Lebo M steals the show at the 30th anniversary concert of ‘The Lion King’ in Hollywood

Jun 5, 2024 | News, Music

Renowned Grammy-award-winning composer and producer, Lebo M, takes center stage at Hollywood Bowl’s 30th anniversary celebration of The Lion King in Concert. The 30th anniversary event brought together a star-studded cast, including Lebo M and the original voices of the 1994 The Lion King animation cast Ernie Els, Nathan Lane and Jason Weaver, with guest appearances by Jennifer Hudson and North West. The evening was a resounding success, with Lebo M receiving multiple standing ovations and thunderous applause from the packed audience. 

The concert was a nostalgic and visually stunning journey that transported fans to the 1994 animated Pride Lands. Lebo M’s captivating performance was a highlight of the evening, showcasing his incredible talent and illustrious catalogue with fans singing along to every song and cheering for more.

In attendance were celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Travis Barker, Kanye West, Boity and Zakes Bantwini. This was a particularly special moment for Lebo M, whose music career began in Los Angeles three decades ago with the iconic ‘The Power of One Soundtrack’ released in 1992 as the first project between Lebo M and Hans Zimmer.

“The 30th anniversary concert of The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl was a deeply personal and momentous occasion for me. It felt like coming full circle in the most magical way,” expresses Lebo M.

Lebo M’s historic performance included the iconic ‘Nants’ingonyama’  in The Lion King 1994 release performed by Jennifer Hudson, Lebo M and Rafiki and composed by Elton John, Tim Rice, Lebo M and Hans Zimmer; ‘Shadowland’ performed by Heather Headly (originally entitled: Lea Halalela from Rhythm of the Pride Lands) and composed by Lebo M and Hans Zimmer; ‘One by One’ performed by Lebo M and The Lion King Cast and composed by Lebo M; ‘Endless Night’ (originally entitled: Lala from Rhythm of the Pride Lands) performed by Bradley Gipson and composed by Lebo M and Hans Zimmer; ‘King of Pride Rock’ performed by The Lion King Cast and composed by Lebo M and Hans Zimmer; ‘He Lives in You’ performed by Lebo M and composed by Lebo M and Mark Mancina.

The Hollywood Bowl’s 30th anniversary celebration of The Lion King in Concert comes off the back of the announcement of Disney’s ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ slated for December 2024 which will feature new songs by Lebo M.

Keep posted to Lebo M on social media as he continues his US tour as part of the Hans Zimmer World Tour, and for more exciting news to be announced soon from the highly celebrated Grammy-award-winning composer and producer with numerous accolades

under his belt such as various SAMAs including 2x Lifetime Awards, a Tony nomination, and an Ivor Novello UK song writers win just to highlight a few.

Connect with Lebo M:
X: @therealLEBO_M
Instagram: @thereallebo_m

Image credit: Blaq Smith

Press release courtesy of Sheila Afari PR

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

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE ‘DEAD INTERNET THEORY’ AND ARE WE ALL A PART OF IT?

Jun 4, 2024 | Lifestyle, Community

The original seed for this article might not have erupted when I stumbled across an advertisement for pair of ‘RAW WORS SHORTS’ from Temu (literally, an AI generated print of raw boerewors on a pair of boardshorts, obviously syphoned from key words alluding to the ideal interests of the ‘South African man’) though, the sight of said Temu South Africa’s ‘RAW WORS SHORTS’ was certainly the nail in the coffin. The consequences of doom scrolling so much so that one ends up on Facebook affirmed for me in real time this eerie and bizarre theory that I had come across called ‘the dead internet theory’ — its as creepy as it sounds and yes, there are huge portions of the internet that are supposedly dying – and obviously, AI is very much involved.

To understand the Dead Internet Theory, we have to understand the origins of the internet itself. It’s a long and arduous story, so I’ll just give you the cliffnotes. The notion of interconnectedness is about as innate to us as the air we breathe – and with every technological stride we have made, so our desire for communication has been front and centre. The internet was built on an idea, so pure in its intention that even the founder of the World Wide Web opted not to patent the idea or receive royalties for it. 

American psychologist and computer scientist, J.C.R. Licklider had envisioned a global network of computers that could share information in the early 1960s, and his vision laid the groundwork for the development of the internet. Eventually, in 1989, The World Wide Web was created by Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist, realising a culmination of a decades-long search by researchers to connect computers across time and space, to one another. Once it was disseminated among the populous, we have never looked back – and like a metamorphosing entity birthed simultaneously between each user of the internet that has ever existed, it was ethnobotanist and philosopher (and one of my favourite thinkers) Terence McKenna who so poignantly surmised that, “the internet is the nervous system of the 21st century.”  

‘RAW WORS SHORTS’, a screenshot by Holly Beaton

Like moths to a flame – or worshippers to an altar – the internet reconfigured our way of existence as a species, stewarding us from the earliest (and kind of anarchist) interactions online on prehistoric messageboards and email systems, to the entirely inconceivable level of access that we now possess across social media, websites, publications and online forums. As of April 2024, the global count of internet users reached 5.44 billion individuals, representing approximately 67.1% of the world’s population, according to Statista. So, with so much living, breathing, human user engagement online – how could the internet be dying?

