Lerato got the chance to see Crepuscule. And her review of the play proves she's also one to look out for .

Lerato Modibedi

On Friday 17 July 2015 at Market Theatre, I saw a play called Crepuscule. The play is an adaptation of a short story written by Can Themba. It is about a love affair between a married white woman and a black man in Sophiatown. Set in the 1950s/60’s when interracial relationships where illegal according to the Immorality Act, it shows two people who are willing to risk their lives because of what they feel for each other.

Directed by Khanyelihle Don  Gumede, a dynamic and award winning young director, performed by Leroy Gopal as (Can Themba), Kate Liquorish as  (Jean Hart), Lerato Mvelase as (Baby/Kleinboy), Conrad Kemp as (Malcom), Thami Ngoma as (Lethabo/Mama Dora).

Can Themba works as a journalist for Drum magazine. He is smart and sharp in speech. With a charming personality, he is something of a lady’s man. Jennifer is a young petit lady, who is a photographer, born in South Africa and educated in London where she met her husband.

In one of Jean’s trips around Johannesburg, she meets a gentleman who offers to carry her bags. “Why do you want to carry my bags, do I look incapable?” she said. This leads to an interesting conversation between strangers. Jean is swept off her feet by Can’s sharp responses and starts to enjoy his company.

After a few of these meetings, Can invites her over to Sophiatown where he stayed. She’s met with disapproval by the family but Can continues to charm his way into her life. Unable to resist Can, they sneak around dodging the police in Sophiatown. He takes her to the sheeben, where she met his friends, Kleinboy and Stan.

They joked together, enjoyed alcohol, and then spent the nights together. This is an illegal love affair – with a white, married woman – that would get them into deep trouble. Can finds himself cast in a world whose rules detail how he’s life is supposed to play out, who he’s supposed to be and who he is supposed to fall in love with.

In between scenes the characters sang local jazz music which was popular at the time. The dancing invited the audience and interacted with them. The style of dressing was your elegant man’s wear, suits and hats, and cocktail dresses in bright colours and matching heels for the ladies. The actions during the song made it more effective as it added character to the performance and made it more interesting.

Lerato Mvelase stands out in the two characters she plays. From the local drunk guy, to Can’s local girlfriend, her acting and stage presence is exceptional. Leroy Gopal’s electric voice cut through the audience and commanded you to listen. The dialogue was natural. The writer did a sterling job.

It really opened my eyes to ideas and proved to me that if you really put your mind to it, you can come up with such creative, unique and simple ideas that have a huge impact on to the audience. It also taught me that you don’t need a huge production with huge costumes to create a power performance. This work will inspire conversation about who we are trying to become as a growing nation and what remains from our dark and strong past.

By Lerato Modibedi

Lebogang Oagile went to see Crepuscule at the Market Theatre ... And this is his take.

Deep in the wells of the South African literary canon, Can Themba is surfaced through the works of theatre practitioner Khayelihle Dom Gumede. The Wits University graduate, through the mentorship of Kgafela wa Magodi, has dug deep into the archives to bring together a production running at the Market Theatre. Crepuscule – is an adaptation of one of Can Themba’s short stories by the same title.

Set in the infamous Spohiatown – the cultural mecca of Johannesburg that gave birth to some of the most influential figures in South African history, Crepuscule explores Themba’s love affair with a white women, an act which under the apartheid regime was forbidden by law.

It is against this love story that the play introduces the world of Can Themba. The role of Can is played by Leroy Gopal, who depicts the character of Themba as a charming and witty intellectual who is full of energy. But it is later revealed that beyond this charm and wit is a pessimistic mind with and an optimistic spirit.

Can’s charm proves to be too great for an up-class white woman to resist. Can romantic pursuit, Jean Hart, is played by Kate Liquorish. Jean is born in South Africa but is raised in Britain. She returns to South Africa along with her wealthy husband, who is in pursuit of investment opportunities. Through his charm and wit, Themba convinces her to come and explore Sophiatown. 

