Cliche topics fail us: drugs and alcohol

By Busisiwe Busenga

Just recently an article was written announcing that the singing sensation and hit maker of the
song "rehab" Amy Winehouse has died. It was no secret that the deceased was addicted to drugs, the interesting thing is that most celebrities get involved with drugs and alcohol and yet they treat it as something that is as normal as taking a bath. Sadly, most teenagers are following the same path, drugs and alcohol are the order of the day for most teenagers, regardless of the health effects it has on humans.

But excatly what measures must be taken, before the perspective of the youth can change. There already has been a number of strategies such as campaigns, adverts and even in the arts, they have all tried to get the message across, that drugs and alcohol should not be tempered with. However in the end it is an individuals personal resoning that can change their attitudes, change their thinking to be more positive.

Maybe it is time that people did an introspection, soul searching and maybe just maybe they will realise how important their lives are and that it is everyone's responisbility to look after their own personal health. But for the sake of the loved one's, because everything they do affects those they love, it would be of great magnitude if they spared them the pain. In this life we only given one chance to live, so live your life in the best possible way and start by loving yourself, then love the person next to you. Topics concerning drugs and alcohol are really starting to get boring, it would be a good change to focus on the good stuff, lets channel our energies to the positive things that really matter. Love is all we need!

Youth voices in South Africa

The youth are becoming extremely important participants in the politics, social structures and systems, etc. in South Africa. They are the future leaders of tomorrow hence they should be able to voice out on the issues and this is what the talk from Gerald Boyce was suppose to be about, in his attempt to do this he has committed a few faults. Therefore the amount of participation was a lot less limited to what it could have been.

The talk covered topics such as the young people’s interest in voting or the lack of it rather. The youth has lost interest in voting, most of them see it as being an insignificant thing, that it does not make a difference if they participate or not. This is very misleading and it will affect the youth in the near future, we all know that in order to make a change one has to get involved and take the initiative and let their voices be heard and if they do not exercise this freedom of voting, then they are inhibiting other possibilities.

Mr Boyce presented his talk on the youth voices in a rather unconventional way. He used data that was systematically presented, therefore discouraged any involvement from the audience, more so from the youth, seeing that the talk was about the youth and its issues as South African citizens.

In his presentation he paid so much attention on race and I think was totally exaggerated, fine we have not passed that stage yet, were all people are free from racial discrimination but this did not make his arguments and findings anymore valid. I think that the speaker should have been more open to engagement from the audience. He could have presented his talk in a more qualitative method and focused on the current issues affecting the youth.

By Busisiwe Busenga

For the love of art

By Wendy Ngcobo

Sunali Pillay is a 22 year old Fine Arts student at Rhodes University, who does henna application during her spare time.

Mendi is the application of henna as a temporary form of skin decoration done to Indian brides. Sunali was only 12 when a bad job that was done on her hand for her uncle’s wedding.

This inspired her to practice her designs on friends for months.”You see people do it, but you develop your own style", said Sinali. This she does with delicacy and flair as she’s had many years of practice.

After a stint which she did for a year in Journalism the following year she tried English and Philosophy.

 Sunali  then wanted to ‘stray’ as did her parents who studied but ended up doing something different.

 Her mom studied English and Drama but she is a businesswoman who owns her own company, her dad a trained draughtsman owns a Landry company. This inspired her to ‘wander off ‘on her own which she did while in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Ireland.

 

 Until she founded comfort in the field of art.

‘I’m happier now”,she said because I’m doing something I love “.

Is the Arts a dying industry?

The arts industry has certainly changed over the years. Arts has evolved from the days of carvings on stones and wood, paintings created from powder paints, to the more digitalised kind of art that features currently in the mordern world


1) “Yes, the arts are going down. The market is bad and there is no appreciation for our work. We come from far, Zimbabwe to South Africa and then there is no support. People create art and nobody supports. “
- Shakespeare


2) “Art is art, we sell different items. There is no one big place for artists to display their work, we are all separated. Art is about knowledge and yet there are no buyers. I will not come to Grahamstown again, it is expensive to travel so far and make no profit.”
- Fewawi




