Darren English - Taylor made at the Monday Night Jazz Jam, Cape Town

Darren English performing with his Taylor Phat Boy flugelhorn at the Monday Night Jazz Jam, Cape Town. 5 March 2012

posted 21 March 2012

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RAPtivism ALBUM Launch with AISHA FUKUSHIMA, 24 March 2012

At one of the Pan African Space Station 2009 studio events I noticed her and thought in my mind, what is wrong with Claire, why does she not greet or does she not recognise me. Then she started rapping with some local rappers and I soon gathered that it was not Claire, but her San Francisco twin sister(from a different mother), Aisha Fukushima. This was during her Cape Town(South African) leg, seeking and researching worldwide connections in rap and hip hop music.

On her global journeys she met and collaborated with many hip hop and rap artists and aptly named her project 'RAPtivism' (rap activism). One of the outcomes of this project is an album titled 'RAPtivism'. The album features collaborations between vocalist/emcee, Aisha Fukushima, and more than 20 leading political hip hop artists she met in her travels throughout North America, Africa, Europe and Asia. The music powerfully resonates with global efforts for consciousness and solidarity against injustice everywhere.

Sample the hit single from the RAPtivism Album: "Believe in Reality" by Aisha Fukushima prod. Ras K'dee here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v9YSzeNlvM).

The album will be launched Saturday, March 24, 2012, and will be available to download for FREE online! There will also be a RAPtivism Release Party in San Francisco. Please check the raptivism site for download details close to or on 24 March

raptivism (rap activism) is a global hip hop project lead by Aisha Fukushima that highlights the ways in music and culture can actively contribute to universal efforts for freedom and equality by challenging apathy, ignorance and intellectual oppression.

The featured artists on the album include:

AISHA FUKUSHIMA is a singer, educator, writer and selfproclaimed 'RAPtivist' (rap activist). She has lived and engaged in hip hop communities in France, Japan, Morocco, England, South Africa, Senegal, India and Denmark. Leader of a global 'RAPtivism' (rap activism) project, Aisha works to raise awareness around the intersections between hip hop and social justice. Her RAPtivism work has been featured in publications such as Oprah Magazine, The Bangalore Mirror and HYPE : South
Africa's #1 Hip Hop Magazine.

ATAF KHAWAJA debuted in 2005 with hip-hop album album ”Paraderne Nede.” His honest lyrics about being Danish-Pakistani disarmed critics, regardless of background and musical preferences. His classic single, "Butterfly" gave Ataf a massive commercial hit and a nominations for P3 Award, DMA, steppe wolf, Zulu Awards, and also placed the selfproclaimed street captain in the political crossfire on countless news broadcasts. Ataf's music hits the hearts of many—from the ghetto to the political corridors.
Source (translated):
http://www.myspace.com/atafkhawaja

BEEZWAX Music Producer, Audio Engineer and DJ, who grew up in Paris and London and is now a resident of Berlin. His musical influences range from early UK Garage, Drum 'n' Bass, US, French & German Hip Hop to Reggae, Dancehall, Soul & Dubstep.
www.beezwaxproductions.com

DJ NOIZE is a two time World DJ Champ (NMS94 - DMC96) and Beatmaker residing in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Source:http://www.myspace.com/djnoizecph

EXCENTRIK is a Palestinian-American producer, composer and MC from San Francisco, CA. He plays a range of instruments including the Guitar, the Arabi Tabla and the Oud. In 2003, he toured with Iron Sheik and went on to collaborate with artists such as Omar Offendum, Ragtop (The Philistines) and Narcycist (Euphrates) on a collaborative project called the Arab Summit. Excentrik recently released a solo album called“NowHere No Where.”
cited/paraphrased:
http://www.zatoonrecords.com/excentrik/

EMILE YX? is an old skool b-boy based in Cape Town that rhymes to get messages out. He tries to act on what he says by making real his words and not just preaching, but showing the power of the word made real. He is recognized as a forefathers of South African hip hop.
Read more www.emileyx.co.za
Join http://www.facebook.com/pages/Emile-YX/
Listen http://www.reverbnation.com/emileyx

GENESIS ELIJAH is one of the most respected names in the UK Hip-Hop scene and has been since his emergence in 2005. [...] Over the years, Genesis Elijah has performed all over the world with artists such as KRS One, Wu Tang, Talib Kweli, Souls Of Mischief, Blak Twang, Phi Life Cypher and Jhest, to name a few, and has collaborated with the best in the business.
Source:
www.myspace.com/genesiselijah

GLENDORF BROTHERS consist of Rasmus and Mads. Rasmus is a music producer / drummer, working with all genres and styles of music. Mads is the emcee of this duo. Besides writing lyrics and teaching philosopohy at a Copenhagen High School, he is also the rapper of the hip hop-jazz band, DoktorDoktor.
www.myspace.com/togangedoktor

