine

9

UPCYCLING: BLURRING THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN ART AND CRAFT ART PARADISE BROUGHT TO I think most of us are familiar with recycling, but not everyone LIFE BY JAPANESE DUO can define upcycling. This trend is about giving items a new lease on life by upgrading them to another purpose entirely than that for which they were created.

The first annual Chesapeake Upcycling Art Festival will be held in May, in Maryland U.S.A. American artist Juliette Montague says of her artistic endeavours, “It’s making use of things you don’t want to see end up in a landfill.” A teacher at New Albany High School, Montague says of her students,” I always tell them not to make junk from junk, but make art from junk.”

Alicia Beck is known for her upcycled chandeliers, made of, wait for it...cassette tapes. Of her work she said, “I think my favourite aspect of upcycling, aside from the positive creative and environmental impacts, is that it isn’t confined to just one group of people. It is great for creative types and folks trying to live more “green,” just as it is great for those looking to save money, those who are fashion-forward, and anyone looking to make something personal and unique.”

Jason Hills, an artist who resides in Australia, makes his upcycling work unique by giving classic religious figurines a dark new life by transforming them into “dead figures.”

Inspired by unwanted old figurines in charity shops and a love of Mexican folk and tattoo art, Hills re-sells his work online and at local fairs.

Although upcycling seems to have gained a buzz in 2011, South Africa’s been in the game for quite a while. Think about the aged grannies that create shopping bags made of shreds of plastic bags.

Some of them weave mats with grass and create elaborate designs with these plastic bags. In a society that’s going green, upcycled art has found itself to be a piece of a puzzle that creates an image of a world that takes better care of mother earth. Look out for more upcycling events all over the globe.

Using a play on the Japanese word puramoderu two graduates from the Kyoto City University of Arts formed an art unit in 2001. They called it Paramodel, a portmanteau of the words paradise, paradox and model.

Yosuhiko Hayashi and Yusuke Nakano create models of paradise using toy parts, like plastic train tracks and mini cars. They also use installation, objects, animation, painting, sculpture and photography to present their work. Paramodel exhibitions are always site-specific. They incorporate local elements from the country where they are working. The duo recently hosted a workshop at the Hanoi College of Fine Arts, that taught participants how to create Paramodel installations and even invited them to play with their artwork.

“I walked around the streets and let my eyes capture everything that makes up Hanoi. I want all of my/our works to present the spirit of life,” said co-founder Yasuhiko Hayashi.

For their Hanoi show, Paramodel extended their abstract designs out onto the exterior of the Japan Foundation Centre.

The expansive linkages invite the viewer to contemplate the borders between reality and fantasy, and how those boundaries are blurred in a child’s imagination. The duo has had exhibitions in Indonesia, Singapore, China, Switzerland and Australia. They are represented by the Mori Yu Gallery in Tokyo.

By: Phumz

10

Barcoded Magazine

Lebo Thinane

// Creative Chronicles Unravelling

Lebo Thinane

Arts, Culture and Lifestyle show Weekend Live anchor and producer Lebo Thinane gives us a behind-the-scenes view into the creative process involved in her profession. We meet with her at the SABC Studios in Auckland Park early on a Sunday morning.

After the usual formalities at reception and in the production room, with the hospitable Zama, we greet Lebo as she’s getting her eyes made up by make-up artist Paulina. We get straight into a typical working weekend...

3:30am Wakes up. [Lebo explains that having to get up at this ungodly hour means she has no social life.} She adds: “Don’t ask me what I’m doing between then and 4:30am (laughs). I’m one of those people who take forever to get ready.”

(Overlays are the screenshots of photos you see at home during the interview.) Thursdays and Fridays are when we as producers sit with a video editor and we use footage from archives to put the overlays together. Fridays are also for confirmations with our guests for both shows.

We all have to compile what we call” safeties.” We compile a Reuter’s story that’s about 2 to 3 minutes long, just in case a guest cancels on us.”

4:30am Leaving Midrand, en route to Auckland Park 5:00am Meet with the other producers to go over the script for the show of the day.

“I work with 3 to 4 other producers and we work together during the week to put the shows together.

The work we do on weekends is mostly for final touch-ups. Wednesdays are for brainstorming, where everyone presents different ideas. Thursdays are for final touch-ups and overlays.

Barcoded Magazine

11

Lebo Thinane

//

Q AND A You studied journalism at TUT (previously known as Pretoria Tech.) Where did you envision yourself?

Radio initially. That was the plan.

“At some point I thought of being a marine-biologist.”

What are some of your fondest memories of being part of “Grand Stand” with Koena Moabelo and Jeff Moloi on Kaya fm?

Wow...uhm...I can’t real single one favourite moment... Can we come back to this question? Next question!

How difficult was it making the transition from radio to TV for you?

Not easy hey... I wasn’t even supposed to go on air on that day, because I was told I was there for training. I can remember my arm shaking the whole time. I was shaking like a leaf!

So what did you learn from that experience?

To read slower and to relax... (Laughs)

You’ve achieved quite a lot before the age of 30. What’s next for Lebo?

I wanna get into camera work, directing and have more children!

How do you handle the different roles you have in your life?

As a daughter, mother, anchor, producer, a sister...

I just do hey. I mean, when I’m at home I’m not a producer or anchor. My two-year old has no idea what that is! When I’m with my mom I still do the dishes you know.

Was it easy adjusting to working with a different co-anchor?

Before Samm (Marshall) joined us I was working with Romi Titus. There were mostly female members in the team actually. But there weren’t any challenges really; it was just one of those situations where we just hit it off.

Funniest moment on air?

I can’t really think of a specific one, but I think when we have a comedian on the show, it’s always really funny. Joey Rasdien comes to mind as one of the funniest people I’ve interviewed.

What’s the worst that could happen on a show and how do you deal with it?

Probably when the autocue switches off. It’ll work properly for a good six weeks and then stop working suddenly. So when that happens what we do is ad-lib. Of course when this happens during the news we can’t do anything about it. At any given time you have 4 people having a conversation in your ear (the directors and producers through the earpiece.) They’ll usually tell us to ad-lib about interesting stories for that day.

If you weren’t doing this, what else would you be doing?

Anything that didn’t have to do with maths (laughs.) At some point I thought of being a marine-biologist.

What about your love of radio? Will you ever go back?

I’ll go back one of these days!

12

Barcoded Magazine

Completely made-up, Lebo steps down and heads off to the ser, five minutes before the show starts. She adjusts her earpiece and organises her script.

The clock strikes 7am and the show kicks off with the first news bulletin.

7:00 am Lebo executes flawlessly. She shares a joke with her colleagues as the tape rolls.

7:15 am The show’s musical guest performs her first song of the day, while Lebo reads through some newspapers.

7:25 am Lebo interviews award –winning painter Jarrett Erasmus. Floor manager Warren signals for Lebo to wrap up the interview five minutes later.

7:44am Watching Lebo in action, she makes the guests feel at-ease with her engaging interview style.

He muses, “People always spoke of how he’d play like a possessed human on the field. Yet he had so much humility, despite him being so talented. For 7:48 am She checks on incoming tweets me, I would have thought a more senior and is impressed with the reaction from reporter like your Sello Rabothata would viewers watching the show. get to do it, but I got to spend that one hour with this legend.”

8:00 am The red light on camera 3 indiShe further tells me, “We’d usually invite cates the commencement of the 8am news a friend of our guests on the show, so for bulletin. this particular one we got Jomo Sono on 8:10 am Off-camera, Lebo introduces the show. They both played in the U.S at herself to the next interviewee, while Paul some stage, so they had this thing they’d Monare wraps up with the weather. do as a joke, whereby they’d speak to each other in American accents...”

