Stüssy & Levi’s® have returned with a new capsule collection

Nov 10, 2023 | News, Fashion

Paying homage to their home state of California, Stüssy & Levi’s® have returned with a new capsule that brings Stüssy’s signature design aesthetic to staple Levi’s® garments. The assortment features a range of trucker jackets and jeans available in three distinctive colorways: black, brown, & pink. Crafted from jacquard fabric and finished with two-tone garment dyes gives each piece a one-of-a-kind result with a washed vintage feel.

 

ABOUT LEVI’S®

The Levi’s® brand epitomizes classic American style and effortless cool. Since their invention by Levi Strauss & Co. in 1873, Levi’s® jeans have become one of the most recognizable garments of clothing in the world—capturing the imagination and loyalty of people for generations. Today, the Levi’s® brand portfolio continues to evolve through a relentless pioneering and innovative spirit that is unparalleled in the apparel industry. Our range of leading jeanswear and accessories are available in more than 110 countries, allowing individuals around the world to express their personal style.

ABOUT STÜSSY

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, a brand was born from the Southern California surf scene and swept through the clothing landscape to redefine the look and ideology of casual-wear. That brand was Stüssy, a label that grew organically from youth movements and inadvertently revolutionized the clothing business.

Shawn Stüssy was a surfer who used to shape his own boards for friends and locals in Laguna Beach, California. Stüssy began screening t-shirts and shorts to sell along with the surfboards as a form of promotion; his surname written in a graffiti- influenced hand style was to become the company logo. Stüssy inadvertently fell into the clothing business through his deep-rooted love of surfing, and in a few short years, people were talking within the small, insular world of surf and skateboarding in the late ‘80s. Shawn set up small showrooms in New York and California and hit the road, showing his designs to stores he respected. It has since gone on to become one of the most defining cult-respected brands in the history of streetwear.

Stüssy & Levi’s® collection launches worldwide today, November 10th and is exclusively available for purchase on levi.co.za.

CAMPAIGN CREDITS
Photography: Antosh Cimoszko
Model: Evan Clark

Press release courtesy of The Bread

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

Boozoo Bajou present their fifth full length studio album ‘Finistère’

Nov 10, 2023 | New Release, Music

25 years after their first 12″ release, ‘Night over Manaus’, downtempo heroes Boozoo Bajou present their fifth full length studio album, ‘Finistère’.

The Nuremberg Downbeat Funksters have 12 tracks ready for release on 3rd November 2023, and they chose ‘Finistère’ as the title for this masterpiece, issued on their own label, Pilotton. This double vinyl album alongside the digital release shows the return of Boozoo Bajou to their roots, manifested in 2001 with their timeless debut album ‘Satta’.

The musical ingredients include Soul, Dub, Jazz, Latin and Blues vibes, played and arranged in classic Boozoo Bajou style. Being strictly downtempo, ‘Finistere’ manages to melt all these elements and influences into one warm sounding listening experience based on excellent mixing and mastering by Boozoo Bajou member Peter Heider. Vocals are delivered by Steve Spacek and Jules, while Fürsattl and MODALiST participate as Co-Producers, and the vinyl edition contains exclusive album versions.

Stream + Purchase ‘Finistère’ HERE

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

TshegoTMM releases deep house track ‘Stay With Me Tonight’

Nov 10, 2023 | New Release, Music

“This is a deep house from South Africa, but not as we know it. This is straight up, classic sounding late naughties gear and doesn’t conform to the expected chuggy notes of what we know and love about the current output from RSA.  Tshego has made a real mark on Atjazz with these three original sounding pieces and they have, with great patience, been waiting a good while for release.” – Atjazz Record Company 

Tshegofatso Mokgethwa AKA TshegoTMM is a DJ / Producer based in Pretoria (South Africa). He started his musical journey in 2011 as a DJ and began to produce music from 2013. Tshego released his debut EP in 2019, under Sound Vessel Records (U.S.) in the same year he released his second EP under 48 Records in Turkey. TshegoTMM’s style of play is deep house, deeptech and soulful house with techno intermixed. 

Stream ‘Stay With Me Tonight’ HERE

Press release courtesy of Atjazz Record Company 

Viviers SS24

Nov 9, 2023 | News, Fashion

VIVIERS, the South African fashion house, unveils their concept-driven fashion experience at South African Fashion Week (SAFW). With the debut of their SS24 fashion film ‘Re-Trace, Re-Memory, Re-Set, Re-Culture,’ VIVIERS highlights their unwavering commitment to the South African fashion landscape and their larger vision of fostering a homegrown African fashion community and clothing industry.