Like most creepy modern-day fables, the Dead Internet Theory is said to have originated on a 4Chan message-board, around a decade ago. It is based on the idea (and some evidence) that much of the human generated creativity and content that built the early web in the 1990s and 2000s, has been cast aside and in its place, artificial intelligence (specifically, bots) are actively mining algorithms, and creating content – and in some sophisticated, mostly and unsophisticated ways – these bots are attempting to convey our own interests and likeness, back to us.

TikTok creator @sidemoneytom has been documenting this strange occurrence through a series, in which he trawls Facebook – and his findings detail image after image, of the most demented AI configurations, made from a bizarre sequence of human interests. Taking categories like Jesus Christ, animals and airline travel, for example, to create an uncanny imagery: which then receive thousands of likes and comments, by a mixture of bots and unsuspecting boomers. Take for example, ‘Shrimp Jesus’. Yeah, it’s super creepy.  

Facebook’s relationship with deploying bots has been a controversial one for some years, and it appears that the social media platform is a stronghold for a dying internet – or as one of Tom’s commentators wrote, “Facebook has become an online landfill’’. Though, Facebook’s terms of services explicitly do not allow this, it is reported that billions of accounts on Facebook are fake, with Facebook disabling as many as 1.2 billion accounts in 2019, as reported by Phys.Org – with the writer, Rob Lever commenting that the harm of such accounts are due to their distortion and untraceability, “Fake accounts may be used to amplify the popularity or dislike of a person or movement, thus distorting users’ views of true public sentiment.

Bots played a disproportionate role in spreading misinformation on social media ahead of the 2016 US election, according to researchers. Malicious actors have been using these kinds of fake accounts to sow distrust and social division in many parts of the world, in some cases fomenting violence against groups or individuals.”

‘Burger Jesus’, Screenshot by Holly Beaton

The unsettling visual aside, what remains more concerning is that these accounts appear to have no human involvement at all, anymore. Sure, their intent may have been initiated by a program for someone to ‘engagement-farm’, but the rise of an uncontrollable ‘bot’ intelligence sweeping across the internet signals a kind of defying end of the internet that we once knew. This is the death at hand. The internet is now a non-returning threshold point for our co-existence with artificial intelligence – the future, is here. 

In her brilliant piece for Dazed Digital, ‘We have entered the age of TikTok Face’, Günseli Yalcinkaya discusses the wholesale transmutation of our beauty ideals and sense of selves at the altar of a digital consciousness; that despite the seeming optical illusion of abundant choice and diversity, the internet appears to be flattening our perception of selves, siloing – particularly womanhood and girlhood – into a robotic, memetic expression of ‘beauty’. As Günseli writes, “TikTok Face’s appearance is uncanny and easily digested into algorithmic filter bubbles ready for digital consumption. The same angelic baddie listening to subliminals (girl-coded manifestation videos) before bedtime is reconfiguring her make-up routine to best match her visual weight. She uses viral AI-powered face filters to enhance her appearance, neatly packaging her facial features like a text-to-image prompt, breaking her beauty down into stats to be fed back to the machine. It mirrors the way AI is creating hyper-personalised ads for individual users. The singular it-girl splits into a girlswarm of it-girls each tailored to appeal to your hyper-personal consumer desires.” Even in our attempt to share and create online, how much of the AI hive mind do we begin to mimic and replicate, with trends, micro-trends, beauty filters and targeted ads all gunning for us to assimilate towards the internet’s commands?

The ‘Dead Internet Theory’, at first a fringe idea, can now be seen as a the phenomena in which we are sharing the web with something other than just human beings. Whether it’s TikTok’s AI generated ads or filters, or the relentless imagery bots on Facebook – it appears that the processing power of the internet is no longer simply a human endeavour. While AI models have never been technically ‘alive’ – so they can’t be dead – it’s an interesting lens through which to understand the increasingly complex relationship between ourselves and artificial intelligence. 

The ideals and hopes for the internet in the 1990s were rooted in optimism about its potential to bring about positive cultural and social change. From democratising information, to connecting through collaboration; these parts are still alive and kicking, though set against other darker, and more nefarious parts of the internet. The internet was always going to be a kind of consciousness on its own: it is, after all, functionally designed as a reflection of the human brain. Both the internet and the human brain are complex networks that process and transmit information, with tasks performed by interconnected components, where connections facilitate communication and information is exchanged. Similar to how we still know very little about how our brains work, or even whether ‘consciousness’ emerges from our brain at all, so the internet is an enigma unto its own. The internet shows us that the price for intelligence is always a loss of control and a surrender to the complexities of interconnected systems.