8:11 am During the interview, Lebo Watching her describe this moment adlibs about the National Arts Festival, enthusiastically, it’s evident that this moset to take place from the 28th of June ment was a great honour in her career.

2012.

Carrying her newspapers under one arm, the petite star with a bountiful personality 8:24 am Back from the ad break, Lebo bids us goodbye, as she heads home to reads a letter from one of the viewers. unwind for the rest of the day.

She informs the viewers that the show is about to end.

A special thank you

8:30 am Credits roll.

I catch up with Lebo as she steps off the set, (she still owes me one more answer.)

She explains her fondest memory of her time on Kaya fm sports show Grand Stand, has to be getting to interview the late Ace “Mabhekaphansi” Ntsoelengoe.

to Lebo Thinane, the SABC and the Weekend Live Crew: Father Richard Mothotse - Camera operator Page Tsatsimpe - Camera operator Sidwell Moema - Sound engineer Warren Carnel - Floor manager Chris Ngwenya - Camera operator Atlang Molobi - Camera operator Bhasani Shuma - Autocue operator

By: Phumz

Barcoded Magazine

13

Soundbooth //

Article

NOTING THE ELEMENTS

“What is music to you? What would you be without music? Music is everything. Nature is music (cicadas in the tropical night.) The sea is music, the wind is music. The rain drumming on the roof and the storm raging in the sky are music. Music is the oldest entity.

The scope of music is immense and infinite. It is the “Esperanto” of the world.”- Duke Ellington

E

ver listened to your favourite track and wondered, what went into it? Who produced it? Who wrote it or even better who or what inspired it?

In reality most of us don’t care, just as long as it makes you dance, reminds you of something or someone and that you can relate to it, and then it’s all good.

Most of us are “typical music listeners” with no idea of where our favourite genre of music originates from or even the etymology of the word “music.” With that said lets kick start with pop...

Pop music originated around the late 1600’s after a catchy opera by Alessandro Scarlatti but the first pop hit record was by Slade Kelly in 1894 according to research.

Pretty funny isn’t it, I mean really... there was pop music in the late 1800’s?

I tried to hunt down the track but no luck.

Maybe you could have better luck than me and get back to me, who knows? All in all though pop music is dance music, it must have a catchy hook and catchy beat. Most of the time the verse isn’t paid attention to but it’s one of the most loved genres, especially with teenage suburban kids.

Pop comes from the word “popular” and if you really want to know what pop sounds like listen to Michael Jackson- it’s by no fluke that he was known as the “King of Pop.”

within South African society, most notably among young black kids. Kwaito is usually belligerent and in contradiction, usually has a simple tempo beat to accommodate the simple lyrics.

Lately this foundation’s been rocked by the rise in popularity of a new sound, characterized by an up-tempo beat mainly influenced by house music. The basic elements remain intact though, through simple wordplay and a focus on melody and catchy hooks.

floor to strut their stuff. Acknowledging their enthusiasm he called them “Break Boys,” a term that later evolved to “BBoys.” From there a number of things followed like graffiti- condiments to the culture of hip hop.

The neighbourhoods of the Bronx New York are widely known as the birthplace of rap. The core element of hip hop music is the drum. The delivery of rap laced on a drum beat is reminiscent of the griots of yesteryear of African tribes who passed on family traditions and culture through storytelling. Constantly evolving, this music form draws inspiration from various genres, while maintaining its basic elements.

Classic music we all know has the potential to calm a person down and to speak to the soul. It also helps with processing information with ease according research.

This genre of music is by far the oldest and most listened to by old folks usually aged from 35 and above... Classic usually deals with every instrument known to man to give it a rich and outstanding feel to it.

Elaborate compositions have been created for scores of decades by the world’s DJ Kool Herc greatest music minds. Rich ensembles of Hip Hop music is usually thought of as a violins, cellos, basses and pianos collaboculture/lifestyle which originated in the rate to create melodies strung together by crotchets and semi-quavers, which comUSA in New York.

DJ Kool Herc is credited with creating it by bine to form what we call classic music. simply scratching old records to compile an interesting and catchy tune for young Electronic music short for electro is music Kwaito music: born in the early nineties, individuals. What made the Jamaican na- basically produced electronically with nufounded by an artist named Arthur Ma- tive different was his occasional speech- merous sources of electric instruments (in fokate, a.k.a “King of Kwaito.” feast into the microphone during his sets. other words a simple PC) but don’t underIt has a street-like sound since that’s where During instrumental breaks between vers- estimate it; this kind of music is of good it’s from and has become a big genre es some dancers would get on the dance quality. It is most often played in clubs in

14

Barcoded Magazine

usually white dominated areas, (although there’s been a gradual blur when it comes to the denominations of races that are the main consumers of the music lately.) It’s a sub-genre of house music- they have the same tempo. Depending on what type of electro you’re listening to, the main ingredients could be drum and bass or mainly synths.

Jazz music...

Well need I say much? I grew up with a mom and dad who love Jazz. It’s been around ever since the early 1900’s. On any given day old folks are normally the target market but lately the younger crowd seem to be loving it since it has been fused with the popular house music. A jazz ensemble is usually comprised of drums, brass instruments, bass guitar and piano with a vocalist at times. Put those in one room and great sounds are sure to come out of it.

House music we all know as dance music is club, pub and shebeen music; you will hear house just about everywhere and sure enough it’s loved by just about every age group because it accommodates every genre. Popular in many countries all over the globe it’s up-tempo and has sparked controversy over the years

because of numerous bootleg remixes of popular songs- often irking genre purists.

Rock music’s loud. It somehow originates from jazz and blues.

Rock music was born in the UK in the early 60’s and is also known as Rock and Roll, although there are a lot of sub-genres within Rock. This music gave the electric guitar life when rock Legend Elvis made it major in his era. Basic drumming for this genre will include a snare, bass drum and hi-hats- that keeps things going. Then of course the riffs depend on the type of rock one’s playing.

I could go on and on mentioning the various genres but as far as the art of music is concerned the first known instrument is the drum, while the oldest known genre is said to be classic music.

Now we all love music for a number of reasons and we are sometimes identified by the kind of music we listen to.

Nevertheless music makes the world go round and it helps us get by on a daily basis. Maya Angelou once said, “Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl back to my loneliness.”

I say: It’s all love because if it isn’t we all die in sorrow.

Cheers to Music...

By: Thabo Pillz Metsing

Jimmy Hendrix

Billboard 100 Top 8 1. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe 2. Maroon 5 ft Wiz Khalifa - Payphone 3. Gotye ft Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to know 4. Katy Perry - Wide Awake 5. Rihanna - Where Have You been 6. Ellie Goulding - Lights 7. Fun ft Janelle Monae - We Are young 8. Nicki Minaj - Starships WHATS Robert Glasper Trio

HOT!!!

Barcoded Magazine

15

Soundbooth //

LULU DIKANA ALBUM REVIEW

Lulu Dikana - THIS IS THE LIFE

A

s soon as the Introduction plays one gets the feeling that the rest of the thirteen track offering is a smooth ride of quality sounds. “This is the Life” doesn’t disappoint. The enchanting track “He Loves me” is an ode to her maker and sets the tone for the album, which is a mixture of soul and a touch of gospel. “Saviour” is a beautiful track that will have you singing along, as Lulu successfully takes the listener back to the grassroots of soul yet masterfully delivers a modern rendition.

“Keep Moving” has a more upbeat feel to it, but doesn’t deviate from the main message embedded throughout the album which aims to uplift and inspire. The song simply encourages one to keep moving in the face of adversity.

“Number 1” sees the songstress effortlessly stretch her vocal chords as she sings praises. Ask her how she describes her music and she instantly answers “old school soul,” and ask her what her belief is and she assertively answers “born again.” “Walking Miracle” has a special meaning to it, as it speaks of a challenging time in her life- when she fell ill with a rare condition affecting her oesophagus.