3) “No, arts is not a dying industry. I personally previously had no understanding of the arts but with all the book launches and artists that have been active in the festival, I see art alive. There is now a passion that I as a regular Festival goer have not seen in years. I feel though, that the structure of the fest should not have been changed. It’s now at Rhodes when it was previously at Church Square; the vibe of fest and the arts has since changed and not entirely positive.”
- Devon Cobus




4) “Yes it is dying; the arts are not like before. There used to be crowds of people but since the location of the fest has moved from town to Rhodes, the interest for Arts has changed.”
- Sabatha Smangwine





5) “Yes, there are fewer people interested in the arts.
No, the price of art has increased. If there was no demand, it would be cheaper.”
- St Andrews School, Grade 8



6)“Organisers are turning the arts into a flea market. We as artists are driven in different directions. God is art, art is bigger than us.”
- Andile Paswa






7)“No, art is very much alive. It cannot die, only the ideas of art die. “
-Seko Mbambeni






8) “Yes, I believe there is no formality in the industry, it’s just a haphazard thing. Connected people take initiative and exploit the less privileged who are just trying to make an honest living. Artists are struggling; local buyers feel that the market is over saturated. There are a lot of changes in Grahamstown, it is a small area for artists and there is not much activity to draw in clients.”
- Jonathan Pfumbwa


Some believe people have turned art into more than a way of sharing their skills and their creativity, but as a money-making sector, which is what is killing it.As much as art is a creative form of expression, it is still a means of financial stability and reliance. However, the price of exhibiting your work is not affordable for all artists therefore not all of them get sufficient opportunities to excell and achieve from their work. Art has to be appreciated, and people need to be given equal opprotunities to display and showcase their work, irrespective of what field or type they are in. Art is more about moulding our imaginary world into a reality, that we can share with everyone else.


By Duschanka Hitzeroth & Bhekimpilo Dungeni

Hope in your sorrow

By Bongiwe Tutu





Even with your head bowed down I see the sorrow in your eyes
The plights for success as your dreams reach out to the far skies
Standing still trying to impress a spinning world of great demise
Seeking for profession and recognition, yearning for a grand prize
Young courageous poor boy lost in your bewilderness and sorrow
Fighting within your cries hoping for a pure and better tomorrow
Your happiness is driven by the sadness beneath your painted face
Have faith in your hope and surface your footprints with a solid trace

The African drum

By Wendy Ngcobo

By Wendy Ngcobo

Goats although sometimes overlooked because of their long ears have served their special purpose in producing the hormonal sound of a beating drum. Beneath their fluffy white fur lies the skin texture that takes days to dry out and then purified to a smooth texture is what makes this instrument astounding and thunderous.

As the goat makes their last cry so deafening, so does the sound of the drum thumping. The making of a drum is a process that can take days sometimes months   to master but   Sallou who makes a living out of it only takes a day. At the end of the day one can’t help but admire not only the beauty of this instrument but the magnificent and enormous sound that it makes.

 Other elements such as wood are then   added to this process, the choosing of a  type of wood is process on its own that has to be perfected. 

 You have to love the sound of an African drum trouncing; it has seen the likes of artists like Luck Dube blending it with the sound of raga to it. More recently Dj Oskido who   has used in his new song ‘Banane Mavoko’which is taking South Africa by storm.

The Market

People, people, people, and more people. Huge tents towering. Lost; I feel I am drowning in a desert of art, soaked to the skin with artefacts. Paintings, sculptures, jewellery, beads and the air thickly-percolated with a tasteful, mouth-watering aroma of chocolate-flavoured muffins, freshly-baked biscuits and sweets from the caravan confectionary. “Where is my kind, I wonder? Where are they in the midst of all this commotion? Do I belong here?”

I am a nomad through these oddly-coloured tents. I drag myself through this foreign world around me. My tail, wiggling, attracts so much unwanted attention. They come all over me with weird smiles pasted on their glowing, pale faces, patting my head and neck as if they have known me for years.

I would rather be in my cosy kennel than be part of this excitement. Everyone seems to be wound up about something. They walk around like the world has just turned all beautiful again. Like these paintings and artefacts whisper sweet words. Words that go straight to their inner being, flowing through their veins, until they clamour at their hearts that they may buy them and take them home.
I long to be taken home too.