All this to say, digital literacy is more important than ever. To hold a savvy, online ‘street smartness’ will prove invaluable as we navigate the tides of growing digital dependence. We will continually outsource many aspects of what it means to function as a human being in the 21st century, and we’ll need to utilise our critical thinking skills and our perceptiveness for uncanny-valley-ness. Remember kids, the next time you come across something online that doesn’t seem human, or feel human – it’s probably because it isn’t. 

Written by: Holly Beaton

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

Our 2024 Election Results Are In – What lies ahead for South Africa?

Jun 3, 2024 | News, Community

South Africa is respected around the world for our thirty years of democratic governance; with a plurality of parties available to choose from and a continued record of free and fair elections, our fifth democratic election in 2024 has already catapulted us into an entirely new political landscape. 

The results are in – for the first time in South Africa’s democratic history, the ANC have been unseated as the majority leader of our country. With a voter turnout of 58.57%, the lowest since 1994, only 16 million of the 26 million registered voters made it to the ballot box, according to Civil Society group, Ground Work Collective. With both regional and national representation in our National Assembly being confirmed by the IEC, the ANC have dropped from 230 seats in parliament, to 159. The DA gained three more seats, from 84 to 87. The EFF went from 44 seats to 39 seats, while the new uMkhonto we Sizwe Party, spearheaded by ex-President Jacob Zuma, emerged to sweep KZN with 44.91% of the vote, securing them a total of 58 seats at the National Assembly. This being said, the ANC are still the majority leaders in most provinces (aside from DA in the Western Cape and MK in Kwa-Zulu Natal). 

With the ANC no longer in the majority, our government will have to be composed of a number of varying parties, as reflected by the diverse amount of votes cast among South Africans at the ballots. We no longer have a party as a majority leader, which is how our government has functioned until now, so it seems the two options available ahead are a coalition government or a government of national unity. A coalition is when two or more parties agree to work together, sharing ministerial positions and policy-making. Coalition negotiations will see the parties involved divide up South Africa’s executive branch, led by the president and his ministers, and the legislative branch which consists of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces, responsible for making laws, overseeing the executive branch, and representing the people’s interests at the national level. 

Alternatively, a national unity government involves representatives from multiple political parties coming together to govern in the interest of national unity and stability. Unlike a coalition government, where parties maintain their distinct identities, a national unity government often involves parties setting aside their differences and working together towards common goals, transcending party ideologies.

In young democracies, coalition and national unity governments arise due to fragmented political landscapes. Though a new frontier for us, these forms of governance can serve as checks on power, critical for our storied corruption issues, and encourage democratic maturity through compromise and negotiation, with a view to inform long-term democratic stability and legitimacy. With negotiations taking place with imminence – the parties have two weeks in which to make these decisions, before announcing South Africa’s new government for the next five years.

For the full IEC Election Results, head HERE

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

Luca Stef releases his latest EP ‘SWAMP THiNG’

May 31, 2024 | New Release, Music

Cape Town-based musician, Luca Stef releases his latest EP, ‘SWAMP THiNG’. This set of songs has recurring themes of budding relationships, melancholy and hopefulness, and day to day life in Cape Town, using archetypes and pop structures to deliver something personal. Lead single ‘Everyone In Cape Town Is So Sad’, deals with seeing your feelings reflected in the world around you, as well as exploring the familiar and vague energy that is so often present in the city. ‘Run For Cover’ is the most fun song on the EP, about romantic ambivalence and avoidant tendencies. ‘Wild Imagination’ was the first of the songs to be written, and mixes mundane personal details with the idea of love at first sight.

Primary influences include The Velvet Underground, Duran Duran, The Strokes, James Pants, Roxy Music, Ariel Pink.

Director and Creative Director: Jarred Figgins 
Styling: Liam Cowie
Edit: Julian Redpath
Colourist: Robyn Nesbitt 
Title Design: @studiobenjohnson
Mastered by: @rojojado

Luca Stef is a South African songwriter and recording artist. Born and raised in Durban, and now living in Cape Town, his music draws abundantly on the history of popular and alternative music and his own meandering journey exploring computer jazz, experimental electronica, and rap music. Falling somewhere between Guided by Voices, MGMT and Arthur Russell, his songs embrace their reference points, sprinkling humour into stories about big themes such as love, fear, and depression. He has released two EPs; 2019’s Night Terrors and 2022’s Angel Train. His latest five-song EP titled ‘Swamp Thing’ was released in May 2024. While working on music over the last 15 years, he has worked as a podcast writer, bookshop clerk, bartender, and physical therapist.

 

Listen to ‘Swamp Thing’ Here

Watch ‘Wild Imagination’ Here

Watch ‘Everyone In Cape Town Is So Sad’ Here

Watch ‘All I Could Think About Was You’ Here

Watch ‘Most Of The Time’ Here

Watch ‘Run For Cover’ Here

Zee Nxumalo Takes Center Stage at Nedbank Cup Opening Ceremony

May 31, 2024 | New Release, Music

South African amapiano sensation Zee Nxumalo brings her energy and vocal dynamism with an electrifying opening ceremony performance at the highly anticipated Nedbank Cup Final on Saturday, June 1st. Fresh off headlining the Soweto Derby earlier this year, the breakthrough artist will co-headline the Mbombela Stadium spectacular alongside Shakes & Les as Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns battle for glory.