16

Barcoded Magazine

The lyrics are a testament to how she was able to overcome her temporary setback. This track has a catchy chorus and a spunky beat, which adds to the sense of victory which the song evokes. The song “Love it was you” is a dreamy ballad which shows off Lulu’s husky yet angelic pipes with the piano accompanying.

The album was mastered by Herb Powers Jnr, who’s worked with US muso Lala Hathaway. Smooth, crisp and flawless, the album is a quality piece of work. TMP Music has a worthy investment in the lanky beauty who hails from Port Elizabeth.

Barcoded Magazine would like to thank Tyra Molefe of TMP Music- Ed.

Pure Art Tat-you and Eye

Many people choose to mark their bodies with emblems or logo’s of people they aspire to be and as the saying goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder”, in this case the artist.

P

eople from all races, cultures, religions, ages, demographics and backgrounds all seem to have the same views and opinions on tattoos and other forms of body art. It has been used for centuries by various cultures to express beliefs, motifs and ideals and this concept is still being widely used across the globe.

Tattoos were first seen on the Ainu, indigenous people of Japan, who traditionally had facial tattoos and are now widespread across many countries and have broken through numerous languages, namely Britain, who are more commonly referred to as 'the painted people'. British people remain the most tattooed in Europe.

A tattoo is a form of body modification, made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment, and these markings make a person unique and individual from the next.

Being a self proclaimed tattoo lover myself [however I have only been inked once,] and having many friends and colleagues in the fashion, creative and music industries, many people are coming to terms with body art and, of late, tattoos have become more socially acceptable and popular across all age groups and cultures.

Tattoos are a way of marking passages and personal journeys through life. Our bodies create a canvas onto which we are able to document and fantasize various chapters in our lives, memories and decisions that we don’t want to forget. Tattoos are also popular when following certain bands, singers or other celebrities – many people choose to mark their bodies with emblems or logo’s of people they aspire to be or individuals that provide them [the innovator] with influence and inspiration.

Although tattoos and body art is a beautiful and personal experience, it has been, just like many other “addictions” , taken to the extremes and the body is not being used as an art form, but more of a pin cushion for ink and needles. Many people decide impulsively to mark their bodies and often regret it afterwards. I have met and spoken to many people that have regrets about their choices and cannot afford to remove or fix what they have done – Proving using your body as a form of self expression might not be for everyone?

However saying that; inspiration and beauty comes from art, loved ones are remembered after passing, important dates are marked and remembered forever and amazing artwork is “embedded” onto the souls that bear the memories of unique and precious life experiences.

One commonality when it comes to body art and “ink” is that is spreads its way across borders and industries, from musicians, to corporate, creative’s and even doctors – Not one person is defined solely by their profession.

“My tattoos represent more to me than just ink. Being brought up in a family of musicians and having worked in the corporate field for the last 2 years has not influenced my decision on what tattoos mean to me personally. They are a form of artwork and history in my life and people express themselves in different ways and forms, mine is ink”, Byran Boucher, 25, sales Rep from JHB explains.

“I want people to admire and appreciate my life’s lessons and achievements as much as I cherish them. My son is my life and my ink represents my love and pride of being a mother – What better way to remind yourself each day then by getting inked?” added 25 year old fashion designer Llana Griffin.

By Taryn

Barcoded Magazine

17

Pure Art

5

DOWN DOUBLE-SIDED

GROWTH

As a young entrepreneur, with a growing brand within the arts, how challenging has it been getting your name out?

It has been a consistent challenge and hustle to get people to take me seriously and show mutual respect. I've been at it for around 5 years now and it doesn't get any easier, I still feel like I haven't achieved anything yet so that still keeps me on my toes and alert.

Artists are often perceived as being careless and reckless with their lifestyles.

How did your tumour diagnosis in 2010 change your outlook in life?

It changed a lot hey -from my faith, confidence, appearance, even my speech and the way I rap changed dramatically. I basically had to adapt to the new me and learn how to pronounce certain words clearly as the operation was done in my mouth and jaw. It also showed me that nothing in life is certain so one should never take anything for granted...

18

Barcoded Magazine

Nuckleheadmedia’s man on top making his dreams a reality.

I think I'm more vigilant of my health, family and the people I place in my life.

Some people wouldn’t cope under the circumstances, but you’ve embraced this challenge-by going as far as including “Tumour” in your stage name.

Fashion forms a part of the Nuckleheadmedia brand. In the past you’ve organised fashion shows in your hometown. What types of bodies represent the Nucklehead label? Who do you cater for specifically?

It doesn't have a certain target market in terms of size or body type; it’s an urban clothing brand such as Ama Kip Kip, Butan and Head Honcho. I want peeps to feel trendy, fresh and swagged out when wearing a Nuckle Head tee or hoodie so it’s all about the emotion and feeling you get from the garment regardless of your race, background or size.

As an artist, how do you incorporate the various elements of your skill set into Tell us more about this deyour body of work? cision? What does it repreFor me being an artist alone is not enough sent to you? to succeed and live comfortably that's I made it part of my “aka” as it made the why I'm a music producer, song writer, biggest impact in my life and so I wanted event organiser and artist manager... All it as a rememberance of how far I've those factors contribute to my success and come and what I've overcome. Tumour made it possible for me to be where I'm at for me represents "Growth" and since that now all without a manager or an investor. chapter of my life happened I grew as an individual, started to take responsibility What’s your staple diet for of my life and became even more focused sustainability in the arts? to make my dreams reality.

If you're doing it for the right reasons then you'll be able to continue doing it over a long duration and still be enjoying it. The reason why I'm consistent with this 5 years in is because I have a passion for it all and I'm in love with the music and entertainment industry as stressful as it gets.

What career prospects does one have within this particular industry? Is it a saturated profession?

The course I studied is broad, because I don’t just do make-up.

I’m a skin care therapist 90 percent of the time which helps a lot with my make up work and attaining clients. But in terms of make up there are different types of make up artist fields that one can venture into or specialise in (e.g. bridal make up or photography make up.)

Make-up artist and skin care therapist Martha Shiloane on her expression of art:

How long does it take one to master the skills required in this profession?

It all depends on the level of experience. Practice really does make one perfect in terms of working with different skin tones and facial shapes. So there is no given time for it to be mastered. It all goes with how often you practice.

As a make-up artist, palettes presented to you are always different. What do you love most about this aspect of your profession?

I love playing with colour! No one person has the same skin tone or colour as the next. It’s amazing how red for example can make one with small eyes pop out (even the personality) and just a little bit of purple will calm the face down. But you have to know how to mix and match the right colours not only to suit the person’s skin tone but also their personality.

Do you derive joy from your creations on an artistic level, or is it just a job for you?

It’s never just a job for me; I wouldn’t be doing it if it were. I’m not much of a paint brush-to-canvas artist, but I do feel some form of artistry in me after a job well done. I do it for the love of beauty enhancement.

With each face you make up, what’s the distinguishing factor with your work?

The eyes! Always the eyes! That’s where I get to play with colour. It’s the first thing a person notices when they look at a made up face and it’s where I get really bring out the beauty in a person.

What words of wisdom would you like to share with fellow artists?

Never make up one person the same as the previous because that is just plain boring. No one wants to go to a boring make up artist. Learn to play with colours and using the right professional make up because not only does it last longer on the face; it’s also less likely to cause a reaction on the person’s skin.

CONTACT DETAILS: Email MsButterfly359@gmail.com Twitter @MarthaShiloane

Barcoded Magazine

19

Pure Art

It’s how we

dance

W

e all enjoy dancing, even those that think they can dance. There’s something about an infectious tune that convinces you to move and do dance moves that make you think that you are a pro. The urge gets worse especially after watching a dance movie. You are so certain that you dare to attempt those moves and end up with unnecessary injuries. This is as awkward as watching your drunken uncle at a family gathering dancing as if he’s a robot short of bolts and nuts. Then a few members join him and not long after that it becomes a dance off… then someone trips and falls. Dare laugh and you won’t hear the end of it.

world wide have managed to keep their indigenous dancing prospering even during these modern times, so why can’t we?