By Bhekimpilo Dungeni

Music for your soul by Wordsuntame!

By Bongiwe Tutu


“Come and be filled with thirst quenching insight via song, profound reasoning to stimulate life changing moments. Journey with us through the natural mind as it goes beyond human thinking” that is the formal slang from the music group; Wordsuntame.

The performance by this group was that of a vibrant reggae rock show which established the participation of the crowd as soon as it began. This performance was, to my surprise very gripping and enjoyable. A melody of just two voices, a guitar and a shaker moved the grounds of the Bots Gardens and brought some warmth to the cold night. The performance consisted of an integration of well known tunes such as "No woman no cry" by Bob Marley which got the crowd singing along hysterically.

The artists were performing their track list from their CD which is available at ILAM for only R40. It’s a fine tuned track list so much that I bought my own copy there and then! It entails strong and meaningful lyrics that are the personal experiences expressed by the two singers, going by their name “words untamed” they speak their mind. Their genre is a melting pot of rap-in-motion and poetry, rock and soul. Their music mesmerized the crowd, leaving us with goose bumps all the way through. When it came to the end of the show the crowd insisted that they play one last time and everyone got up and danced to their liberating performance. "Wordsuntamed" is going far and you have to get that CD as soon as possible.

If you would like to see for yourself before you purchase your own CD, you can catch them in a number of perfomances at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. They will be performing at Equilibrium on the 30th June at 15h00 and at 18h00, on the 6th July at 15h00, on the 9th July at 15h00. They will also be performing at Urban Lounge (Bots Gardens) on the 2nd July at 18h30, 4th July at 14h00 and on the 10th July at 14h00.

Artists showcasing their art at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival

Rus Judda  showcasing shoes he makes by hand

By Wendy Ngcobo

photo by Wendy Ngcobo

The Grahamstown National Arts Festival has attracted many artists to come and showcase their arts including Rus Judda who is a designer specialising in shoe making.

Rus has been coming to the flea market at the Festival since 2005 to sell his shoes. His normal day starts off early in the morning as he has to set up his stall and be ready for business.

He grew up making shoes and has used this as a way to make money and support his family. Coming from Port Elizabeth, the Festival has received him well as his merchandise sell like hot cakes amongst the locals. ”I have to pay a fee to set up my stall but its nothing compared to what I make”, he said.

He started out repairing shoes and now he designs and makes them.Rus's  shoes are made from scratch by hand with leather he purchases from PE Leather. This is a talent that he has had for many years now and it gets better as he grows older.

His only complaint is the many of the stalls that don’t sell anything that has to do with art.”They take up a lot of space and it’s supposed to be an art festival”, he said. But for now he is just happy to be at the festival.

Streaming beyond the radio voice

By: Bongiwe Tutu

Another year has come to pass and the time for the Eastern Cape to shine has flared upon us once more. We are now joined by a variety of talented artists from all over the world at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival. “Whether you’re a theatre-goer, a dance lover, a jazz fundi or a film buff, the programme offers plenty to keep you busy as you step into our bubble of AMAZ!NG once again” said Ayanda Mjekula, National Arts Festival Board Chairman. I met with a very well known radio enthusiasm artist Viv Bozack from Algoa FM who shares his first experience as a live broadcaster at the National Arts Festival.

Viv Bozack, a resident of Port Elizabeth, born in Lusikisiki in the Transkei, states that he has been with the Algoa FM family for “four years, one month and two days” and he expressively declared his love for every single second he spares on radio. “I’m all about self-determination and positive living. The earth, the children, the music, the red, gold and green! It’s just wonderful being at the Festival; it’s like an ultimate melting pot of talented and great people all in one place, and so far so great” said Bozack.

Algoa FM (94.7) is one of the biggest radio stations representing all aspects of South African culture and heritage. The station has successfully captured eight hundred thousand listeners over the years and it is yet to grow as it has been broadcasting live with Viv Bozack from the Rhodes University Campus since Thursday the 30th and will be sustaining their enlightening shows to the public until the 8th of July.

