Capturing The Black Imagination

I popped into the Iziko National Gallery this afternoon during my lunch break. I still do not get over Ira Aldridge's bronze and white marble bust as Othello (1872) by Pietro Calvi. The bust is part of the gallery's permanent collection.

I was reminded of the Ngugi wa Thiong'o's title of his 4th Steve Biko lecture: "Recovering our Memory: South Africa In The Black Imagination".

The title of this post is stolen from the title of that lecture.

Solidarity.

You know it's summer .1.

Traffic to the V&A Waterfront.

Last friday it literally took me 25 minutes from the the city to get to the V&A and another 15 minutes to find parking. Local and international tourists are flocking the city where the sun sets after 8.pm. I took the picture in irritation.

The Cape hosts the best summer in the country.

One Love.

Web sites that should work, but don't! Part I

My main source of information is the internet. I become very frustated and pissed off if I go to a web site looking for something and discover that it has broken links, not as informative, has not been updated in a while or is just plain and useless.

I have a feeling that corporate South Africa does not really appreciate the web as as tool of disserminating information. I really hate that! It seems like Some companies just want to have web presence and that becomes the end.

Below is a list that I will be updating regulary and posting it on this blog to vent my frustation. I use Mozilla FireFox version 1.0.7.

1. Wits Business School. (www.wbs.ac.za) on 24/11/2006 - All links are broken and do not work. Unbelievable!
2. The Bassline. (www.bassline.co.za) on 24/11/2006 - Gets updated regularly, but site is plain and boring, they could do better. Tourists, hello...
   
3. 
   

Uuurghh!!!

Desperate Housewives Season Three!

Yep, I have been indulging in the first eight episodes of season three. Just keeps getting better and better! It reminds me of how I used to love the Cosby Show is the 80's. Carlos and Gabrielle remain my favorite.

Escapism.

Noma award for Special Commendation

After all the riff-raff that was created by the Sunday Times and other envious journalists about Mervin Gumede's excellent book being a product of plagiarism, Gumede has gone on to win the Noma Award for Special Commendation for the book.

I remember how almost embarassing it was when Mervin Gumede had to defend the allegation that he had committed the worst crime by an writer at this year's Cape Book Fair (sponsored by the Sunday Times). It's always a warm feeling when sanity prevails as it seldom does.

This year's winner of the Noma award is another Lebo Mashile, A black South African female poet for her poetry anthology In a Ribbon of Rythm.

The Noma award is the highest literary award an African writer can recieve. Previous winners include Mariama Ba, Mamphela Ramphele, Chenjerai Hove and Mongane Wally Serote.

One Love.

Not sure whether to agree or disagree

Celebrating Bheki Mseleku

I attended a concert last Friday at the Nassau Centre in Newlands. The concert was in honour of Bheki Mseleku and a celebration of his music. Bheki Mseleku is an amazing composer, piano player and vocalist.

Paying tribute to Bheki Mseleku on the day amongst others were Dizu Plaatjies, Feya Faku, Kyle Shepherd, Emile Bruce, Winston Mankunku, Ezra Ncukana and Robbie Jansen.These are some of the artists Bheki has worked with in his musical career.

There was a strong presence of Bheki in the auditorium, in the music. I also liked the concept of celebrating a legends musical career while they are still alive as we typically wait for people to die before we pay tribute.


"I once saw Mankunku Ngozi blowing his saxophone. Yakhal'inkomo. His face was inflated like a baloon, it was wet with sweat, his huge eyes huge and red. He grew tall, shrank, coiled into himself, uncoiled and the cry came out of his horn. That is the meaning of Yakhal'inkomo."- Mongane Wally Serote

Solidarity.

To Lebo: We got the message

After the sad and untimely death of pop diva Lebo Mathosa (may your sweet soul rest in peace, I learned to like you), I could not help but notice how most of my passengers would immediately wear a seat-belt as soon as they jump into my ride.

I always wear a seat-belt (a habit that I got into a while ago due to a chaotic lifestyle) and the front seat passenger would always ask if I do not mind if they do not wear a seat-belt and I would always say it is up to them. I do not get that question anymore. I have also been told more often that I am a fast driver.

Why did it have to take a Lebo to get us to heed the dangers of the road and appreciate the value of life?

Youth.

Biko's children

Love this picture. I took it on one thursday evening at Pig & Swizzle, a cheap hangout spot for UCT students with few going-out alternatives because of modest bank balances. SAB beers go for R5.00 each on thursday evenings.

One Love.

What does 'metrosexual' really mean?

Photograph by Lebz.

I am very confident the gentlemen pictured above can be reffered to as metrosexual by many.

I have been labelled 'metrosexual' once by some young girl I flirted with about a year ago and was uncomfortable with the labelling even though I knew there would be spin-offs from the fact that she had percieved me as 'metrosexual' as it is packaged as open-minded, modern and progressive.

A couple of weeks ago, I did some informal research on the subject and learned that the term "metrosexual" was coined in the early/mid 90's by another Mark Simpson, A british journalist, social commentator and somewhat chauvanist.

Simpson defined it as follows: "The typical metrosexual is a young man with money to spend, living in or within easy reach of a metropolis -- because that's where all the best shops, clubs, gyms and hairdressers are. He might be officially gay, straight or bisexual, but this is utterly immaterial because he has clearly taken himself as his own love object and pleasure as his sexual preference."

I am more uncomfortable of being percieved metrosexual, and there are very few people I know who see themselves as 'metrosexual' and adequately fit Simpson's description. I also wonder how many metrosexuals would agree with Simpon's definition of the term.

Peace.