#ThrowbackThursday Model behaviour and candid moments captured backstage at Lagos Fashion and Design Week 2017. Go behind the scenes with us and get up close with the faces of the runway.
In her short film ‘OMG SHE’S BALD’, Charnah Ellesse of girlswillbeboys explores modern ideas of femininity through women of different cultures who have shaved their heads.
DYNAMIC AFRICA - AUGUST 2016 PLAYLIST.
The longest playlist of the year thus far, August’s selection includes almost two hours of dancehall, hip-hop, afropop, ‘afrobeats’, and even a little bit of poetry.
It’s the Year of “Juls, baby”.
It’s not often that we get to hear two of the biggest breakout artists of the year collaborate on a song together, much less two. Even less, having both of these collaborations materialize into two of the biggest hits of the year. But that’s exactly what a fast-rising producer from Ghana has managed to do in the past several months. And the year isn’t even over yet.
Born in London, Julian Nicco-Annan – now better known as DJ Juls – spent much of his formative years in Accra where he obtained his first degree in Banking and Finance at the University of Ghana, Legon, before eventually returning to England to study his Masters in Finance at the University of Surrey. Crediting his move to Ghana as the catalyst in cultivating his interest in music, Juls was exposed to the world of beat making by chance, turning a slither of opportunity into a career that shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Making music since 2010, Juls’ musical trajectory has seen him release a number of mixtapes, most recently African Crates Vol. 1, to now being one of the most sought after producers in the ‘afrobeats’ scene and creating playlists for TIDAL. Throughout this time, with every new release, we’ve seen his talent consistently mature, tapping into the merged stems of his cross-cultural upbringing and creating a sound all his own – one which is currently at the crown of playlists across the African continent and the UK, stamped with his crooning “Juls baby” signature.
Since hearing his collaboration with new Starboy signee Mr. Eazi and Ghanaian singer Efya several months ago, Skin Tight has been on heavy rotation both on my personal playlist and by the sounds of it, all over playlists from Legon to London as well. Unlike his foray into the world of beat making, Juls’ partnership with Mr. Eazi is not a thing of chance. Listen to any of the number of tracks they’ve featured on together and it’s clear that the reciprocal synergy created by Juls’ alluring and infectious beats and Eazi’s raw but surprisingly smooth vocals is something from the heavens. It’s no wonder the two have performed in the US together and are equally shutting down shows across the pond. Beyond music, earlier in the year, Juls and his brother Jason Nicco-Annan released the debut issue of their print publication Signatures magazine, centered on the emerging creative scene in Ghana and throughout the Ghanaian diaspora, something Juls has been a part of since his university days in Accra. Apart from Signatures and being signed to BBnZLive, his Get Together Ldn events help bring together a host of people for “networking, traditional board games, and competitions”.
From sitting easy with Ghanaian heavyweight Sarkodie and Eugy on the melodic Teef Teef that features a sample from highlife master Master Bob Akwaboah & His Supreme Internationals, to transcending international barriers on arguably the biggest hit of 2016, Skin Tight, Juls’ creative ability to seamlessly meld elements of highlife, hip-hop, Afrobeat, Hiplife, as well as a range of other West African sounds have catapulted him to a level of popularity strictly occupied by an elite group of African entertainers – with other metrics of success surely in tow.
For folks who don’t know you, can you introduce yourself to us?
My name is Julian Nicco-Annan. Born and raised in London. Lived in grew up in Accra a bit as well. I’m a massive Arsenal Football fan, love numbers (two degrees in Finance [boring much], very passionate about music and I love omo-tuo/fufu and nkatekwan. (Fufu/rice balls and peanut soup). I am a DJ and producer part-time and well known for most of African new rookie Mr Eazi’s hits such as Skin Tight, Hollup, Shitor, Bankulize, etc. Worked with loads of other artists as well such as Sarkodie, E.L, Manifest, Stonebwoy, etc.
How did music become such a prominent part of your life? How did you go from music fan to DJ and producer?