Bozack is presenting the Lunch-Time Show which is broadcasting live from 12h00 till 15h00 at the Rhodes University Campus. “Since it is my first time broadcasting at the Festival I plan to make it very well fulfilled! I’m aiming to see three shows per day” he exclaimed with a glaring and anxious smile on his face.

Furthermore beyond the radio voice, Bozack has a passion for music specifically of the hip hop genre. He is also an MC persona, hosting hip hop gigs every Thursday nights in Port Elizabeth titled “Bring it to the Cypher”. He also hosts the Friday Music Club at 14h30 every Fridays for local musicians of the Eastern Cape.

The artist appreciates the National Arts Festival as he feels that it’s a very great platform not only to meet new people and get to know more about them in exploring the “ultimate melting pot” but it is also a great foundation to grow as an individual in doing what you enjoy the most. His life philosophy is simply, as he puts it “play hard and work harder”.

Contact Viv Bozack at: viv.n@algoafm.co.za , http://facebook.com/viv.b.ngomane , http://www.algoafm.co.za/
Contact reporter at: bongiwetutu@yahoo.com , http://twitter.com/TheBeeSting

Profile- House of Pirates

A simple walk around little teacup Grahamstown might land you onto African Street, one of the longest streets in the town. On African Street, lies the House of Pirates, simply called Pirates, a newly established food and drink joint, which has become the hub for growling happy-students, live entertainment and chill-out place for the ever energetic Grahamstownians.
Established two years ago in 2009, House of Pirates started as a ‘party-thing’ for a couple of guys in one of their residence rooms at Rhodes University, making pizza. Since then, their idea has been established into a social-defining joint on African Street, making it one of the liveliest and most happening places in Grahamstown. Pirates is where ‘the hip, happening, cool kids’ hang!
Pirates has certainly stood the test of time, having provided a cool spot for Festinos for three National Arts Festivals already. Yet again, the Festival promises to be a blessing to the owners of Pirates, namely Chris Marshall, Daniel Hocutt, Geoff Waugh and Karim Dhanani. “Grahamstown is a very small town and it is usually during festivals like this that business booms and we are able to cover up for the other periods of time when business low,” said Dan Hocutt, one of the owners of House of Pirates.
With PG-rated pizza names and so many specials that run through the better part of the day, House of Pirates is certainly a place to enjoy a chilly Grahamstown night. There’s no chance to freeze in the cold at the outside eating area as ground- fires get setup ‘the Pirates style’. As for the inside eating- lounge area, a homely fire-place and ample heaters ensure that that precious Gin and Tonic goes down well. So Pirates remains that place where you can reminisce on the day’s festivities with great company, lively music and delicious pizza!
As for yummy specials, “Happy Hour is also one of our best specials, where a customer can buy one Mojo and get one free, and it this special has sold a lot, with over 120 Mojo’s sold during the Happy Hour yesterday,” said Hocutt.


By Bhekimpilo Dungeni

Dancing all the way to the top

The Grahamstown National Arts Festival encourages engagement from artists which vary from dancers, to musicians as well as magicians etc. This group is no exception, they are called “Tyhini Kwedini “which expresses the amazement from a boy’s actions. This of course is not a far fetched concept seeing that their group only consists of 14 members, all boys varying from age 15 to 26 years old. All the members are from the townships located in Grahamstown.

They are an epitome of humble beginnings, living in the townships were they found it hard to get employment. However, they decided to do something about it, they resorted to arts. When they started in the year 2001, there were only four members in the group; it was only after a year when the number increased to 14. Since then, the group has grown from strength to strength, “We have been through tough times, mainly because of financial constraints but we kept on going for years,” said the oldest member of the group. It is this kind of fighting spirit that has kept the group intact and it also encouraged them to part take in this in year’s Grahamstown’s National Arts Festival.

“Tyhini Kwedini” will perform six times during the festival and they hope to impress a lot people. One of the members expressed that, “the festival is a stepping stone and we want exposure from the big shots”. Their future plans include an expansion of their group, recruiting other members and to also start their own production company.

