I have been listening to the live feed from the radio station set up for this annual music festival in Cape Town (from the people bringing you Chimurenga Magazine). Wanlov the Kubulor (above) is one of the musicians grazing the stage for the event. Sometimes I wish I lived in Cape Town and New York City at the same time.
More information here.
Know what you mean about wanting to live in Cape Town and NYC or in my case Philly. I’ve been doing it for the last 12 years thanks to a career as an academic – summers off, exchange programs with UCT, Stellenbosch, UWC. I know the city gets a bad rap as the most Europeanized of SA cities, but that’s mostly from people who never get beyond the tourist route. Outside of kwaito, I’ll stake the CPT arts/culture scene aggainst JHB’s anyday.
I want to be careful not tot stereotype Johannesburg, but I agree about the innovation at play in Cape Town’s arts scene.
To bad I missed your first post about PASS–I wish I’d gone to that Toumani Diabate/ Culture Musical Club concert, but I did make the Culture Musical Club/ Wanlov the Kubolor concert at Slave Church last night. It was really good, especially the fantastic taarab of CMC. Thanks for alerting me to the festival.
Hey, this being a pan African (with a small ‘p’). I would like for Kubolor to come and perform in NYC. I think he has done concerts on the less visible European circuit. Neo Muyanga, Rucera Seethal, Stacy Hardy and Ntone Edjabe, who are behind the festival are doing good work.
Cool site – Was browsing and realized he is wearing on of my T shirts in the pic – check out my stuff here -http://issuu.com/kayobi/docs/kayobi_clothing_look_book_final
and herehttp://kayobi.bigcartel.com/
Keep up the good work