She is mesmerised by the scenery and culture of the slum. Perhaps one can argue that to her,  Can was the embodiment of Sophiatown. It at first appeared to be the case of an eager and intrigued woman flirting with danger…devouring a forbidden fruit. Such an analogy, it would appear, is one Can was also aware of. She, however, dispels Can’s belief that her interests were rooted solely on the prospects of Can’s anatomy as it was believed to be the case with white woman and black men during that period.

Can’s affair with a white woman is met with skepticism by his mother and his two confidants and drinking partners. Themba’s mother, played by Thami Ngoma. She is quick to warn Jean that she is just one of the many romantic escapades her son has had. Themba’s life is disrupted by Jean as she explicitly states that their affair to her was not merely a case of fetishism but that she had fallen in love with him. Can’s situation is further antagonised by his girlfriend discovering about his illicit affair. Themba’s girlfriend, Baby, is played by the talented and Emmy-nominated Lerato Mvelase – who did very well on this play. She switches with so such ease between two roles of Baby and Kleinboy.  

The 82-minute long production offers a bit of everything, but is not tamed by one specific thing. An infusion of poetic lingua and melancholic music is executed to perfection by the talented cast. As can be expected, political rhetoric is not absent in this unorthodox love story. For most theatre enthusiasts, political rhetoric often tends to plague any work of theatre, perhaps this can be argued for all works of art. However, in Crepuscule, one is made aware of the body politic but there is no real sense of imposition from the play to the audience.

Can, who along with other prolific black writers such as Nat Naksa, Es’kia Mphahlele, and Henry Nxumalo, worked as a journalist for Drum magazine – the first notable publication that represented the voice of black people in the metropolis. It is during his years at Drum that Can established himself as the prodigal son of South African literature. Though not widely published as some of his peers, notably Mphahlele, Can is highly revered for his coverage and portrayal of the hardships of African lives during the apartheid regime. 

Dubbed the “shebeen intellectual”, it is alleged that Can struggled with chronic alcohol use, which would later be the cause of what some suggest was the premature death of the Drum journalist.

The skeleton of love as the main force behind the narrative brings to the fore salient themes which are undertaken in the play. Perhaps one which prevails supreme is that of the ambiguities of apartheid and its effects thereof. For Jean who’s encounters with the “forbidden fruit” disrupted not only her marriage, but brought her whole world as she knew it into question. And most importantly, it would seem that for Themba, the resulting factor of his endeavors re-affirmed what he had already believed.

Lebogang Oagile    

Drago Lo makes a grand entrance (full article)

He says he is that Christian boy from the hood who grew up to be Drago Lo the entertainer, creator, thinker, a free spirit, lover and child of the arts. His real name is Xolani Kubheka and he was born and bred in Thokoza, Ekurhuleni.

Xolani said growing up in the kasi made him strong. “Thokoza and Kathorus made me.  Growing up there was real and the community raised me. We are the product of our experiences, our past and present shape us though we choose what they shape us into. I'm grateful to have grown up in Ekurhuleni. Bezikhipha ekasi.

The young rapper says he has always known that music was his thing. He started writing poetry and plays at age 14 and started writing music in 2010. He said: “When I started writing music I knew that it was my passion. Nothing else made more sense from that point.  While growing up, music and dance helped me cope. They were my outlets and refuge from the world and all its pains. These art forms also brought me a lot of joy. And I want to share that joy with the world.

Drago Lo’s new album will be released on 26 June. “Grand Entrance is a 14-track masterpiece. It is about my journey and growth as an artist, lyricist and a visionary. It’s me introducing myself to the game and the masses. It’s me saying: hey, I have something different, this is how I view the world; see it through my eyes. This is my story.”

It will be available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Spotify, EMusic, Nokia music, Rdio, Last FM, Rhapsody, Digital Virgo, Beats Music, Bozza 37616 store and 20 other digital music stores.