All I’m saying is that it is time that we danced our tune of freedom until our bodies scream out for liberation and acknowledgement.

I was brimming with pride when I saw Beyonce attempting some pantsula moves for her music video. Although she wasn’t half bad she still couldn’t move the way Dance has evolved but the reason as to that we can, which says something about why we dance has remained elusive. our uniqueness. Whether the world is Classical, modern, hip hop, contemporary, jazz, tap dancing and ballet; all these ready for our eccentric take on dancing dance styles are rooted in Africa but were isn’t our problem, we are ready for the world clearly. given a western twist along the way.

People we hardly know are celebrated for these dance styles internationally but our

By Bafentsoe Dopeill Art Molete time as Africans is coming. The thing is, Dance not only gets people in great spirits nobody can move the way that Africans but it is a language that some opt for. do, a fact that we over- look and end up Those who talk less and move more to emulating people overseas whom we’ve produce something profound that will set the standard for. move you emotionally as you can identify Let’s embrace our talents because we with what’s being said. Every culture have that in abundance. So many cultures in the world has its own form of dance performed during certain ceremonies.

From this we’ve seen the emergence of different dance genres as time progressed and many have been commercialized and competitions are held in their honour. The observation of the evolution of dance is quite interesting and it still continues to do so in the present day.

At some point ballroom dancing was reserved exclusively for the elite class in society, performed at royal banquets. The less privileged were forbidden to practise this art. Other dance forms such as the salsa, rumba, tango and the Venice waltz, were seen as being too sexual in nature so were known as the forbidden dance.

20

Barcoded Magazine

With time they ended up understanding that the dance wasn’t entirely about all that. Then there’s a Brazilian dance style known as capoeira with a heavy African influence which was deemed as being too violent and people were severely punished for this by the law. Today it’s a form of fun exercise but there are those that still practise it in its purity.

THE PLATFORM Letting the youth step up and be heard Barcoded Magazine asks the question: Do you think Mzansi’s youth are doing a great job at contributing to the art scene as a whole?

?

Fatima Shalang, from Daveyton, GP

Sibusiso Dladla, from Diepkloof zone 5, GP:

I think the youth is improving the creative art scene. Looking at some of my peers like Sbuda P, Siya Shezi, Stone X and those who have led the way, like ProKid. Songwriters as well are doing a good job of improving the arts.

BarcodedMag: What does art mean to you?

It’s a way of portraying life; your thoughts or way of expressing what’s around you...

Sibongiseni Johannes Ntombela, from Nkandla, KZN

I feel that in today’s youth, there is a lot of determination, a willingness to display talents and all round creativity. Although there are some lazy people, I feel that our youth is doing a good job at improving art. They are doing a good job at upliftment too.

I think the youth focuses a lot on music as artistic expression. I feel that music is the main form the youth uses as their main art form. They don’t focus as much on writing, visual art, acting, scripts, etc. But they are improving art as a whole.

BarcodedMag: What does art mean to you?

Art to me means creativity, freedom, expressing yourself

BarcodedMag: What does art mean to you?

It’s a way of expressing one’s personality, abilities and creativity. It’s a way for one to let people know who they are.

Katleho Motingoe, from Noordgesig, GP

Thuli Twala, from Pretoria, GP:

I feel that our youth is lacking when it comes to representing art. They are ignorant and aren’t as involved as they could be. For me, people like my peers Benji and Noma from Pretoria are contributing well in that sense. They host dance shows, encourage youngsters to do poetry, painting and crafts as well. For me, it’s people like that who are improving art as a whole.

BarcodedMag: What does art mean to you?

It represents inner peace to me. My being.

I use art to express something without having to speak.

Thabang Khabisi, from Pimville, GP I feel that energies are channelled in the wrong ways. If for example, someone were to design an Obama t-shirt with a penis on it, typical youth would look at it in the wrong context, whereas someone who appreciates art would look at a deeper meaning; in an artistic context.

BarcodedMag: What does art mean to you?

Expression.

I don’t think they’re contributing the way I expect them to. If we could find ways of letting people live their dreams and get them to learn, that would be great. We can start off with development programmes and grow from there. There are groups that I have heard about that do cultural dances and various acts through development programmes and I think that is great work. We have so much to give but most are scared as they don’t about viable channels to go through.

BarcodedMag: What does art mean to you?

Art means colour, creativity, passion, expression. Art is expressed in many forms.

We have it in the form of music, dance, theatre, film, acting, paintings, drawing, etc. I love music and dance more than the others but I can still relate. Hope that makes sense...

Barcoded Magazine

21

THE PLATFORM // EXPERT FEATURE We get a few

experts

to share their

knowledge.

Musa April- Film

Numerous people have blogs these days.

As an artist, how could one differentiate theirs to make it “stand out” and work to their advantage in terms of building or sustaining a brand?

I think if you’re an artist and you don’t have a blog, you’re missing out. But yet again, blogging means a commitment to posting, linking, responding to comments, etc.

You learn a lot about your own music and your goals as an artist when you blog and interact with people or you can always get a dedicated person to your music to blog for you. In short, blogging makes you new fans and the more people you know, the more people there are to buy your music. Perfect example is Drake’s blog (www.octobersveryown.blogspot.com), which has 4 members, including Drake himself. He may be an established artist but he too started somewhere and to this date he continues to use the platform he feels most comfortable in. Plus it’s free to blog and you can post your new music, video or write whatever you want to write but as long as you don’t insult your fans (or followers)then you’re on the right path as an artist and new blogger.

Have social networks made it harder or easier For someone with a brilliant concept, which they’d like to develop further into a short film, for artists to make a living? How so? what steps would you recommend they follow I think it’s easier and harder, but it depends on the genre of music you do. Having facebook/twitter, blogspot, wordpress or tumblr in order to make their dreams come true?

The first thing to do when you have a brilliant concept is to register the idea so as to own copyright for your intellectual property. This will protect your idea from being stolen by someone else. There are many ways to patent an idea such as copyright attorneys or publishers. But the most basic way is to mail yourself a date stamped copy of your idea and never open it as proof of when you came up with it. Once you have registered your idea, the second step is to now develop your idea.

This entails writing a treatment including your concept, synopsis and script if necessary. Once this is done, you can now pitch your idea to broadcasters or seek funding from institutions such as NFVF, GFC or DTI. Once you have ascertained funding or your idea has been commissioned you can now begin production.

could work to your advantage to interact with new friends or followers to get your music out there. A disadvantage of some blogs or sites is when your music is being given away freely or illegally without your consent. It harms the artist’s career as an entertainer. But there are still fans/artists who haven’t adapted to the ‘digital era’ who still appreciate physical copies, especially with jazz, classic, traditional, country and gospel music, whereas genres like hip hop/rnb, pop and rock are changing with the times, while house music is also catching up in S.A.

Kgomotso Mautloa- Graphic Design

What advice would you give to aspirant filmmakers when it comes to the film industry as a whole?

My advice to anyone interested in the film industry is to get a basic education. They could either obtain a 3 year certificate from institutions like AFDA, City Varsity, UJ or do a short course with institutions like Big Fish, Nemisa, etc. This is so that they have a basic and broad understanding of film and television. Once they have completed their studies they should gather industry experience by volunteering or interning for certain productions. From there they can build their experience and grow in the industry.

Lufuno Neshehe- Social Media

What changes would you like to see in local design?

