FACEHUNTER BOOK LAUNCH

Yvan Rodic / The Facehunter, also known as probably the most well travelled and influential cultural and fashion explorers in our time, is in South Africa for SA Fashion Week this weekend.  He stopped by at my regular coffee hole, Warm and Glad to launch his second book, A Year In the Life of Face Hunter in association with Marie Claire South Africa and SA Fashion Week. I met him, bought his book and he signed it with a very sweet note (below).  Uyaphapha lomfana so we quickly became fast buddies, exchanging numbers and plotting a night out and eventually dancing the night away.  He'll be in Joburg and Cape Town exploring our cities so if you see him, say hi and strike a pose, he's very friendly! 

Izaziso

Hey dolls,

How is it Wednesday already? It might as well be December 27th. I just don't know where the time goes anymore. Sorry for my poor blogging but I'v been busy working. The moon has also been wreaking havoc in my life and there have been a lot of changes to deal with. It really feels like it's almost the end of the year.

On the news front, Two, the shop which has been sharing the space with Mememe Joburg, moved out yesterday.  They moved to a factory in Doornfontein and no longer have a retail front, except they are now going to produce their own clothing to distribute to hundreds of stores nationwide. Good for them. It was a little surreal seeing them pack because it was exactly two years ago this time that we were all moving in.  We will miss them shem but I guess change is good for everyone.

From 1 April, the space will be rented out by photographer Liam Lynch and stylist Zandi Tisani under the name Trade Union.  It will become a living breathing space for various projects, exhibitions and it's going to become Liam's photography studio that will be rented out for shoots but more on that when it's actually happening.  Trade Union will also be collaborating with MeMeMe, our first initiative being Sterring.  The word Sterring is actually derived from ''Starring'' as in X Movie starring X actor. But naturally as blacks, we barstadized the word and for some reason, every black person in this country knows what you mean when you refer to the ''Sterring'' of the film. Our childhood conversations would go something like this:

''Hey have you seen True Lies?"
''No, what's it about? Who is the sterring?''
''It's the new one with Shwaznega''

Typical 80s Sterrings include the likes of Bruce Lee, Steven Segal, Jean-Claude van Damme, Charles Bronson or is it Branson?, Arnold 'Shwaznega' Schwazernegger, Chuck Norris and the sterring to top all Sterrings:

I don't think there's a single person in the world who doesn't picture the face of Henry Cele when they think about Shaka Zulu.  The word has actually remained in our collective cultural consciousness and we thought it is the perfect name to give our series of free outdoor screenings of African films.  Starting this Friday, we are screening Senegalese filmmaker Djibril Diop Mambety's Touki Bouki and I'm happy to report that we are already fully booked!  There's not much to do in the early evening on Fridays in Jozi and this is honestly just for the fun of it, because we can and because we like things.  Our next film is on the 5th of April and if I were you, I would book early by emailing sterringjhb@gmail.com. We are very excited about this initiative. In April, Trade Union and Mememe will be bringing you a very delicious imported initiative - stay tooned!  Hope everybody is having a lekker year so far!

Re the title of today's post: Izaziso is a Xhosa word that means ''announcements''.  Every Sunday at Church when we were kids, we would be so excited when some clergyman would stand at the pulpit and say very slowly in a deep and reassuring voice ''Izaziso'' to announce that week's church news, a weekly event that would indicate the end of that week's sermon; music to our impatient little ears, a message of freedom that released us from those scratchy merengue dresses and bobby socks.  And of course, the knowledge that Sunday lunch came with jelly and custard would have us hop skipping to the car for the long drive back home.