Having emerged on the SAFW scene through the Fashion Bridges Program in April 2023, VIVIERS returns to SAFW, reinforcing their dedication to the local fashion industry and their aspiration to create a thriving African fashion community. This is not merely a showcase of garments; it’s a statement of purpose.

“Through a collective and creative hybrid space called ‘Hub-of-The-Hand,” VIVIERS collaborate with numerous South African Artisans, using South African raw material like Cape Wools, South African Mohair, Ostrich products, Gold and Diamonds and South African Leather, with the idea to further promote the South African clothing, textile and luxury Industry, as well as preserve South Africa’s heritage of craftsmanship. 

“Through visualisation and co-emergence, we aim to contribute and to establish South Africa as an Eco-Hub or destination for Supreme Craftsmanship in Luxury manufacturing; a country that leads with its slow and Conscious approach. Showcasing our collection not only on a global platform such as Milan but also within SAFW in Johannesburg is a pivotal element of our commitment to this initiative” said Lezanne Viviers, the creative director and founder of VIVIERS. “This also give me a unique opportunity to edit and change the styling of my collections to respond to future of these two different platforms, as every iteration opens up the collection to a different audience.”

Indeed, VIVIERS recently presented their artisanal capsule collection SS24 ‘Re-Trace, Re-Memory, Re-Set, Re-Culture’ as part of the official Milan Fashion Week, marking their second live event in a year, following their digital debut in September 2022.

The SS24 fashion film, ‘Re-Trace, Re-Memory, Re-Set, Re-Culture,’ serves as a unique canvas, offering a glimpse into the soul of VIVIERS’ SS24 collection. It’s not just a film; it’s a conceptual statement.

‘Re-Trace, Re-Memory, Re-Set, Re-Culture ’– VIVIERS ’SS24 Fashion Film: was conceptualised by Lezanne Viviers and brought to life by her long-time friend and photographer, Eva Losada, ‘Re-Trace, Re-Memory, Re-Set, Re-Culture’ is more than a fashion film; it’s an investigation into our collective history and shared Origin Stories. Exploring universal myths, legends, archaeological discoveries, astrology, visionary philosophy, and spiritual truths, the film is a patchwork of human experiences. From the Crystal Skulls to the Phoenix, from Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’ to Baba Credo Mutwa’s thoughts on ancient Gold astronauts, VIVIERS contemplates the potential for transformation and cultural redefinition. The stories in the film transcend borders, cultures, and religions, acting as bridges between our quest for truth and the interplay between the physical and metaphysical realms. The film embodies a vision of art and clothing as conduits for unity, connecting our shared history with our vision of a harmonious future.

Lezanne Viviers sums it up beautifully, saying, “All-is-One. The idea of co-existence, co-emergence, symbiosis, and our shared Earthly Re-Birth: Unity in Individuality, rather than separation.” Indeed, VIVIERS chose to hold the release and premiere their fashion film at SAFW, as the audience has a very clear insight and understanding of the sacred African sites chosen as the location. It felt right to premiere it to a local audience and the local team that created it, before it gets broadcasted internationally, because of its cultural significance. The stage design of SAFW and technical screens also lends itself to screen the film, with a full captivating audience.

The film, directed by Eva Losada, offers a poetic, atmospheric, and surreal journey through fragmented narratives. It creates a visual and emotional experience, and Eva’s unique style is also evident in campaigns she has shot for VIVIERS.

The film was shot at two sacred sites – The Cradle of Humankind and Waterval Boven in South Africa. These sites were chosen for their cultural and spiritual significance in our shared origin stories. The Origin Center in Maropeng, The Cradle of Humankind, is one of South Africa’s nine World Heritage sites, housing archaeological treasures like Mrs. Ples, Little Foot, and Homo Naledi. Waterval Boven is the epicentre of South African Stone Circles and home to remarkable sites like Adam’s Calendar, aligning with the stars and Sacred Geometrical patterns. Alessandro Gigli, with his cinematic soundscape, draws inspiration from the resonance of rocks and ancient instruments. This soundscape transforms time into crystalline sounds and ancient memories into present-day experiences, creating an auditory journey into our past, present, and future.