In the near future it would be great to see more young black designers coming to the forefront, owning and running their own companies. It’s sad to see young designers being exploited for their talent. It would be good to see more organizations and councils out there representing designers in all their disciplines, there’s a few but they need to make themselves more visible.

22

Barcoded Magazine

Has the graphic design industry improved sig- nificantly since you first ventured into it? If so, what has impressed you the most?

I’m not too sure, I don’t think I would be highly qualified to say whether it has or not.

But there’s a lot that’s changed within the sector that we work in. As an industry I think there’s a lot needs to be done, more development needs to take place within our townships and rural areas. Creativity is everywhere- it doesn’t necessarily mean designers are found in your design studios. There are a lot of creative people who aren’t well equipped with the knowledge of the industry- that would flourish in a different circumstance if they were better equipped.

For someone interested in starting out as a graphic designer, how would you advise them to make their portfolio stand out, as opposed to sticking to mainstream design outlets?

To be a graphic designer, you need to learn, observe, be aware of your surroundings, listen, be intuitive more importantly think ahead of your audience, learn trends, follow trends. If anything you always need to be open to new ideas, be open to criticism that’s the only way to grow.

Then obviously go to school so that you can receive the best education and be ready for what the world might throw at you.

The best way would be to be innovative with your presentation, think out of the box. With so many advantages and avenues out there, you’d be lazy to present your portfolio in a simple A4 layout. There are so many different printing processes and technological advances that you could do almost anything with your presentation. You need to think beyond the norm, you need to Wow your viewer and show off your talent over and above your actual work.

•National department of Arts and Culture •Provincial Department of Culture •National Arts Council •Provincial Arts Council •Lottery •National Lottery Distribution Fund •Private Sector •Absa Bank •Standard Bank •FNB •Rand Merchant Bank •Vodacom •MTN •Embassies •Self-initiatives •Fundraising events •Performances •Raffles

What are the fundamentals of a super stage production? What can’t you afford to mess up when putting a stage production together?

Good storyline; good cast; good director; great production team; great lighting designer/ set designer; great costume designer and enough rehearsal time.

Leon Erasmus- Music

Mpho Molepo- Theatre

With the month of June being Youth month in South Africa, do you feel that the youth has contributed sufficiently to improving the local music industry? If so, what’s impressed you the most?

Young people set the trends. There are some nice new bands coming up, like The Fridge and Seasons (a folk/rock band.)

I think we need more live musicians and less DJ’s. The music industry at present reminds me of the punk movement; very “in your face.”

What is the biggest mistake that new musicians make when they’re starting out in the industry?

How would you advise they go about things inIn your opinion, which is the best organization stead? to approach when in need of funding for A lot of musicians aren’t technically proficient. They try to live productions? the rock ‘n roll/ popstar lifestyle without having the necessary

I’d say funding for the arts is four-pronged. Namely: Government, Lottery, Private Sector and self-initiatives.

The best way to break it down would be as follows:

•Government

credibility. I would say they should be patient. Overnight success takes time.

Barcoded Magazine

23

off ramp

MIND

B O D Y &

ART MIND BODY AND ART PICS CATIONS: CREOLISATION, FACE OFF, ESCAPISM Today’s times have become a rush, a struggle between man and machine which in turn has given birth to art as a form of expression; something which has been around for centuries, but until recently remained unforeseen and misused.

A battle for familiarity and comfort in a world that is so clearly driven by time constraints and conformity leads people to exploring numerous ways of self expression using what they know, their own bodies. Dance has been around for centuries and has been considered by hundreds of cultures as an art form. These embodiments of expression are still visible in today’s dance, whether it be in a graceful ballet performance, hip hop routine or club dancing.

Designers and artists alike are using this concept and are now travelling the world with wide eyes and child-like innocence, and returning with different impressions leading to a creolized state of mind. Creolization is born from an alter-modern universe and according to Nicola Bourriaud “Artists are looking for new modernity based on translation”. Creolization is giving way to new mindsets and a diversity of mixed cultures interacting and co-depending on each other, often leading to mix racial relationships that are becoming more and more acceptable and understood in modern society. This creolization of sorts has led people to portraying hidden agendas. We [individuals] strive to portray one face for the people we love, our friends, our family, colleagues and even strangers; however, do they truly ever know the real “us”? We

24

Barcoded Magazine

use our appearances and mannerisms to hide inner thoughts and ideas just as a painter hides the innocence and purity of a white canvas with strokes of paint.

Coming from a fashion and design background, clothing is one of the most inspiring and influential ways of personal expression for me. Designers from across the globe have been pushing boundaries and creating innovative and non-conformist clothing through the ages, from the Coco Chanel’s of the past to more recent Gareth Pugh and the late and great mind of McQueen. Fashion is ever changing and evolving, constantly allowing for individual expression and a canvas for ideals and personal preferences.

By: Taryn

off ramp

FASHIONABLY YOUNG

Sdizo Fashion’s Main Man Santo Mphamo: a young man with big dreams unstitches a bit of his life

W

e recently caught up with one of Soweto’s upcoming fashion designers, Santo Mphamo. Claim to Fame Fashion Designer, Young Entrepreneur, Role Model: Tumza, who created the TjoTjo brand.

Santo started designing in 2008, with a friend of his. Both of their mothers had sewing machines and the youngsters took it upon themselves to improve their craft. As time went on, they went their separate ways, but Santo carried on. In 2010 he found a mentor in Leah (of Leah Clothing) who taught him the basics, a valuable asset added to the skill set passed on from his mom.

The 20-year-old from Molapo, Soweto plans to host a huge fashion show this year.

BM: What are the latest trends for this winter season?

SM: Coats, in bright colours. Not browns and dark colours, but lots of colour!

BM: If you had the chance to bring a deceased famed designer back to life, who would it be and why?

SM: I wouldn’t bring anyone back. All the people I admire are alive! (laughs) BM: Given the opportunity to create a fashion line with Julius Malema, what would you call it?

SM: Tjatjarig! (Laughs) I’m sure everyone would know it because of the slogan alone.

BM: What does youth month represent to you fashion-wise?

SM: I feel that the youth understands fashion, more than our predecessors. The youth is more open-minded and in my opinion, fashion is growing steadily.

“The youth is more open-minded and in my opinion, fashion is growing steadily.”

BM: As an artist, who do you draw your inspiration from?

SM: People around me. Those are the people who inspire me BM: None from your family?

SM: Nah... They aren’t fashionable!

At the time of writing Santo was preparing for a showcase of his work at the Soweto Fashion Week for 2012- held at the Soweto Hotel in Kliptown during the last week of May.-Ed. By: Phumz

Barcoded Magazine

25

SPOT ON // CALVIN MLILO CALVIN MLILO

H

SHOOTING UP LONDON

e sees the beauty of fashion and people through the “eyes” of his Hasselblad H2 (no it’s not a car people,) it’s just a handheld object that made him realise his dream, made him realise that that’s where he is meant to be and doing: Capturing images that actually accentuate the art of fashion designers and the beauty of models. After all this you’d think I was talking about a Mark Delong , a Gavin O’Neill or a Miles Audrich, little did you know I’m talking about a young photographer who’s bound to put Africa on the world stage.

Calvin Condry Mlilo is a 24-year old Zimbabwean born fashion photographer based in London, who taught himself half the things he knows, then went on to study photography and fashion in college because school is cool. Cal’s been married to his cameras since then; yes he has a few of them (call him Zuma [laughs].) He started with a Canon 350d and a Hasselblad H2 (doesn’t Hasselblad just sound so gangster?) which is his favourite, but he is currently shooting with a Sony A900 and a Canon Mark 2. I can’t even explain in words how passionate he is about photography, not only that but art and film as well.

