Our Exclusive Chat with SA’s Finest in House Music, Kyle Cassim

Aug 30, 2021 | Interviews, Music

To say that Kyle comes from humble beginnings is an understatement and in the last 10 years, he’s made waves like no other within the SA music scene. 

With notable performances at the likes of Tomorrowland as well winning a DMAS award, he’s also the host of his own radio show on 5fm, one half of CINIMIN and has performed at festivals and clubs all over the world. He boasts a long and impressive list of artists that he’s opened for which include the likes Faithless, Robin Schulz, Fisher, Stimming, Cosmic Gate and Justin Martin, to name a few. 

Kyle is a savant when it comes to understanding a crowd and provides a sensational listening and dance experience as he journey’s you through his sets. He is able to deliver a sound that ranges from classic house, all the way through to deep melodic tech house and underground sonic mastery. We know him as none other than the King of House. 

 

Kyle, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat to us. Let’s dive straight into it. Who is the person that you would say had the most influence on your career to date?

“My dad, no questions asked. Everyone needs a mentor. Most peoples’ fathers will introduce their kids to sports or to creative work with their hands, camping, fishing, all of that. My Dad’s passion for music is unrivalled. My earliest memories are of Funky Disco playing in the house all day. Music was like an escape from the world for him. He, himself DJed before I was even born and his passion for music to this day hasn’t changed a bit. 

Here is a pretty funny story of how I initially got my first DJ gigs that I used to do with my old man; When I was 12 years old, my dad and I used to DJ at my primary school “disco’s” together. There was a guy that had DJed there for years called Strolling Bones and I had begged and pleaded with the principal at the time, to be given a chance to DJ for all my friends. My dad and I were given the green light and ended up replacing him at all the school discos for years to come after that.”

 

Now that we know who your defining influence is in terms of your passion for music,  who would you say is the person that got you where you are today in terms of the industry itself?

“This is such a tough question because there are so many people that I owe my thanks to and I want to say this without sounding arrogant or overly proud, but I really want to thank myself! The reason for this is because not a lot of people believed in me over the past 15 years. Many [people] kept on telling me that I should go back to my studies or that I wasn’t good enough to make it. For the longest time, I never received a fair slice of the pie. I fought tooth and nail to be where I am today. I had to mentor myself for a long time from my presenting style to my music choice and it really became about me inspiring myself. Linking back to your previous question, my Dad always taught me one thing – you should take a little bit of knowledge from each person that you meet and that’s exactly what I did. Whether it was promoters or other DJs I did just that, and through it all, formulated the Kyle Cassim that I am today. There were many walls and challenges that I faced and I had to traverse them to achieve what I did ”

 

Do you think 14 year old Kyle Cassim would recognise 32 year old Kyle Cassim?

“No I don’t think so…actually wait, I take that back. 14 year old Kyle would definitely recognise me and he would be super proud. When I was around 14, I already had this plan in place that I wanted to be an entertainer, a DJ and all these things. When I was in Grade 9 I was already bullshitting my own peers, telling them ‘Yeah, I DJ at Sutra’ and all these other places and parties so, at that age, I think I was kind of willing it into existence. 14 year old Kyle would not believe that I have played Tomorrowland, headlined H2O, played all the major festivals in South Africa and even have my own radio show. I guess you can sort of say that at that young age I was manifesting these things”. 

 

Do you find that the DJing world is incredibly nepotistic?

“Yes, there is a lot of “nepotism”, I even do it myself, and I will tell you why; since I moved into being a promoter it has become of the utmost importance to look after your own brand. I have hosted festivals, roof-top shindigs as well as small parties at venues. So much like any other industry, you are going to hire the person that you know can get the job done. It actually isn’t nepotism as such, people are hired based on their work ethic and standards. The people that get gigs are the guys that are there on time and play incredible sets. From the outside, it would seem nepotistic, but you end up spending so much time with these other artists that you end up becoming friends and family.”

 

How would you differentiate your music production within Cinimin versus Kyle Cassim as a brand (DJ and radio presenter)?

“Cinimin and ‘Kyle Cassim’ I try to keep as 2 separate entities, largely because I don’t want people to get the wrong idea and think of them as 1 thing. The Kyle Cassim brand is more associated with being a personality, a presenter, promoter and curator, whereas Cinimin is a music production and performance. Cinimin also provides me with a different creative outlet that isn’t directly associated with what I am doing for radio or when I am DJing on my own. On that topic, in terms of music when I am at a gig, I play a lot more of an underground sound and if given the chance, I tend to play a very deep melodic, ‘techy’ sound when it’s only me. Cinimin, on the other hand, leans towards a very commercial, vocal, up-tempo rave sound. That music is made for radio and for the festivals like Ultra and Tomorrowland, ‘Kyle Cassim’ and that style of music, I picture more as being in a much smaller darker and grungier venue with people pulling those faces they pull when a drop is absolutely dirty. I have found it strange that through the years people associate me as a commercial DJ, the core of the music I play is definitely not commercial and it is far more underground.