Nxumalo’s appearance caps a whirlwind few months. Her electrifying halftime performance at the colossal Soweto Derby further catapulted her into the national spotlight. Hot on its heels, her smash hit “Thula Mabota” alongside Pabi Cooper has racked up over 5 million streams in just two months; its infectious dance challenge has taken TikTok by storm, further solidifying Zee’s status as a cultural phenomenon.

But this breakneck moment has been years in the making for the fast-rising talent from Johannesburg. With a debut album due later this year boasting an impressive array of featured artists—including Kabza De Small, TBO, 031Choppa, Shakes & Les, Mashudu, and Josiah De Disciple—Nxumalo is firmly cementing her place among the vanguards of South Africa’s music scene.

“I’m so excited to showcase my growth since the last time I headlined a big sports occasion,” said Zee Nxumalo. “I’m a lot more confident on the big stage, I have a better understanding of crowd control, and I’ve got more music to showcase. We’ve got so many more exciting plans for the year that I can’t wait to share.”

Shingai Darangwa, Zee’s manager, echoed her enthusiasm, stating, “This is another huge landmark in a period of sustained growth for Zee. She keeps pushing us to create more opportunities for her to showcase her talents and keeps rising to the occasion each time. I’ve got no doubt that she will make the Mbombela Stadium shake on Saturday!”

While the Nedbank Cup Final carries immense stakes for the two Premier Soccer League giants, the unstoppable force of nature, Zee Nxumalo, is destined to steal the show once again from her invigorating opening ceremony spectacle.

Connect With Zee Nxumalo

Instagram: @zeenxumalo_

X (formerly Twitter): @ZeeNxumaloZA

Facebook: @zeenxumaloza

Tik Tok: @ZeeNxumaloza

YouTube: @ZeeNxumaloZA

 

Press release courtesy of Sheila Afari

Anthony Nicholson releases soulful house single, ‘You’

May 31, 2024 | New Release, Music

Chicago’s Anthony Nicholson has a storied history in dance music. For decades he has been crafting some of the best house music around on labels such as his own Circular Motion and Infinite Audio, as well as on legendary imprints Prescription and Clairaudience, adopting a host of aliases along the way. Now landing on Brooklyn staple toucan sounds for his latest release, the DJ/producer links up with Brandon Markell Holmes and Chris Rob for expansive, jazz-tinged soulful house single, ‘You’.

A bonafide Chicago house fixture and then some — Anthony Nicholson aka Miquifaye is equal parts dance-music veteran and innovator, rooted in the movement of elevating organic sounds through electronic music. An experienced founder/head of multiple labels (Clairaudience, Circular Motion, Blak Muzik), unique DJ talent, seasoned selector-programmer, & lifelong producer – Anthony has spent the better part of the last 30 years dedicating himself to creating one of the most sought-after catalogues in dance, spanning the finest elements of deep house, techno, jazz, funk, and disco.

His discography is a labyrinth of deep pleasures, body rituals, and sonic exploration that has led him to countless landmark collaborations (Osunlade, Glenn Underground, Joe Claussell, Francois K, Boo Williams, Ron Trent, Roy Ayers, Paulinho Dacosta, Bobby Lyle, William Kurk, Chris Rob, & more), releases on the most esteemed labels of dance music (Jazz Diaries,Yoruba Recordings, NDATL Muzik, Schema, King Street, Guidance, Compost, Peace Frog, Strictly Jaz Unit , Visions, Neroli, Prescription, Sacred Rhythm, Sonar Kollektiv, Laws of Motion, Ubiquity and many others) and fervent support from the best of the house underground.

Anthony’s unique brand of fearless experimental musicality and genre-less freedom is a rarity: “Never compromise on presenting High Art to the audience; understanding an Artist must express without fear is essential.”

Listen to ‘You’ Here

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

!Sooks shares his two-track dance release ‘4 The Floor’

May 31, 2024 | New Release, Music

After his sonic love letter to the Wolfpack, 4 The Wolves, !Sooks follows up with a two-track release dubbed, ‘4 The Floor’. Tailor made for the dancefloor, 4 The Floor features two pulsating deep house hit singles driven by hypnotic basslines and mesmerizing melodies immersed in !Sooks’ signature sound. On ‘Think Twice’ !Sooks teams up with renowned South African electronic music star Ed-Ward for a sonic masterpiece and ‘F5’ wraps it up with an infectious rhythm and bass. Whether you’re a seasoned clubber or a casual listener, “4 The Floor” is guaranteed to ignite your passion for dance music.

