‘A GESTURE OF BALANCE’ – WOOLWORTHS PRESENTS #STYLEBYSA WITH SHELLEY MOKOENA

Sep 17, 2024 | Lifestyle, Fashion, Community

Continuing the bold and brilliant move by Woolworths with their #STYLEBYSA series, we’re in a new chapter of spring for the co-collaborative campaign that showcases the nuanced creativity and personal style among South African talent. This initiative celebrates diverse perspectives between an iconic South African brand and its collaborators, as it remains our month-by-month case study in key approaches that can inform our wardrobes — as styled by the creatives themselves, their way. 

The return of the sun brings with it newfound inklings of optimism and renewal — spring is arriving, and we have to be sartorially prepared. With the continuation of #STYLEBYSA, we are certainly readying ourselves as we peeking into the impeccably tonal and sophisticated universe of Shelley Mokoena. Founder of luxury womenswear brand Connade, creative director and artist, Shelley’s distinct personal taste is a deeply thoughtful expression of how she articulates the world around her. Her style extends across personal fashion, interior design, art, and most crucially, infusing the rituals of everyday living with beauty.

Imagery courtesy of Woolworths
Shelley’s foundational career as an interior designer sees her distinct aesthetic founded on principles of form, function and spatial awareness; with the body and clothing as her mediums. Similarly, Shelley’s design approach is rooted in the exploration of organic forms and sculptural construction techniques. Who better, then, to demonstrate Woolworths’ focus on linen — a season-defining fabric that embodies natural elegance and versatility, as it perfectly aligns with Shelley’s refined aesthetic?

Yūgen (幽玄) is a fundamental concept in traditional Japanese aesthetics, emphasising a profound, subtle beauty that eludes easy definition. Often translated as ‘mystery’ or ‘deep grace’, Yūgen reflects an awareness of the universe that evokes an emotional response without relying on overt explanations or displays. This philosophy feels fitting in understanding Shelley’s aesthetic perspective, with her work continually inviting an engagement of the imagination and emotions.

Imagery courtesy of Woolworths
Like Yūgen, Shelley’s style embodies understated elegance, valuing simplicity that carries profound meaning, seen in her thoughtful use of colour — and intentional emphasis on monochrome —  along with layering techniques and simple accessories. As Shelley notes on her influential use of tonal hues, “monochrome and neutrals are my trusted colour palette because they’re timeless and even as you are growing and evolving as a person, you maintain a sense of style that is unique to you.”

Shelley’s approach resonates with Yūgen’s concept of transience and impermanence. This changing of the seasons is all about capturing the beauty of fleeting moments, as the shift from winter to spring is an emphasis on the ephemeral nature of all things. This suggestive mystery, and the cycles of nature, creates a space for introspection in how we wear what we wear and our choices for our personal style, as we lean into intentional approaches, guided by the seasonal drops from Woolies Fashion. It is why, when viewing Shelley’s work and her expression for #STYLEBYSA, one might be moved by the gesture of her imagery in inviting harmony and balance for the season ahead. 

As Shelley reflects, her sense of style is deeply connected to her roots: “the first person that instilled my love for fashion—and just beautiful things—is my mom. She’s always been impeccably dressed and effortlessly stylish, so I definitely inherited that from her!” This influence from her mother ignited her approach to fashion, and her nurtured appreciation for timeless elegance and thoughtful design, evident in her creative work today.

This month, Woolies is leading with linen and the crisp white hues of a warm-ready wardrobe. Perfect for the season, these breathable fabrics and light tones offer both comfort and sophistication. From tailored pieces to relaxed silhouettes, Shelley Mokoena is our icon in embodying effortless simplicity. We’re at peace. 

 

SHOP SHELLEY’S #STYLEBYSA EDIT HERE

 

Written by: Holly Beaton
For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

‘If you get it, you get it.’ Consumer inspired creativity with Omega Footwear

Sep 16, 2024 | Fashion, Community

Omega is a KZN-based footwear brand with over 50 years of history. The brand is committed to keeping its tradition of old-world workmanship but have found themselves in an interesting position recently – they’re fully led by their consumers. This has resulted in a sudden resurgence and an exponential growth in sales based on black South African youth claiming the shoe with contemporary style. Celebrities are wearing Omega’s of their own accord and bringing an organic wave of supporters with them. That being said, it’s not only famous people bringing this footwear brand into the limelight, it’s the iterations of colour recently developed, steering away from the traditional terracotta suede palette – the style is not for everyone but they’re adamant that that doesn’t matter because, ‘if you get it, you get it.’

