Are you ready? Editor: Nelisiwe Sikhosana |Current Events: Gosiame Legoale Social Events: Sphiwe Mnguni | Fashion: Boitumelo Masike Fiction: Obakeng Thage | Social Content: Zandile Matshoba Marketing: Amukeliwe Kwakhe | Layout and Design: Junior Mtshali ZERO VISIBILITY |3
this issue Generation of Future Past Fads Trend or Style? Collyde Prime Interview Geek Corner Events Letters Sex Vs Sexes
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Generations of future past
Gosiame Legoale
If Archie Moroka had a beard, then Paul Moro-
ka was wearing the beard of two men. At some point though he fell victim to what I can only imagine as Inkomazi and he fainted…I think…in the lounge. Something along those lines and well Generations was born. Archie narrowed his German cut, pouted his lips a tad more, Karabo was a drug vessel for the coolest drug lord my punitive eyes had ever come across, Max Naidoo. Priscilla could very well have been my first crush and the turmoil Archie continuously put her through, made me want to tune in everyday after the conclusion or during any school homework and remove the earing loitering from his left earlobe. Oh if only the television set would allow me in! There was a show, it had a gangly, red eye, and weird looking symposium in what may have been refuse bags. It responded to the name, ‘Lesilo’. If I considered that frightening, I was never prepared for Ntsiki Lukhele. My God just the sight of the woman’s overbite was enough to have one confess the day’s sins. She spoke with an accent akin to that the queen ZERO VISIBILITY |6
may use whenever Phillip would serenade her loins, but the Medusa like stance on her head sent a then primary scholar me into a near grave every night. I think there was a guy called Busani, he may have been a half-brother of sorts, and I remember seeing V-Mash in jester like apparel but I stand to be corrected. Queen Moroka’s ‘big’ arrival was likely a TV moment, Shan Naidoo tested my bond with Priscilla an awful lot and well, in those early days of New Horizons, Isis and all the glamour that came with shoulder pads, Generations had South Africans dreaming. There years wore on as did Archie’s women, long list of lost brother’s and or cousins. For the life of me I cannot recall the on screen name of Themba Ndaba’s character. Sony Jacobs running Back of the Moon, Dingaan of Speak Out fame, was the perfect bartender. He never spoke and was always willing to listen, why bars no longer hire mimes is beyond me. The likes of Glen Majozi, Khaya Motene and Mandla at one point or another professed love to Karabo and like the good big brother he is,
Archie never approved of a single one. By now Ntsiki had done all imaginably possible but she became the fear I was slowly conquering and when Archie’s domestic turned out to be her daughter, I was convinced I was the long lost spawn of the Opperman’s.
My parentals insist on carrying on this ruse. Khensani then almost married her twin (I think that qualifies as a biggie); finding out that the twin that almost married his daughter is actually his son seems to be what eventually did Archie Moroka in, although he also had his in with twins. Married one and shagged the other if memory serves. Ntsiki left and the now reformed prostitute Lerato settled into her shoes for a brief cameo, hardly memorable until Khaya’s ex-wife hit the scene. Julia was her name and she stirred the pot for a while colluding with gangsters, using her kids as pawns and an abrupt car accident meant we didn’t get to witness her come full circle and morph into the she villain we knew she could be.
The she villain then came in the form of a lady named Anne De Villiers then it was the turn of a handless Jack Mabaso, but by then Generations had seemingly run its course. Sibusiso Dhlomo and Kenneth Mashaba’s bromance threatened to resuscitate the ailing soap, but it lay pretty much in a coma and the exodus that followed only sought to validate this. Tau Mogale was brought back from the dead if only briefly enough to whisk Karabo away, Busi Dhlomo came and went, Ntombi left me shattered and well even the rapper named after a dishwasher left. The Dlhomo’s were the new Moroka’s, there were the Memela’s and a daughter hell bent on driving her mother insane, literally. Dineo then went deranged in a bid to rediscover some sort of form, and because it was rather evident that Generations was currently playing through an injury, Kenneth Mashaba made a return… Many would argue that the sheer audience num-
slowly, even the old faithful are being weaned off Generations and this has nothing to do with Cosatu and their call of a boycott. Television is moving into the era where had it not been for sports, becomes more of an unnecessary convenience for get togethers as opposed to the escape it once sold itself as. Television is becoming the setting for a background ambience and even as far as Hollywood they are doing their utmost to get people to tune back in. A list stars are suddenly the norm on our television sets, in South Africa we have what is called telenova’s, short stories with an ending, that lingering hang man feeling of ten years ago is slowly wilting. America had culled many soapies, once a staple of for their stay at home mom’s, Days of our Lives only survived by a thread and one could argue that many American soapies live on due the high demand in foreign land. Seems the rest of the world much like us enjoys playing catch up. With South Africa not quite having the kind of
bers would justify the seating Generations has as the number one soap in the land of rainbows, but it goes deeper than that. Yes they may have laid claim to the prime time 20h00 slot, and can even argue swatting away a few pretenders to the throne but don’t get fooled.
terrible, daily. See the restaurant continues to make money and even boast that, that one particular dish is the favourite of its patrons and their most profitable plate, so they keep dishing it out and well the patrons keep feeding and so the gimmick goes on.