It all Started in Uni in Ghana. I love music. I was the one always playing loud music in my folks’ house or in the dorms back in school. Loud music in the car in traffic. Bass is life. I need to hear that thump. I used to rap a bit in secondary school and beatbox. It was a no brainer when I got introduced to beat making in my third year in Legon. Ghanaian Rapper E.L was a few rooms away from my room in a hostel. He installed fruity loops on my laptop because his wasn’t working. I started messing around with it and learning how to make beats then for fun. Started practicing a bit more and with time got a lot better. I think it was persistence and willingness to learn more with regards to sounds and mixing. I had the opportunity to be in studio sessions with some good producers such as Jayso, Panji Anoff and E.L as well. I just watched and learned. I was always on YouTube watching videos of other producer favourites making beats online. In the beginning I tried to emulate Kanye West and J Dilla’s styles of production. They were and still are my main influences.
You and Mr. Eazi have collaborated together on several tracks, how did this partnership start?
2014. Twitter. I heard his old mixtape “about to blow” and reached out to him. At the time he wasn’t doing music seriously and I was tryna find my feet and a sound that could take over the world and conquer.
With the release of the songs Skin Tight and Teef Teef, you’ve managed to establish a momentum as well as a growing fan base. With that, there’s been talk of you possibly dropping an album. How much can you tell us about this?
Well I wouldn’t call it an album. Maybe an EP and I’m still working at it. I want the project to be different with regards to sound and at the same time want it to be a party album of different genres. Maybe early next year it will be out.
How did the sample for Teef Teef come about?
It’s a one of a million Ghanaian highlife chopped up samples I’ve got in my archives. I collect and chop up anything I hear and like. Whether it’s a broken mirror or someone screaming. I play them over and over again from time to time to try get ideas. Literally took half an hour to complete.
How has the reaction to both Skin Tight and Teef Teef impacted you? Are there plans for more collaborations with Mr Eazi or any other artists?
Mr Eazi and I will definitely be working on a lot more music. For now, we just focused on what we have out already and pushing our brands. My reaction of skin tight and Teef Teef is still mind blowing but hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’m super busy so I hardly get time to actually think too much about it. But I can feel the love and it has opened opportunities and I’m interacting with people I would never have imagined I’d even think of.
How would you define your sound?
Personally, I don’t think my sound has a definition. It’s very different. It’s only recently that I started getting into the afrobeats thing. I’m a hip-hop head. But I think it’s right to always create something that’s closer to home hence why I tried something different with my sounds. I love drums so I thought something minimalistic and wavy would be a lot different. Something that the ladies would enjoy the most. I think that’s one of the factors when I’m making beats. How the girls will react to a song in the club.
Based in the UK, producing for artists in Ghana and Nigeria, how do you go about ensuring that your sound is still relevant to the Afrobeat music scene in West Africa?
I listen to a lot of music. I have my favourite genres. Soul, reggae, hip-hop, jazz. I also like to see what’s hot. It’s easy for me because I DJ a bit as well and have a lot of DJ friends who have regular gigs here in London. I check them out once in awhile to see what the people are vibing too. I think it’s important to know what’s trending and try and incorporate that in your sound.
You recently released mixtape African Crates Vol. 1. Can you briefly take us through the conceptualization and materialization of it?
You could call it a mixtape, album, beat tape. I just put something out. Reason being that’s how I started. Putting out tapes for free. Put out three beat tapes called the Jungle Book beat tape vol 1-3. Flipping samples and hard knocking drums together. It was my way of making a statement to rappers and artists and my friends as well that yo I got beats chale. In the beginning I used to force my sound down people’s throats lol. I wanted to be the best and work with everyone. But as I got older I got patient. The reason behind African crates is that I just wanted to create a beat tape based on vintage African sounds and vibes from the 60s and 70s. It took me 2-3 days to do the tape.
You’ve played at a TIDAL showcase in the US and are currently part of the team supporting Mr Eazi on his current UK show dates. What’s this experience been like?
TIDAL was amazing and an honor to meet the legend Lauryn Hill and other big artists like Machel Montano and Stephen Marley. With regards to the UK concerts, I was mainly responsible for the running of the whole tour under my company name Signatures Africa with my brother Jason. I worked closely with Eazi, and a few others very influential in PR (Lit Management) and planning (Ohemaa Ltd). It was a big, big task to pull off selling out a show. An experience I will never forget.