Further to their long history, Omega shares, “The strength of township culture is undeniable. From the well-dressed Amapantsula gangsters of the 1930s with their jazz connections; through to the reinvented Amapantsula of the 1990s and their Kwaito vibe; and on to the hip hop loving Izikhothane showmen of the 2000s.” These fusions of fashion, music and dance create truly South African cultures, uniquely indigenous and removed from European and Western trends.

They continue, “More recently it is Amabhinca with Maskandi and AfroPop music that are creating a movement within the townships and beyond; encouraging people to stick to their roots, to embrace African attire, to embrace their own style and heritage but wearing it in a modern way.” 

Imagery courtesy of Omega

Once known as the ‘taxi-man shoe’, it was the ‘well-to-do uncle’ who wore this Omega style of shoe, showing his wealth in the artfully woven sandals. Today, more and more musicians and celebrities are wearing the Omega brand and they’re choosing to do so with no advertising or influencer relationships – which speaks volume of the brand’s unique craftsmanship and design. What’s more, they’re not just for men – Omega have reiterated that the shoe is for anyone.

About the Omega resurgence, Managing Director Adrian Maree shares, “Omega has had a real reinvention in the last few years. We were always of the opinion that we wouldn’t pay people to wear our product, so it was when musician Sjava styled Omegas with a suit at the South African Music Awards, things just skyrocketed. The youth embraced it.”

At around the same time, Head Creative Designer Mlindelwa Ndlovu started experimenting with colour, branching out from their tan, to red, electric blue, bright pink, gold and even colour combinations – which is all to say quite significant considering Mlindelwa is colour blind.

Mlindelwa shares that growing up in a township in KZN during the time of rife political violence, the gift his father gave him before he died was a box of crayons. When he applied for the job at Omega, part of his submitted application was the design of an Omega shoe made purely out of paper – 15 years on, he’s an invaluable creative asset to the company, which shows as the brand grows, so does the community it fosters.

Stitched by hand with premium materials, the brand has a history of five decades of crafting this shoe. Adrian continues, “It’s always been known for its quality but I want to say it’s more than that: it was created by people, it was created by the consumer, the audience has given it life and meaning and placed a story behind it. From generations, to the youth dressing it up in totally unconventional ways. We’ve let the consumer talk and we’ve listened.”

From South African music culture, with icons like Black Coffee and Bravo Le Roux through to township culture; the way they shoot the product is gritty and honours its location. Adrian shares, “You’d never see Omega shoes shot on a beach in Cape Town because that’s not us. It’s got to be raw and it’s got to be pictured where it’s actually found. That’s given us an authenticity which you cannot fabricate or force.”

On the other hand, they share some challenges they’ve faced with regards to public image, sharing “We’ve still got to change a lot of people’s minds to show them that it’s a niche brand.” Having said that, it seems they’ve garnered incredible support and in fact they have their hands full with their factory in Pietermaritzburg being at capacity – a common response from consumers being “We can’t find the shoes!” – I suppose, scarcity drives demand, right?

Imagery courtesy of Omega, photography by @agisanangreezy

Imagery courtesy of Omega featuring NGCEBO 

“This is something that is 100% a genuinely South African created product. We’ve created something authentic and real and we want to take that and show it to the world? I don’t want to go produce this offshore to cut costs or change capacity. I want this to be a locally made product that supports the culture it emerged from. We’re going to have to scale accordingly, which is tricky, but again, scarcity can be a good thing.”

Their approach to marketing could be considered guerilla – they don’t have an agency coordinating content or campaign shoots, but they rather give away products to people who speak the brand language naturally – and often, these people already have a pair of Omegas. In the case of ‘Trippy Catalyst’, a ‘thank you’ came in the form of a custom label for that extra skip in their step. Omega harks an important message, which authentic brands are realising and proliferating: you do not have to subscribe to European fashions but you can create your own from a customer who has a vision. Creativity can be our own, it can exist anywhere. Listen to what the people want and although it’s not for everyone – if you get it, you get it. When asked what we can look forward to from Omega, they shared, “A lot more colour.”

Written by Grace Crooks

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Dora Morelenbaum releases ‘Caco’ and ‘Essa Confusão’

Sep 13, 2024 | New Release, Music

Here is the first radio single taken from Dora Morelenbaum’s forthcoming debut solo album, Pique. One of the leading lights of Rio’s new musical wave and a member of Latin Grammy award-winning band, Bala Desejo, Pique sees Dora embrace a freedom through fresh new forms. A snapshot into the album as a whole, ‘Caco’ and ‘Essa Confusão’ showcase the funk-driven, groovier side to Dora’s songwriting, alongside those signature, celestial songs that her first solo EP demonstrated. With co-production courtesy of Ana Frango Elétrico and a whole host of Brazil’s finest involved, including Dora’s parents, these expertly and elegantly crafted tracks are a shining example of the creativity that has reached a new boiling point in Brazil.