‘Re-Trace, Re-Memory, Re-Set, Re-Culture ’- VIVIERS ’SS24 Fashion Collection: The Unity of Past and Future. The collection conveys the ‘idea of unity in individuality,’ through VIVIERS’s inclusion of a very diverse cast, but also by the continues collaboration with many South African artisans and the continues use and inclusion of South African raw materials in the making of 100% South African made garments. This theme of unity in creation and collaboration is the core message of the film and the collection. VIVIERS’ SS24 Runway show at SAFW is a fusion of their artisanal collection showcased in Milan and their first ever ready-to-wear line. This collection is about more than fashion; it’s about accessibility and sustainability. Collaborations with Crystal Birch, Europa Art, and Cape Cobra reflect a commitment to responsible South African fibres and materials like Ostrich leather, Merino Wool, and Mohair. These materials create clothing that transcends time and blends beautifully, promoting responsible luxury raw materials from South Africa worldwide.

Crystal Birch’s hats are created in the same collaborative spirit and approach to working with local craftsmen championing local production for global locations. Preserving the art of millinery; while simultaneously re-introducing us to the inherent power that only the hat can hold for completing a look, Birch’s power lies in her rare ability to elevate hat-making as effortlessly contemporary. Cape Cobra Leather goods are a third-generation, South African-family run business, with a long legacy of manufacturing bags for luxury fashion houses around the world, using exceptional local artisans, gives Cape Cobra Leathercraft’s pieces their elegance and depth as heirloom investment pieces, investing in the heritage of the past, combined with meticulous moments spent in the present.

The overall runway aesthetic was slightly reimagined through the styling with more traditional styling, by including these heritage items that convey a message of an old-world heirloom house. The versatility in styling from Milan to South African, reiterates the message that VIVIERS items are long-term investment pieces, made with an approach of uncompromised quality. The collection’s palette and textures draw inspiration from the James Webb telescope’s images of galaxies, planets, and stars, contrasting with earthly elements like rocks, fossils, and crystals. The result is a collection that feels otherworldly, capturing the essence of our shared history and the
limitless potential for change.

‘Re-Trace, Re-Memory, Re-Set, Re-Culture’ is more than a fashion collection; it’s a journey through space-time and an exploration of unity. VIVIERS’ SS24 collection seeks to transcend traditional boundaries and celebrate the duality within each of us, reflecting a vision of harmony and inclusion. The film and collection are an ode to the power of clothing as art, a bridge connecting our past to the positive change VIVIER’s aspire to in the future. The vision of the brand is to bridge between communities that see themselves as mutually exclusive, by creating a manifesto where narratives meet in the raw form of the arts. VIVIERS facilitates an umbrella-like platform, where through the arts, for artisanal collaboration and architecture, creatives can challenge institutional norms through clothing.

VIVIERS CAMPAIGN CREDITS
Spring/Summer 2024

Photography: @eva.al.desnudo
Styling, Creative- and Art Direction: @lezanneviviers and @eva.al.desnudo
Styling Assistant: @chiara__galvani
Clothing: VIVIERS STUDIO
Jewellery: Signature VIVIERS jewellery, mixed with Lezanne Viviers xx James Barry
Slabbert sculpted pieces. @jamesbarryslabbert
Model Agencies: @myfriendned @boss
Models: @okmordecai, @Bethany.dewaal @macs_kmcd
Hair: @saadique
Make-Up: @alexandra_julliet_mua
Production: @Kirstyswiss
Production assistants: @anelka_poultney_ @thando.nyweba
Videography: @thulanisejo @kaykayribane
Lighting Assistant: @Odd_ic
Drone ops: @Dzagzin_productions
Location: Maropeng Sterkfontein Caves and Watervalboven Stone Circles
@maropengsa
Artisans: @Wraptknitwear @stephanie.bentum.textiles @nutcase_acts @bunnycorp
Sponsors and Support: @capewools @mohairsouthafrica
Samil, African Expressions yarn: @samil_natural_fibres
KRONE:@kronecapclassique
Maropeng, Sterkfontein @maropengsa

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

adidas Originals and Wales Bonner Present Fall/Winter 2023, dropping in-stores and online today

Nov 8, 2023 | News, Community

adidas Originals and Wales Bonner continue their collaborative partnership with the release of their Fall/Winter 2023 collection -marking the continued evolution of this synergistically, perfect partnership.