In many regards the strike by the so called Generations 16 is about more than money, artists trying to cash in while they can maybe? The current dynamic of South African demographics has that a large population are forced to bide by what the bosses of monologue television force down their throat, Generations being one of these.
If you figure that the other two channels that are run by the headquarters of monologue television work to complement each other around prime time, it hardly works any wonder why the masses with a choice of Iwisa, Ace and White Star, make the choices that they do around prime time.
It’s like entering a restaurant that boasts few options and you can’t order anything off that menu. You make do with what you got, picking the lesser of all evils, now unfortunately this happens to be the only restaurant in town, now not only does this become a bad habit but you start believing that you actually enjoy your routine of
There is that other channel with the instant pap, but un-teaching old habits can be hard work. Yes there is that digital stuff, the risotto if you have it, but the masses can’t quite afford to pay extra just to have a fancy way of saying rice, so they make due with their staple. Slowly and I do say
entertainment industry that allows our artists to really explore the realms of their talents, soap operas offer a kind of safe haven. Only recently have we seen an influx of series pop up at an unprecedented amount, but just to reiterate how small the industry is, you then have the same actors near monopolising these little sprouts. Currently we consider ourselves lucky if we churn out one movie a year, so we fully understand the grievances of the Generations 16 and we have in South Africa seen far too many of our entertainers go to their final rest broke. Unlike the many across the country and perhaps the continent will not lose too much sleep in what I call the “Peace in our time” period while Generations will be off air. Generations has long lost me and there is a part of me that quietly wishes that it would not ever return.
But I acknowledge the pulling power it has, what it signified to many South Africans and thus I hope that this period is used as one for reflection by the creators, those with the story boards, the
head writers and sundry. This was probably the universe telling them that a bold shake up was required(and I aim this at none of the actors that make up the 16) but an entirely new outlook and direction that could potentially have saffers excited once more at the prospect of checking for a television set regularly at 20h00 regardless of where they are. To have people tune in and take to the timelines of social media not to comment on how long Dineo has kept a weave but rather a working script, for live updates if one is unfortunate enough to not have located a couch. The PG13 age restriction ought to be for more than when Sibusiso says, “I’ll tttrrrow you out”, or Choppa’s dress sense. Of the 16 on strike there is an array of talent and the current screenplay is an insult to their capabilities, can this break allow the writers to let Generations be great again, importantly let Generations tell stories that South African’s can identify with, even if it is in the corporate world.
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Street style The Boyz
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Trends, Fads, Style. What is the Difference? Boitumelo Masike
Over the decades we have seen fads that fade quickly, trends that hang around for a while and style that lasts forever, but what is the difference between trends and fads and style? We’ll start with fads because as soon as you add an e to the end it has passed. Fads fade very quickly. Generally they are one item that is extremely popular, causes a short-lived craze and fizzles out as quickly as it came in. Remember big hair of the 80’s or Tamagochi’s of the 90’s? Every kid had to have a Tamagochi, but they disappeared quickly without making any lasting impact. That is a fad. Does it regurgitate a memory when I sing “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard...” Kelis created a bit of a fad with that song. Who remembers her other songs? There were many, but Milkshakes is ingrained in fad history. Fads are a craze where people go crazy for something for a short period of time and then well, it’s long gone faded to memory. Is Elmo still tickling you? Hopefully not! A trend on the other hand lasts a bit longer and may improve on itself down the road. Trends are the start of an idea that gradually catches on fire. The first record player could be classified as a trend. It was a new technology that had people very interested and it evolved with time. Today most of us listen to our music digitally, even on our phones. Look how far we’ve come, this is a trend that has changed and improved over time.