Listen to ‘Caco + Essa Confusão’ here

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

Mackwood releases ‘Thunder’ feat. Eerf Evil & Kianja

Sep 13, 2024 | New Release, Music

One area where the UK is indisputably a world leader is cultural cross-pollination. Mackwood is an excellent example of their collective genius flowering. 

 Drummer, producer, songwriter and bandleader Mackwood announces details of his debut album Master Changes, out 17th October via 5dB Records. The announcement comes accompanied by new single ‘Thunder’, featuring rapper and Silhouettes Project founder Eerf Evil and acclaimed singer-songwriter and Omar collaborator Kianja.

Inspired by the UK’s rich electronic and soundsystem culture, Mackwood warps what we usually understand as jazz into thrilling new shapes and unpredictable forms, melding modern production with live instrumentation from his 6 piece band at West London’s 5dB Studios. Named after a sci-fi novel about a nuclear apocalypse, Master Changes, is influenced not only by a vast range of music, spanning from Curtis Mayfield to Nubya Garcia and Holst to Four Tet; but also by literature and wider conversations on identity, connection and the human condition. 

Listen to ‘Thunder’ here

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

Jono McCleery releases his single ‘To See You Again’

Sep 13, 2024 | New Release, Music

‘To See You Again’ is the first single to be taken from Jono McCleery‘s forthcoming eighth album, ‘Reconcile’ (out this November). It’s an LP that represents something of an effort to want to ‘put things right’. The single was written at a tumultuous period in Jono’s life, just days before the death of his pianist brother, Stephen.

“I spontaneously sang it with my daughter before putting her to bed and it felt like a prayer for him to let go. I recorded it on my phone as a demo and liked it so much I decided to keep it. I asked Matt Kelly to arrange strings and shortly after that I asked Fybe to make a beat and help us expand the sound.”

The song begins simply with acoustic guitar and voice, accompanied by twinkling piano and tambourine before lush yet sombre strings echo out to invite a more full sound courtesy of producer Greg Haynes, AKA Fybe One, who adds subtle beats and more vigorous percussion into the mix. Jono’s soaring, spine-tingling vocals glide alongside the strings, telling his touching and heartfelt tale with aplomb.

Jono McCleery is an English singer-songwriter who creates timeless music that is just as much influenced by the electronic and avant garde as it is by the more traditional folk and soul cannon. Since his self-released debut, Darkest Light, came out in 2008, Jono has released a string of albums via Ninja Tune Recordings, and collaborated with fellow artists across the musical spectrum including Maribou State, Portico (Quartet), and Maceo Plex.

Listen to ‘To See You Again’ here

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

Citizen Deep releases his ‘Alpha Omega’ Remix

Sep 13, 2024 | New Release, Music

Citizen Deep, the talented South Africa Afro House artist from Soweto, who featured as the cover star for Apple Music’s Isgubhu playlist delivers a reinterpretation of Alpha Omega by FiNE. True to his style, the remix features a punchy, deep bassline, rich, rhythmic textures, and moody melodic elements that combine to create an expansive soundscape led by a memorable bass hook that brings a fresh twist to the iconic refrain of “Alpha Omega”. Sippy Time is extremely proud to present this release.

Listen to ‘Alpha Omega’ here

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

UNBOUND BY CLIQUES AND CONVENTIONS WITH HOTBOXED CREATIVE GROUP

Sep 12, 2024 | Music, Community

I don’t think many of us ever relinquish that universal dream that we hold in the deepest part of our hearts—the dream to make cool shit, forever, with our friends. When we find ourselves caught in the daily grind of a job we’re only kinda, maybe into, and the general temperature of our lives are lukewarm at best, a space like Hotboxed Creative Group emerges out of the haze as a reminder to us all that this dream is still possible — and its really, really precious. 

Over the last few years, best friends Kyle O’Brien, Keegan O’Brien and Josh Murray have nurtured Hotboxed as an overarching framework under which all things they want to create can be done. From music-focused events, ranging from one-night projects to multi-day festivals and club takeovers, to their clothing brand KOSOK (Kulture Of Some Other Kind) to Hotboxed Records, the space embodies their unrelenting pursuit of experimentation — in which redefinitions and reassertions of a scene that they believe in can be made-manifest, unbound by borders, cliques, and conventions. As we talk about later in our conversation, the act of convening together in a crowd, to dance, basking in soundwaves as a community, is intensely ancestral – an inarticulable, common thread held together by most people, in most cultures, throughout history. So today, when ‘events’ appear to be a sanitised, almost industrial amalgamations of this innate spirit — Hot Boxed have set out to do it differently. As Josh explains “we don’t want to be known as a ‘clique’ brand, we don’t want to have a one-dimensional audience — we want to provide a space for everyone to come and enjoy themselves. We want people to really feel how we can translate a place and an experience into something meaningful.”