Staying true to the designer’s ongoing exploration of athletic codes, the apparel offering reimagines adidas’ sporting legacy through a selection of refined and elegant archival looks. Off-pitch styles include an elevated knit set in mahogany brown alongside football shorts in a sand colored nylon with the iconic Three Stripes contrast. Swapping creative sources of inspiration from the 70s to the 90s, key pieces are rendered in a lightweight nylon fabrication, including a pale sky tracksuit with reflective piping and a black nylon top with a contrasting vivid green knit collar. All pieces are available in unisex sizing.

Similarly, the footwear selection continues to evolve Wales Bonner’s now signature take on the adidas Originals Samba silhouette. A duo of looks incorporate luxurious faux pony-hair uppers and gum soles – one in leopard print, the other in a light tan colorway – while another set features suede overlays and signature contrast stitching.  

Marking a departure from previous seasons, the campaign visuals swap evocative landscapes for a more refined, studio setting. Decidedly new, yet still grounded in the adidas Originals by Wales Bonner lexicon, the visuals capture a mix of models and street cast figures, as well as skateboarder Na-Kel Smith, against minimal backdrops – highlighting the simplicity of the silhouettes and the evocative complexity of the characters themselves. Accompanying the campaign images are a set of short interviews and moving vignettes, with the cast answering interview questions hosted by playwright, actor, and philanthropist, Jeremy O. Harris.

The adidas Originals by Wales Bonner Fall/Winter 2023 collection is available from adidas V&A + Sandton, adidas ECOM and Shelflife stores from Wednesday 8 November.

Press release courtesy of Playmakers

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

Film Director Robert dos Santos On Heeding The Creative Call

Nov 7, 2023 | Interviews, Creatives

There is a cohesive thread running through the many, many talented people that I have spoken to over the years for CEC. When I look back at our conversations, I am drawn to this understanding of what CEC has intended to do; that is, a curious investigation of this abstract force inherent in all the greatest things we love as human beings. We call this thing ‘creativity’ – this multi-faceted human trait that seems to operate outside the bounds of almost anything else. Through this force, we generate ideas and dreams into tangible and ferocious statements about our lives; how life was, how it could be – where is it going? I don’t know of any other phenomena so fluid and unknowable as creativity, nor how it manifests – or that it occurs at the individual level yet leads to cultural and social variance in untold ways, throughout time. Sometimes, I think I take for granted what I really mean by ‘creativity’ in these conversations with creative beings. It takes a conversation like this, with a person like Robert dos Santos, to be reminded. 

Robert is a multi-award winning film and commercial director and co-founder of And. Production Company – but this is actually his most recent incarnation. A few years ago, Robert was a practising attorney, donned in robes – his set, the High Court in Cape Town. In a kind of Proustian awakening, Robert was jolted awake by that thing Jung described as ‘a confrontation with the unconscious’ – that is, suddenly that hard-achieved suppression of ones’ ultimate self-discovery could no longer be shut away. The price? A total abandonment of what was before. In our conversation, I ask Rob why he thinks this happened for him – the call to abandon the prestige of being a lawyer in pursuit of creative expression, to which he says “you only live once and we are alive for only a very short span of time. So, you might as well do the most ridiculous thing you possibly can and do it with enthusiasm and excitement – with the willingness to fail. My friend hit me with a quote, ‘man has two lives and the second one begins the day he realises that he’s going to die’. I think that’s the impetus behind why I am the way that I am, why I do the things I do – and why I did what I did. I just simply had to. I had no other choice but to do this, to create.” Rob talks of that inner-voice that only ever came out with close friends – that admittance in passing of ‘oh, there’s this thing I really want to do or make.’

South African director Robert dos Santos, Photographed by Ryan Hing

Furiously and urgently, this voice became louder and louder – until Robert knew that he had to leave law. On the difficulty of this choice (we humans are creatures of comfort and safety), Robert describes that “it was utterly and devastatingly difficult to make that choice. The whole world is trying to tell you who you should be and the entire structure of schooling, university and society is to get you to conform. I’m not saying that’s necessarily bad, I understand the need for uniformity, at the same time there’s absolutely nothing wrong with breaking that system. In fact, I think for some people – it’s completely necessary.” Like almost all of us, Robert was inclined by the world to pursue the path already taken. So many of our sacred cows as a society are, in many ways, hindrances to our creative freedom; the job, the family, the two-story house and how these can only be ‘really’ achieved by the tidy boxes ticked by those before us. Rob argues, though, that distraction is one he faced, but also that’s one that most people need to face, saying “my personal belief is that everyone knows exactly what they’re meant to do with their life. If I sit someone down for long enough and ask the right questions, I’m going to get it out of it. They might squirm and squeal or lie. Eventually, they’ll say, ‘you know what, I always wanted to be ___’. I knew it from an early age. I knew I wanted to write and to create. I just happened to have the misfortune of my writing being visual. If my writing were words, then I could just sit, shut away in a room – but my style of creation is in moving images. My writing means I need to raise a lot of capital and storm the castle with a brigade of fellow crewmen.”