About the album, Xolani said: “It's an album made for the club but still has some stories my joy, my life and pain that speak to the heart. It's a sound that hasn't been done by South African hip hop. The project is a double-disc album titled Tomorrow's Yesterday. We'll be dropping both halves of the album digitally before we put out the double disc physical copies on the shelf. Grand Entrance is the first half of Tomorrow’s Yesterday.  The Second half titled Black And White Colour Film will drop later.

He added that he was pleased that the project came out exactly the way he intended.

“I have a few gigs lined up for the month of June, around the country and in Gaborone, Botswana.  We have a possible national club tour in August or maybe in the fourth quarter. Follow me on all my social media accounts for gig info Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @IamDragoLo. To book me or any of my artists email: xl.kubheka@icloud.com or tumotsotetsi@icloud.com or call Tumo Tsotetsi: 072 707 9132. 

By Refilwe Thobega

@Refilwe Thobega

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Refilwe-Thobega/357142561153837?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

*This article was published on Sun Buzz on 23 June 2015.

Nhlanhla, who is ready to invade Mzansi's entertainment scene, chats to Refilwe Thobega

If his Twitter bio is anything to go by, then this is one busy man. It reads: TV producer, disk jockey, technology and gadget reviewer and music producer.

Nhlanhla Sibande (24) from Diepkloof, Soweto says 2015 is definitely his year to soar. “I have been working underground for so long, so this is my time to come out,” he said.

Nhlanhla’s busy schedule includes regularly DJing at Liquid Chefs in Rosebank. When he spoke to me, he was heading to Pietermaritzburg to play at Sprytz. The man of many talents, who looks up to Lulo Café, said he had a lot on his plate. “I was on CliffCentral about three weeks ago doing a technology and gadget review on Arye Kellman’s radio show. I have also worked on and off screen,” he added. 

Last year he appeared on Vuzu’s Real Jozi A listers. He did a coke advert in 2012. TV productions he has worked on include SA’s Got Talent Season Five, where he worked as a camera assistant, focus puller and sound boom swinger.

“I was also part of the team that worked on Khuli Chana’s Hazardous Moves music video, directed Thabang Moleya,” he said.

Asked what he was currently working on, he said: “I am working on what I think is going to be one of Mzansi’s biggest tracks in 2015. I have created the beats and Sammy Sosa of Channel O and Metro FM will do the vocals.” Nhlanhla even has the song on his smartphone. He allowed me to listen to it and it turned out he was not just blowing his own horn. The raw song did sound good.

“My dream is to have the song played in 90% of Mzansi’s radio stations that play house music. I have also been working on a project with Bricks.” He says when it comes to music, his motto is: Classic over hit.

For Nhleks, as he is affectionately known, the sky is not the limit – there is no limit. 
“I think I am multi-talented as far as the entertainment industry is concerned. This is what I was made for. I have to use one platform to show what I’ve got and that will create a platform for my other skills and projects to come to the fore. I know I’m going to succeed because of my faith in God and the support that I’m getting from my mom, girlfriend and my team,” he said. 

This article was also published on Daily Sun's entertainment section, Sun Buzz. 

@Refilwethobega

Refilwe Thobega chats to stars of "Acapella Jazz" -- Amarayoni.

Members of Amarayoni Nqobile Mbanjwa, Smanga Ngubane, Zamo Mbutho, Sipho Nxumalo, Thulane Galane and their agent Sfiso Ntuli. 

“When I was younger, my mother sent me to buy vegetables, but I went and bought a guitar instead. I was punished severely and the kids at school heard about the incident and they gave me the nickname Sginzi (meaning guitar).”

This is what 59-year-old Sipho Nxumalo, co-founder of Amarayoni, said after their performance at The Bannister Hotel in Braamfontein, Joburg.  They performed audience favourites such as: Summer Time, Ain’t no Sunshine, Nontsokolo, Meadowlands, Lizzy, Voetsek, Mbube and Abe lungu.