Re-Visit 1970s Lagos at One Day All-Ages Palm Wine Beats Live Festival in London.
An exploration into the genius of Africa and her diaspora, “Palm Wine Beats - Live!” is a a one-day event taking place in London with Soul Labels on August 20th. For decades, Africans and Afro-diasporans alike, have both traveled to and migrated to England’s capital establishing the city as a diasporan cultural hub for Africans, something seen from the 1970s onwards especially.
Last year, Lo-Fi produced the first two volumes of his five-part series Palm Wine Beats (PWB), covered by Boiler Room, Okayafrica, Sunday Service London, Jusi I Love and Dynamic Africa. These mixtapes were unique in their cinematic feel and historical depth, and with this event Palm Wine Beats takes the next step in bringing these tapes to life.
Celebrating the launch and premiere of British-Nigerian beatmaker Lo-Fi Odyssey’s polyrhythmic saga Palm Wine Beats Volume 3 mix, “Palm Wine Beats - Live!” will be an audio visual experience with food, workshop, performances and live radio all happening at Total Refreshment Centre in London on August 20th.
A few highlights:
✷ House band transforming PWB into a live polyrhythm shakedown featuring the Nigerian afro-fusion legend Blackman Akeeb Kareem OFFICIAL FAN PAGE, MeaKoom, Chongo and other guests
✷ The Akano Rhythm Brothers leading a Jùjú music workshop for music enthusiasts who like to get between the notes
✷ Panel discussion [From the Root to the Fruit] - When will Africa Benefit from its Cultural Archive? featuring Kwaku (British Black Music), Quinton Scott (Strut Records), Bekke Popoola (Black British Girlhood), We Need To Talk About: plus more
✷ A/V rescoring of PWB VOL 1 and audio preview of VOL 3 by Lo-Fi Odysseys
✷ DJ sets by Chief Commander Yaaba, Volta 45 and Duncan Brooker B2B with Amar Patel (Soul Labels)
✷ Kitchen run by Spitalfield Open The Gate regulars Nifty’s
TICKETS:
£10 early bird
£13 second run
A portion of the profits will be donated to MUSIC FUND, a humanitarian project that supports musicians and music schools in conflict areas and developing countries.
Tickets - http://bit.ly/2asYHUo
Website - http://soullabels.com/events
“The Federation of Black Cowboys: An homage to Richard Avedon” by Brad Trent.
Based in Queens, The Federation of Black Cowboys is a group of urban cowpokes whose goal is to promote knowledge of the “Black West”. Their Ponderosa for the past two decades is a ramshackle stable just off Conduit Boulevard in Howard Beach, but recently their membership has dwindled to around 20 die-hards and now they face losing the license agreement for the stables.
Pretoria photographer and designer Lebogang Mokgoko returns with the second campaign series of debut collection Blossom.
In explaining the germination process of the collection, Mokgoko describes Blossom as a work that deals with him “planting a seed” which materializes itself in the vibe, tone and aesthetic of the collection. “I It wasn’t as much about drawing inspiration but more of me proving a point. I am trying to introduce myself to the market,” he continues, noting the importance of making the right impression with his debut collection. “It is what I hope years from now people will be able to look back say this is where it all started. So it wasn’t about creating a winter or summer collection, I didn’t even think of gender when creating the pieces but rather, I just focused on creating great pieces that could fit into everyday life. Something that can ultimately just add value to the culture and serve as my contribution.”
“Blossom was also created with the intention of creating some type of introduction of me as a designer and helps me generate momentum going into my graduate collection at the end of the year.”
Making use of dated floral fabrics that usually don’t lend themselves to contemporary street wear, aside from being genderless, in not sticking to conventional expectations Blossom puts itself in a position to stand out as a collection created with a mindset not evident in brands of the same category. “I really wanted to shy away from what I’m being taught at school in terms looking for what’s “trendy” and so on but rather create clothing that means something to people,” he explains. “It was important for me to create pieces that had the design principles but yet at a level that even the guy on the streets could relate to.”
I really wanted to capture a moment in a sequence of events with having a campaign and look book. We really wanted to create a more intermit setting with the look book and contras in the look and feel of the studio to the clothes. It all represents the moment when start to understand someone, their past and start to see their potential and the light at the end of the tunnel no matter how dark. So in sort the look is just a symbol of wanting to do better and be better.