So, what does starting from scratch look like, after reaching the apex of another career? Robert says, “all I knew was I wanted to be in this world of film. I started shooting things for myself and I started to write, to edit. I spent a good amount of time doing a lot of other things like producing, shooting and a bit of sound. I figured out that I liked them all equally and being a director means you get to do a bit of all of that, pretty equally. The most important thing for me was to be doing – it was all in the learning and testing that I was able to make that move from where I didn’t want to be, to where I am now.” This lesson is one that all creatives must undertake; that in the making, is the refining – in the menial tasks or experiment – is how one’s point of view is carved out. Robert says, “my friend and I took R4000, a skateboard and a bakkie – and we went and shot the very first commercial I ever did. That is still one of the best things I have ever made. We got three award nominations. From that, I was very lucky to be put in touch with Warner Music, who asked me to do a music video. The trajectory for a lot of South African directors is music videos. They’re the perfect space in which to make mistakes because generally the artist likes that. The more wild, the more strange it is – the better. Warner gave me a lot of room to play and that was essentially my film school. Every shoot I would do something different – one shoot, I would shoot only on long lenses. On another one, I would make sure the camera never stops moving – or I’d make sure that the camera was completely still. I used every music video as a lesson to figure it out.”

Robert believes that commercials are just as artistic as feature films. There is this tension in the film industry – a lack of ‘artistic valuation’ towards the commercial format and its supposed stifling of the creative process. Though, what else could be more challenging than to invoke emotion from a mass audience, than advertising? Robert’s specialisation is vehicle commercial for the likes of Mercedes Benz and in the few years he has been answering his creative call, has come 40+ awards and nominations around the world – from the US to the UK, Germany, France, Croatia, South Africa and more – his first narrative short film, ‘A Moment’ won best film at the Los Angeles Film Awards. We often talk about creative destiny on CEC – Robert is embodying precisely this.

With a feature film in the pipeline (which can’t be disclosed just yet), I ask Robert whether he’s found his voice? To which he says, “Yes, I have – and you have no idea how good it feels to finally be able to say that. I think it’s a painful rite of passage for any creator or artist. Sharing your voice is really the core of what you’re doing when you make anything. Finding my voice came from accepting the fact that we exist. I know that might sound odd, but it is such an anomaly that we exist on this planet, in this solar system and in this universe. This life is such a rare and unique mistake. We, as human beings, happen to be unlike anything else that we know of. We are sitting here talking to each other through a mixture of silicone and metal, at a distance. When I realised that my voice is about taking this extraordinary chance that we are alive and speaking about it through my work. I don’t want to be blase about being alive and if my work can demonstrate anything, it’s how incredibly cool it is to be alive. Seize the fucking moment.” 

Explore Robert dos Santos’ work HERE
Explore And. Production HERE

Written by: Holly Beaton

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

Confections X Collections: Local Designers Join The Show Line-Up At Mount Nelson

Nov 3, 2023 | News, Fashion

This November, Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town will host CONFECTIONS X COLLECTIONS (CxC): an annual coming-together of creative expression fusing five days of exclusive salon-style fashion shows, with designer- inspired confectionery.

Due to visa complications, Nigerian-based Bubu Ogisi of IAMISIGO and Adeju Thompson, founder of Lagos Space Programme, will no longer be showing. In response, the much-anticipated event will see an update to the show line-up, with the introduction of celebrated local designers Wanda Lephoto and Lezanne Viviers of Viviers Studio.

Taking place from 8 – 12 November 2023, the property will host two daily fashion shows per designer, at 11:00 and 15:00.

Showcasing an all-star cast of fashion designers from South Africa – the iconic pink hotel will shine the spotlight on slow, considered fashion… and cake!