 

“I don’t think there should ever be an argument about  “commercial” and “underground” music; there is a special place for both. It’s not like underground leads and mainstream follows, they are essentially two parts that make up a whole”.
I love that description, and so I need to ask, what do you define as “underground”? 

I somehow knew you were going to ask this question and it is such a difficult question to answer because it feels like there is no correct answer. I have defined and redefined it in my own mind and in interviews so many times. I think of it like this though, you need to ask yourself, ‘What am I making this song for?’ Do you want it to be a radio hit, or do you want to drop this song in that aforementioned dark and grimy venue with only 50 people there that are incredibly eclectic about their music tastes and partying habits. Often an underground song can become mainstream, just because it’s that good – and a lot of the time, underground music stays underground because it’s really bad. Solomun is the perfect example of an underground DJ that somehow keeps making commercial music, and it is no mistake, it’s because his tracks are THAT good. His music gets played on radio and in commercial venues yet Solomun is seen as the King of Underground. It boils down to the music just being that damn good. Also, to basically define underground to me as a DJ, it means playing things that people haven’t heard and to educate your audience on new things that could potentially resonate with them. That’s only my definition. A lot of people may disagree with me. At the end of the day with both mainstream and underground sets, I feel like you are curating a journey for your audience, and you want your audience to feel the same buzz and excitement that you are feeling presenting it to them. You want to feel that love and emotion through the music. 

I don’t think there should ever be an argument about  “commercial” and “underground” music; there is a special place for both. It’s not like underground leads and mainstream follows, they are essentially two parts that make up a whole.”

 

Sticking with music, who would you say are some of the producers and artists that you have enormous admiration for that have inspired you?

“In terms of producing, you don’t need to look any further than CIOZ, he sort of operates in the melodic-tech space. Biscits from the UK is also up there in the production game for me and then of course, there is Boogie Vice, who I have been a fan of for years. I am still a massive fan but now we are also close mates and I have had the opportunity to sit in the studio with him – when you sit in a studio with an artist, you get a much deeper level of admiration for the person because you see their work ethic, their flow and their creative genius.  

 

When was it in your career that you knew that this was the job and life for you, and that it would be sustainable?

“Strangely enough I have never said that it would be sustainable, even today I wouldn’t say it’s sustainable and truth be told; I never followed this career path because I thought it would be sustainable. I followed it purely out of passion. I was speaking to my friend about this the other day. I never got into this game for the money or the fame but rather because I am passionate about performing, entertaining people and house music. Money is a by-product of all of the things that I do. I didn’t pursue this career to be rich or to be poor, I got into all of this because I know that it is always going to make me happy.” 

 

 If there is anything that you would like to teach people that want to follow in the footsteps of Kyle Cassim, what would you tell them?

“That’s a really great question, and one that I wouldn’t have been able to properly answer until 2015, when I met Idris Elba. I have always wanted to be a DJ, host my own TV show, be on radio, be an actor, a promoter and a bunch of other things…and a lot of the time I felt that was impossible and that you can’t be all these things, but then you look at Idris, he is all of those things and a few more. You need to always remember that you don’t need to only be one thing. It is pointless boxing yourself in, you have endless potential and you can do whatever it that you want to do, as long as you do it with passion. You can achieve anything that you set your heart to, the only thing that could be holding you back is yourself.”

 

Kyle, so we know that you have a lot of things on the go at the moment, please can you take us through all the things that we can look forward to in this second half of the year?

“I would love you to join me every Saturday on 5FM for my radio show from 19:00 to 22:00. I need to tell you that I pour my heart into this show every week. It is honestly my favourite thing to do, I feel like I give a bit of myself to the audience each week. In terms of Production, Cinimin is dropping some amazing stuff; we are collaborating with one of the most renowned house music vocalists, Kathy Brown, who is this really unbelievable diva-type, gospel sounding artist. We are writing the song as we speak, it is really sounding amazing and is going to be released with Sony Africa and then distributed throughout the world. We are also doing a collaboration with Kususa who is HUGE in the Afro-House scene…imagine, African spoken word with melodic driving house. We also have a couple other songs that are going to be released. While all of this is going on, I am writing 2 Youtube shows, one is with my brother but I can’t say too much about that at this point so stay tuned for that, and the other one is more of a music based show. Cassim’s Kitchen, my cooking show that I did previously, will also be relaunching. I am also working on myself a lot, training a lot and working on myself mentally and physically. I am excited for the things to come, and I hope that all of you are going to come on this awesome journey with me”.

Kyle was interviewed by Duncan Bayne for CEC.