days, something that trends on Twitter will surely be gone by the next day, so maybe Twitter should be calling it Fading instead of Trending. Style is on a strata all its own. Style is something that lasts forever. As the fads and trends in fashion come and go the one thing that lasts is individual style. Style is not about fashion. Style is about who you are. It speaks about your unique choices and tells a story about you. Style comes across in the things that you wear and the way you carry yourself. It’s as unique as that freckle on your face. Style is all about you, regardless of fads or trends. Our favourite decades of the 40’s and 50’s were all about style. Though full skirts were ubiquitous back in the day and may have been considered trendy, they have had a lasting impact on fashion, therefore creating a lasting style that is timeless and classic think Audrey Hepburn. Vintage inspired fashion is truly timeless, a style statement that will have you walking into a room on New Year’s Eve with the confidence that nobody else is going to be wearing what you are. Create a unique style using the past and present, trends and fads, and step out in a style that is all your own. Are your milkshakes still bringing the boys to the yard? I’m beginning to think Kelis’s song is a lasting style, because damn, I can’t get it out of my head.
In fashion, a trend is something that may last over a period of time, die off in interest and then resurface again in another decade. The 80’s were full of leggings and off the shoulder tops, this fashion is seeing a resurgence today 30 years later. When people are interested in a particular item or topic it begins to trend for a while. Although these
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Collyde Prime Interview.
A
dedapo Adesugba was Born on the 22nd of October 1987 in the city of Lagos. Had his primary education at Bellina nursery and primary school, secondary education at Ghanaian owned parker high school and distinct medal college respectively. ZERO VISIBILITY |14
Even At an early age he showed signs of a strong interest in arts, stashing comics between school books, coloring neatly in between the spaces in art class, doing well at sketches in biology class and getting in trouble for sketching funny caricatures of prefects on school walls. When it was time for his university education, it was obvious that the boy was destined for the arts so he was allowed by his family to further on this path. In the university of Lagos he studied creative arts theatre, music
and visual arts and finally majored in graphic arts. After he got his first laptop he began to learn digital illustration and design software from his first professional internship at 66th dimension. After graduation he started work with an upscale advertising Lagos firm DDB casers and later on joined kuluya.com an online African gaming platform. He’s also free-lanced for many other media houses. Over the years he’s built a unique
style of illustration and even though there are diverse themes he’s managed to make the distinct. His influence map consists of several other artists that have inspired him over the years both home and abroad. Contact info: www.kuluya.com www.facebook/AWONDA.com www.behance.net/collyde twitter - @collydeP Instagram- @collydeprime ZERO VISIBILITY |15
Collyde Prime's 10/10
1. Do you desire you or your work to be seen? CP: Yes off course. I believe that’s every artist’s desire. So I spam the hell out of every face book group I am in with them. Though I am working on my site. Hopefully It would be up before the end of the year. 2. Growing up did you always know you wanted to be a graphic designer and what inspired you to purse this career? CP: Growing up I didn’t ‘consciously’ want to be a graphic designer. Was confused like every other kid in class who just wanted to feel good putting up his hands saying he wants to be a pilot or fireman. The truth is we don’t really know what we want to be but there are always signs so as your path unfolds in life you align yourself to the things you comfortably do well. So along the line it was always the arts for me..it’s either going to be music (I am obsessed with hip-hop anyways) or acting the theatre arts. But I found out my most comfortable niche was the visual arts so I focused on that. Hell on social media my writings even go viral more than some of the art works..so hey..who knows…I might just be a better writer. I want to say I have always wanted to be a creative person. The term ‘Graphic designer’ is a box. A lot of things inspired me to pursue the arts. Hugh McLeod a renowned cartoonist once said in his book…’every child is an artist when they give you crayons in kindergarten…then as you grow up they take away your crayons…when you grow up working as a clerk, clueless as hell..you really want your crayons back..’ I have never wanted anybody to take my crayons or cartoons away so I stuck with it. Really graphic designer was the only job description I could fit into to work in a structured environment in this part of the world. We have no pixar here, we have no dreamworks, or Tokyo studio 7 so advertising was the next option. but I have always dreamt of African characters fighting alongside the avengers not obviously the black panther (he’s over-rated and was created by a non- African) and I thought to myself..if nobody was going to do it in Africa ..then I have no choice.