Imagery courtesy of Hotboxed Creative Group featuring Lusanda

Imagery courtesy of Hotboxed Creative Group

Like many of the best (and most underground) stories in South African music, Hotboxed began on the shores of KZN – as Kyle shares, “a bunch of us in Ballito had nothing to do during the pandemic, so we really focused on mixing and making music. From there it led to smaller diggs parties and then the digs parties got bigger, to the point where we eventually got a venue called Colour Lab.” From hosting small events to being catapulted to massive crowds, Kyle reflects on a pivotal moment that both intensified and reinforced Hotboxed as a viable vision, “we grew a lot, and quickly. At the end of that year, we organised a three-day music festival in Plett. There were literally only three of us working the festival, and 3,000 people showed up. We were way in over our heads. Everything was fine—it was a great event—but it was just a massive jump into the industry. It was so intense. We didn’t have Josh at the time, who’s now our production mastermind and safety-oriented expert.”

“We realised that this was something we could do for a living. We started to focus on smaller, more intimate parties. Our team evolved and expanded, and Josh joined us. We returned to Durban with a new vision, hosting Turbojazz over three days in a forest on the beach, alongside Dwson, DJ Buhle, Fabio, and Jed. That event really solidified how serious we were about making this our life’s work’’ Kyle continues, “with my role as a music producer, the next logical step was to create a music label within the HOTBOXED world. It took a long time to get off the ground, but now it’s something we are really passionate about. We want to push it as much as we can, championing South African artists and South African music.”

What makes the Hotboxed dream serendipitous, among many things, is its origin – reaching way back, to Kyle and Josh’ most formative years as young kids, at the very dawn of earning their chops — Josh remincises, “the first party I ever threw was in grade 7, at a community hall in Hilton. A then-stranger and now close friend, Erik, showed up with Kyle, who was performing as part of an electronic act. Later on, they formed a trio with Lesedi, who joined the group around 2020, and together they became known as ‘Be Mindful. So, at just 12 years old, Kyle and I crossed paths at that party. Fast forward to now, and here we are, over a decade later, throwing parties together.”

Josh’s journey into the world of events wasn’t straightforward, “I left matric with no real plan. Studying wasn’t an option for me, and I had been DJing since I was 16. I wanted to dive deeper into the industry, not knowing it would come with its fair share of stress. I started working for an events company called Big Night Out, managing events and hosting everyone from Black Coffee to Jeremy Loops. But then, COVID hit.” After a stint working in Dubai and finalising his sound design studies, Josh returned to South Africa. “When I got back, Kyle was deep into events and needed some help. I jumped in, and it has truly given me a space to create. I’m very logistically-minded, but I like to think of myself as a creator of spaces. Hotboxed allows me to explore every sensory aspect of creating an environment—from sight and sound to smell and touch.” Together, Kyle and Josh each bring the very best of their respective skills; with their roles and responsibilities emerging organically, as they set out to achieve everything they set their sights on. 

Josh emphasises the Hotboxed approach to breaking norms, “our main focus, especially after the festival Kyle did in Plett, has been to defy expectations. We’re focused on connecting the dots’’ and that, “This is very much our life, and we’re dedicated to making it last as long as possible. We’ve never aimed to be just an events company—Kyle set out that vision early on. The ‘CG’ in our name stands for Creative Group. We’ve always been about expressing anything and everything we’re passionate about.”

It’s not often we get to chat about Durban on CEC. As South Africans, it’s Cape Town and Joburg that take up the most space — and yet, as Josh points out, “statistically, the majority of the highest grossing South African artists are all from Durban.” Awash with municipal issues, an ever-increasing exodus of young people (heading to universities around the country) and a decline of opportunities, Durban is the one we’re all waiting for, in terms of a comeback. I ask Josh and Kyle about it, to which they muse their love-hate relationship. Josh notes,  “Yeah, it’s a beautiful place, with nothing to do. It never really made any sense to me why there’s little to no scene in Durban. It was quite rife in the early 90s with the club called 330 and multiple other venues that were hosting international’s weekly. Then something started to happen where it just deteriorated,” and that suddenly, “there was a crowd culture where people were usually home by midnight and weren’t interested in exploring anything new. This made it difficult for creatives who were trying to push boundaries and introduce fresh ideas. I got involved with an events brand called ALTR which was known for throwing parties in unconventional locations around Durban, and we even ventured into the townships, specifically Umlazi, which has a vibrant music culture centred around house music.”