Listen to 4 The Floor Here

Press release courtesy of Antidote Music

The Joy share ‘BAYANG’KHETHELA’ the latest track from their debut album

May 31, 2024 | New Release, Music

Fresh off the back of their recent appearance at this year’s Coachella Festival where ‘The Joy’ joined Doja Cat on the main stage to open her headline performances on both weekends, South African vocal group have shared ‘Bayang’khethela’ the latest track from their forthcoming self-titled debut album which was out on Transgressive Records on Friday 21st June 2024.

Following the Coachella performance, last Friday Doja Cat released all three tracks featuring The Joy on DSPs as part of an expansive digital album, Scarlet 2 CLAUDE. The band provided lead vocals alongside the US rapper on recent single ‘ACKNOWLEDGE ME’, ‘DISRESPECTFUL’ and ‘Shutcho’, all of which were re-imagined to incorporate lyrics in Zulu.

‘Bayang’khethela’ is accompanied by a performance video which was filmed by Up The Game (the creative team behind Liam Gallagher: Knebworth 22 and Tonight with: Arlo Parks) at the live recording of the album which took place at the renowned Church Studios in Crouch End, London.

Talking about ‘Bayang’khethela’ The Joy explain: The song came from an upbringing and tradition in which parents choose who you should marry. ‘Bayang’khethela’ comes from the contrary belief that nobody can choose who you should marry or be in love with.

Recorded live during one live take, the album showcases the astounding natural vocal ability of the 5 group members – Pastor (Ntokozo Bright Magcaba), Duzie (Melokuhle Mkhungo), Guduza (Sphelele Hlophe), Sthombe (Phelelani Sithole) and Marcus (Sanele Ngcobo) – who have been together since meeting at school, and it was their astonishing talent which led Doja Cat to hand select them as her guest at Coachella.

Listen to ‘Bayang’khethela’ HERE

Pre-order the album HERE

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Connect with The Joy

Instagram: @thejoyofficialmusic
Facebook: The Joy
TikTok: @thejoyofficialmusic
Spotify: The Joy

Press release courtesy of Sheila Afari 

Chapter 27 | ‘Conversations With An Expert’ with African Fashion Specialist, Innocent Ndlovu

May 30, 2024 | Fashion, Interlude

Africa’s fashion renaissance is a magnificent thing to behold – it is also a vast phenomena to maintain a full scope of. Interlude has focused primarily on South African fashion, and after 27 chapters, there is no ceasing the emergence of topics and discussions that can be had here.  

The idea for this month’s Interlude was to broaden the discussion to include Africa as a whole though this is a tall order, considering the expanse of our continent and the nuances involved regionally: lest we fall into the trap of homogenising Africa which is something that tends to happen in conversations about our continent abroad. For this edition, I knew I needed to call in an expert and Innocent Ndlovu’s TikTok account arrived on my feed to initiate precisely this.

With an educational background in PR, Strategic Communications and Political Studies, Innocent is the founder of Renoch Group and has transitioned from fashion being a fashion journalist to a PR and Commercial Director. With over a decade experience in the industry, his TikTok account, @theglobalspec, is an archival, historical and contemporary storyboard of African fashion – its triumphs, its stories and ultimately, its inexplicable influence on sartorial consciousness. From deep dives into South African fashion brands, to stories about how Kofi Ansah led Ghana’s fashion industry to global runways, or how Shade Thomas-Fahm changed how Nigerian women dress – Innocent joins Interlude as an expert with a vast swathe of knowledge, on a mission to champion and uncover Africa’s fashion history and future.

Innocent Ndlovu, photographed by Vuyani Mnguni

South African designer Lukhanyo Mdingi knitwear, referencing 1970s African sensibilities, photographed by Luke Houba, via @lukhanyomdingi Instagram

Fashion is Innocent’s first and most enduring love, as he explains that “it’s been twelve years since I first entered the industry. I was 20 or 21 when I attended my first fashion week – SA Fashion Week – it was right after high school and I was still trying to figure out what to do. I stumbled upon writing, and became a fashion journalist – I was at GQ, MTV Base, Industrie Africa – mostly companies that were based overseas but had an interest in connecting with African audiences. Writing was something I loved as a child.” After a decade as a fashion journalist, Innocent amassed a profound understanding of the strategic needs involved in brands and designers succeeding. Launching his company, Renoch Group, was the next step in broadening his ability to serve the fashion industry; “my pivot to PR happened in 2022. I felt like I had reached a ceiling and I wanted to find the next thing to turn my attention to. I had written about designers and African creatives – interviewing them, promoting them and telling their stories, but I began to see that there was a gap in brands needing more than just exposure. You need to sell, be featured in more publications, you need collaborations. I had some friends asking for my help in how to tell their story on social media. I don’t just do PR because I saw that brands needed wholesale management – publicity is one thing, but being able to sell is what happens. I offer a 360 degree service to help brands reach the next level.”