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3. How is the support from your family, many families was don’t see Graphic Design as a serious career? CP: *laughs* Well my family was quite different. Everyone was well travelled and educated. Yes they had their reservations at the beginning but my Dad told me he wanted to do fashion design, my uncle is a good art and crafts collector and big fan of my works..gave me my first laptop..and my aunt doesn’t joke with little ornaments she buys when she travels to other African countries. I am her ‘official graphic designer’..My mom on the other hand was like ‘errgh..he’s been destroying everything with these silly fat breasted cartoons ..let him be.’ Probably out of love…everyone is an artist in his own way. Everyone is on social media and every one of them has got an ipad so they understand quality graphics. My grandfather even had a facebook profile before he passed on..Even though he never understood how his photos got up there. Sometimes they are concerned about the fact that it is not a well paying job in this part of the world so they have always encouraged me to broaden my horizons which I am seriously considering. Above all they listen when I explain the processes and potential of this line of work. 4. Design comes in many forms, which on would best describe you? CP: I love illustrating. I do conventional graphics…but my edge was that I could draw. My creative director taught me cell shading and ever since..it has been my coloring style..i also do little short animation clips here and there..apart from commissions and my full time job..i also have personal projects and sketch practices I upload for people to see and get inspired by my efforts. 5. Which major project or collaboration have you worked on? CP: I think the biggest is creating 80 indigenous African flash games on kuluya.com with the kuluya team.
Was one of the most life changing experiences for me. Here I unlearned and learnt a lot of things..it pretty much solidified my stand in this race…we have now gone unto mobile and have had clearly over 1 million downloads on every mobile operating platform. Then I saw a two second clip of my face on cnn ..and when I tell people they give me that look of a shrink looking at his psychotic patient.. *laughs*. 8 What inspire you? CP: Everything inspires me. My surroundings, My challenges, cartoons, politics, Rap music, society itself, humans, aliens, fashion, Movies, human achievements, George bush’s clueless speeches, new technology, even the random angry short man in the corner shouting at the bus conductor for his change. Everything… 7.What kind of market do you cater for? CP: Every one needs a creative person. Your wedding invitation doesn’t have to be conventional. It can be very creative that 50 years in time when your grandkids hold the dusty document it would still look like a vintage masterpiece. Everything is design. Products have design sketches before there released. Companies have logos, kings have emblems and flags.. Artists have album designs. Walls have framed photos and paintings. I can go on and on about the diversity of market. But in short. Everybody.
8.What have been the highlights of your career since it’s started? Working with 66th dimension Working with DDB, My postgraduate study in turkey, Working with voodoo records Working with kuluya Working with ajefilmworks My first role in a nollywood movie (wasn’t bad at all) 9. Do you think Graphic design is popular as a career in Africa and how has it grown in the last ten years? CP: Yes it has, we now have our own agencies, media houses and gaming outfits. It’s just a matter of time before the world knows what hits them. It has improved and would get better in years to come. There a few things I would like to say 1. Learn and unlearn 2. Read BOOKS. Can’t read..audio book 3. Shut down your Pc.. party, take the love of your life out, do something else 4. Give room for criticisms but keep it within the circle of designers. Don’t throw it to the dogs who don’t have a clue of what you are doing 5. socialize, join groups, participate in forums, go to seminars , network 6. always carry a notepad 7.listen to new music ( stop being stuck with your tastes) 8.Travell , try learning a new language. 9. Be African..being modern doesn’t stop you from being African..sell Africa to the world 10. If you freelance ..Get a manager who won’t cheat you. You are an artist..let him go for the meetings.
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geek corner
Surface Pro 3 The company has been hammering away at what it considers is a problem with tablets for years. Since the launch of the Surface Pro, Microsoft has sought after the ultimate mobile computing device, one that could replace the laptop with a tablet-first approach. The Surface Pro 3 is closer than Microsoft has ever been to making good on its mobile computing vision. After over a week with the slate, I’d go so far as to say that the Pro 3 is closer than any laptop-tablet hybrid released yet. Microsoft was so sure of itself that not only did it directly compare the Pro 3 to Apple’s iPad Air and 13-inch MacBook Air, it gave members of the press pre-release Surface Pro 3 units during an announcement event in New York.