Soundtrack:
“It was really important for me to make Blossom more than just about clothing, but a vibe too. I felt that I could only say so much through clothing and I didn’t want to just give people something to consume visually but audibly too. Leblomo Laka is loosely translated as “my flower”, playing on the pun of the flower print that can be found in the collection itself, and a reference to a girl who is also your flower. The song is meant to be a soundtrack for people when wearing the pieces, and also something that people who are unable to get the pieces can enjoy too. Ultimately it’s the soundtrack to get out off whatever you’re going through and to get you to that “blossoming” stage.”
Credits:
Creative Direction by Lebogang Mokgoko
Art Direction by Size Mbiza
Make-Up by Michelle Coetzee
Photography by Keletso Nkabiti & Lunga Ntila
Models: Ethan Richards, Zinhle Mtimkulu, Thato Chandlyamba, Natalie Paneng, Nicholas Lawrence, and Raeesa Ladha
The collection will be available for pre-order exclusively by contacting ordermynameislebo@gmail.com.
Honey: The Soak - An Exclusive Editorial featuring Ifeoma Nwobu By Manny Jefferson.
She has only but journeyed to this townlet, she encounters a skirmish; and that doesn’t make things any easier for her as all she needs is a mere Kayak. « On va à la pirogue maintenant » the guide says. “Let’s float”. Placid, better yet hushed with gazes, unrelenting stares from mothers, men, children alike. Her mood is obtuse, a little out of sorts, almost hopeless. The weather is lousy and the sun, seemingly set.
Forging ahead, that is withal rather suitable at this stage, she is dressed in a strapless self-colored upper piece and a blush red high-waisted pantalon, a black polygonic bangle on her right wrist with a pair of hoop boucles d’oreilles . Atop a rather small wooden pirogue accompanied by a canoeist, she leans into different stances; “move here, move there” is all that is heard in reference to both the muse and the canoeist.
Her oiled core glistens underneath what’s left of the rays, but the upshot being scoured for is yet to be discovered. Hold that thought, something is happening! She begins to look even more lustrous! It has to be! Wait… it’s the soleil! The sun! Yes, finally! Sunlight! Alas, her body gives off a full glimmering effect, she coruscates in all spheres, even the waters agree with her, she appears as though she’s been dipped in honey dew as the sun encompasses her. “Now we’ve found honey; let the sun and waters soak in her beauty”.
Loza Maleombho is Still Pushing Boundaries with Her ‘Alien Edits’ Selfie Series.
Turning the lens on yourself, using oneself as muse, is perhaps an act - depending on purpose and function - that lies somewhere between narcissism, curiosity and self-exploration. For Loza Maleombho, the art of taking a selfie is an act of empowerment that should never be underestimated. In the age of digital self-portraits, Maleombho has become something of a selfie sensation with her piercing looks, striking jawline, elongated neck, and diverse array of carefully curated objects usually placed atop her head like crowns, created for her ongoing Alien Edits series. Making use of symbolism, life and art are both a delicate balance in the literal and figurative sense as life imitates art, and art reflects life, for Maleombho through these portraits.
Constantly putting together new work to address the purpose of the project, it’s been a little over a year since our last interview with Maleombho. Over this time, she’s added several more portraits, materializing her inspiration into works that challenge conventional representations of black African women, inspiring others to create their own alien selfies or created illustrated versions of her own portraits. And with items ranging from vintage sewing machines and Senufo masks, to calabash instruments and chickens, she doesn’t shy away from making use of seemingly mundane items that are recognizable facets of life for many Africans.
Her project is currently enjoying its first major exhibition at LouiSimone Guirandou Gallery in Abidjan, having also being featured at this year’s Lagos Live Festival in June. Catching up on all this, she discusses her journey, the purpose of Alien Edits, and even gives us a few tips on where to repose in her hometown.
I’ve always thought the title ‘Alien Edits’ was as intriguing as the portraits themselves. Can you share with us the meaning behind the term Alien Edits for those that might be unfamiliar with your series?
Alien refers to the alienation one might experience when facing an injustice, prejudice or when a victim of stereotype or racism. Edits refers to change or the option of taking matter into my own hand.