Nuanced Intimacy with Alessandro Iovino

Aug 19, 2021 | Creatives

Photography lends itself to the practice of distilling moments in time; it is a medium we have employed to perceive and portray aspects of this vast world. Filled with a rich cultural array of beings, capturing the essence of South Africa is perhaps one of the most important contributions that can be made to understanding the intimate nuances of its people, particularly in a country so ravaged by class and racial divisions.

Alessandro Iovino is Italian, yet has shot some of the most beautifully saturated images of aspects of South African culture; underpinned with respect, consent and as far from a voyeuristic angle as possible. As the line is razor thin between such endeavours to explore outside of one’s own cultural context, particularly as Alessandro is European, the images from the series Albow Gardens and Chrysalis Academy display no agenda; these are moments in time that show behaviours, emotions, structures and disciplines embedded within the South African consciousness. The images show the pursuit of people who are real; this is not editorial nor fashioned for marketability; this is Alessandro’s genuine pursuit to understand the human experience. 

“What grabs my attention is the youth. I’m focusing on kids and on their dreams, their hopes, and in certain situations their stolen futures. I’m focusing on kids and their growth because mine as well as theirs have been problematic and somehow stolen. I feel that kids and youth from SA have this  responsibility to change the country, even if it is not their destructive doing in the first place.”
Having worked for major campaigns, and being featured in i-D, Alessandro communicates an exceptional range in his ability to view his craft as a means to converge worlds; and in the context of these bodies of work, there is a palpable depth to the images. There is a relation, emotional response in seeing young men at Chrysalis Academy pursuing skills and brotherhood – and in Albow Gardens, there are moments of humanness that cannot always be contextualized by words; and this is precisely why photography exists, to relay what cannot be written, but only that which can be seen and felt.

Alessandro muses, “I met Albow gardens by chance, I was walking, searching for something, and I was coming from a period where I wasn’t sure anymore if I wanted to do photojournalism. I was looking for something that could last and knew that I needed to find my story, a story that could really make me forget that I was there to photograph, but rather letting the story be my obsession, mixing with it, living with it, photographing just because it was my story and not something I needed to sell to a magazine. I spent 3 years of my time in Albow Gardens. It changed my life.”

Having worked for major campaigns, and being featured in i-D, Alessandro communicates an exceptional range in his ability to view his craft as a means to converge worlds; and in the context of these bodies of work, there is a palpable depth to the images.
These are images beyond what the media will ever say in real terms about South African people, particularly internationally. Often our country is viewed through the lens of instability, corruption and unmanageability; and welcoming someone like Alessandro into the intimacy of South African lives might just be a part of how we tell our stories to the world; that in this exceptional land, with a harrowing history and gripping present day challenges – we are living, breathing and beautiful human beings on this journey together.

Finally, Alessandro states – “What grabs my attention is the youth. I’m focusing on kids and on their dreams, their hopes, and in certain situations their stolen futures. I’m focusing on kids and their growth because mine as well as theirs have been problematic and somehow stolen. I feel that kids and youth from SA have this  responsibility to change the country, even if it is not their destructive doing in the first place.”

Written By Holly Bell Beaton for CEC

DefWing Teases “Deity Dance Party”

Aug 17, 2021 | New Release, Music

Emerging from lockdown, the band Defwing brings a sound inspired by funk, psychedelic rock, hip hop, disco, and pop to the Cape Town music scene. 

The 5-piece band consists of Christian Wing on vocals and bass, Benjamin Defty on vocals and guitar, Thomas Purvis on lead guitar, Oscar van der Spuy on keys, and Tom Foster on drums. Having started as a genre-bending musical experiment during the national lockdown last year, the group’s unique sound garnered attention quickly and began performing live shows as soon as venues opened up.

With an EP launched on August 20th and a music video in the works, DefWing is a name to look out for in the South African music scene charts in the near future.

DistroKid Streaming Link
Spotify Apple Music
iTunes

/// Deity Dance Party Teaser

A Celebration of Skateboarding at the Olympics by Johannesburg Artist, Ruzza Wazzi

Aug 8, 2021 | Art

Ruzza Wazzi intersects music, skateboarding and film in the audio-visual experience of Far Higher. 

Far Higher draws from Ruzza’s background as an educator at Skateistan, an international award-winning non-profit organisation that uses skateboarding as a tool of empowerment for underprivileged Black students. Ruzza’s music career started back in 2010 where he managed a record store called “Look and Listen” in South Africa. Influenced by imported CDs, he began experimenting with his own recordings and carving out a unique lane by integrating vocals to cinematic music, linking colourful visuals with skateboarding culture.         

“Skateboarding taught me that learning how to fall is crucial. Success is one thing, but I learn the most from failing. In our society, Black people fail the most due to systematic oppression.” 