The five-men amarabi group had just arrived from performing in Port Elizabeth, and one their members, group co-founder Zamo Mbutho (55) prepares to jet off to New York.  He is going to join Angelique Kidjo to perform at Kennergy Hall.

As the group sat down to have a meal after their performance, Thulane Galane (40), who is also a pastor at Rolim Ministries in Roodepoort, urged everyone to observe a moment of silence as he blessed the food.

“We’ve been singing together for 10 years. We meet at Zamo’s place every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays to practise. With the group, I’ve been to Benin and Mexico,” said Thulane.

The group released their first album in 2000 called Lions, then produced another one called Azzapella in 2003 and Zamo released his in August 2014 called Zamo at Last.  “The album is doing well. I perform at the airport on Fridays from 3pm to 7pm to promote it. Metro FM and Ukhozi FM played some of its songs and I was interviewed by Power FM recently. I also did an interview on SABC 2’s Weekend Live. So, so far, so good,” said Zamo, father of two girls and two boys.

So where did it all begin?

Back in the 1980, there was a talent competition at Himalaya Hotel where Sipho was a drummer for a group called Reunited. “I started music at a tender age of 12. My father was a priest of a Zion church and I used to play the drum and lead the choir. I come from a big family at Eshowe in KZN. I have 18 siblings,” said Sipho, divorced father of eight kids. 

“I met Zamo at the competition called Lion Lager Road Show. He was a vocalist and didn’t have a band, so I backed him. We ended up winning the competition that night. So from there sa hlangan’e jozi and Amarayoni was born.”

Other members of the group are Smanga Ngubane (40), who is expecting a baby boy with his girlfriend. He sings first turner. Nqobile Mbanjwa (38) sings base. He said he dropped out of the group from 2003 to 2008 because of overseas work -- singing and acting. When he is not at home with his wife and one child, and not with Amarayoni, Ngobile is busy with his freelance work as a studio sound engineer and music producer. He said he could not explain how being part of Amarayoni feels like. “It’s hard to explain. It’s home. It feels like home. It’s family,” said Nqobile.

Amarayoni said they were formed in the early 1990s when Zamo came with the idea. “I got tired of back-up singing and I told the guys that how about we start our own thing – just voices, without instruments. So I said to them ‘Let’s just sing boys,’ and we all agreed,” he said.  

“We are not just singing for ourselves, we are singing for God. Many people enjoy our music.”

The group has backed, sang and performed with musical legends such as Chicco, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Mariam Makema, Caifus Semenya, Mercy Phakela, Brenda Fassie, Stimella, Johny Glegg for 10 years and Rebecca Malope to name a few. 

“There isn’t a place overseas that I don’t know … France, Mexico, you name it,” said Sipho. I couldn’t help but notice the interesting and beautiful beads on his head and asked what they represent: “Mina ngi ibhinca, I’m a real Zulu man.”

The group has had its fair share of challenges. They all admit that it has not been an easy journey but passion and the love of what they do, as well as the support they receive from supporters, kept them going. “There’s still a lot that we want to achieve. We’re looking for someone who can dress us,” joked Zamo. “But on a more serious note, we need a platform. We need to be heard. Most radio stations don’t play our music, they say we are not their genre. We sing isicathamiya … African jazz. We also need a manager. We need someone who is experienced and well connected who will understand our music and manage the business. At the moment we are trying to do everything ourselves and it’s like pushing a car with a hand brake on, and we’ve managed to push it this far,” said Zamo.

Asked where they could be reached at, Sipho, who seems to be the funny man of the group, said: I said ngi ibhinca, I’m not on Twitter. I don’t tweet. You tweet yourself. I don’t have time for that. When I’m not with the group, I’m alone.”

For more information on the group, their album, or to book them, contact Zamo Mbutho by e-mailing rayonni@yahoo.com.

@Refilwethobega

*This article was also published in Sun Buzz, Daily Sun.

Can you be clear about what you mean in a few seconds?

Last night after the braai we played the game "30 seconds" . It was my first time playing it. I begged to observe but they all refused. "We are all playing," a new friend said.

