Today is the day...

As cliched as it sounds, I really never did imagine this day arriving! I know there will be more days like this, such as the day I actually get on the plane as I say goodbye to London for now! 

Though I think the day my boxes get collected will be the weirdest of them all... Nine years of stuff sorted into two piles - to be chucked, and to be shipped. What will be will be, to be sure, to be sure!

While shopping in the Wimbledon Tesco earlier this afternoon, I was looking around, with hope, for a can of South Africa's best Caramel Treat - you know that yummy stuff you put into peppermint crisp tart!? Except we've always called it 'Transkei Mud' - a far more exciting and fun name for kids is what my mom must have been thinking. Anyways, it stuck - and to this day, I still call it that even though everyone detests, 'But isn't this peppermint crisp pudding?'

So, shopping in Tesco. In Wimbledon. Aka Saffaville. And I spot it - my delightful caramel treat - and all for the tidy sum of £1.29! Fabulous!

It was a week ago that I entered a South African shop at Victoria station - great for pre-train biltong snacks no arguing that, but at £4.29 for a can of the caramel stuff, I just felt a little bit ripped off! I knew I'd seen it at a Tesco in Hammersmith once, and hence I'd tried my luck in the Wimbledon one today!

But what surprised me the most was that not only was it caramel they had, but in fact an entire shelf dedicated to South African stuff!!! How had I missed this all this time? Was it new? Or had I just been living too far from central Saffaville to realise?

This UK supermarket's shelves stocked the ultimate SA favourites - Ouma rusks, chutneys in a few flavours, TEMPOS (yum yum!), NikNaks (both cheese and chutney flavours), Creme Soda and a variety of spices and sauces!

So while I sit here with an e-ticket in my hand, my return home now imminent after all these years, I am laughing at just how entrenched South African culture has become in this country! But one thing they can never import, is 300 days of sunshine. 

So, what I am left with thinking is two things after 9 years in the UK, and over 3 of this gig blog:

1) Why are SA CDs not yet as readily available as Tempo bars and cans of caramel treat. Yes, the UK has endless types of chocolate and sweet treats of their own - and musicians by the dozen of course - but there is still a definite market here for some of our sweet sweet SA music!

And...

2) What am I going to do with the name - and intent - of this blog when I head back to South Africa? Do I keep on at providing a centralised listing of all SA gigs in London as no one else has ever sustained at doing it for longer than a few months... or do I change the name to something more exotic, more global, more 'out there'? I will of course keep on doing exactly what it says on the label though - and that is spreading the word about South African music beyond our borders, bringing you the insight and interesting stories behind the music so that you too may go off and discover some of these fabulous artists!

 So in my departure, my final wish is for the influx of loads more SA music into the UK! And maybe in years to come, I will one day delightfully discover an album of Josie Field or Mccree or Jax Panik on sale in Tesco!

Rock on caramel treat, and things-a-changing...,

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Where is the love...

Lately I have been pondering this exact question, 'Where is the love..?' 

This applies to many things - from human beings' kindness capacity for themselves and others, but more so right now, I am wondering where my own love for 'SA Music in London' has dwindled to...

Since returning to London under a month ago, I have felt the SA-music-sharing-blog-inspiration escape out of me like a blow-up mattress with a hole in it. Not so obvious at first. But when you wake up on the floor with a pap mattress pathetically surrounding you, its already too late. And on this day of international commercialised love, I equate an explanation of my deflating desire to write bout SA music akin to maintaining a long distance relationship... No matter the distance, its up to us to put the time and energy in, in order to keep the love inflated, and alive!

With an idea of what's going on in the SA music scene thanks to Facebook and many email updates, I am aware of the awesome stuff going on at home - but not feeling hugely inspired to inflate this love while feeling so removed from it. I guess I just miss the SA music scene - a little bubble of happiness for me - and so by not writing about it, I am also pretending that I am not missing it as much...

But then I pulled myself together and I realised that this long-growing love deserves more effort, more attention...

And today alone while thinking about this, I have seen a few great examples on Facebook where SA artists are doing cool stuff worth talking about!


1. Starseed and The Spindle Sect - two London-based SA bands will be playing the Kick Out The Jams festival in London on 12 March!

This one day festival is a rock and metal fest, and with two out of 13 bands being from South Africa, it is with great pride that all rock and metal fans can support some local SA talent!





2. Steve Peralta - this London-based Durbanite has made it through to the next round of the London finals of Live and Unsigned - the UK's biggest live music competition for original bands and solo artists! You can support Steve on 6 March!

3. Roland Albertson - this previously London-based singer songwriter won 'Best Male Artist' in the International Acoustic Music Awards competition at the beginning of February! 

Out of over 10,000 entries, Roland was the first ever South African to win an award in this contest! It was a song of his called Broken.

"Broken, is a special song for me because it is one of my oldest. Its about two people being torn apart because of career choices. A job offer too good for her to refuse which she thinks she has to take, so she does. I just hope that I'll see her again..."

And in the story behind Broken, I am reminded that life is always about choices - and no matter where we are in the world, we have to make the best of it, and do what is needed for ourselves and others!

So that's three good reasons right there of why the love affair with SA music must continue - even when so far away from the source of the music I'd gotten so spoilt in having close by when I was in SA over the summer!

I am reminded that our brilliant talent is shining its light and sharing its stories with the world! Because SA music is so diversely impressive - a creative industry brimming with talent and hard working artists - I want to do my part to make sure the world takes notice!

Rock on rekindled love, and SA musicians making an impact internationally!
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