Imagery courtesy of Hotboxed Creative Group

“There’s a really interesting Red Bull documentary about how apartheid affected the music scene in South Africa, both negatively and positively. Umlazi, in particular, has a strong base of house music enthusiasts who own rare vinyl records. These ‘house heads’ are crucial supporters of the local music scene in Durban. However, many of them don’t have the financial means to travel into the city to attend the parties that creatives like us are organising,” Josh explains. ALTR attempted to shift the narrative. Taking two international acts, Henrik Schwarz and Jimpster, they threw an event in Umlazi, “it was amazing, people were in tears and the local crowd were bringing vinyls that Henrik and Jimpster had released to get them signed. So there’s this extreme support, but current day promoters are just not willing to go where the people are.” Much like Detroit or Lagos – cities marked by difficult contexts and extreme under-resourcing, Durban is responsible for some of the most important genres and artists of the last few decades. With its historical surf and skate scene, to the home graffiti culture in the country – from Kwaito to Gqom, the grit and grime of Durban’s contribution soldiers on. Even if its scene itself is in hibernation, KZN remains an influential force around the planet to this day. As Josh reckons — having little to do, seems to create some of the most defining creative expression possible. 

Hotboxed’s latest venture is their record label — a critical move at a time when the very structure of record labels have been challenged, with the onset of artist management becoming self-independent strategies, marked by the era of streaming and self-promotion. As Kyle explains, the record label was an intuitive consequence, “we just started making a lot of music. At that time, I was part of a trio, and we were constantly creating new tracks. I was still learning the ropes, while the two other guys I was working with had been doing it for about five years. We finished a bunch of tracks, but then we were left wondering, ‘How do we release this music?’ We started looking for record labels, but no one seemed interested.” Digginging through SoundCloud for different producers, their imprint’s first release culminated in 13 tracks—11 from South African artists and one from an artist in Chile— a collection that was released in January, “before that, we had an earlier release from a guy in Cape Town named Three Dot 5. It was this really cool, kind of freaky house track that was all over the place but so much fun. We also have an artist named Abulele Yekani AKA Spotz who’s putting out a six-track EP with some amazing, beautiful music. He’s only 19 years old, dropped out of high school at 17, and has been making beats every day since. We have a listening party for Spotz’s 5 track EP at One Park on Saturday 14th September. We will play all the tracks from the EP, with Kyle OBR, Morgs, Bl33d and Spotz playing.” 

As Josh shares, “we think he’s one of the most talented producers in South Africa, without a doubt. He’s such a genuine person, and this is exactly what we’re about—creating spaces for talent to flourish. We first noticed him when he showed up at our parties as a dancer. We approached him and asked, ‘Who are you? What’s your story?’ He told us he was a DJ and loved making music. We decided to take him under our wing, and we quickly realised he’s an incredible young man with an amazing ear.” This is the essence of Hotboxed – at a time when our connection to each other and the world feels stratified in pixelated realities on screens, the power of tangible spaces and genuine opportunities for connection will be our saving grace. This is precisely the energy that Kyle, Josh and the Hotboxed family operate from; to keep building the structures necessary for South Africans to have their shit respected and celebrated, manifested and shared with each other, and the world.  

As Josh notes, we’re spoiled for choice as South Africans – and sometimes, it can be a deterrent, “Often, coming from a place with a rich culture can feel limiting because you see people doing amazing things and think that it’s all been done before. You might feel like your ideas aren’t as good because you don’t realise the years of hard work and trial and error that went into what you’re seeing. The impressive work that blows your mind didn’t happen overnight; they are the result of countless efforts and refinement.” 

With their rebrand recently complete, you can catch Hotboxed next at One Park on September 14th for Spotz’s Healing EP Listening Party. Early October, they’ll take on an intimate party at 196 Victoria featuring a very special guest from JHB, followed by the return of their iconic TML Festival in Plett with very special friends from Berlin.

Lastly, and certainly not least, the crux of Hotboxed is simple. Their manifesto is born from their integrity and dedication — and as Josh so poignantly assesses, “The essence of our party is all about freedom and self-expression,” and that, “we want people to come however they feel most comfortable, to be seen and acknowledged, but without feeling any pressure to dress or look a certain way, or even to like the music we’re playing. We just want you to experience it—come, enjoy yourself, and if it resonates with you, stay. If it doesn’t, that’s okay too; there’s always something out there for everyone. We don’t want anyone to feel forced to be there. Our aim is to create a space where people can connect with others, have interesting conversations, and enjoy a shared love for music. That’s really what we strive for with everything we do.”