Far Higher was released on the 6th of August 2021 to celebrate skateboarding being accepted as a sport at the Olympics. 

 

“While working as an Educator at Skateistan, a non-profit empowering youth from low income housing backgrounds, I was amazed at how skateboarding became more than just an activity, but more of a salvation giving our youth life skills programs that boost their confidence while keeping them off the quicksand influences of the streets”.

“One of Skateistan’s (NPO) former educators, now has his own music career, but that hasn’t stopped him from helping out his alma mater in a good way.”- HIGHSNOBIETY
“An Immersive Music and Visual Installation.”- NOWNESS
“Artful Visuals” – HYPEBEAST
“Ruzza Wazzi cares deeply about the visuals that accompany his audio and you’ll be able to delve deeper into the psyche of this radical artist real soon.” – BUBBLEGUM CLUB                                                           
Connect with Ruzza Wazzi:

Instagram 

Twitter 

Facebook 

Youtube

Shimza Takes on the Classic Amapiano Single, ‘Vula Mlomo’ from Musa Keys

Aug 8, 2021 | New Release, Music

South African superstar producer and DJ, Shimza takes on the instant classic Amapiano single, ‘Vula Mlomo’ from Musa Keys that featuring Sir Trill & Nobantu Vilakazi on Jetblack Music.

The original has already skyrocketed through the charts and now it’s time for the remix to make waves. With a steadfast Afro-tech lead, an addictive rhythm section and a poignant vocal line that pulsates through this beautifully encapsulated take on the original, it just goes to show the true power of cross-genre collaboration and Shimza’s production prowess.

Musa Keys ‘Vula Mlomo’ feat. Sir Trill & Nobantu Vilakazi (Shimza Remix) – available everywhere – July 30th 2021 via Jetblack Music

TRACKLIST

01: Musa Keys – Vula Mlomo feat. Sir Trill & Nobantu Vilakazi (Shimza Remix) [EDIT]

02:  Musa Keys – Vula Mlomo feat. Sir Trill & Nobantu Vilakazi (Shimza Remix)

FIND SHIMZA ONLINE:

SMARTLINK

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

FIND JETBLACK MUSIC ONLINE:

SOUNDCLOUD

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

DJ Powerhouse Nataša, Has Set Her Sights on Making a Name for Herself

Aug 3, 2021 | Music

Johannesburg born, 23 year old Nataša’s passion and love for music developed at an early age. Drawing inspiration from a love of the arts, in 2017 Nataša started working for the iconic Rage Festival hosted by G&G Productions. It was during this time, that she was exposed to a much deeper variety of electronic music genres which led to her falling in love with house, deep house, downtempo and techno. Nataša explored her love for the nuances of electronic music styles as a DJ and in 2019, after debuting at the infamous Johannesburg venue Carfax, Nataša’s DJ career has progressed from strength to strength.

In 2020, Nataša joined Ryan Murgatroyd in managing his record label, Swoon Recordings. From sharing the stage with Noir, Josh Butler and some of the country’s top artists, to working with and sitting in the studio with iconic music producers, this up and coming DJ powerhouse has set her sights on making a name for herself, and she’s only getting started.

Instagram: @natasa_music 
Bookings: [email protected]

 

A Laugh-a-Minute with Lazola Gola. Laz on Comedy, Crossfit and Cults

Jul 29, 2021 | Interviews, Art, Community

In the past year and a half, I have realised 2 things; cheese is ridiculously expensive and nobody, I mean NOBODY likes to be on a Zoom call. It doesn’t matter whether it is for work, or for “leisure“ (why are you using Zoom for leisure, who hurt you?) Zoom, Google Meets or Skype serve as a reminder that we are still to some extent, disconnected from one another and that things are still slightly weird in this world.

This whole narrative changed in an instant though, when I was informed that I would have the opportunity to jump on the other end of a screen to chat to multiple award-winning comedian, copy writer, director and all round gem of a human being, Lazola Gola. I have been involved in hundreds of interviews previously in my radio career but none quite as unique as this one. Between internet service providers cutting Laz off as he was reaching the zenith of one of the most stupendous points I have ever heard, we also spent somewhere between 30 to 40 minutes discussing cults, coffee shops and crossfit.

In-between all the tomfoolery though, an interview did transpire and if you are a fan of comedy, looking to get into comedy or just really want to listen to one of South Africa’s greatest creative minds, strap yourself in, Lazola has got you covered.

