Already happened was Oppikoppi this weekend past - up in Northam, my namesake affiliation for which I am still determined to be thee on site reporter atleast once!
Currently unfolding in London is the super exciting Mann Friday campaign... with the single Sunburn and Wonder launched on Monday 28 April 2008 - this is " THE WEEK YOU MADE US FAMOUS "
Catch the campaign on an underground station near you - this pic taken at Stockwell station in south London...
Kelly of Living it Live - Mann Friday's management company - spotted this on her tube travels !
To help the MF guys achieve their ultimate goal of reaching the UK download charts this week - google 'the week you made us famous ' - and from there you can download their single for only 79p as well as get last minute tickets to their single launch gig tomorrow night at Astoria 2!
And then from Oppikoppi happening - and having earned itself recognition in a recent international survey as one of the worlds top 10 best festivals - we move onto the South African Music Awards, that time of year when SA artists get the industry recognition they're after!
Watch this space as the event takes place this weekend in Sun City on Sat 3 May! Ads are underway on local SA tv (yes, Im still in SA!) and the buzz is building!
There also seems to be a fairly new TV programme delivered by local SA social critic Barry Ronge - Artcha - the hottest art in SA! With three 'Artcha angels' - ala Charlie's Angels style... Barry's angels are the beauties who do the screen-facing snippets and interviews between stories with art-based coverage of painting, music, dance and other cultural art related stuff!
On tonight's show I saw Chris Chameleon who says that he spends about four months of his year overseas - good for us (in London) and good for these guys as they get to spread their music and increase their exposure! Chris is currently finishing up an next English album and deciding on a name, which means we should expect him again soon in the UK!
But of course with summer on the way, we can expect many of our SA guys to be in London soon as they chase the sun! Something we should all learn to do more!
Well, my days of sun here are winding down. Ive had some great ones for a Cape Town autumn! A few more days in Cape Town, closing off this leg of the trip with the Henry Ate reunion tour show at Brass Bell in Kalk Bay! Since this venue holds particular fondness for me and many a Henry Ate memory from 10 years ago, it was on my suggestion that Karma arranged this gig! How apt then that I am actually in CT to see the same band who started so much of my love for SA music all those years ago! Sundowners. Savanna. Starter calamari. Great company (my best friend from Dubai is down!!). And a little bit of a reminisce around the Henry Ate faves of Just, Waves of Salt, Eudomania and So he says! What a perfect ending to the CT trip this shall be!
Then off to Joburg on Sat and hopefully gonna be able to catch another favourite in Nibs van der Spuy who is playing in Potch tonight and Joburg on Sat! Alas, I have not seen any new stuff since I have been here due to a busy stretch of socialising - but I am gonna make a swing past a good music store and pick up some new SA music. Alas, far too few music stores have dedicated SA rock music sections I have so far found and when I flick through the endless racks of CDs, I am still disappointed not to find many SA bands on the shelves. What a shame!
If it were up to me, Id be pushing for more display space for SA music in record stores. It seems the main focus is on African music - traditional, jazz etc as well as Afrikaans stuff. Maybe this says something about the market and what sells, but surely the displays can be a bit more sexy around South African rock!? And maybe this would push the sales a bit more!? Whether this is up to the msuci stores of the record comapnies to focus on I dont know, but something should be done. In fairness, Look and Listen in Claremont do have a pretty good section and I was pleased to see a good few names of bands I do have on my list to buy. But what about the other bands I am after? Where do I find their CDs? Perhaps Robin Auld's Coalition about increasing local bands' airplay quotas should add this to their focus as well!
Well, its been a long one tonight! I will continue to keep my musical eyes and ears open while Im here and add any more relevant insight into the SA music scene as I go!
Rock on sunshine and music combined!
x
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