EISH, THE WAY MY FRIENDS ROCK

When was the last time your friend was featured in Vogue? Lol, I'm such a bitch. Ok, all bitchy jokes aside, Thandiswa Mazwai, the purest voice this side of the hemisphere is in the latest L'uomo Vogue as well as Vogue Italia's website.  Because she's worth it.  Check it out here

Not to take the spotlight away from Kudzi, she is performing this Saturday at The Lyric Theatre with Bra Hugh Masekela and earlier in the evening with the Blk Jks and Joao Orrecia as part of artist Kudzanai Chiurai's latest exhibition Left Behind - the unofficial Jozi leg of Kudzi's exhibition, which actually launches in Kassel, Germany on the same night as part of the Documenta (13) Show.  

The exhibition will explore the issue of conflict and conflict resolution in contemporary Africa and will be in mixed media formats.  Let me see if I've got this right, one will be a video instillation of last year's performance by this quartet and a new video instillation of art accompanied by music designed for the video by Thandiswa, Joao and the Blk Jks.  

This will happen at Juta Street, Braamfontein. ROOM (a gallery) will exhibit photographs of the installation at Documenta 13 (the ones that the people in Germany will see on the same night) and  Co-Op, yet another gallery at 70 Juta Street, will exhibit a new edition of the Conflict Resolution posters.  If I'm wrong, just show up on Juta Street and follow the funk. I'm happy to see the appearance of the word Poster because I mean like, most of the people that attend Kudzi's exhibitions can't afford the R99 999 that his works cost.  So we will be happy to buy some posters.  This sounds like a really fun way to spend a Saturday night in my beloved Jozi. Don't miss out if you're here.  

Event deets: Saturday 9 June 2012 

Time 17:30 for 18:00 

Performance starts at 18:30

MEANWHILE: IGOLIDE

Sheeeeeeeeet. Just click play on this 25 second video. Just do it. Caaam onnnnnn. Jus klik. 

My other cool maaties, Jana + Koos are also having an exhibition at ROOM on the14th of June at eighteen hundred hours.  It's a collaborative exhibition with PRINS (said in an Afrikaans accent).  I don't know what it's about but it looks like it looks faaaaken lekker.  Unfortunately, I won't be at the launch event but I'll see it the day I come back from my galavanting on the 16th of June, which is a public holiday.  

Bhubesii's Roar

Last week, one of Jozi Hip Hop's young lions, Khaya Sibiya aka Bhubesii released his first Album which was co-ordinated with his very first music video!  The album, aptly named Member's Only, was launched at Jozi's newest (hipster) spot, Great Dane and the crowd was definitely a Members Only kind of crowd. It was a really fun party and it was good to see my friend during his special moment. Nice one brooda! Here are some pics from the event taken by Marcus K Photography. 

 The album is out manje and is available at select stores including: Mememe Joburg, Ritual Store in Newtown, Dope Stores in Town and Maria McCloy's stall at Market on Main and A Store in Cape Town. For Direct Orders call 084 740 2418.  Let's support local, bitchez.  

LOVE THESE

Photographer Lauren Mulligan was also at Bhubesii's launch and took some really cool pictures in a ''fake booth'' she created on one of the brick walls at Great Dane.  I remember lifting my top in one of the pics, thank goodness that one is still firmly placed in her camera.

AND THEN WE DID IT AGAIN FOR ZAKI

Gosh, last week really made me privileged to live in a city that is truly alive.  While I was busy making sale sales at Mememe Joburg last Thursday, Zaki Ibrahim was launching her very first album titled Every Opposite at Great Dane in Braamfontein.  I've been a bit of a cheat, her label people gave me the first draft of the CD and we've been playing it at the shop and in my car.  I missed the media part of the launch as well as her performance but went straight there after the Mememe Sale.

I was also lucky enough to catch her off-the-hinges live performance on Saturday night at Kitcheners. It's a mixture of house, alternative, a bit of pop and some soul.  A star is born people.  I will say it again, support local, bitchez. Here are some of the pics from Thursday night's album launch.  These were taken by Connor Varin Photography. Every Opposite is out in stores at of today the 4th day of June 2012.  The price is a surprise hehe.