Blackberry Passport. Who would have thought that one of the most interesting smartphones to be launched in 2014 would come from BlackBerry, Canadian smartphone manufacturer that many people had until recently written off as dead? The BlackBerry Passport, with its square-like design and three-row Qwerty keyboard, went on sale worldwide this week. TechCentral has been using it for the past week and, although sceptical initially, we’ve quickly warmed to its quirky looks. Turns out it’s hip to be square. Weighing in at a chunky 196g, but it’s about as thin as most modern smartphones at just 9,3mm, Screen resolution is 1 440 x1 440 pixels for a very respectable pixel density of 453ppi, . The phone comes with more memory and flash storage than any BlackBerry before it: 3GB of RAM and 32GB respectively.It has a 2,2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, and there is a hot-swappable microSD ZERO VISIBILITY |19
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EVENTS Tinyiko Mnguni
Present day activities such as books, movies or sport have always had the ability to draw in the minds of individuals and take them away to another world where they may immerse themselves in pleasure and fun, all of these things are now called entertainment and they play a very huge role in our lives. Music has come a long way in history: from elegant theater plays to gruesome videos games, musical operas to wild concerts with “drugs, and rock and roll” and from nickelodeon moving pictures without plots to actual motion pictures. Today music is still celebrated. Spring Fiesta is the lovechild of Soul Candi Live and Big Brothers Production, held annually at the Wild Waters complex in Boskurg. South Africa’s premier dance musical festivals are slowly catering to the locals. the 4th annual Spring Fiesta is approaching, this events features excellent line of over 50 of South Africa’s top artist, showcasing the best in house, hip hop, old school, kwaito and dance. This year it’s taking place on the 4th of October 2014 doors open at
11h00 for more information visit the Spring Fiesta Website. While looking at the events happening in October at the Wild Waters Complex, there’s H2Oparty. H2O is South Africa’s premier party and Africa’s most famous outdoor electronic music event. H2O was originally started in 1999, and has grown over the past years. This beautiful summer party will be taking place on the 11th of October 2014. For more information please visit the H2Oparty Website. Don’t think we are racist but you can say that both these events are divided into two; the blacks and the whites ,to be honest, if the music policy is themed around the guest, it is pretty accurate.
Images sourced from Google.
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fiction Obakeng Thage
Letters #1 Dear Promiscuous... It’s been almost a year since I left you back in Pretoria, where while walking back home in the rain wearing my slut shorts it hit me that you were a bad influence (yes i did come up with that one all by myself) Please don’t get me wrong, you brought me a lot of bliss, in the form inches of cause. Not as bad as these Joburgers but hey #promiscuous. Remember Craig, short Zulu, dark skin, and those curved legs, all three of them ;). After making that poor guy wait for two hours, it was only fair that we make him (censored).He was a nice guy, didn’t see him after that, maybe ‘cause he had a boyfriend, oh well. Then after what seemed like forever (two weeks really, again #promiscuous, keep up) we were thrown into Pretoria, melting pot of fun. With my then Kim ass, cute face and a booty so fat – Bey knows, I was bait and willing. There was William remember him, and his red machine. And Martin, his machine whatever colour that thing was (the car, gutter minds shame on you) and the other one, forgot his name he gave us wine. Anyway, Pta was like going to heaven for us... the cherry on top came in the form of a Zulu man (Christ these Zulu’s, i should just join a tribe and get those animal skin thing they have on their wrists...validation) there was something about his tongue spelling all these big words in oh yes. Such is pure bliss. Also, the bathroom, the kitchen, the balcony, the living room and his friend, make that two #promiscuous (keep keeping up) Alas, we’ve done them all, in every place imaginable. There’s something about these zulu’s though(catching feelings). Bless Shaka and his big feet... But we since parted ways (me and promiscuous), something about walking home in your slut shorts that makes you feel like a real slut, we was fronting like we was but damn, walking home wet. Don’t no zulu want that. I hope Pta has been good to you. The fresh meat that makes it’s way there on a daily should have you eating out of their palms. Do take care and stay healthy. Yours sincerly Obie ZERO VISIBILITY |22
relationships Sex vs sexes
Is it big enough? Does he last long enough? These are but a few questions that have become a norm to females describing their male counter parts when it comes to sex. Ever notice how if the sex is bad its always the guys fault and once its awesome sweaty amazing sex the woman gets all the credit, yes man do brag about “putting it down” but then you find the same guy being put down but the female he claims to have pleasured sexually. Females have found new sexual freedom and are not afraid to express themselves explicitly as possible, granted they have every right but do they actually stop to think maybe, they need to up their sex game a bit, not on porn star level but a little head game every now and then without being asked goes all long way. A female would rather go tell her friend how badly the sex is with her partner then go show him how she desires him, yes man can be a bit thick and their pride might take a knock but if his a grown man, he will appreciate you even more for your honest and
believe your sex life will improve. When it comes to sex males and female truly are worlds apart, our desire and pleasure differ greatly so it is understandable that we find ourselves sometime unpleased and turn to other forms of simulations, like masturbation and sex toys. To women sex isn’t as physical is they think it also comes with emotion attachment which sadly most guys just don’t not want to commit to, yes some modern female may pretend otherwise but you still crave love over lust anyday . Males are very thick head and use sex a tool to pleasure and boost their so fragile ego, as pathetic as that may sound it is the truth, man are idiots in all sense ladies don’t even stress yourself. They are a confused bunch, if a female is sexually strong more than them, she is a hoe and that’s final but when they find an innocent one she’s a chicken who can’t do right by her man.
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