 

Follow Hotboxed Creative Group HERE

Follow TLM Festival HERE 

 

Written by Holly Beaton

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Zanele Muholi and Zizipho Poswa exhibit at Frieze London this September

Sep 11, 2024 | Art, Community

Large-scale sculptures by South African artists Zizipho Poswa and Zanele Muholi will be exhibited with Southern Guild at Frieze Sculpture’s 2024 edition, held in The Regent’s Park, London, from 18 September to 27 October. This marks their first time exhibiting at the much celebrated public art initiative. 

Poswa and Muholi’s works will be included alongside art by 22 leading international artists sited throughout the park’s historic English Gardens. Frieze Sculpture coincides with Frieze London and Frieze Masters, which take place concurrently in The Regent’s Park (9-13 October). 

Curated by Fatoş Üstek, the exhibition will be accompanied by an extensive public programme of live activations and curator-led tours. Frieze Sculpture is part of London Sculpture Week, a city-wide collaboration that also includes the Fourth Plinth, Sculpture in the City and The Line.

Forming part of Poswa’s most ambitious technical undertaking to date, Lobi (2024) is a colossal ceramic and bronze sculpture measuring over 8 feet tall. It comprises a monumental ceramic body made up of individual spherical forms supporting a heraldic bronze crest – a larger-than-life reproduction of an ornate brass hairpin worn by the Lobi people, who settled in the area that is now Burkina Faso.

The clay body was produced during a Summer 2023 residency at the Center for Contemporary Ceramics at California State University Long Beach where Poswa had access to the centre’s immense kilns, enabling her to explore scaling up in a significant way. Lobi formed part of her most recent body of work, ‘Indyebo yakwaNtu’ (Black Bounty), exhibited at Southern Guild Los Angeles earlier this year, which referenced Pan African traditions of bodily adornment and precious metal jewellery. Often passed through generations of women as family heirlooms, jewellery’s importance surpasses its material value to encompass cultural, geographic, sentimental and matrilineal significance. In Poswa’s sculptural totem, beautification transcends beyond the decorative to become a tool for spiritual resonance.

Zanele Muholi, ‘Bambatha’, Photography by Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild
Zizipho Poswa, ‘Lobi’, 2024, Photography by Elizabeth Carababas & Southern Guild
Muholi’s bronze work, Bambatha I (2023), depicts a monstrous engulfment of the artist’s body, or rather their biologically determined ‘box’ – a term the artist uses to refer to the space encompassing their breasts and vagina. In this queer avatar, Muholi’s figure appears trapped by malignant tubing that forms a strange, amorphous mass around them – a reference both to the artist’s struggle with fibroids and gender dysphoria. The piece is a powerful image of the somatic unease, anxiety and depression which result from incongruence with one’s own body.

Bambatha I carries a wider political resonance, too: The work was created after the artist learned about two victims of gender-based violence, whose bodies were discovered not far from their home in Durban. The suffocating entanglement is a visceral evocation of pain and anguish at the ongoing prevalence of femicide and violent hate crimes in South Africa. It was originally shown in Muholi’s eponymous solos at Southern Guild’s Cape Town and Los Angeles galleries in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

In the exhibitions, the artist called for new rites of self-expression, sexuality, mothering and healing that usher in kinder modes of survival in our contemporary world. With self portraiture as its predominant mode, Muholi’s work presents a personal reckoning with themes including sexual pleasure and freedom, inherited taboos around female genitalia and biological processes, gender-based violence and the resultant trauma, pain and loss, sexual rights, and biomedical education. The artist’s three-dimensional expansion into bronze honours and commemorates Black women and LGBTQI+ individuals’ contributions to art, politics, medical sciences and culture.

 

Press release courtesy of Southern Guild

 

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Stop Ignoring The Signs: An Introspective Conversation On ByLwansta’s Sophomore Album “THE CHIP IS StALE”

Sep 9, 2024 | Interviews, Music

There is something I find magnetic about a good story in all its mediums of expression. From the first moment a conflict is introduced to the last moment it is resolved (or left unsolved in anticipation of the second instalment of its series), I am a certified sucker for those moments of suspense, excitement, heartbreak and everything in between. Without limiting him by putting him in a proverbial box, Lwandile Nkanyuza, affectionately known as ByLwansta, defies the status quo of being a conceptual artist. The South African musician, songwriter, record producer, agency founder, public speaker, art director and graphic designer Hailing from Kokstad, KwaZulu-Natal, epitomises conceptual narrative poured into the various facets of his creative portfolio. 