HOOFER (BIZZ2RISK) is a Casablanca-based composer and vocalist for rap/hip-hop/afro-beat band, Bizz2Risk from Casablanca. The group made a name
for itself in the Moroccan contemporary scene after writing the soundtrack of the documentary Casanayda. Their album “Bizz, Risques et Révolution” ('Biz, Risk and Revolution') is a true “underground panorama”
Source:
yala.fm/en/artists/bizz2risk.../biography

KEUR GUI is a popular West African hip hop group known for their hard hitting lyrics against corruption and bad governance. Their first album was censored in the time of the socialist regime in Senegal, but they refused to give up—eventually becoming recognized as the most committed group of Senegal. Thiat, one half of the dynamic duo, helped launch the Enough is Enough movement, urging youth to end apathy and register for the elections in Senegal.
Source:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/KEUR-GUI

MAO is a producer, singer and film director born in Senegal and living in Montreuil, France. He composes music for television, advertisement jingles, hip hop and much more! MAO established his own studio in 2006 and works internationally in both Senegal and France.
http://www.maoprod.blogspot.com/

MASTA FLOW is a rapper at the forefront of the Moroccan hip hop scene. His musical career started in 1997 when he joined VKS, with whom he won the Boulevard of Young
Musicians in 2002. Building on this success, he founded the popular rap group Casa Crew with Chaht Man a year later.
Source:
http://yala.fm/en/artists/mastaflow.../biography

OBSCUR JAFFAR is a poet, musician and sound engineer living in Ouagadougou. His dynamic original style and deep seated passion for promoting hip hop culture make him a
force to be reckoned with.
http://www.myspace.com/obscurjaffar

PIPA FLOW is a producer and sound engineer at 4 My Dogg records in Senegal.

POSITIVE BLACK SOUL (PBS) is a pioneering Senegalese rap group founded in 1989. The group is composed of Didier Awai (alias DJ Awadi) and Amadou Barry (alias Doug E. Tee or Duggy-Tee). Political and social activism have played important roles in the group since it was founded. Their music has also been recognized by international hip hop stars such as MC Solaar. They integrate elements of traditional music into their hip hop beats, and rap in French, English and Wolof.
Source:
http://www.last.fm/music/Positive+Black+Soul

RAS K'DEE is a Native California (Pomo)/African musician who is the cofounder and director of a Native youth media organization called Seventh Native American Generation (SNAG). He is a renowned lyricist, producer, and lead vocalist/keyboardist for Audiopharmacy. He has most recently finished a selfproduced solo album titled Cloudwriter featuring Aisha Fukushima.

REFUU specializes in producing beats, text writing, mix engineering and coaching. He writes and produces music in almost all genres, but has until now mainly involved with his first love, Hip Hop/ Rap. Refuu debuted as producer with the release of Ataf Khawaja's second album, "Gallery", and has since produced for MFS, Karen Mukupa, Mikkel Solnado and others.
(translated from myspace.com/refuu)

RESKP (RESKAPE) is a West African rap artist with the mission of serving as the guiding light for his generation towards living a more peaceful, just coexistence. He raps in Wolof, French and English and has been called a breath of fresh air in the Senegalese hip hop scene.
http://www.myspace.com/reskapemc

SHIVANI began working with music in West Africa in 2007 where she found hip hop in its purest, most revolutionary form. From then on, supporting activist expression has been top priority. With her work at culture and development based NGO Cobiana Communications and Culture, Shivani manages and supports the hip hop movement
from Guinea BIssau connecting aspiring Bissau Guinean mc's to other movements both in Africa and around the world.
http://cobianacommunications.org

STANZA a Hip-Hop artist from Hitchin in Hertfordshire, UK [...]. moved into recording at the age of 14 leading to her performing locally at festivals and gigs. Gaining recognition from this, she performed 4 years in a row at Rhythm of the World, the largest free festival in Europe at the time. After producing 2 mixtapes and 2
EP’s she began work on her first album with Dead Man Walking, Chapter & Verse.
Source: facebook.com/robynjohnson91/

TAN MATTHEWS writer from Birmingham, UK combines her love of script, hip hop and reggae inflences on her Album 'Show Me The World'. 'Show Me The World' written during her trip to Sweden where she hooked up with jazz inspired producer by Confidence Soulful.

VAKILI lives in Copenhagen, studies political science, is the son of two Iranian parents and has a heart that beats for hip hop. With his indomitable ambition to open people's eyes to tolerance and reason, he utters his words with precision and ease, when he wants to make his message heard. For this is what he wants it to be, and the intense expression of rap is perfect for the task. [...] Vakilism? That must be young and unstoppable energy packed into words that everyone understands.
Source: http://www.cphdox.dk/ (vakili documentary)

Respect & R A P t i v i s m

published 17 March 2012

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KYLE SHEPHERD 'South African History !X' album launch 5 April 2012

Highly acclaimed South African Jazz pianist and composer, Kyle Shepherd launches his new Album, ‘South African History !X’ on Thursday, 5 April 2012, 8:30pm at The Baxter Theatre (Concert Hall), Rondebosch, Cape Town.