The story of Bakhulule Ngeleza

This is the story of Bakhulule Ngeleza

ORIGINAL REALITY CLEANS G-TOWN STREETS AS POLICE REPOSSESS ALL FAKE GOODS

by Simphiwe Kanityi

Grahamstown National Arts Festival is a yearly festival where all (still to check how real this is) people of South Africa gather in this antique town to show their talent. Showing of talent come in many varying shapes and sizes ranging from music of all kinds, dances of all kinds, stage plays, drama, varying clothes, food and all that is of arts you can think off.
What I want to talk about here specifically is the selling of clothes. There are traditional clothes of all the ethnic groups you can possible think off but this is also an opportunity where the business people from afar places get to sell their goods. This morning judging from the weather things were not going to be the same in the few days of commencement for this fest. We have seen some few drops of rain while the police made it their mission to go around the village green area repossessing all the fake goods which are branded as the originals, range from Nike, Adidas, and soccer t-shirts. I guess if you haven’t your favourite team soccer t-shirt for this world cup you might be crying by now since you planned to get one cheap during the festival.
It is not that I am glad that this is happening neither saying it should not happen but am just concerned of other places where this might be happening. I know for sure that this is happening only in this national arts festival but in Port Elizabeth streets are still full of such goods. It is not that PE is full of corruption but it’s close to Grahamstown which symbolises that every town in South Africa is full of these fake goods. If we can get political a bit we can say that it will (not be impossible) but take time to really eradicate all this for as long as all other national important particulars can be faked, the illegal crossing of borders, IDs, Passports you name all those that comes to your mind.
So what does this mean to the fest goers and fest makers? We know that this years’ festival is longer than usual but some business men and women says it is a blow that their goods are being taken away. Some goes on to say they do not see many business people staying till the end of the festival…in world cup terms “Phillip (feel it) can be gone” sooner than expected. This is due to the fact that if their goods are possessed by the police they will be left with nothing to trade which provides no reason for them to stay around. We will be watching closer to see the development of this story otherwise it is still difficult to speak to the authorities because coming to the festival one needs to have his goods approved by the festival organisers. The festival started on a low note but there is hope that as the week progresses there will be more buzz.

FJP REUNION? Yes, please!

I miss this blog. Its one of the first outlets that I had to use to get published and as I watch it being in active, I become sad as this was such a great platform for young writers to get their thoughts, writings and talent to the world.

I miss the Future Journalists Programme. Its been two years and I remember that two years ago this time we were all prepared and super amped for the upcoming challenge that was the Arts Festival and seeing Grahamstown coming alive. Not only did I shock myself by writing my first tongue-in-cheek article and also interviewing Xolela Mangcu, who turned out to be a nightmare, very rude and unkind to young journalists, but I stood my ground and got the response I needed.

I miss YOU guys. We may chat on Facebook, twitter and everything, but you all made a HUGE impact on my life and I would do anything to see you guys. What I'm saying really is how about we have an FJP reunion, just so we can see where we are now, whether we all have jobs, and share how FJP made our lives better or improved our chances of being accepted in the industry?

So I'm posing a request to everyone who is FJP alumni? Can we meet up soon and reminisce about the good times that we had as FJP's? I know that FJP helped ME secure the job I have now and so interested was my editor about it, I spent a good 15 minutes talking about it, mind you this was on an impromptu interview on my graduation day!

Me and colleague, Charmel Bowman

 So how about it Boss Lady? Can Highway Africa and Open Society pull it off???

Give me black, says rally ace

The journey here began with a newspaper headline titled, "Motorsports Needs More Blacks", many years ago that sparked interest in the man that we know as "Africa's fastest brother," Gugu Zulu, one of South Africa's leading rally drivers talked about the developments in South Africa's Motorsports industry in a Think!Fest seminar during the ongoing National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.Zulu began his presentation with a short insight into his life's achievements and what motorcar racing all about.

Motorsports is defined as a collection of sports which have an engine, two to four wheels, which can be raced. The various types of racing include, Formula One, Nascar, Track, Rally, Off Road, Drag Racing, Karting, Midget and Oval Racing.The foundation for motorsports begins at Karting Zulu said."Go-Karting is like the kindergarten of motorsports," he said. This is a popular sport in South African and is sustained by interest from young children who can develop to the next stage known as the junior section. Track too has a following that involves the running of Road shows across the country.