If you don’t know who Lazola Gola is, the man is so vastly talented and has so many accolades as well as projects that he has worked on, that this paragraph would look like the opening 3 chapters of Homer’s Iliad, but to sort of summarize, here’s my best attempt…

Laz is an award-winning comedian who performed his first show while he was still in high school. He has also performed at multiple comedy shows and festivals, from Rocking the Daisies to the Wits “Haha” Comedy festival. He is no stranger to the theatre and was involved in his brother’s (Loyiso Gola) show “Loyiso Gola Runs for president”. You may think that it ends there but you would be absolutely wrong. Laz also has many feathers in his cap when it comes to writing for television and has featured in multiple adverts. Do you remember when Rodwell Tshabalala needed to restock the International Space Station with Chicken Licken? Well, that was all Laz! When he isn’t busting his ass off in the entertainment scene, Laz is also an incredibly talented copy-writer. 

 

Lazola, tell us how you have been? How was your 2020/2021?

“I have been good, this year is a lot better than last year. I feel like it’s weird to be negative about my shit when everyone has had their own. With comedy, and the film industry pretty much closing down for a time, I went from someone that could juggle multiple careers and forms of creative output, to ‘wham’  everything just being cut. I’m not going to lie, the first 2 weeks were like a well-needed holiday that I haven’t taken since I started comedy in 2007. It was weird because I never had that anxiety that I wasn’t on stage or anything so  because the whole world was chilled I thought  ‘lemme chill the fuck out too’ ” 

 

Was there a point during the lockdown where you thought, “Maybe I need to go into looking different career paths?” 

 “No no no, all this was a blessing; I have always seen myself as a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. I am not a person that ever tried to focus on just one thing so between the comedy and TV writing, directing and copy-writing, only 2 of those things were affected hard. Having my writing was a blessing to fall back on but I will always love comedy as an art form and as a form of entertainment.

 

I feel like this is a good segue to dive headfirst into questions about comedy. You started your comedy career at the YFM show case in 2007 and pretty much haven’t stopped since then. In your opinion, how has Comedy changed from 2007 to 2021. 

“Before I answer I that, quick story about that YFM Comedy Showcase; so I had to basically choose between doing all-nighters studying for my Economics degree that I was doing at Wits at the time or, to go through to Rosebank where YFM was based to compete in the showcase. You can guess which one I chose! Back to the question though, which is a  great question, and it’s of the assumption that whilst my point of view has stayed the same, my perception of comedy then and now is completely different. To simply put it, there are way more comedians around which is incredible, and for the younger comedians coming through to work in comedy, it is a tangible goal that you can earn money doing it. Back then it wasn’t the same, everyone followed the same sort of path whereas now you can get there in so many different ways.”

 

We digress. If you were to join a cult, which one tickles your fancy? Heaven’s Gate, The Rajneeshees or the Manson Family?

“Sheesh I am not too clued up on cults. Ummm, I would have to say that one that was on Netflix, about the country or something…”Wild Wild Country”, yea I think that was the Rajneeshees, right? I watched that documentary and saw the guy had like 10 Bentleys and I thought ‘Damn, maybe this isn’t so bad.’ Also, a side note, I think it’s mainly sexually repressed people that start these cults, because it’s always like, to get further in the cult, you need to do some kind of weird, creepy shit to go up a level or something. It’s strange. About those Bentleys though…call me a Rajneeshee”

 

Next question… If you were to rank the most irritating people on Earth between vegans, cyclists and Crossfitters, how do you place them from 1 to 3?

“These questions don’t get any less weird  but, I would probably put cyclists at the top. Cycling and cyclists are the real cult. It’s just the arrogance for me man, especially about coffee and the obscene amount of space they take up in coffee shops. I remember chilling on the Atlantic Seaboard once and there was this one dude cycling all on his own but literally in the middle of the road and I thought to myself, ‘how damn confident are you to just take up not one lane, but both, really?!’. Next I’d have to say Crossfitters, like I don’t need to hear about your weekend in kilograms, just tell me if you went away or not dude. Lastly vegans, I have nothing bad to say about vegans, my girlfriend is a vegan. Or vegetarian. Something like that.

 

Going back to how comedy has changed, what about the content of your comedy, are people more easily offended by sets now days?

“Okay so there is a pretty big misconception here. A comedian’s goal is to never insult the audience. A good comedian is always careful about their content. I can honestly say, for the most part, anything you hear on stage was carefully curated to avoid that feeling of offense. A good comic is also able to gauge if an audience is with them for a certain subject  and if they feel the audience is turning on them, they will know how to steer the punch line in a different way. Comedy is one of the most adaptive and sensitive art forms. The goal is to generally try get an audience to laugh at something they might not usually find funny or think about it in a different way. Through a set, the comments and jokes are all a litmus test to gauge an audience’s sensitivity. The one thing that’s for sure though, NO comedian is going to defend a joke that’s not funny.”

 

Is there anything that you yourself don’t particularly like to discuss or joke about?

