6 degrees of walking on air...

The usual approach is to have a link into SA music as this is what this blog is mostly centred around... but this week, I have been inspired from so many different angles - that I felt it was time to pull together one of my '6 degrees of separation stories' and share some new discoveries...

It goes a little somehting like this:

1. I was recently introduced to the awesome Kerli with her twisted video ‘walking on air’…

2.  Probably walking on air from the pile of UK exposure this week, new Aussie band Empire of the sun with their track ‘walking in a dream’ have received a huge whack of promo and publicity this week – from the TNT front cover to a Metro review, TV ads and billboards. Big money behind these boys with there visual weird ways!

3. From Empire of the Sun to the Shepherds Bush Empire… which this weekend past was the host to the Secret Cinema... an intriguing and innovative concept where you buy tickets to attend a secret venue and to see a secret film...

4. Only discovering what the film is on arrival at the venue… this recent secret film event opened with a metal band from Toronoto Canada – calling themselves Cauldron… and ended with a secret special guest…

5. Also from Toronto, Canada - the guys in the secret movie were live and loud in the Shebu Empire following the movie ‘Anvil: the story of Anvil’ – a most endearing rockumentary on living the rock and roll dream.

6. This is a serious story of believing in the dream… since the age of 14, the two guys have been playing in their band, yet never quite making it big despite having played in Japan with the likes of Whitesnake and Bon Jovi in the early 80s. Now at the age of 50 they might just get their chance to make it big… and from this movie experience alone, they must feel pretty surreal.. kinda like they’re walking on air!

From Estonia (Kerli) to Australia (Empire of the sun) and then Canada (Cauldron and Anvil) - nothing South African about it - but interesting none the less... And off to South Africa tonight I am, so that makes up for teh lack of SA content. And when Im home I shall have ears and eyes on the ground to let you know just what is happening in the world of SA music on home soil!

Rock on awesome inspiring music!
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Magical night out next to iconic London landmark

Madame Zingara's Theatre of Dreams amazed and impressed! No doubt about it. It wowed and it woo’ed. It overwhelmed and awed!


Without giving too much away… All I wanna say is it’s worth every penny – a magical escape from the icy outside of London. Give yourself a reason to smile, something to look forward to – something to treat yourself with. And stand small beside the Battersea Power Station, an iconic London building, while you’re there!

It’s a theatre / cabaret style show and an exquisite four course, five star meal all rolled into one – you leave enlightened, engaged, enlivened. Your inner child shall skip idyllically home, your inner temptress with take your mind to places of velvet and delight!

Check out the latest SA PROMO – and book your February 2-for-1 Madame Zingara tickets by quoting 'SA PROMO' when calling the booking line.

Rock on cool deals and fabulous SA events,
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Songs about cities...

Music and travelling. Music and memories. Music and defining moments. Fundamentally fundamental in forming connections with people is music - and lately I have noticed a combined trend of capturing a song and a city in the same breath...

Recently UK indie band The LightYears have released an online single called Johannesburg - and this is ahead of their trip to SA in early Feb, where they've been invited to perform at a form of South African memory making ritual in itself... a rugby game if I remember correctly! The Light Years are already in SA - having missed all the excitement of the snow - they are instead experiencing all that Joburg has to offer and soaking up sunshine! (and they've also just released a new album called London, England. so simple, yet effortlessly it works too.)

Of other cities written and sung about, like any trend identified - you start to see it around you a whole lot more. Examples are Jewel with Barcelona... the classic New York, New York... and then of course my dear friend and excellent musician aspiring on the acoustic singer songwriter scene - Ryan Koriya.

Having recently interviewed Ryan Koriya for the Feb issue of SA Promo magazine, this is indeed one artist with an endless array of stories and cities to talk about.



And one such song he did capture was a side step into a little side project initiative called 'the back of seven' where he was involved in an acting role for creating a corporate film - filmed in Istanbul - and he was also responsible for creating a little soundtrack for the short film. This is his little fabulous Ibiza styled, Cafe del Mar magic-infested first output of: Istanbul (even with a few photos from the trip)

Rock on songs and cities for inspiring us - and artists for bringing the two together!
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