Your work is currently on view in both Abidjan and Lagos. What is it like for you having your work shown in physical public spaces, especially in African countries?
I don’t think showing in public places is any different from my images being passed around on Instagram or Tumblr, or items from my fashion line being worn by perfect strangers around the world. It’s always the same feeling: a very unsettling and humble pride. But the series speaks for a matter other than myself. It’s a selfie project, yet has very little to do with who I am as an individual and much more to do with a social message for our community; the international Black culture I call Alien Nation. I am speaking to African Americans, American Africans, Africans, African Europeans, African Asians etc. It’s safe to say that all of us share the same struggle against oppressive institutions, racism and stereotypes and my response here manifests in a celebration of our cultural diversities and similarities.
I think the most rewarding response from the public has been of people creating their own selfies inspired by this concept and sharing it on social medias.
In over a year of posting your Alien Edits selfies you’ve managed to gain a considerable following of fans and admirers alike. What has been the highlight of the Alien Edits journey for you thus far?
I want to say, being able to exhibit the series in a Gallery, but I can’t deny the positive feedback I got from people all over the world, who have related to these images and participated and shared the hashtag by reproducing and reinterpreting the concept in their own way.
You describe yourself as a creative, you’ve successfully worked in fashion for several years now, and your Instagram page is a stream of beautifully captured scenes in your life. Are there any cross influences between your fashion label and Alien Edits? Do the two merge and overlap in any way?
They do overlap to a certain extent. I have an obsession with African masks dancers so you easily find recurrences of masks in my collections as well as in Alien Edits, the same with other cultural references.
Aside from seeing your exhibition in Abidjan, are there other places and things you recommend visiting or seeing in the city?
Yes. Bushman Café is a must for dinner and drinks and they host occasional electro parties! Jardyland is a fun family lunch on weekends, Hotel Particulier for an intimate and secluded stay away from the city but in the city. Kajazoma is a quiet lounging restaurant with modern African setting.
Anything we can expect from you in the near future?
I can say for sure that I am not restricted to my professional field.
Dynamic Africa July 2016 Playlist.
Even with a slowed down tone and tempo, Nigerian singer Simi’s cover of Drake’s summer hit Controlla is still an infectious banger. Putting her own spin on the original lyrics, Simi turns the song into a duet adding a whole other dimension to the dancehall-inspired song.
The rest of the playlist is a mixture of new sounds from some of Ghana’s most recognizable rappers Sarkodie, Ko-Jo Cue and M.anifest, a Black Coffee remix of Alicia Key’s latest single In Common, and more sounds from Reekado Banks, Tinashe, Lion Babe, Spoek Mathambo, a collaboration between Wizkid, Chris Brown, Trey Songz and French Montana, and more.
Films About Africa at Durban International Film Fest
The 37th edition of the Durban International Film
Festival (DIFF2016), which took place from June 16-26, recently wrapped up ten days of screening a range of exciting
films and documentaries, introducing a diverse selection of homegrown and international works and stories to local audiences. This list consists of several films shown at DIFF2016 with narratives that relate to realities on the African
continent.
The Journymen
Taking place in 2014, marking two decades since the end of apartheid and the changing of South Africa’s political system, The Journeymen documentary follows three young South African photographers from different walks of life as they travel 24,000km through the country in a motorhome, capturing the nation’s “promising, contentious and confusing present-day democracy”.
Acquiring footage using Go Pros strapped to their chests, Sipho Mpongo, who interviewed about his participation in this project, accompanied by fellow photographers Wikus de Wet, and Sean Metelerkamp, from contrasting cultural and racial backgrounds - Xhosa, Afrikaans and English respectively, find themselves learning about the country they call home and even more about themselves as young South Africans. The film served as the festival’s opening film on June 16th, marking Youth Day in the country.
Nawara
Nawara lives between two worlds - her world spent in her poverty-stricken neighborhood, and a life spent working in and admiring the lives of Cairo’s more privileged. In Hala Khalil’s thrilling drama, the seedy underbelly of class and power, and the unkept promises of the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, are brought to light through Nawara’s misery and problem filled life.