A lot has changed in a decade and Innocent has seen the spotlight on African fashion grow with tangibility. As he notes, there is a contrast between the interest in our landscape in just the last ten years, saying that “it’s been such an interesting progression. Ten years ago, we saw a lot of sporadic moments in African fashion – historically, there was momentary interest and people would say ‘Oh, look, there are African designers!’ – Now, there seems to be some real staying power and consistent momentum. I think it has a lot to do with social media and the success of other cultural expressions from the continent, with music genres like amapiano. There is this very interesting intercontinental, collaborative spirit that is happening – like a South African designer winning an award, or being able to showcase in Paris. We are definitely seeing a new age of African fashion developing.”

I ask Innocent what he believes is the defining factor in the shaping direction of African fashion? Innocent explains that truly, it is access, “I think designers all around the world have experienced this revolution in being so direct with their consumer, through social media. Previously, media was always the mediator between brands and their audiences; it was the power of magazines to tell brand stories. If an editor didn’t like your brand or know who you were, there was no access. Now, brands can build their own following and community, and really tell their own story in their own way. Magazines are still important, but I think we have seen the possibilities widen in Africa and around the world, from the digital revolution.” Social media has helped designers and creatives bypass traditional gatekeepers, with creators reclaiming narratives and contributing to a more authentic representation of African aesthetics and identities. 

Innocent believes that African fashion can be understood as a dual influence and inseparable from its historical context, and that to fully grasp the essence of African fashion is to acknowledge its deep-rooted connections to history, culture, and the ongoing processes of decolonisation; as Innocent explains, “I like to distinguish African fashion this way; there is the original, pre-colonial African fashion which is mainly rooted in ceremonial dressing, and then there is the post-colonial, new age African fashion. That influence of colonialism is embedded in our fashion cultures across the continent, but the history, techniques, the dying, the beading – the fabrications – inform so many designers today. In the 1960s, when African countries began to get their independence, there was a huge movement in reclaiming their culture and we saw this in fashion, too. I think of Chris Seydou in Mali, a pioneer of African couture who built his design philosophy on the use of ‘mud cloth’ or Malian bogolan, or Oumou Sy in Senegal, the ‘Grand Dame of Dakar’. This was revolutionary at the time, to hybridise traditional techniques and tools through a modern lens. The designers that we see today are the inheritors of the work those designers pioneered from the 1960s.”

‘BEAUTÉS’ an archive image series by Lafalaise DION, via @lafalaisedionn Instagram

Lukhanyo Mdingi knitwear, inspired by West African Photographer Seydou Keita, photographed by Luke Houba, via @lukhanyomdingi Instagram

The misconceptions of African fashion are often rooted in a ‘cos-play’ style western interpretation of inherent, cultural dress traditions, “a lot of people associate African fashion with prints, but it’s so much more than that – and in fact, many of the prints come from a colonial production lineage. Batik, for example, is of Dutch and Indonesian origin and aren’t inherently African, but have become embedded into African culture,” says Innocent, and “as we regain our ability to share our stories, we see designers and creatives on the continent being able to use systems and techniques as a way to continue reclaiming what Africa is actually all about and what it can mean in 2024, and beyond.”

Being a designer is a challenge across the globe. In fact, since the monopolisation of the fashion industry by giants such as Kering and LVMH, we have seen a consolidation of power and influence that has marginalised smaller, independent creators. In the African context, Innocent’s work as a PR Strategist is informed by his understanding that “people see the finished work and the collection. Behind all of that, designers really go through the work – they have to really dig deep to stay the course financially and logistically – from production costs, to shipping, to wholesale management. How do you meet between Mali and South Africa, or Nigeria and Mali? We are talking about a huge continent with many countries and systems involved. There is also limited access to retail opportunities – beyond the direct to consumer online stores.”

So, what does Innocent’s view as the most pressing thing for us to consider about the continent’s fashion climate? “The dynamics between online retailers and brands is very interesting right now and it’s happening across the global industry. The global economy is creating huge pressure and leading to acquisition like we saw with Matches and FarFetch, so it’s been an interesting landscape for independent designers. I think it’s going to be a challenging year for retail and wholesale, and getting onto the right platforms. I don’t think it’s all bad – despite the challenges we are seeing, African designers are demonstrating real resilience. Thebe Magugu just launched a multi-purpose store in Joburg, and he isn’t the only one opening physical stores in the country. Globally, we are seeing stores closing everywhere, but here in South Africa – despite our economic challenges – brick and mortar is clearly part of our scaling as a fashion industry.” 

Designers have always relied on department stores and retailers to purchase their collections, leading to cash injections that can then facilitate the next production run: with the resilience in mind of African fashion, I go back to my view that the unique opportunity for our ‘emerging’ industry is that its infancy can also mean our ability to do things differently. Right now, Innocent is looking to North Africa – countries such as Egypt and Morocco – as areas to take notes of, and “West Africa is very interesting to me. They gained independence much earlier than South Africa for example, so they’ve had a very strong, creative industry for a long time. In the past, to be in South Africa and know what’s actually happening in Senegal, for example, has been a challenge. I am really interested in Senegal and Ivory Coast, but that’s not necessarily new, it’s just that our access and communication has changed,” and that, “I’m seeing what we previously may have considered ‘second tier’ cities or countries are really producing such interesting creatives and designers.”