Production racing cars are used and these are your Golfs, Audis and your VW's, Zulu said, adding that South Africa also has a healthy motorised riding industry known as the Motorbike Super. Rally racing is another field in motorsports that Zulu enjoys because, "It's purely controlled chaos." It has a navigator who tells the driver how far he is and where his next turn is. "It's pure speed and madness," Zulu said, adding that he once flew off the road at 170km/hr!Zulu said that SA motorsport is seen as a hobby for a select few and there isn't enough support from the South African audience. He said that while there are 450000 American fans of motorsport, there South Africa has just 10,000 making it difficult for the industry to be sustained.

Most drivers self-fund or get corporate sponsorship.This might explain why there are not too many black South Africans in motorsports.Zulu believes that motorsport is a great marketing tool for corporate business in South Africa. "Motorsport is a huge mobile billboard," he said, although he lamented the negative perception of the sport in corporate circles. Zulu also talked about expensive budgets for motorsport."When it comes to Africa, it all depends on whose got the money," Zulu said.

By Amanda Onamandla Mathe

Is that really a top-less girl?!!!!

Ubuhle Bomzansi, a Musical group giving a really enjoyable, colourful and energetic performance at Nombulelo Hall. They depicted the rich culture of the Rainbow nation through dance, singing, acting and costumes. Their Zulu dance where they girls go top-less was the best performance. Pic: selina Bebaako-mensah

Kesivan Naidoo turning 30

A clip of kesivan Naidoo, Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for Jazz celebrating his 30th birthday.

Kesivan Naidoo performed alongside his band The Light at the Standard Bank Jazz Festival on 3rd and 4th of July 2009. His performance was electrifying and if you think you know Jazz, you haven't seen Kesivan Naidoo and The Light.

Clip provided by Dave Naidoo (Father) and taken from the Daily Despatch.

Literature and Culture equals WordFest

It began as demonstration to promote writers and the work of the South African Library for the Blind. As EC MEC for Arts and Culture, Xoliswa Tom said, “Be proud of what you do.”

Writers came in their traditional attire to support the cultures that make South Africans proud, ranging from Xhosa, Zulu, SiSwati and Sesotho. Thoko Mgwebi’s poetry opened WordFest 2009. The programme notes were written in three isiXhosa, Sesotho and Afrikaans.

The ceremony began with a welcome address by the Vice Chancellor of Rhodes University, Dr. Saleem Badat who shared his views and concerns about language and culture.
“Words can librate us and can imprison us,” Dr. Badat said. “Universities need to build a lasting relationship with local schools so that children of the present generation are not left behind due to a lack of literacy.”

Amanda Onamandla Mathe—FJP

He's a growing legend

Gugu Zulu is known to many as the Fastest man on Africa is more than just a rally car driver. He is a growing legend and admirable to all.

I decided to dig deeper and find out who he really was behind the steering wheel. Besides the fact the he's charming and absolute dream to interview he is extremely comfortable with who he is. Honest to the core and holding no punches. He believes that everyone should be given a chance to experience their dreams. His dream beginning when he was 17, where he attended the Isondo Racing Academy in 1999 and made it to the top 17.

Moving up comes naturally
Moving up the ranks almost comes naturally to this humble man. To list his accolades would take forever, so to keep it short he has made it on the international market and respected tremendously by his colleagues, which is why he ended up presenting on Car Torque, SABC 3. He's on Strictly Come Dancing South Africa built a following and a new found respect for the man who thinks motorsports and business. He recently held a car show in Maponya Mall at Soweto, Johannesburg (24/0609 -28/06/09). Zulu said, "It was to bring cars to the people, because let's be honest for a black man to go to a car dealer it's a weird experience and why should they drive all the way to Sandton or Kyalami in order to view a car." It was obviously meet with challenges and disapproval by big car dealers, but that doesn't change the fact that it was a success and they sold seven cars considering the current economic recent.

He's a gentle soul

In person Gugu Zulu is shy and a gentleman as I interviewed him after his seminar at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. This his second time attending the Arts Festival, which he much appreciated. Calm and comfortable he's not afraid to say the truth like it is. He's charismatic; add his beautiful smile and a dash of confidence. There you have it Gugu Zulu South Africa's growing legend scorching those tyres across international waters.