Kalushi
After hawker Soloman Kalushi Mahlangu has a run in with police that leaves him badly beaten, rattled and enraged by the brutality he suffered, Soloman makes his way from his home in Mamelodi to the outskirts of nearby Angola where he and his friend and comrade Mondy undergo military training with the anti-apartheid liberation movement there. Back in South Africa, more trouble finds the two men as Mondy commits murder and both face charges of double homicide. Tried in an unforgiving apartheid court, Kalushi focuses on the stifling injustices of South Africa’s racial past.
Nakom
Death is often seen as a form of passage from this life to the next, a journey from the old to the new. However, for medical student Iddrisu, the death of his father sends him back to his ‘old’ world, the past he sought to leave behind as he embarked on a new life in bustling Kumasi. Back home for the burial, Iddrisu is forced to deal with the clashes of his two lives in which serious sacrifices and responsibilities must be considered.
We Have Never Been Kids
Screened at several film festivals, and with a number of awards under its belt, Egyptian filmmaker Mahmood Soliman’s We Have Never Been Kids is both a personal and political reflection of life in Cairo over the past decade. A follow-up to his 2003 documentary Living Among Us, the film is a view into the city through the life of Nadia and her family.
Lost Tongue
Davison Mudzingwa Lost Tongue is the story of Helena Steenkamp, a Khomani San woman from the Kalahari, and her mission to revive and preserve her people’s endangered N!uu language, and the challenges and confrontations with history and the present whilst on her quest.
As I Open My Eyes
(A peine j’ouvre les yeux)
If Farrah is sure of one thing, it is that she wants to sing. More specifically, Farrah wants to be a singer in a band. However, as she indulges in a lifestyle that exposes her to the dangers of living out her own personal revolution, many things become uncertain for Farrah as delicate things begin to unfold all around her. Representing the lost hopes of the post-Jasmine Revolution youth, Farrah falls somewhere between a rebel with a cause and a carefree young woman caught between greater conflicts of idealism and resistance.
Much Loved
Through the friendship of four women who happen to be sex workers, French-Moroccan filmmaker Nabil Ayouch’s feature film Much Loved casts a harsh but necessary light on the country’s illicit sex trade that contradicts the country’s conservative politics and values.
The Unseen
With The Unseen, filmmaker Perivi Katjavivi’s poetic portrayals of three individuals’ existential crises whilst living in Namibia serve as a window into struggles relating to history, culture, identity, depression, and other ‘unseen’ and unspoken “emotional and physical realities of post-colonial Namibia”.
The March of the White Elephants
Five years after hosting the first FIFA World Cup on the African continent, and with this year marking Brazil’s turn at hosting, both South Africa and the global governing body of the world’s most popular sport were put into the spotlight again, this time for reasons relating to the criminal and unethical misconduct of the two in the assigning and handling of the tournament.
Beyond the tournament itself, the direct and side effects of crime and corruption unfold in this poignant documentary as filmmaker Craig Tanner uses the South African-hosted 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as the preparations for the upcoming World Cup in Brazil, to reveal the negative impacts of this highly profitable tournament.
Dressed up in distressed, patched and unconventional clothing, shot on location in Abidjan, stylist and photographer Louis Philippe de Gagoue
interprets the Ground-Zero Spring/Summer 2016 ready-to-wear collection with model Tailly Sophia.
Two-Part “Blossom” Campaign - A Collection By Lebogang Mokgoko.
Emerging Pretoria photographer and designer Lebogang Mokgoko has unveiled his first official campaign, titled #1Campaign and #2Campaign, for his long-awaited debut collection Blossom.
Blossom sees Mokgoko teaming up with the Johannesburg creative duo Keletso Nkabiti and Lunga Ntila behind the camera, and frequent collaborator Size Mbiza for art direction.
#1Campaign served as a teaser as the full lookbook released at the end of June. Shot in different tones, Mokgoko described the two-part campaign as a “series of nostalgic moments” abstractly captured.
Set between a bright room full of antiques and a spacious and sparse wooded area, man-made classic design and the natural world inform both the backdrop and central inspiration of the campaign. In #2Campaign below, muted ‘granny florals’ serve as the central textile in the collection. But instead of dated or vintage designs, the garments mirror shapes and cuts associated with street wear clothing. Where his previous photoshoot Buds with Buds was playful and full of sharp colours, #1Campaign is warm and intimate, #2Campaign sombre and gloomy.