Thandiswa Mazwai for Man of Africa’s One Year Anniversary Issue, photographed by Trevor Stuurman, via @trevor_stuurman Instagram

Studio Madoch, Photographed by @oneshotstudios, via @studiomadoch Instagram

Speaking with experts like Innocent Ndlovu demonstrates that the Africa fashion revolution is a movement – beyond an economic sector, and its purpose is a reclaiming of past injustice, and the birthing of new identities and ways of being. Through a sartorial lens, Innocent shares his final thought, on how he was encouraged to tell stories through his TikTok, “I was a little frustrated that there wasn’t a lot of African fashion history that was easily available. I decided to do something about it! So my contribution started on TikTok, uncovering fashion lore and stories from the continent – and to ensure that I can assist in sharing how important the historical context is so important for us to move forward as an industry.” To more learning, deeper research and an archival history the making; Innocent’s manifesto reminds me of designer Lukhanyo Mdingi’s quest with his ongoing showcases, Provenance, founded on the premise to leave behind records for African designs, still to come, in the 21st century. This is legacy-building; and Innocent Ndlovu is alchemising the fashion future he wishes to see. Onwards and upwards. 

 

Follow Innocent Ndlovu on TikTok HERE

Follow Innocent on IG HERE

Follow Renoch Group HERE

Written by: Holly Beaton

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

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want – Our Winter Sexual Wellness Guide

May 27, 2024 | Navigating Reality, Lifestyle

Today, we are skipping the formalities, skipping the usual anecdotes and personal insertion, skipping the negative Nelly diatribes about this and that because today we are talking about HOT, STEAMY, SEX, baby. Ok, not quite, but we have teamed up with our friends at PLEASE to talk about pleasure, pain and putting yourself first. We chatted with Please co-founders Mira Leibowitz and her partner and husband Greg Sher for the ultimate guide to feeling teased and pleased this winter. 

Let’s not beat around the bush. The conversation about what we do under or on top of the sheets has long held this ominous air of taboo around it. I’d argue that it isn’t even a cultural thing but rather a symptom of South Africa and the traditional base from which we draw our societal norms. But let that not detract from the fact that you, me and probably your mom have entertained the idea of butt stuff at one point in our lives. So here we are to open the floor and guide you to getting to the big O, over and over and over again.

Actually, let’s start on that note. Although this may make the topic about as unsexy as it could possibly be, I think that it is essential to note that, ultimately, sexual pleasure is not only derived from the orgasm. As defined by Abramson and Pinkerton in their study With pleasure: Thoughts on the nature of human sexuality, “Sexual pleasure consists of those positively valued feelings induced by sexual stimuli. Notice that this conceptualisation encompasses a broad range of sexual pleasures, from the soothing sensations of sensual massage to the explosion of feeling that accompanies orgasm.” 

Well, damn, that is just about the most interesting form of academic sexting I’ve had the pleasure of reading in a while, but this serves to illustrate that not only are sexual pleasure and desire extremely natural, but hardcoded into our DNA despite the endless preaching surrounding shame and abstinence. But remember, it’s not all about the big O. It’s about the friends (with benefits) we meet along the way.

Images courtesy of Please
In the conversation with Mira and Greg, it became evident that the team at Please wants to open up the conversation around sex and pleasure, along with shifting the narrative away from the shame that is often so present in these conversations—reframing the conversation around self-pleasure in a way that makes the self-care aspect of it the central focus. 

“I think that a lot of people obviously grow up thinking that it’s a “sin” or that they’re doing something they’re not supposed to, although I hope things are shifting away from this” says Mira. Greg frames his own relationship with self-pleasure outside this frame of shame, saying,”I think self-pleasure makes you feel more comfortable with yourself and your own feelings towards sexuality and understanding what you like, which then ties into when you are with a partner or with someone new. You know, the feelings that you like and you’re able to guide someone through making your experience better and the experience together, better.” A sentiment shared by Mira, as she puts it, self-pleasure is a practice, “I do feel like it is something that you have to be doing consistently because obviously we’re all human. Things change, and your preferences change,  you are constantly evolving and growing, so the need for practice and exploration is essential.”

I asked the duo which of the products on the Please site they would recommend for readers trying to up their self-pleasure game. First and foremost, they both suggested Lube, and I’d like to join this campaign as an ambassador and spokesperson for just how underrated (a good) lube is. The duo also recommended a set of toys to satiate and satisfy whatever might be lurking below the belt with the Dame Dip and the Tenga Flex, both options that won’t break the bank while being an excellent introduction to the endless amounts of fun toys that can be for yourself and your partner.  