Condry plans on coming back to Africa and working within the African fashion and film industry. He believes in Africa and its beauty and says that’s where he draws his inspiration from; one can only imagine what impact he’ll bring to these parts after having acquired so much experience abroad. One of his dreams is to do a shoot in the safari, the majestic African mountains and waterfalls.

He’s shot at London fashion week since ’09 and has been part of small fashion shows in and around London and other countries in Europe. I think he’d feel at home right here in Mzansi...

“I think Africa offers a different dynamic and being from there I’m positive the photographs I’d produce would be from the heart and would carry out a deep connection with the consumer.

“He believes in Africa and its beauty and says that’s where he draws his inspiration from” They would feel it!” He’s also running his own company, CCM photography and he’s worked with London’s best modelling agencies and has shot some of the most beautiful women in the world. He is growing his company single-handedly and he hopes to open doors for young black photographers and filmmakers in Africa.

He says every shot is memorable to him because of the effort and hard work everyone puts in, he says that it sometimes takes him 20-30 frames to actually get the shot he wants. He builds some sort of relationship with his subject to put them at ease and it works because most of his work is DOPE. If you dream it people, you can surely end up living your dream.

Calvin’s dream started when he took a few pictures in the forest with a friend. Maybe you’re that GOOD at drawing, maybe you’re good at making sculptures, but you’ll never know unless you take a full go at it. Youth of Mzansi let’s chase our dreams...

Calvin is half way there, let’s rally behind him till we all reach the finish line.

By MduzavanGogh

26

Barcoded Magazine

CALVIN

MLILO

Barcoded Magazine

27

newsflash MTN SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC AWARDS 2012 ROUND-UP

LIMITED EDITION

CARDBOARD DIGITAL CAMERA

R.I.P. BROWN DASH: SA KWAITO STAR PASSES ON REBELS WITH A CAUSE

S

T

outhern African music lovers are mourning the loss of one of kwaito’s stalwarts Brown Dash, who passed away on the 9th of May after a short illness. The artist (whose real name was Sphiwe Mpamile) hailed from Zola, Soweto. He shot to stardom after having worked with the likes of Ntando, Zola and masked artist Mzekezeke. Credited with reviving the genre, Brown Dash had mega hits such as Phants’komthunzi welanga, Vum Vum and Puff ‘n Pass.

He had a successful career as an artist signed to TS Records, which he left to join Will of Steel Productions. He blessed music lovers with his ultimate performance at the 18th annual MTN South African Music Awards a few days before his death. His passing was brought to the public’s attention by fellow kwaito artist and friend Brickz after he sent a tweet on social networking site Twitter shortly after receiving the news. Social networks were abuzz with messages of condolences from fans and friends alike.

He’ll be sorely missed by the music fraternity. R.I.P. Brown Dash.

D

ubbed ‘a night of glitz, glamour and a dose of humour,’ the 18th annual MTN SA music awards held at Sun City, North- West Province were a resounding success. Recognising top achievers in the music industry, the awards ceremony was held over to nights. During the first night, awards for technical and production work were presented.

This year’s ceremony saw Eastern Cape lass Zahara sweep up no less than 8 awards in total for her smash hit album Loliwe.

28

Barcoded Magazine

he Knoxville Museum of Art in the US presents “Streetwise: Masters of 1960s Photography.”

The exhibition celebrates the work of 8 American photographers who highlighted rapid social and political changes that transformed their nation during the 1960’s. Images feature a realistic view of America. From Boston’s red light district, The Black Panthers, to the South’s politically turbulent events.

Sub-cultures as well as the gritty streets and neighbourhoods of New York were captured by the lens men. The works will be on display from May 4th to August 5th

IKEA Proving that hip hop has cemented its place in SA music circles, IVLeague golden child AKA won the Male Artist of the Year Award for his album Alter Ego, (his second of the night after clinching Best Street Urban Music Album too.)

Mi Casa took home the Record of the Year Award and the Best Dance Album Award. Pop Idols runnerup Lloyd Cele received the nod for his offering, One. Best African Adult African Album went to Zonke for Ina Ethe. Guitar maestro Jimmy Dludlu won the Best Jazz Album award for Tonota. The hotly contested Best Kwaito Album category was conquered by trio Big Nuz for Pound for Pound.

The prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to the legendary Ray Phiri and Vusi Mahlasela.

Congratulations to all nominees and winners. At the end of the night music was the winner!

has cemented its place as a pioneer in design and technology by creating a cardboard digital camera. Held together by two plastic screws, fuelled by two AA batteries and with a pop-out USB connector for downloading images, the KNAPPA holds 40 images at a time.

To erase the images, one must insert a paper clip into a reset hole. Complete with a sensor and a circuit board, the KNAPPA is the best of both worlds: lowtech meets high-tech.

ground up BACK TO THE CITY “BE THE DIFFERENCE” BEFORE THE MASSACRE

Dino of Articulate Artists shares his ‘power of thoughts’

W

e (Articulate Artists) are really looking forward to this year’s Back to the City Youth festival, having performed there last year alongside some of South Africa’s top artists.

We’ll be unleashing some of our unique brand of “real-life’ hip hop and will be showcasing material from Power of Thought’s latest offering “Dope Joints For Pot Heads” which dropped on the 20th of April. We wanna send a shout out to Horus Von for giving the Hip hop community a day where we can not only celebrate freedom, but also the culture so many of us love. What better way to celebrate these two things than with a huge festival featuring 30 emcees, 12 disc jockeys, break dancers and graffiti?

Trust me when I say you DO NOT wanna miss Back to the City 2012, it’s gonna be MADNESS!

“Be the difference! Gauteng’s Youth Go Back to The City”

Here’s a link to their mixtape available for free

download:

http://www.mediafire.com/?bh10ca7mymckq2g

Premier Youth Festival draws in thousands of patrons to the inner city

F

ortunately the weather decided to play nice for the masses that came in droves to enjoy what can arguably be called the Mecca of SA hip hop. A highlight in the annual event’s history: reaching full capacity. Situated in the aorta of Johannesburg’s art scene, Newtown, OST at the corner of Bree and Henry Nxumalo str, hosted scores of hip hop lovers for the 2012 edition of Back to The City Youth Festival.

Kicking off with a business summit at 10am, the event drew an unprecedented figure of an estimated 15000 this year.

Patrons wove their way through stalls displaying the latest threads, overlooked by graffiti artists on scaffolding- beautifying the city’s bridge pillars. DJ Switch got the best out of the B-boys and B-girls on the Red Bull stage by spinning the freshest tunes. The air around the queue snaking

around the block was thick with excitement and other fumes (I won’t mention them by name, but regulars know what I mean.)

The stage, surrounded by sponsor branding was graced by the likes of Articulate Artists, Morale and Siya Shezi. Cap city’s N’veigh and P-Doto had the crowd hyped up, while Optical Illusion had them rhyming along word for word to their classic.

MC’s Mo and Rorisang had a bit of a challenge with a few knuckle heads who decided to play Tarzan on the scaffolding- leading to a few threats of ending the show prematurely. But they handled the situation with class.

Barcoded Magazine

29

MTN Sama Best street Urban award nominees L-Tido, Tuks and HHP had the crowd rowdy when they performed their hits. Future History’s tribute medley for this year included Cashtime’s Goodbye and Aka’s All I Know, fused with the live band’s brass and drumming. Veteran Hymphatic Thabz commanded everyone’s attention when he stepped onto the stage with his crew. Eyes closed and spewing lyrical content that left many gobsmacked, the turbanclad lyricist had the crowd at his complete mercy-classic Thabz style.

More highlights for the day include the beatboxers battle and the rap battle.

A few prizes were given away to some hot emcees in the crowd and young entrepreneurs had their products on display at the stalls. DJ Zakes had the crowd going buckwild with the tunes he rocked. Not to be outdone, Vigilante had everyone going beserk with his set. DJ’ing royalty DJ Kenzhero flexed his music muscle on the decks during performance intervals.