“No, not at all. I think everything is fair play. There have been times in the past where I have talked about contentious issues. Let me break it down for you like this;  when I make or write a joke, I consider it ‘problem solving’ or ‘puzzle solving’ so when I get on stage and perform that joke, that is then me ‘presenting my puzzle’ to the audience. Whilst I am working on that joke, I’ll read something and then see that there could potentially be an interesting angle to broach the subject. In essence, by saying that there aren’t subjects that are off the table to joke about,  just means that there are things that are more taboo than others and that is just more of a challenge”.

 

That leads me into my next question. Are you naturally a funny person, or was this a skill that you had to hone and work on. Essentially what I am asking is, are you funny when you aren’t on stage?

“That is a great question and also a big misconception. I like to consider myself a funny person, but there are far funnier people that I hang out with. When I find myself in a situation where there is a lot of humour, there are 2 approaches I like to take; the one is to just take a step back and let other people be insanely hilarious and let the jokes fly, the other is to just join into that situation. The one thing is, when I am at a braai, I HATE mentioning that I am a comedian {or if someone mentions I am a comedian} because it brings out this weird social interaction where the guy that’s always the funny one at the braai sort of feels threatened or when they do something funny, they look to you for approval. I feel like Caesar in Gladiator where I need to either give the thumbs up or down to show my approval, or lack thereof, for a joke. So to answer your question briefly, I think I am pretty funny naturally but I am also able to turn on a different type of humour when I am on stage. 

 

So, now that we know you are naturally funny, has there ever been a performance where you absolutely bombed? 

“If any comedian tells you with a straight face that they haven’t bombed they are lying. There are so many different factors when doing a gig that change from place to place, whether it’s the demographic, the way the stage is set-up or even the lighting. All these things can lend to something going insanely wrong. You do get to a point though, where your mind set shifts to “Shit happens, I can’t blame the audience.” What that eventually does, is help in blocking out all the bad gigs, but the bad gigs don’t become bad gigs, but they become learning curves and almost like a ‘bad day at the office’.
HOWEVER, there is one gig…when I was still in high school, a friend of mine was doing job shadowing, and he shadowed a comedian, Cokey Falkow. So Cokey was performing a gig and asked if I wanted 5 minutes on stage, I obviously said yes, because any time on stage is good. The problem was that my time on stage was getting more and more delayed and I was having a beer here, and a shot there. So by the time I got on stage, I was LIT. I remember getting on stage and saying the punch lines before the jokes, and then getting lost in the middle of jokes. I remember my brain being like ‘where the fuck does this all go’ and the crowd was dead silent. I didn’t even leave the stage on a joke, I just said ‘thank you’ and walked off. The MC then had to address the elephant in the room and was like ‘Yea, so um, that dude was terrible’ and the entire club burst into applause. Comedy is the closest thing we have to a public execution.

 

I want to change gears on this entire interview quickly, why the fuck did you study economics?

“Man, I love economics, it’s an amazing subject but it’s the things around economics that I didn’t like, the whole idea of equipping students to be “business people”.  I think economics helped me to view the world differently. For example, something you learn in first year, opportunity cost, so what is the cost of certain decisions if given 2 options? I saw it as a philosophy as opposed to ‘Let’s get that bank boooy’”. 

 

So what does the future hold for you Laz, what are you going to be getting up to moving forward? I may have heard some things about getting into the director’s chair?

“So, I am getting quite heavily into directing which is exciting. What I found with comedy is that it is almost autonomous; when something goes right, you get all the praise, then moving into writing for TV as well as copywriting, you sort of have less autonomy and you would end up passing your work to someone else to finish, which is generally a director. So that is basically where the idea started percolating in my own head. Strangely because of COVID,  all these cool things and opportunities started cropping up. I was involved in a number of projects during last year. I am also incredibly into story-telling from a single source. So at the moment I am with 7Films where I am doing commercial directing, but they have also said they are open to anything where I can get involved and have fun with it. I am going to keep on writing too, and I’m obviously going to still be doing comedy”.  

 

 

 

“ I am just happy to be juggling all these things again”.
Written by: Duncan Bayne

Sparrow and Barbossa’s Highly Anticipated Album ‘Seven Seas’ is Finally Here

Jul 27, 2021 | New Release, Music

Sparrow & Barbossa have their highly anticipated album ready to sail the world’s oceans, ‘Seven Seas’ is finally here. One year locked down in the studio has opened their minds to travel to different cultures allowing them to create a unique and colourful debut album.

‘Quando Te Veo’ is the album’s first single, a complete reinterpretation of the emblematic song from the all-timers Acid & Nu Jazz gurus, the German Duo, MoHorizons. The second single is ‘E Fura,’ a collaboration with one of the most popular Nigerian Afrobeat ambassadors, Dele Sosimi. ‘Nyakua’ is the contribution of Sparrow & Barbossa’s mentor. The Iberican Sound mastermind, Stereo Productions founder, and Redolent head honcho, DJ Chus. A vocal song by Kenyan favourite singer Idd Aziz. Azucar’ brings the Latin Flavour to this album with a tribute to Latin Grammy winners and most popular Cuban-Band, Los VanVan. Afrikan Rising Star, Berlin-based, Floyd Lavine, is the partner on this studio collaboration titled ‘When I’m With You’ performed by legendary New York Soulful singer Josh Milan.