The concert line-up is formidable, with Shepherd (piano), Buddy Wells (sax), Shane Cooper (double bass) and Jonno Sweetman (drums), who all feature on the new album, as well as Darren English (trumpet/flugel horn) and Ethan Smith (alto sax).

The New Album

In essence, Shepherd’s latest release represents a profoundly fitting soundtrack to the history of his home country, South Africa. "X in mathematics represents the unknown. For my generation of young South Africans, large parts of our history still remain unknown. Many of us are, however, committed to knowing ourselves through knowing our country and the truth around its history. Like all my work, this still remains a sincerely musical statement, with the music also offering a path to self-discovery." Kyle Shepherd

Throughout the 13-track album, tracks such as “Sound Portrait of a Modern African Man”, “Xan Do Do – with piano improvisation” (featuring a sample of the Bushmen of the Kalahari) and the 3-part “Cape Genesis Suite” comprising the pieces: “Xam Premonitions”, “Slave Labour” (featuring the legendary Zim Ngqawana R.I.P) and “Cape Flats Lament”, poignantly and succinctly trace important landmarks in his country’s history, from its ancient beginnings, through periods of colonial and apartheid oppression into the modern era of liberation and globalisation.

While naturally drawing on the rich tapestry of traditional South African music and Jazz, Shepherd’s musical works also point towards the evolvement of his own authentic voice, which, as renowned South African Jazz guru Gwen Ansell aptly put it, “live in the jazz world but are never imprisoned by it“.

The new album will be available for sale on the night of the launch concert or from all good music stores from the beginning of April 2012.

FURTHER BACKGROUND

Both of Shepherd’s previous Albums ‘fineART’ and ‘A Portrait of Home’ attracted South African Music Award nominations and drew recognition worldwide from respected jazz critics and discerning music listeners alike.

Shepherd’s stature as a performer at home and abroad has grown tremendously over the past few years which have led to celebrated performances in Japan, Holland, France, Belgium, The Bird’s Eye Jazz Club (Switzerland), the Århus Jazz Festival (Denmark) as well as The Cape Town International Jazz and Joy of Jazz Festivals in South Africa.

In a move that will see Shepherd’s music being distributed globally, his independent record label, fineART Music has signed a worldwide licensing and distribution deal with Sheer Sound - with exclusivity being granted to Templit Ltd in Germany. A USA and Japanese distributor will be announced shortly.

* BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL *
Cost: R90.00 (R80.00 for Students & Pensioners: proof required)
To book visit www.computicket.com or Call 0861 915 8000

posted: 17 March 2012

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Lwanda Gogwana Songbook, LIVE at the V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre

Lwanda Gogwana Songbook, LIVE at the V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre
Cape Town
26 February 2012

http://lwanda.co.za/

get the music here: http://lwanda.co.za/online-store.html

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THE RAGING STORM - EXHIBITION - The Album Art of STORM THORGERSON

STORM THORGERSON, the visionary artist acclaimed for his imagery on some of the most successful rock and roll albums of all time will be exhibiting a selection of his fine art prints in Cape Town. These highly sought after works are signed and numbered by Storm and include the album art of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Muse, Nigel Kennedy, Peter Gabriel, The Cranberries, Black Sabbath, Audioslave, Pendulum, Disco Biscuits, Steve Miller Band, The Mars Volta, Anthrax, Catherine Wheel, Alan Parsons Ian Dury, Biffy Clyro and added to the list amongst others is South African band Machineri.

Update - Note that the exhibition has been extended until 17 March 2012
THE RAGING STORM exhibition opens at 6 Spin Street, opposite Church Square, Cape Town on Monday 20 February and runs until Saturday 10 March 2012. Galley hours are all day Monday to Saturday from 8.30am.

A preview of a feature-length documentary film TAKEN BY STORM will be shown followed by an intimate Q & A session with Storm Thorgerson on Wednesday 22 February at 6.30pm and Thursday 23 and Friday 24 February at 8pm. A Tapas menu and cash bar will be available from 6pm.