30 Seconds is a fast-paced general knowledge game. Players generally play in teams of two. One player must guess a word from their teammate's explanation, with the aim to guess as many possible answers in 30 seconds. The main restriction on the explanation is that it may not contain the actual word or part of the word.

As the only girl in my team, I was terrified at first. No girl wants to appear to be dumb among a group of guys. When I picked up the card for the first time and it was my turn to explain what's on it and let my team mates guess what it really is, I froze. I asked if I could pick up another card, they refused. I asked if I could be skipped, just that once, they refused. Before I knew it, 30 seconds were over and we hadn't got a single point. I could see the disappointment on their faces when they picked up the card and realised that they could have guessed the right answers to all the questions.

I'm not a slow learner and I adapt fast. As the game went on, I became smarter and better and faster and we could get 3 right answers (out of 5) at a go. I was told that I was not bad for a first-timer.

I heard that a couple once broke up because of the game. They were both on the same team and the girl could not get any words that the boyfriend was explaining and he got so irritated when she failed to guess the answer of something they spoke about the previous night. She was upset that he got so worked up. He got mad and left with "the party" without her. A friend also told me that her friend is still not talking to her after she called her "pathetic" and "stupid" and "disappointing" at one game.

See, you can't take things personally when you play 30 Seconds. The game is ruthless. It will expose you. If your general knowledge is up to date, then you are safe. You must have a vast knowledge of everything: from sport, international affairs, governments of the world, programmes, name of actors and movies, to music bands and even capital cities of countries.

Our team member asked us: What is the capital city of Israel? Someone said Gaza. The other team laughed their lungs out. Of course we lost. It is Jerusalem and we got it wrong. We also laughed at ourselves for that one. But had he said it's a place in the Bible, we could have guessed it right.

At one point I picked up a card and I started to describe: "It's a cartoon and ..."  my teammate screamed: "Barney". Right answer. Next question... How did he know that it was Barney? I didn't even get to the "and it's purple" part. There are many cartoons out there. Sheer luck, if you ask me. The questions can be quite simple and some a bit tricky.

The secret lies in your ability to explain what's on the card without saying its name and of course your team members have to be smart or clued up enough to know what you are talking about.

On the second round a team member said: "They study the stars", and we screamed: "Astrologists" and he said "well ... the ones from the bible", and we all said: "the wise men", and he asked, "well ... how many were they?" We screamed: "Three wise men". Right. next question.

We were on a roll. We played on. Eventually we were beaten by one point -- thanks to the sweet guy in my team who spoke very very slowly and gently.

The game challenges your mental and emotional abilities. How fast are you? Are you a team player? Are you supportive? Are you short tempered? Are you arrogant or self-righteous? Do you think highly of yourself? Do you respect others as well as yourself? 30 Seconds puts it all in the open, in the presence of others -- strangers and friends.

One thing is clear. There is talking, and there is speaking. Speaking is a skill. You see, sometimes we just open our mouths and words some out without thinking, that's talking. Now, sometimes you have to think before you open your mouth and shape and package the words in a such  a way that they are understood by the next person, for a certain purpose. That is speaking. Something that I definitely need to work on. 

Play Your Part -- An Initiative by Brand South Africa

I was privileged to attend a Brand SA and Nelson Mandela Foundation youth caucus event at the Centre of Memory in Houghton on Saturday.

The Play Your Part Campaign event, driven by Brand South Africa, was attended by different young professionals from different fields and backgrounds. I met some quite interesting, inspiring and ambitions young people. And I mean “ambitious” in a very good way. 

Refilwe and Mpho.

The whole event, from start to finish, oozed professionalism – from the warm and friendly team of Brand SA to the host: Nelson Mandela Foundation and its personnel.

My sister, Mpho Akinleye, and I were quite early. Nice. So after exchanging greetings with the Brand SA team that welcomed us, we headed straight to the Museum (Centre of Memory) where some special memories of Tata Nelson Mandela are kept. Exceptional man he was. We saw his letters to and from different Universities, his certificates, his note pads and books. We also saw his cologne, his towel and a Vaseline aquous cream.