An impressive twist to this year’s event was the surprise acts. Die Antwoord’s performance ninja-kicked the crowd into a frenzy- with the petite Yolandi gyrating her derriere in a gold number and oversized jacket. What made their moment on stage even more special were the symbolism of the public holiday (Freedom Day) and the multi-racial crowd reciting the lyrics to their international smash hit in unison.

Back to the City’s growing each year and draws in music lovers from various provinces across the republic. I won’t be surprised if next year’s event stomps its presence on the Mary Fitzgerald square in the city’s arts hub. Over 5000 youths celebrated their freedom by “being the difference.” If this year’s anything to go by, next year’s Back to the City should be bigger and better.

Viva to the power of Music!

BACK TO THE CITY

AFTERMATH

N’VEIGH- CAP CITY’S FINEST SHARES HIS THOUGHTS

What excited you the most leading up to the event this year?

The line-up was the first thing that caught my eye, to be honest. Most of the artists that were booked were ones who know how to entertain, so that alone was something special.

Was it everything you expected it to be?

I think so hey. I mean it was what I expected and even more. The crowd had more than 16000 people if I’m correct. That atmosphere alone is a worthwhile experience. Plus the performances were splendid too.

If you could change one thing about Back To the City, what would it be?

I would definitely cut down the number of artists that perform on the day.

I get the feeling that some artists aren’t ready to do such a large event as yet... Quality control is very important when you have a show of this calibre.

You had a dope set on stage. What words sum up the way you felt up there?

I think “happy” is the exact word I’d use to describe the emotion I had on stage. I love performing, so the stage is like my second home. It feels even better when you have the crowd at your command.

In your opinion, who else deserved to be on that stage at this year’s event?

I think a lot of artists work hard, so there are too many to mention. If I had my personal favourites, it would definitely be MOTHIPA, FLEX BOOGIE and TOYA DELAZY.

30

Barcoded Magazine

Barcoded Magazine

31

MULTIMEDIA //

Africa has game

AFRICA HAS

GAME

By Bafentsoe Dopeill Art Molete

S

ince the release of the Nintendo Wii Xbox 360 Kinect consoles we’ve seen an accumulation of interactive gaming titles such as Just Dance, Dance Mania, Wii Fit, Kinect Dance, Dance Central, Pole Dance Party (yes that’s what you think it is-adult entertainment,) B Boy the game, Michael Jackson Dance Experience, B.E.P Experience and even the Smurfs Dance Party. Not only are these in the top 10 selling games worldwide but they also have sequels that do equally well. I tried out one of the dancing titles but honestly I was not into it; those rigid movements just didn’t sit well with me. I’m an ”all thumbs” kind of guy when it comes to gaming, thank you.

To give the gamers major promotion some companies are partnering up with celebrities and offering a way for some gamers to have a personal experience with their favourite personality. The other approach that they’ve taken is to package it as a way for you to have fun and get fit. I’m yet to meet someone who can prove this to be true and who can be committed to the kicking, screaming and sweating in front of their television. I wonder how much furniture has been destroyed in the process coupled with more than a few broken toes and concussions?! With such routines you are bound to get hurt somehow or to break something obviously. Somehow I think we’ve got more people with broken toes or swollen toes rather than those who are chiselled to perfection; I mean, look around, people are becoming fatter-especially the kids who are supposed to be playing these games.

32

Barcoded Magazine

The funny thing is adults are the ones who flock towards these games. What are the chances of you finding a parent and their child fighting over whose turn it is to use the console?

I believe that at some point they’ll introduce other forms of dance to these games. That got me thinking of a game that will offer South African kasi dancing. Just imagine doing is’pantsula, s’bhutjwa and other kasi styles in the game. Because of its distinctive look and feel, I see it winning over a lot of people worldwide. It’s new and refreshing, providing loads of excitement.

All this depends on how well the marketing is

done of course. This would be a good thing seeing that we hardly release major gaming titles as it is, other than the independent games that we see.

Electronic Arts has offices in Cape Town but I hope that they are using them effectively by recruiting and mentoring local artists. Yes our infrastructure is lacking to say the least and I don’t know whether to blame it on those in the industry or government. Although South Africa is classified as an emerging economy, we are a blue collar, white collar kind of an economy. Yes there are art initiatives but most concentrate on the performing and visual arts. I guess government doesn’t know the profitability of the gaming industry. We have appeal and resources in terms of our surroundings.

Imagine a Need for Speed or Grand Theft Auto based in South Africa. From Johannesburg, Durban, to Cape Town, we’ll have really remarkable stages to work with. Our coastal scenery and townships will provide for very exciting obstacles providing mind blowing game play. I get excited just thinking of it and how awesome it would look when done with extreme competence. I just hope that this won’t end up just being something cool to write about and will materialize soon enough.

PS VITA:

OFFERING A SMOOTH GAMING EXPERIENCE

After months of anticipation it finally arrived, the Play Station Vita. Sony’s second hand held gaming console which was at first received with mixed reactions seeing that Sony’s last hand held console wasn’t received that well.

So in a way the PS Vita you could say, is the 5th handheld console to be released by Sony in South Africa and it would be the 6th if we were in Europe. How is that possible? First the PSP was released then the PSP 2000 slimmer was released followed by the PSP 3000 that had an improved screen; then came in PSP-go which was smaller but didn’t have any slots for the UMD because it offered downloadable content only. The European market was spoiled with the PSP E-1000 and now we find ourselves in the era of the PS Vita making it the 6th Sony hand held gaming console release. The reason why I said that this is Sony’s 2nd hand held gaming console is because it’s not an upgrade of the PSP console, they might look a bit similar but that’s were the similarities end.

There are two versions of the PS Vita, the one with Wi-Fi connectivity and the enhanced version that has Wi-Fi and 3G (sim connection) capability and both models have Bluetooth connectivity. It offers a smooth gaming experience and upon its release it came coupled with a few exclusive gaming titles that will no doubt leave some avid gamers occupied for a while. There are over 30 gaming titles ranging from Uncharted- Golden Abyss, Call of Duty, Street fighter X Tekken, Assassins Creed, Little big Planet, Modnation Racers, Bioshock, Fifa 12, Killzone, Mortal Kombat just to name a few.

Many complain about the pricing but Sony has assured the public that it’s worth the buck.

Installed with a Quad core processor, 16:9 screen ratio, OLED (multi touch screen) a rear touchpad, front and rear cameras, 6-axis motion sensor, wireless communication, card slots for the PS Vita, memory card, sim card, a multi use port and it offers cross platform gaming. So you can play with your friends via Wi-Fi and also access your social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

The specs vary with the different models that they offer. The controls are pretty much the same as the PSP with a few upgrades but those 30 minutes I had with it flew by too quickly.

Step 1: Click the “Start Button” at the bottom left corner of your taskbar and go to “Control Panel”.

Step 2: Under “System Security” Click on “Backup or Restore your Files”.

Step 3: Click on “Recover System Setting or your Computer”.

Step 4: Click on the “Open System Restore button”.

Step 5: Read the contents of the page then Click “Next”.

Step 6: Select the Restore Point that you want on the highlighted dates and Click “Next”.

Step 7: Confirm the restore point by Clicking “Finish” then you are pretty much done.

Step 8: What’s left is to accept the changes and you’ve pretty much done the moonwalk with your mouse.

Note: The above tutorial applies to the Windows 7 home operating system but the features are basically the same in the other Windows operating systems.

By Bafentsoe Dopeill Art Molete

System Restore

Tutorial

E

ver done something to your Pc that left you wishing that you had a reset button to a point in time when your Pc ran pretty much glitch free? Well I was a victim of such circumstances that left my Pc lacking when it came to performance. After looking for a solution I found a very helpful feature on my Pc. Yes your Pc has a System Restore Point which can be used to undo harmful changes to your computer restoring settings and performance without the loss of your recent work. I found it to be really effective when you’re installing new software/programs.