From his elaborate mixtapes, his Colors performance, and the 3 part rollout of his debut album SPIJØNGET to his current “Stop Ignoring The Signs” campaign for his latest offering “THE CHIP IS StALE” which centred his 2005 Opel Corsa Lite, and it’s breakdown as inspiration resulting in him being awarded with a brand new Opel Mokka; Bylwansta has a revered sense of tapping into the human business, crafting compelling stories behind his work when selling you a new product, he’s definitely the rare few who can sell ice to an eskimo.

The coveted orator who’s performed at international stages like Pop-Kultur Festival in Berlin, Rocking the Daisies, and Zakifo Festival continues to sharpen his needle-shifting performance skill set, having curated his weekly residency at Bar Ber Black Sheep, Parkwood, Johannesburg, for his own event property “Your Weekly Touch Up” and complimenting his sophomore with the “Everything Is A Sign” tour. 

 

Photograph of ByLwansta by Lefa Ditshego

“THE CHIP IS StALE,” which seamlessly defeats the sophomore slump, is a vivid archive of ByLwansta’s journey as an artist-entrepreneur. From the introspective lens of his personhood, addressing matters like people pleasing to his relationship with burnout he likened to the breakdown of his Open Corsa Lite, we enjoy an autobiographical tale of a creator who dares to challenge the system and produce tangible measures of success while tussling with the signs to tend to his health be it physical, mental, emotional, financial or social wellbeing. 

With an unyielding curiosity into one of the most lateral thinkers in the music industry, I took some time to inquire about the creative process of a mogul in the making. From the personal to the creative and everything in between, I trust our conversation will help you gain a new appreciation for the care ByLwansta affords his craftsmanship, rollouts and everything that goes into NORMVL ideas, sound, and agenda, which work in tandem to solidify ByLwansta as an innovative force and voice in alternative Hip-Hop.

For the benefit of our readers who might not have heard of you before, please share the story of how you came to be a musician. How was life growing up in Kokstad and beyond leading to your journey with music?

ByLwansta: “Growing up, my siblings and I were always artistically inclined. We all took art in high school and were naturally curious. My journey into music began in 2008 when my older brother, Kimosabe, discovered FL Studio while exploring software with a friend. He started producing music in our back room in Kokstad. A year later, in 2009, at 13 years old, I joined him out of FOMO. I started writing and releasing music, and soon, we had a whole community of kids from other schools queuing at our gate after school to make music together.

 

Kokstad was a calm town primarily centred around house music. We had to create and nurture our own hip-hop subculture. We’d host events, perform at others, and sometimes even pay to perform. When I moved to Durban, I realised this wasn’t the norm. When my brother moved to Johannesburg in 2011 or 2012, he took the studio equipment. But by then, music was so ingrained in me that I soon got my microphone, a Samson C3, and continued recording.

After matriculating, I moved to Durban for four years to study graphic design. During this time, I put out a mixtape called “Normvl.” In 2019, I moved to Johannesburg. My music is very autobiographical. I write about my personal growth, often focusing on specific, mundane experiences that I feel aren’t represented enough in music. It’s a bit selfish, but it’s therapeutic for me. I believe there’s nothing wrong with being a selfish creator, as music is often based on our self-interest and desire for progress, whether spiritual or financial.”

Let’s get into the album. “The Chip Is Stale” is a therapeutic and introspective outlook into your current state of being and lifestyle. From a songwriting perspective, why did you find it essential to craft this story to reflect on how life has been for you?

ByLwansta: “From a songwriting perspective, I find it easier to express my feelings through music than in conversation. The therapeutic nature of the album speaks to how I process things musically. I’m someone who introspects a lot, and I like to do the deep work when it comes to learning about myself. Often, I realise things after I’ve made a record. In the moment of creation, I’m just writing, but later, I think, “Oh, I see where this is going.” It was important for me to speak to this chapter of my life because I was facing some tough realities about myself that I’d learned in the last two years. For instance, I discovered I’m a people pleaser and quite avoidant, traits linked to traumas from my youth. I’m turning 29 this year and excited about turning 30. By then, I want to be kinder to myself and more accepting of who I am. This album is part of that journey – becoming aware of these aspects of myself, accepting them, and then taking action.”

 Watch “Corsa Lite Flows” Here:

There’s an interesting contrast between burnout experienced by you and your old Opel Corsa Lite, elaborated eloquently in “CLUTCH BALANTSI (TIME IT),” “CORSA LITE MUSIC,” and “OFFICE DAZE.” Why was it crucial for you to narrate these analogies in the music? How has your relationship with burnout changed since making the records?