This brings me neatly onto the topic of toys and their introduction into the bedroom. For many couples, the idea of toys can be a bit of a daunting topic. Deep down, a lot of us are scared that our partner’s interest in introducing something additional into the bedroom is due to us lacking something. We inherently want to be able to fulfil every need and desire our partner may have, but that isn’t always possible. He, she’s, they’s, and them’s, may I introduce the concept of the pleasure gap. Now, the concept of the pleasure gap has had an extensive list of interesting and informative articles written about the lack of sexual satisfaction and the deadening of sexual desire that partners experience within relationships. The pleasure gap is mainly the male vs female orgasms and the vast difference : while men reach orgasm during 85% of intercourse, straight women do so only 63% of the time (gay women have it much better with 75% of orgasm-inducing sex). Another survey, conducted in the US in 2017, further increases the gap to 95% for (straight) men versus 65% for (straight) women.

Images courtesy of Please
“I think it’s so important for people to understand that exploring with sex toys that at the end of the day, they’re add-ons, they’re not a replacement in any way. And I think when people start to understand that, then they’ll understand that this is not about not being enough or that my girlfriend, wife, partner, lover is only going to climax if we use a toy.” Mira says. Greg also beautifully captures an often overlooked and inherently important point. Sex is about connection and intimacy and well, pleasure, but unfortunately, we often focus only on our pleasure and not that of our partners. “From a male’s perspective, sometimes I know that I’m too excited in the sexual encounter, and then I actually suggest bringing a sex toy into it because I know that I’m going to reach a climax before Mira. So we bring that in to know that she’s going to be pleasured as well in the same sense because more, more often than not, there is a pleasure gap.” 

That in my mind, is one of the most beautiful elements about sex and pleasure, the very act of going beyond focussing on your own sexual pleasure and truly concerning yourself with the pleasure of someone else. Often I think that when people think about introducing toys into the bedroom, they think of vibrators, butt plugs and all kinds of leather, but the team over at Please actually suggested a product that I was also recently introduced to Ohnut. Here’s the thing: toys don’t always have to be something that adds a bunch of stimuli. More often than not, the key to great sex is through communication and creating a scenario where it’s as comfortable as possible for your partner in both a physical and emotional sense. Pain during penetration is not the kind of pain we like in the bedroom, and from personal experience, I can vouch that Ohnut can be a game changer in bed. Mira says, “It’s such a simple but incredible product, and I think it goes across the board for men and women; it’s just such a simple solution for pain during penetration.”

I want to elaborate further on the above-mentioned point. Inherently, sex and the pleasure derived from it manifest in the connection or desire of two (or more, you little freaks) people. Now, I’m all for a nasty, dirty hookup, as that definitely has its place, but I want to focus a bit more on the connection and intimacy aspect of sex and pleasure. Far too often, in far too many rocky relationships, we find that one point of tension is the lack of sexual connection. This horrid world where sex becomes a chore, a routine, an exercise that is more closely masturbation than connection. Mira and Greg agree that simple communication is the first and most important step to minimising this. Speaking about your sexual needs, desires, and even frustrations definitely comes more naturally to some than others. Still, it is invaluable for couples and singles to be able to communicate what they want and need. Now, this can’t just be me, but foreplay starts way before there is even a semblance of skin showing. Words are powerful and have a way to tease and tempt like few other things. 

Images courtesy of Please
This brings me to some of the items couples could try to stay in the present and connect on a deeper level during sex. Sex is always hard to bring up in some form of analogy, but to my mind, it’s always closely resembled a dance or a beautifully composed piece of music. It ebbs and flows, builds and subsides, and is never rushed. Far too often, as mentioned above, we are focused on the destination of the orgasm and not on the journey. Mira and Greg have got you covered there. They suggest a more sensory experience. Maybe pop on one of the Please playlists to set the mood, light some candles, and offer to give your partner a massage. I’m not talking about the half-assed one you give when they complain about sore shoulders. 

“We have massage oil, and we also have a massage oil candle, which is a beautiful intimate act of you know, being able to massage your partner. It’s a very sensory experience.”

“It’s actually so funny because even amongst friends, you know, sex as a topic is still a little bit of a stigma, and it’s not spoken about as much as it should be. When we started Please, it really just opened up this door for communication between friends, and family. It was just such a beautiful thing to have been a part of, basically, where our friends felt like they could come to us and chat about like butt plugs and you know… It opens people up. They look at us, and they feel okay, cool, it’s normal, and sex is normal. It’s absolutely the most natural thing humans can do and it’s just so wild that it feels like this taboo subject when it’s so much more than that” Mira ends off. 

So, where does that leave us? Well, I think we can safely say that this conversation still has a lot of room for growth. Sexual wellness may have been stigmatised in the past, but simply put, it’s time to reframe and rethink the relationship we have with sexual pleasure, not only with ourselves but the partners, lovers, fuckbuddies, and one-night stands we may meet along the way. So remember, cuties, say please, and you may just get exactly what you want. 

VISIT TEAM PLEASE 

Website: www.pleasesex.com

Instagram: @_please_x_

Twitter : @please.sex

Tik Tok : @pleasesex.thesexshop

Facebook: Pleasesex

Email: [email protected]

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