8 Nov: Wanda Lephoto 
9 Nov: Viviers Studio  
10 Nov: Sindiso Khumalo 
11 Nov: Mantsho
12 Nov: Chulaap

Tickets available at ZAR995 via Dineplan. 

For reservations and more information, please contact

[email protected] or call +27 21 483-100

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

The Will Barnes Quartet present their debut album, ‘Source of the Severn’

Nov 3, 2023 | New Release, Music

The Will Barnes Quartet, in collaboration with skilled landscape artist Erin Hughes, are proud to present their debut album, ‘Source of the Severn’. Will Barnes (guitar) is joined by James Batten (drums), Jack Gonsalez (piano) and Clovis Phillips (bass) – a tight collective of highly experienced jazz instrumentalists.

This album of original music is a modern take on the classic bebop-era with influences of Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans, Pat Metheny and Oscar Peterson, further taking inspiration from the exquisite landscape of Mid-Wales and the Marches. Erin has created 9 original pieces in response to the music utilising her meticulously hand-marbled papers as her artistic palette to skillfully craft collages that emulate the traditional artistry of Pietre Dure.

They will be touring extensively through late 2023 and 2024 with Erin Hughes providing a special live visual show alongside the quartet’s performance, igniting the imagination of the audience, and making this a performance not to be missed.

“A thoroughly enjoyable performance from this highly accomplished young quartet. The collective rapport was sharper than ever and the individual playing excellent all round” – Ian Mann, JazzMann

Stream ‘Source of the Severn’ HERE

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff

Afropop superstar Mr Eazi has shared his long-awaited debut album ‘The Evil Genius’

Nov 3, 2023 | New Release, Music

Recorded between Ouidah and Cotonou, Benin; Kigali, Rwanda; Accra and Kokrobite, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; London; Los Angeles; and New York City, The Evil Genius Features some of Mr Eazi’s most personal work, as he dives deeply into subjects like love, betrayal, loneliness, and family, expressed through three distinctive acts. 

Guest features on the project come from Angelique Kidjo (Benin), Tekno (Nigeria), Efya (Ghana), Whoisakin (Nigeria), Joeboy (Nigeria), and three-time Grammy winners Soweto Gospel Choir (South Africa). Contributing producers include Kel-P (Nigeria), Knucks(U.K.), Michael Brun (Haiti), Andre Vibez (Nigeria), Yung Willis (Nigeria), Nonso Amadi (Nigeria/Canada), KillBeatz (Ghana), M.O.G Beatz (Ghana), E Kelly(Nigeria), Type A (Nigeria), Stikmatik (U.K.), Phantom (Nigeria), Venna (U.K.), KDream (Nigeria) and Mr Eazi himself.

In a first-of-its-kind fusion of African music and art, Mr Eazi commissioned visual artists from across the continent to create a unique, physical art piece to represent each of the album’s 16 tracks. Noting a lack of meaningful collaboration between Africa’s exploding pop music scene and the continent’s fine art creators, Mr Eazi personally handpicked 13 artists, representing eight African countries, adding art curator and patron to his already extensive resume of pursuits. 

As part of the rollout, Mr Eazi has been inviting the public to experience the music alongside the art at multi-sensory exhibition listening experiences, with the first two taking place in Accra, Ghana and London (where it was part of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair) earlier this month. The exhibition will next head to MrEazi’s home country of Nigeria, where it will appear as a special project within ART X Lagos, West Africa’s premier international art fair, in November. Additional exhibition locations are soon to be announced.

1EAS Photographed by Daniel Obasi

Visual artists who contributed to the project are: Alpha ODH (Nairobi, Kenya), Chinaza Nkemka (Lagos, Nigeria), Dominique Zinkpe (Cotonou, Benin), Edozie Anedu(Lagos, Nigeria), Elangwe Sesse (Cameroon), Ikechukwu Christian (Lagos, Nigeria), Kufa Makwavarara(Zimbabwe/South Africa), Patricorel (Cotonou, Benin), Samuel Tete-Katchan (Accra, Ghana), Sandra Seghir(Dakar, Senegal), Sinalo Ngcaba (Cape Town, South Africa), Tammy Sinclair (Abuja, Nigeria), Tesprit (Lomé, Togo)

For the album’s cover art, Mr Eazi collaborated with celebrated Nigerian stylist, designer and photographer Daniel Obasi, known for his work with Beyoncé and Louis Vuitton. Obasi shot, styled and designed the album’s cover image, letting lyrics from “Orokoro,” “Chop Time, No Friend” and “Advice” guide its dense narrative. “In a metaphysical and surrealist portrayal, the cover art draws from the composition and ideals of the last supper and David’s prayer of Psalm 23,” Obasi says. “Spirituality, love, confidence, betrayal and thanksgiving are themes.” 