ByLwansta: “As an entrepreneur, the luxury of a 9-to-5 schedule doesn’t exist for me. My small company demands constant attention, often extending my work beyond traditional hours. With my home office doubling as a studio, the line between work and personal life blurs significantly. You might find me working on my laptop, even in my bedroom.

My song ‘OFFICE DAZE’ celebrates this entrepreneurial spirit. It’s an ode to self-starters and visionaries who build from scratch, romanticising the idea of working tirelessly, Monday through Sunday, in pursuit of a dream. However, my perspective on burnout has shifted as I’ve entered my late twenties. Your body sends clear signals – aching knees, a sore back – that can’t be ignored. I’ve had to prioritise self-care, especially sleep, even if some might view it as a lack of dedication. It’s a delicate balance, but it’s crucial. When your body demands rest, you need to listen and adjust accordingly.

My goal isn’t just success but sustainable success. I want to fully realise my potential before my time is up, which means taking care of myself along the way.

This journey is reflected in songs like ‘CLUTCH BALANTSI (TIME IT),’ ‘OFFICE DAZE,’ and ‘CORSA LITE MUSIC.’ I often draw parallels between my entrepreneurial path and maintaining my old car. Both require constant attention and care. My entrepreneurial journey has taught me that success isn’t just about relentless work and mindful self-care and sustainable practices.”

Watch “Passenger Prince” Here:

Your entrepreneurship portfolio expanded with 71 weeks of your event Property “Your Weekly Touch Up”. Please elaborate on why it was essential to conceptualise and execute an event property of your own?

ByLwansta: The idea for a regular residency came from my business partner, “Amongst The People I Know,” who heads our live experience department. He suggested at the end of 2021 that I needed to do a residency as an artist to grow through frequent performances.

“Your Weekly Touch Up” has been crucial for various reasons: I’ve become a much stronger performer. I now know how to handle unexpected situations, like technical difficulties, without showing discomfort. Beyond performing, I’ve learned how to host and even picked up DJing skills from observing our resident DJ, Al da 3rd.

“Your Weekly Touch Up” grew beyond the ByLwansta brand, becoming a platform for other artists. We’ve expanded into our inner and outer communities, with various artists taking the stage. We receive inquiries from managers and artists from across the country and even internationally. The consistency of our weekly event has made us part of other artists’ rollout campaigns.

This event, which we call NORMVL agenda, works alongside our creative agency (NORMVL ideas) and record label (NORMVL sound). While we’re servicing clients with rollouts through the agency, we’re releasing albums through the label and touring them through our live events. The residency paused in August but is set to return in September. It’s become an integral part of my routine, allowing me to nurture my community in real time every week. It’s a model that challenges traditional artist schedules and has proven invaluable for my growth as an artist and entrepreneur.

Thank you for joining us for this interview! Before you go, please elaborate on the future for Bylwansta beyond the “Everything Is A Sign” tour? What else do you have lined up for your devoted supporters?

ByLwansta: “We’re planning to record a live album for “THE CHIP IS StALE” in the next couple of months. This will capture the energy of our live show that we’re taking on tour. We want to give everyone access to the live experience, showcasing how some tracks really come alive on stage. It’s not just another studio recording – we want to highlight the dynamic nature of our live performances.

There’s potential to release this live album on vinyl, featuring the best moments from the show. From there, we plan to create compelling music videos for the tracks. The album came out on the 10th of May, 2024, so we will wrap up the rollout in May 2025. I’ve always wanted to venture into anime as well, so that’s another possibility we’re considering.

This project is significant to us, and we feel we’re on the cusp of a tipping point. It requires our complete dedication and focus. That’s why I emphasise not relying too heavily on a “Plan B”. When your life depends on something working out, you give it your all. We’re committed to making this succeed over the next few months, years, or however long it takes.”

Written by: Cedric Dladla 

For more news, visit the Connect Everything Collective homepage www.ceconline.co.za

Coasters release ‘The Mother / Father Song’

Sep 6, 2024 | New Release, Music

Coasters release ‘The Mother / Father Song’, just over a year after their debut EP, ‘Heartbreak Looks Good on You’. Elements of the song are reminiscent of the band’s nostalgic, synth pop sound, but with an added warm, retro feel.

The longer format of the song creates an immersive listening experience. Exploring themes of heartbreak and family, but not without providing a sense of catharsis.

The song is the first single of their second EP which will be out in the coming months.

Listen to ‘The Mother / Father Song’ here