The Pirates trimmed sails to Morocco to meet Cee ElAssaad to produce ‘Libre,’ a freedom ode with the finest female and Spanish vocal. TOSZ, the multidisciplinary artist, Polish singer, and songwriter, Frankfurt-based, is the man behind ‘Saudades Do Mar.’ A Brasilian carnival festivity in the form of a love song. ‘Morena’ is the gypsy rumba-fiesta track in this voyage featuring the Spanish singer Vinila Von Bismark.

The duo passed on a Caribean heading and joined forces with El Chino Dreadlion and VitiYono on ‘We Are Not Alone,’ a charming Cuban chants track. ‘Dream’ & ‘Back Home’ are their private crossovers in the album. ‘Transat L’Antique’ is the album’s closing track, where Bryan Coletta (Sparrow) involved his father, the world-famous guitar player Francis Coletta. The icing on the cake of ‘Seven Seas.’

Seven Seas’ is a milestone that will set a new course in Sparrow & Barbossa’s career. They aim to transmit ancient cultures’ roots and democratize World Music through Electronica. ‘Seven Seas’ is the perfect example, music coming from all cardinal points. The treasures and richness of ‘Seven Seas’ can’t be categorized into one specific genre. It has a House Music core and is all about Organic, Latin, and Afro Electronic Dance Music.

Now is the time to travel the world spreading the musical message of this ‘Infamous-Afro- Latin-House-Pirates Duo.’

Sparrow & Barbossa ‘Seven Seas’– available everywhere – was released July 7th 2021 via Redolent Music

TRACKLIST

  1. Mo’Horizons, Sparrow & Barbossa – Quando Te Veo feat. Francis Coletta (Original Mix)
  2. Dele Sosimi, Sparrow & Barbossa – E Fura feat. Francis Coletta (Original Mix)
  3. DJ Chus, Sparrow & Barbossa – Nyakua feat. Idd Aziz (Original Mix)
  4. Sparrow & Barbossa – Azucar feat. Los Van Van (Original Mix)
  5. Floyd Lavine, Sparrow & Barbossa – When I’m With You feat. Josh Milan (Original Mix)
  6. Cee ElAssaad, Sparrow & Barbossa – Libre (Original Mix)
  7. TOSZ, Sparrow & Barbossa – Saudades Do Mar (Original Mix)
  8. Sparrow & Barbossa – Dream (Original Mix)
  9. Sparrow & Barbossa – Morena feat. Vinila Von Bismark (Original Mix)
  10. El Chino Dreadlion, Sparrow & Barbossa – We Are Not Alone feat. VitiYono (Original Mix)
  11. Sparrow & Barbossa – Back Home (Original Mix)
  12. Sparrow & Barbossa – Transat L’Antique feat. Elektron (Original Mix)

 

FIND SPARROW & BARBOSSA ONLINE:

SOUNDCLOUD

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

FIND REDOLENT MUSIC ONLINE:

SOUNDCLOUD

FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM

Edition Events Series – A Chat with The Founder Lea Debbah for CEC

Jul 18, 2021 | Interviews, Community

After more than a year of solo observing the world through the curtain of social media and reminiscing on the events of days past, Edition Events by Lea skate event made the nostalgia for ‘normality’ a little more forgettable. 

It all started with an unusually warm winter afternoon in Cape Town, and a text from a friend that simply contained a location pin across the road from The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock. With no signage to point out the space, it was the thump of a bass remix, the familiar lyrics “Can I kick it? (Yes, you can!)” and the hollow scrapes of a trick landing that tipped me off. 

By day the warehouse space exists as a workshop/studio for the HE(ART)Y Collective artists and for each event a gallery that walls in the photographers, Dj’s, MC’s, creatives, athletes, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts of the City.

I’ve always looked at Richard E. Aaron, Angela Philips, and Larry Clark’s documentary-style depictions of what life looked like for the youth in the 90s and wished to have been a part of that cultural moment. Well, the Edition Events skate event felt pretty close to that. I was one of the crowd, bobbing to the live revolving DJ sets, meeting new people (something I definitely underestimated missing during this pandemonium), connecting with my people, perusing the stores set up, all the while watching the skaters do their magic and subsequently dodging the drifting boards and that one guy, Aderito (@_adjz_) a free line skater who had me mesmerised. 

