Stories of Freedom...

It is a proud day - 15 years since South Africa first celebrated its free and fair democractic election! Honoured as Freedom Day ever since!

Over the weekend I felt the need for a little bit of African influence, some South African nostalgia - and so I popped in a Johnny Clegg DVD - Live at the Nelson Mandela Theatre, together with the Soweto Gospel Choir...

And as I sang along to the many Johnny Clegg classics Ive come to love, I ended up perched on the edge of the couch when Johnny told detailed and fascinatingly rich stories in between the songs. Most of these stories I had heard before in varying snippets on stage and sound bites from interviews - but what really impressed upon me was how these are stories are so important to be heard by the youth of South Africa - in fact, anyone who is South African. Especially during these times of reflection and change as a new leader steps up to a massive challenge...

How many more stories by South Africans are locked in memories of moments passed, and of musicians - how many stories are safely tucked away in a tune - some day, in centuries to come, to be deciphered, like the lyrical lines of poet's passed...

But what better way to actually find out what a song was about then to hear it from the artist who wrote it - whether it was just written as an expression of an emotion or experience - but sometimes songs are written as stories of the times. Im not talking about commercial crap of course, but rather the heartfelt stuff written by artists because the song is burning within them, needing to breath air and come out. Like folk music which is indeed an original story telling style - and many of South Africa's great artists encapsulate some of the great stories of our land in music.

So I encourage more SA artists to make an active attempt to capture the meanings and stories behind their songs - for prosperity, for our future, for the culture of our country!

Rock on stories in songs - and capturing them for all South Africans,
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Music marks the spot!

Ahead of tomorrow, election energy will inspire people in South Africa to stand in queues for their right to make the X that marks the defining spot... and potentially make a difference… Also making its stand, is MUSIC!

Electro funk artist Gazelle for one, is taking his stand and declaring himself as ‘President of Funk’ – swearing himself in tonight at his inaugural party at The Assembly in Cape Town. Check out the April issue of SA PROMO for an interview with this weird and wonderful artist making a mark on the music scene!

And elections totally aside, what is it about the animal kingdom taking over the music scene in SA? (and worldwide as I think of a few that float to mind – Wolfmother, The Animals etc)

Is it 'Animal Farm' coming to life... from the author of 1984, making bold statements about society through seemingly absurb contracts and comparisons? Or is it just me noticing this trend… in SA atleast, check this out – from varying grazing animals such as zebras, giraffes and gazelles to the more carnivorous types such as jackals, cats and chameleons – and not of course forgetting the cold blooded ones, goldfish!

Am I going crazy – no! Here is the lowdown of cool SA bands with funky animal inspired names:

Checked Zebra
Zebra & Giraffe
Gazelle
Mr Cat and the Jackal
Chris Chameleon
Goldfish

Rock on animal inspired artists,
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The right to spread the word about SA music...

Today was voting day for the South Africans living in the UK - and Trafalgar Square was the hot spot - queues of excited people, all very proud and pleased to have their chance to vote - their RIGHT to vote!

This reminded me that its my right to tell you about more up and coming SA bands... and after my annual pilgrimage to South Africa in March (yes, for an entire amazing amazing month!), I feel much more adept and inspired to speak about SA music and what is going down, who's hot... and what to listen to!

On this side of the world, we see a fair few SA artists - but usually the ones who achieve success of radio play, record label signings etc and hence are lucky enough to be sponsored or supported on UK tours...

But those artists who live in SA, or are on indie labels or self-funded, produced, managed - combined with high exchange rates - means that they dont get to come to the UK! And more so, that means that we in Londono miss out on a lot of those fabulous bands back at home that don't have a presence in the UK!

I'm talking about the new up and coming bands who are still gigging the SA festival circuits who are huge at home, but have not cracked any attention overseas! Or the eight piece ska bands with a sweet-shop selection of sounds and instruments that would cost a small sweet shop business to finance to physically get them over to the UK - let alone costs when here for a small tour!

Of course there is the world of online - and that is where I come in... more new bands to follow! Here to update you on what's happening at home... to suggest some of the bands on the rock, indie, pop and singer songwriter scene anyway. (Loads of stuff going on in so many other genres too - but these are the ones for which my musical arm is twisted when it comes to CD buying and gig attendance!)

Ok, so first up, get listening to The Plastics and The Pretty Blue Guns

I do think you will very much like. More Hot New Stuff to follow!

Rock on new amazing bands,
x

PS. Cassette and Blk Jks - two hot bands of the 'lucky enough to be international already' are playing tomorrow night... (see gig guide on the right) Get down to a gig as the summer weather kicks in! Its time to start exploring London again!

6 degrees of Cassette separation...

1. Joburg pop rockers Cassette have just launched a new album called Who Do You Trust (and will be playing in London in 10 days time)

2. Mann Friday will be kicking off their SA 'Waiting for the flash' tour on Good Friday, 9 April, with a gig in Joburg at Tanz Cafe, supporting Cassette

3. Two months later - on 9 July - Mann Friday will play the iconic Shepherds Bush Empire for the official UK album launch of 'Waiting for the flash'

4. Supporting Mann Friday's album launch at Shebu, will be LA based SA artist - Karma - who was previously known as 'Henry Ate'

5. Also previously known as something else, now Dear Reader (previously Harris Tweed), have just released an album called 'Replace why with funny' (and lead singer Cherilyn MacNeil has such a glorious Lamb-like angelic voice to give you goose bumps!)

6. And then... the other half of Dear Reader is Darryl Torr - who is also a producer - who worked on Cassette's latest album!

Rock on Cassette,
x

I own my very OWN band!

I fool you not... it is true - I am the owner of my very own five piece band!

Yes, its true - complete with a saxophist - and a violinist too! (And drums and guitar of course, goes without saying!)

For R80, I bought an album from a reggae artist, whose key selling point is that you get not only the album, but the entire band too!

Rock on having my own band :)
x

Still waters run deep...

She's been touted as the South African Alanis Morissette... 

...but I've always thought that she looks more like Nemi - the fabuously dark cartoon character in London's The Metro newspaper!

As a musician, Josie Field does indeed have an Alanis sound about her, a similar angst and aching determination in her voice! This is especially true in her debut single 'Every Now and Then', which on Monday morning on my iPod was the soundtrack to the emotions drip-feeding into my brain. Her words, her clever portrayal pulled it all together - allowing me to understand how I feel every now and then.

After first discovering Josie at Oppikoppi 2007, this is the first time I've seen her in the UK. She played at the acoustic open mic night at the Halfmoon on Monday. And on chatting to her, she is far from the uber serious goth looking girl on stage. In fact she is calm and quiet and quite friendly.

And with her second album, Leyland, just out - her sound is also evolving to some deeper depths of her voice. (And the album name is in fact her middle name)

Rock on music bringing meaning to our lives,
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