Produced by Roddy Bogawa, the film is about Thorgerson's life and work as told through his own reflection, his personal archive of never-before seen photographs and films. There are interviews with his ex-partner of Hipgnosis Aubrey Powell and some of the most important musicians and bands of our time: Alan Parsons, Steve Miller, 10cc’s Graham Gouldman, The Cranberries, Damien Hirst, Robert Plant David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Peter Gabriel. It’s also about Storm’s creative processes from the Hipgnosis days until now and his relationships/friendships with the musicians and bands he has worked with through his four decades of making album art. http://schedule.sxsw.com/2011/events/event_FS11112

Booking is essential as space is limited. Tickets cost R80 and R60 for students (with student card). Book through Kerry Friedmann 082 455 3447 or dewberry{@}iafrica.com
please remove curlies{} when using email

6 Spin Street Restaurant (from the team that brought you Rozenhof) is open Monday to Saturday. For dining reservations call 021 461 0666. The kitchen closes at 10.15pm each night.

On Saturday 25 February to celebrate the exhibition the band MACHINERI will give a live performance at 10pm. There is a R40 cover charge. The restaurant is open before the performance and there is a cash bar.

MACHINERI was formed in late 2008 by Sannie Fox and Andre Geldenhuys. The three piece band includes two American Fender Stratocasters (Sannie and Andre), Drum (Daniel Huxham) and Lead Vocal (Sannie). Machineri’s sound is predominantly Celtic Blues-Rock, layered and riff-driven. Some influences: John Lee Hooker, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, The Black Keys, Jimi Hendrix, Chopin, Ali Farka Toure, Paganini … and many many more. www.facebook.com/machineri

Synonymous with identifying the pop culture throughout the 70’s and into the Millennium, Storm Thorgerson’s distinctive style has made his artwork the most recognisable in the music industry. First with ‘Hipgnosis', then later in his own right. His work has a large element of ‘performance’ as he enjoys engaging the audience and provoking a reaction through his ‘temporary installations’ or ‘exstallations’ captured by the camera. These visual translations vary extremely as they deal with emotions, rather than with marketing or promotional purposes. In this respect, his work with Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Audioslave, Black Sabbath, The Mars Volta, Peter Gabriel, Ian Dury, Muse and countless other bands have helped shape how album covers look.

The photographic designs conjured by Hipgnosis and Storm Studios are often laced with surrealism and ambiguity, the occasional touch of fantasy or madness, a hint of the perverse and the odd joke. Quite simply, Storm Thorgerson creates images that are unexpected and sometimes impossible to forget.

Based in London Storm has had exhibited in Chicago, Tokyo, Osaka, London, Birmingham, Amsterdam Los Angeles, San Francisco Milan and Cleveland.

‘I like to create things that are unlikely (dog in designer shorts),
unbelievable (beds on a beach) and unacceptable (setting a man on fire)
which might incline people to doubt what they see. How real is real?
My work triggers sufficient interest I hope, in what it ‘is’ ie what’s in front of them and might hopefully persuade people to ask what it ‘means or stand for ‘ ….
Storm Thorgerson

published 4 February 2012

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CONCERT IN THE FIELD - A ROCK CONCERT ON YOUR DOORSTEP

United Herzlia Schools are running a combined fundraiser for Highlands Primary, Constantia Primary and Weizmann Primary by creating a rock concert for the entire family. This is a unique opportunity for Under 18’s across the peninsula to see some of the top rock groups in the country during the day in a beautiful safe environment. Concert in the Field takes place at 93 Old Kendal, Road, Constantia, Cape Town on Sunday 18 March 2012 from 3pm to 7pm. Gates open at 1.30pm.

Take two multi award winning rock bands, aKING and Van Coke Kartel, throw in a bit of balkanolgy nostalgia with DJ Maorginal, supported by some skanking ska of the Lancaster Band and Indie group Machineri, an appearance by Larry Joe … and you have one rocking insane concert!

These musicians usually perform in clubs and bars which are out of bounds for school pupils. The target market for this event is not only aimed at Herzlia and other school pupils, but is also aimed at their families and promoted as a fun family day. There is also an opportunity to win a helicopter ride over Cape Town's magnificent landscape.

A wide variety of delicious foodwill be on sale throughout the day as well as soft drinks, tea, coffee donuts, burgers, salads …and a tuck shop! You may bring you own picnic baskets, low folding chairs and blankets.

There is secure off street and adjacent fieldparking, a 'kids' corner staffed by professional child carers, professional security and medics on site as well as toilets and facilities for the disabled.

Tickets cost R65. Children under 4years go in free. Book at Computicket, Shoprite and Checkers outlets. Tickets booked by phone (0861 915 8000) or on line www.computicket.com must be collected at Computicket outlets before the event. There will be aComputicket outlet at the gate from 1.30pm if you wish to purchase your tickets on the day.

For more information about the concert contact Tracy Klass 021 464 3393 tracy{@}herzlia.com or Kerry Friedmann 082 455 3447 dewberry{@}iafrica.com

please remove curlies {}, when using email

posted: 11 March 2012

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Ross Eustis

Catch Ross Eustis's trumpet journeys here: http://eustisjazz.wordpress.com/

Currently he is enjoying the Cape Town vibe.

posted: 6 March 2012

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