Celebration of African Culture and Heritage - 28 November 2010

Afro Pan Project is a collaboration of musicians and artist - our main aim is to create platform, opportunities for up, and coming performers in any art form. Hence, we will be hosting an annual music, arts & culture show at New Africa Theatre in Athlone, on the 28th November 2010. This year’s theme: Celebration of African Culture and Heritage through Music and Art.

Last year we had a good show and well attended, regardless of the fact it was our first initiative, therefore we are optimistic about this year’s spectacular event.

Should you require more information, please kindly contact our event coordinator Thabo Motau on 073 522 4894, email: thaboshanti@yahoo.com

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ESTHER MILLER - A Jazz Odyssey

Jazz Vocalist Esther Miller makes a welcome return to her home town for the second year running with a concert at the NMMU South Campus Auditorium, Port Elizabeth, on the 5th of January 2011.On this occasion she will be accompanied by Cape Town Guitarist, Wayne Bosch and Threes Company Trio.

...Esther was born and raised in Port Elizabeth and matriculated from Gelvandale High school where she sang in the school choir, enjoyed sprinting in the athletics team and was elected head girl in her final year.

Since 2010 marks the 25th anniversary of her matriculation from that institution, Esther has decided to make a donation to the school’s cultural projects, most notably the school band and girl’s soccer team.

Esther sought early musical inspiration through her parents’ record collection and as soloist in the Springdale Congregational church choir. She studied medicine in Cape Town, but soon gave in to the lure of jazz.
She then honed her technique with classical singing lessons with the late Suzi van Dijk and delved into jazz history to take her inspiration from Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday and Blossom Dearie as well as the jazz/pop of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

In South Africa she has worked with some excellent players, including the late guitarist Johnny Fourie, saxophonists Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Robbie Jansen, Ezra Ngcukana, bassist Basil Moses, drummer Kesivan Naidoo and the late Errol Cuddumbey.

Her most recent PE performances were two hugely successful shows at Uptown Theatres in January 2010. She was also one of the featured artists at the 2007 Cape Town International Jazz Festival.

Esther has been resident in the UK for a number of years and has a growing reputation on its jazz scene.

Her recently recorded fourth album, A Place in the Sunlight, was released in July 2009 and has been featured on many radio stations in South Africa.

"A Jazz Odyssey" will feature the music which has been part of Esther’s 20 year journey as a jazz singer. She will be supported by Cape Town Guitarist, Wayne Bosch, who will be flying in especially for the concert and Threes Company Trio, comprising of John Edwards – Piano, Tim Robinson – Bass and Devon van Rooyen - Drums

"… a spell-binder. Voice, style and presence – she’s got it all."
Humphrey Lyttelton BBC Radio 2

"…and so she impresses with individuality as well as grace".
Mike Butler, Manchester Evening News, Dec '09

Tickets are available at Computicket at a cost of R100; 105; R110
Tel: 083 915 8000
Web: http://www.computicket.com/

www.myspace.com/esthermillersings

Special Thanks to Michael Barry and staff at NMMU; Winston Petersen and NMMMA; Angela Miller; Event Hire

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WAVESCAPE SURF FILM FESTIVAL 2010 CAPE TOWN

The seventh annual Wavescape Surf Film Festival kickstarts the 2010 summer season in Cape Town with a bumper crop of adrenaline-charged surf movies.

Presented by the Save Our Seas Foundation, the festival (from December 1 to 19) focuses on the critical plight of the world’s oceans, and surfing development in South Africa.

The festival begins with the Wavescape Surfboard Art Exhibition from December 1 to 7 at the trendy Cape Town restaurant Depasco Cafe. Twelve surfboards decorated by artists will go on auction on December 8. Proceeds go to ocean charities, including the SOSF, NSRI and Shark Spotters, with a special board decorated by township children to be auctioned on behalf of the Ticket to Ride Foundation’s surfing development programme.

Also to be auctioned will be a mini-surfboard reshaped from a broken board, part of the My First Surfboard Project. Every year, thousands of broken surfboards end up in dumps and landfills, and are environmentally toxic. The project turns broken boards into new boards for beginner surfers who can’t afford them, transforming junk into transforming a kid’s life.
The film section of the festival begins with the open-air free screening of Scratching the Surface on Clifton Fourth Beach on Friday December 10 after the sun goes down. The film includes cutting edge camera technology in use by pioneering surf filmmakers.

Thousands of like-minded people gather on the beach with picnics from early in the evening to enjoy a long, languid summer evening. Indoor films will be screened at the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay from December 12 to 15 and at the Labia Theatre on Orange from December 16 to 19.

Prize giveaways from official surfing sponsor Quiksilver and Roxy will be randomly handed out to members of the audience throughout the festival, with three Sector 9 skateboards and surfboard giveaways added to the loot at Clifton Fourth.
According to curator of the festival Spike from Wavescape.co.za, the festival offers the most diverse line-up of films since the first Wavescape festival in 2004.
"There is something for everyone, from the usual soulful visuals and underground soundtracks to the hot moves of the now generation. Among others, Modern Collective and Scratching the Surface showcase the most awe-inspiring waves of the world and the outrageous aerial and other skills of the new guard, including Julian Wilson, Dusty Payne, Dane Reynolds and South African Jordy Smith.
"However, we also represent the darker side of surfing. Sea of Darkness exposes the sometimes grisly, drug-scarred underbelly of the surf travel dream, while the award-winning Lives of the Artists documents a freakish French snowboarder, crazy Irish surfers and an angry British punk band in their quest for the salt-encrusted, powder-snowed, guitar-ghettoed grail of their inner artist."
"Fibreglass and Megapixels brings to life the vivid digital world of surfing photography, featuring top South African photographer Pierre Tostee. We also have a special screening of End of the Line, a scary film about the extinction of fish that has caused a global stir, and two films about how surfing can transform the lives of the disadvantaged: Surfing Favelas (Brazil) and Somewhere in Tapachula (Mexico).”

Films are R30 per person at the Labia and Brass Bell. For details call the infoline 079 0260 669 or http://www.wavescape.co.za/

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