This comes exactly a week after I watched the film: Long Walk to Freedom. The timing is completely amazing. I could not watch the film while it was still showing in cinemas, and I am glad I only got to watch it now because it made my experience at the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s Centre of Memory more profound. We walked around, took photos and posed next to the pictures of the great history maker.

Gradually the place filled up and our session started.

Mpumi Mabuza welcomed us and briefly told us why we were there: To reflect and review the role of youth in driving active citizenship 20 years into democracy.

Shortly after, the vibrant Sithembile Ntombela, Brand SA brand manager, educated us on the Play Your Part Movement and why the active participation of youth is crucial. She was on fire, her presentation was “pashash” and she got us hooked with her cool lingo and energetic delivery.

“I’ll tweet about all of you,” the “cool mom” joked at the end of her talk.  

Brand South Africa brand manager Sithembile Ntombela.

Then Brand SA researcher Leigh-Gail Peterson did the SA’s reputation and competitiveness briefing and research manager Dr Petrus de Kock followed. All speakers welcomed questions from the attendees. That was quite interesting and fascinating. Smart questions were asked. Satisfactory responses were given.

Ous Thoko Modise gave the vote of thanks and informed us that the Bloody Miracle documentary DVD, which we could not see at the event because of time constraints, was in fact, included in our goodie bags.

Some of Tata Mandela's documents.

We continued to take more pictures outside, helped ourselves to some tasty refreshments and networked with fellow young people.

I managed to have a short moment with Dr Petrus and I asked him this: You mentioned “strengthening the nation” and “creating awareness”. But Gauteng is only a small part of South Africa. What is being done to reach people in outer communities in the rural areas who should also rally behind this initiative and Brand SA as a whole?”

He said they were spreading the messages through community radio and TV and aimed to work with municipalities.  

Play Your Part is a nationwide campaign created to inspire, empower and celebrate active citizenship in South Africa.

Its objective is to lift the spirit of our nation by inspiring all South Africans to contribute to positive change, become involved and start doing – because a nation of people who care deeply for one another and the environment in which they live is good for everyone. For more information, go to www.playyourpart.co.za and www.brandsouthafrica.com

To make the whole experience complete for myself, I watched 1994 The Bloody Miracle documentary DVD when I got home.

                                 

I was lost for words. We all know that South Africa went through hell in the apartheid years – with June 16 1976 being a day that will never be forgotten in SA history – but the 12 months leading to the 1994 election were filled with even more blood, cruelty and immense pain that words can’t describe.

The freedom we experience today came through tears, pain, sweat and blood. People lost fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, comrades and even lost their own lives.

When I attended a Youth Day event on June 16 at the Nike Football Stadium recently I heard one of the speakers asking: “What is the youth of today doing to honour the youth of 1976?” and I thought: Maybe she should rather ask: what is the youth of today doing with the freedom fought for by the youth of 1976? There is not much we can do FOR the youth of 1976. What are we doing in honouring and respecting what they did for us, is the question.

Freedom came at a prize. Let’s respect and appreciate it.

To my younger brothers and sisters:

Young boys, go to school, respect all women and your elders. Violence and aggression are NOT signs of power. 

Young girls, finish school and put having babies while you are teenagers on hold. You will have all the time in the world to have them. Having a child when you are only a little girl yourself robs you of your youth. It shatters dreams.

Dream big. Go make things happen. You can make a difference. It does not matter where you come from -- always remember that the Great Nelson Mandela was a humble man from a small rural Qunu. This simply inspires me.

You too, can make history! Play your Part!

 A great thank you to the team of Brand SA: Thoko Modise, Anele, Sandisiwe, Onke, Sithembile, Leigh, Dr Petrus de Kock and Yase and Clive from Nelson Mandela Foundation.  

We had fun!

@Refilwethobega

Mpho Akinleye