It’s hard to believe that this has been available for so long- all those long routes of formatting could have been easily avoided.

Barcoded Magazine

33

Framed

IT’S ALL BLACKENEDWHYTE...

It’s been more than 8 years she’s been at it. Having learned from her dad, Bronwyn White- a former Mondeor High pupil is taking what was once a hobby to new heights. She’s pursuing her passion (part-time at the moment) photography. Check out some of her work we’ve featured in this issue.

If you need a photographer contact her here: Bronwyn Whyte

@blackenedwhyte

blackenendwhyte@gmail.com

MLILO SHOTS Calvin Condry Mlilo is a young photographer based in the U.K. he’s making a name for himself as well as his company- CCM Photography, by taking some stunning shots on the streets of London. With Zimbabwean roots, the 24-year-old has shot at London Fashion week since 2009.

Check out more of his work here: www.ccmphotography.co.uk

34

Barcoded Magazine

Projekt 101

Lebo Poen

Asian Figure sketch by Lebo Poen

JayZ sketch by Lebo Poen

Lebogang Poen is a qualified sound engineer and technical producer. Her sketches reflect her love of art.From music, sketching, literature to writing herself, Lebo truly does it for the love of art.

Celebrating Youth month in South Africa, we bring you some world-class shots by young upcoming talent Tumi Lengoasa.He prefers to let the photos speak for themselves‌

Tumi Lengoasa

YOUTH IS FUN‌ BUT THE FUN LIES WITH THE YOUTH!

Barcoded Magazine

35

No.1 Hustler

RAY-RAY “MR AYOBA” MADLISA ENTERTAINMENT MOGUL IN THE MAKING Mr Ayoba breaks down the science of breaking into his industry.

Most South Africans know you as the face of the popular MTN adverts on TV.

As a youngster, what did you envision yourself becoming when you were older?

Have you always known you would be working within the entertainment industry?

First of all I envisioned myself memorising every subject and passing matric because that meant finally moving out of my gran’s house into the real world. I didn’t really know what I was going to do but deep down I knew I wanted to be famous.

You’re also a copywriter by profession. What steps did you take to qualify as a copywriter?

I studied Copywriting at the AAA School of advertising (JHB) and soon after that I got an internship at the Jupiter Drawing Room also in Joburg and as they say (I don’t know who or where exactly they say this but anyway) the rest is history.

You’re originally from Limpopo. How challenging was it for you making the transition to making a living in Johannesburg?

Transition shmansition bla bla bla I was just too excited about moving to the big city that I was prepared to do whatever it took to make a living in Jozi. I was ready to adapt and knew that failure was no option, my mom (who was also my sponsor) simply couldn’t afford otherwise.

36

Barcoded Magazine

You’re also the brains behind the concept for the adverts. How did this come about? How challenging was it bringing your ideas to life?

I was one of the lead creatives from MetropolitanRepublic (the agency) who worked on and presented the 2009 summer campaign to MTN our client and after several presentations, I think they must have been sick of me jumping up and down trying to convince them to buy

“I envisioned myself memorising every subject and passing matric because that meant finally moving out of my gran’s house into the real world.”

our idea that one day Serame Taukubong the CMO @ MTN said, “why don’t you do it.”

Since then it has been the coolest experience witnessing an idea grow from concept phase in our offices as a copywriter to seeing the impact 1st hand that the idea has contributed to our country while travelling and performing at gigs as Mr Ayoba.

From being behind the scenes in the industry, to being in the spotlight, most notably being recognized for the “mabhebeza-pick-abox” line, are you enjoying being in the public eye?

I’m loving the public eye, because that means a lot of attention and appreciation is paid into what I love and do for a living and that comes with new business opportunities and new exciting roles for the future; I can’t help but soak it all in while learning from its ups and downs.

You work in a fast-paced, unpredictable and dynamic environment. How do you keep up with developments in the industry?

Fortunately these days we have the net to help us keep up with trends around the world, we no longer have to wait for international magazines or friends to tell us what’s going on overseas, the world has become a small place; errthang is a click of a button away.

What further aspirations do you have career-wise?

I would like to executive produce my own show (watch this space.) I love writing and directing and will continue strengthening that side of the brain. Hopefully one day I will become an entertainment mogul, like the Motsepe of entertainment if you know what I mean.

What words of wisdom would you like to share with our readers?

What advice would you give “Love what you do and do what you someone who wants to work love” DJ Jazzy Jeff – 4 Da Love of Da within the arts? What steps Game are essential to take in order to succeed?

Sleep with as many influential people as

By Phumz you possibly can (laughs.)

How important is education in your line of work?

Education literally forms the basis of every great idea. Everything from production to directing all the way until editing has to be informed and calculated. It’s all a science in its own right: the more you learn the better you become.

Barcoded Magazine

37

WE SAY EVERY BODY is

ART

I

love dwarfs, when I see one I get happy but what makes me even more happy is when a dwarf performs, that’s why I also have a love for circuses or dwarf wrestling, remember Bobo Johnson from the late 70’s, early 80’s?

Circuses or dwarf wrestling gives dwarfs a place to show off, to be the centre of attention, to be praised for their beauty and uniqueness, in my opinion a great example of body art.

What is body art? In this day and age, it can range from tattoos, body piercings, shaping for example tight-lacing of corsets, yes pain is not only beauty but art as well, to the extreme of mutilation or pushing the body to its physical limits.

Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović’s works involved dancing until she collapsed from exhaustion, playing Russian Game in which rhythmic knife jabs were aimed between the splayed fingers of her hand. Each time she cut herself, she would pick up a new knife from the row of twenty she had set up and record the operation. After cutting herself twenty times, she replayed the tape, listened to the sounds and tried to repeat the same movement, attempting to replicate the mistakes.

38

Barcoded Magazine

In one of Abramović’s acts, she leapt into a petroleum- drenched star which was set alight. Due to the light and smoke of the fire, the observing audience didn’t realise that once inside the star, the artist had lost consciousness from lack of oxygen. Some members of the audience realised what had occurred only when the flames came very near to her body and she remained inert. A doctor and several members of the audience intervened and extricated her from the star.

“I was very angry because I understood there is a physical limit: when you lose consciousness you can’t be present, you can’t perform,” Marina Abramović later said.

That is the question: where is the limit?

What springs to mind are female tattoo models; now even I have to say men with tattoos are hot however these women with full body tattoos are even hotter. But I do wonder are they just hot due to the lighting and the superb photography or are they this hot in real life when you see the tattoos face to flesh? And what happens when they are old and wrinkly? Does their body art remain art and become more authentic as it is art with age?

To me, a wrinkly old lady with a body full of tattoos is another true example of body art. That is body art in its truest form, it

The artist needs to know his/her limit. Marina Abramović learnt her limit in her fire act.

Every body is art; let it be a dwarfs’, a female tattoo artist’s, my own or Marina Abramović’s. The world needs to have more circuses, more performing dwarfs, more artists like Marina Abramović but in the meantime needs to celebrate people like Bobo Johnson. He is a personal favourite.

By Laurelle Williams

might not be the most appealing thing to look at but most performance art isn’t. I performed in a one woman performance art piece called ‘Mouse’. I was chosen for this role as my physical features were similar to a mouse’s. Was I offended? No. As a physical performer you work with your body- it is your tool, you use your body to tell a story and create imagery and in this particular instance my body and features aided telling the story of a girl who wanted to be a mouse thus I exposed my body in the name of art.

Just like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, body art is the message of the artist, one might not see it in that form while another sees the true picture of the message that the artist is trying to convey.

Barcoded Magazine

39