It could have been and honestly was the community of the warehouse space, the crowd of hipsters, the music, meeting and sitting next to thee Queezy (@queezybabaz), or the tricks being performed on the rail and a peep-hole in the wall of the warehouse that left me wanting more Edition Events in my weekends to come. But meeting the founder, Lea, is what really impressed me. Lea seemed to know everyone and vice versa, always leaving people with a smile while making her way around the room, handling the door, and making sure that sustenance was available for the performers, the space inviting and the energy intact. 

 

I captured Lea in between sessions and left with the promise of setting up a call to know more about her company and initiative. 

Lea first came to Cape Town in 2017 to learn English at an international school but soon realised that most of the students there were French too. She asked herself, “Who am I going to learn English from if it’s only French people in that school?”, and then started clubbing and going to bars where she started to talk to people and with her beautiful French accent everyone wanted to talk to her and so her network of people started to form. 

With a background in marketing and event planning, a few successful events under her belt already and the tenacity to work hard for what she is passionate about. Lea secured a warehouse space in Woodstock, Cape Town, the HE(ART)Y Collective, where she created a creative space, a full-time Gallery and Art Studio/ Workshop in a double-storey warehouse to house and host collaborative brands and people, creating a blend of people through art, culture, sport, music and beyond. This space gives artists the opportunity to do what they are good at, with the backing of someone – Lea – who provides an infrastructure and materials for them to paint and showcase their work while providing a practical retail platform that helps attract people who are interested in buying their art. The studio space is open to membership artists Monday to Saturday and an exhibition is hosted once a month in collaboration with international and local artists. 

From ‘Skate & Create’ at City Bowl Skate Park, to ‘Sodaze Sundaze’, to First Thursdays at Ideas Cartel and Hotel du Parc, ‘Spectrum’, ‘Skate’, and ‘Night at Hearty’ events, Lea’s mission at these beautiful gatherings was to make sure everyone feels welcome, a safe space for every artist (Photographer, Painter, Sculptor, Performer, Musician, DJ, Dancer, Skater, Designer) to showcase their work and passions, to express themself. And with the Hearty warehouse space, her team are able to transform it to cater to whichever crowd and theme are needed. Although small, Lea shares that her team is growing with Edition Events and with her guidance in their own creative spheres. Edition Events hosts events every Saturday of the month at their venue welcoming different communities, a collective.

Although I have only attended one of Lea’s Edition Events, I can assure you that after experiencing Lea’s passion for action and listening to her plans I will be attending as many as I can in the future. Because who doesn’t love a bass remix, artists, hipsters, photographers, small businesses, community and kickin’ it?

/// Find out more about Edition Events and what they offer from future events, membership, services and purchasing of the art on their website (coming soon): edition-events.com 

WRITTEN BY: BRIONY BLEVIN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: @BYBRIONYHANNAH

Stefan Sands, Cape Town-based Singer/Songwriter, Guitarist and Producer Exudes Strong Roots in Blues and Funk

Jul 15, 2021 | New Release, Music

Stefan Sands, Cape Town-based singer/songwriter, guitarist and producer exudes strong roots in blues and funk and his sounds rest upon elements of these with a strong focus on the groove.

Using a blend of traditional and more modern instruments and sounds, his focus is to phrase his influences of older, more traditional funk, blues and soul music into a contemporary, individual sound that showcases these elements in a way that is different but retains its simple instrumental nature and places musicality at the forefront. 

Stefan’s latest EP, Catalyst, combines elements of Pop, Blues, Funk and Soul to create a balanced sonic palette representative of the artist’s influences. The EP is structured predominantly as a pop record, rich with melodies and hooks to keep the listener engaged in the groove. The EP is instrumentally rich and makes a point of using this to maintain the groove and showcase the ideas of the artist, which creates the right space in the mix to enhance the vocal performance. Catalyst is a groovy, funky, easy listening record that introduces Stefan and his ideas as well as hints at what is to come in the near future.

This project was self-produced by Stefan along with a friend, Richard Baker. Notable contributors on the EP include Hiram Koopman on sax, Nic Williams on keys and bass, Eldon Quirk at Verse Sound for mixing and Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound for the mastering of the project in its entirety. 

Stefan on “Beautiful Day” (listen and watch here) 

“I was sitting on the porch of an Airbnb in Austin, Texas with this crappy little travel guitar I had with me that holiday and started playing some chords with a peculiar jazz’ish voicing that just sounded right in the moment. Lyrically, I usually only write when something is bothering me or I have a story to tell, and truthfully that day everything was fine, and all I was thinking in the moment was “woah, it’s such a beautiful day” – so that’s what I sang. I never really intended it to be a song I released but it became a reminder to me later on that not every moment is going to be profound and deep, and sometimes one needs be contempt with the fact that what’s going on in the current moment is enough because it’s honest. I liked the chord structure and the groove so I produced it out and it found its place in the EP”.

Streaming links below for some ultra-tasty groove, funk and blues.

Spotify

Apple Music

YouTube