Credits:
Creative Direction by Lebogang Mokgoko
Photography by Keletso Nkabiti and Lunga Ntila
Art Direction by Size Mbiza
Models: Kevin Mbuyama // Nondumiso Gcwensa // Mbuso Shabalala
Iconic Soweto Uprising Film ‘Sarafina!’ Scheduled to be Screened in Cinemas Across South on Youth Day.
Starring the South African actress Leleti Khumalo as the title character - a young student activist during the height of student resistance in apartheid South Africa, Whoopi Goldberg as her inspiring anti-apartheid activist teacher, and the late Miriam Makeba as her mother, the iconic 1992 film is being screened in cinemas across South Africa today, June 16th, 2016, for free, to mark the occasion that engraved this day in our history books 40 years ago.
(Sarafina! the film in two parts)
Originally written for the stage and composed by South African playwright Mbongeni Ngema in 1987, Sarafina! centers on the Soweto Uprising of 1976 where thousands of students gathered to protest against the system of education forced on them by the apartheid government that made Afrikaans - a language spoken primarily by white Dutch colonizers and settlers in the country - the medium of instruction in their schools. Unarmed and defenseless, students were met with heavily armed riot police who fired rounds into the masses of youngsters, resulting in several deaths and injuries, including that of 13-year-old Hector Pieterson whose death has become one of the most prominent and recognizable symbols of that day largely due to this photograph by Sam Nzima:
In 1988, a documentary about the play was released titled Voices of Sarafina!:
According to Channel24, these are the following cinemas where the film is set to be on view:
Johannesburg: Maponya Mall, Southgate, Newtown Junction, Carlton Centre, Sandton, Eastgate, East Rand Mall
Pretoria: Sterland, Brooklyn Commercial, Kolonnade
Vanderbijlpark: Vaal Mall (new site opening on 16 June)
Potchefstroom: Mooi Rivier
Durban: Gateway
Bloemfontein: Mimosa Mall
Kimberley: North Cape
Port Elizabeth: Baywest Mall, The Bridge
Cape Town: Tygervalley, Blue Route, Parow, Eikestad
In Kwa-Zulu Natal, Videovision Entertainment has teamed up with the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission for community screenings from 20 to 26 June in Umlazi, Clermont, Chesterville, KwaMashu and The Bat Centre.
In Johannesburg the The Soweto Theatre will show Sarafina! until 19 June and at the Jo’burg Theatre between 20 and 25 June. In Cape Town the film will be screened for school children from the Athlone and Mitchells Plain areas on 22 June.
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From Bulgaria to Brixton: Liz Johnson Artur’s Debut Photobook Reflects Blackness Across Borders.
Spanning three decades of work, displaying both black and white and colour portraiture, this visual retrospective is the first monograph of Russian-Ghanaian photographer Liz Johnson Artur.
Born in Bulgaria to a Russian mother and Ghanaian father, Artur grew up in Russia and Germany, often finding herself in environments where black people were rare. An upbringing plagued with a constant search for self spurred by her racial identity, Artur describes her work and the motivation behind it as a form of discovery and exploration:
“The only way for me to understand…why I took all these pictures…I was hungry…but I didn’t know…that I was…it’s like when you start eating…you realize how hungry you are…and when it came down to pictures…I now realize…how hungry I was.”
(Self-portrait, Liz Johnson Artur)
Self-titled, the eponymous book features photos from areas that represent a diverse cross-section of Artur’s life - from the streets of South London, to parts of Russia, Europe, and the United States, Congo and other countries in Africa, as well as The West Indie. Her photographs represent subjects from all walks of life, from school children to artists, people on the streets to universally recognized musicians, reflections of Artur’s interactions and engagement with individuals representing a myriad of experiences of black people from all walks of life.
Liz Johnson Artur has worked for everyone from iD, Sunday Times, Fader, Observer magazine, Dazed & Confused, and the Face, Artur’s book is the photographer’s self-curated collection of her career’s output.
No.12 bus, London, 1998
West London, 1999
Peckham, 1999
Lewisham, 1997
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