On Sunday, Mr Eazi issued “Exit” featuring three-time Grammy winners and South African music legends Soweto Gospel Choir, alongside infectious production from Grammy-winning Nigerian beatmaker Kel-P (BurnaBoy, Wizkid). Set atop South Africa’s famed Drakensberg, amidst the oldest mountain range in the world, the”Exit” video delivers heavenly visuals befitting of the song’s spiritual theme.

MR EAZI is a musical innovator, business leader and philanthropist. As a recording artist, the Nigerian multihyphenate is the voice behind afropop hits “Pour Me Water,” “Skin Tight” and “Leg Over,” as well as groundbreaking collaborations with the likes of Beyoncé and J Balvin, and the creator of Banku Music, a fusion of Ghanaian and Nigerian sounds and culture. A serial entrepreneur, he founded emPawa Africa in 2018 as a talent incubator program designed to accelerate the careers of African artists.

Hailed by CNN, Rolling Stone,Billboard and Forbes for its innovative approach to expanding African music’s global reach, emPawa Africa has since grown into one of Africa’s largest independent music companies, with a track record of breaking global stars like Joeboy and Major League Djz. Mr Eazi has clocked over 4 billion streams of his songs across DSPs, making him one of the most streamed African artists worldwide. 

Listen to ‘The Evil Genius’ HERE

Connect with Mr Eazi
Facebook: @officialMrEazi
Twitter: @mreazi
Instagram: @mreazi

Press release courtesy of Sheila Afari PR

Ana Frango Elétrico releases their album ‘Me Chama De Gato Que Eu Sou Sua / Call Me They That I’m Yours’

Nov 3, 2023 | New Release, Music

With two critically acclaimed albums and a swathe of award-winning production turns under their belt, Ana Frango Elétrico presents their most confident and accomplished work to date: Me Chama De Gato Que Eu Sou Sua / Call Me They That I’m Yours. Gesturing to a tradition of Brazilian boogie music, but bouncing with modern pop ebullience, the album sees the Rio artist evolve from a captivating upstart into a surefooted scene leader in full stride. 

At just 25, the prolific artist and producer has already garnered worldwide admirers. Ana’s sophomore Little Electric Chicken Heart was nominated at the 2020 Latin Grammys. Since then, standalone singles have received the WME ‘Best Music Producer’ Award, recognising Ana’s deep passion for music production – a passion which has led to collaborations with nascent Brazilian stars Dora Morelenbaum, Illy and Sophia Chablau. Most recently, Ana was hailed for their co-production of Bala Desejo’s 2022 Latin Grammy-winning album Sim Sim Sim. 

The new album finds Ana at their most assured and full voiced. Album opener “Electric Fish”, with funky bass and shimmering backing vocals, sets a buoyant tone. “Boy of Stranger Things” is its bombastic counterpart. It’s the grooviest Ana has ever sounded. And the most brazen. Lyrically, where Ana was once oblique on personal matters, they are now forthright – lucidly exploring their gender identity, citing accessible cultural references, and often singing in English.

“I started this album in 2021 with the intention of showing, in means of sound, understandings and feelings about queer love, subjectively exposing myself,” the non-binary artist states – before qualifying that though “feeling was its driving force, the album is really about musical production.”

“There’s so many references to different decades,” Ana explains. “Seventies drums with eighties processing … Going back, getting beyond … Testing the limits of organic sounds”. Characteristically playful, on Me Chama, Ana takes vivid and rewarding detours through funk-inflected R&B (“Dela”) and art pop (“Dr. Sabe Tudo”). “Nuvem Vermelha” is a cinematic chanson with lush strings that recalls Arthur Verocai. Then, “Coisa Maluca” loafs with the indie insouciance of Canadian slacker Mac Demarco. Later, “Let’s Go Before Again”, is a full-on drum machine workout evocative of Stereolab. 

“Even if people don’t find my own references here, they’ll find theirs,” observes Ana, “Maybe that’s this record’s biggest goal.”

Stream ‘Me Chama De Gato Que Eu Sou Sua / Call Me They That I’m Yours’ HERE

Press release courtesy of Only Good Stuff