Cinemuse presents a screening of Mama Goema with filmmakers in attendance at the funky and intimate 5 Ryneveld Restaurant cinema lounge in Stellenbosh on Thuesday 11 April 2013 at 19.30.
“Cinemuse aims to stimulate the South African public’s appreciation for enriching and authentic cinema from all countries around the world. Currently we are only exposed to mainstream American cinema and we believe this has a devastating effect on the development of an authentic South African culture.” Read More
Derek Gripper’s arrangement of Toumani Diabaté’s “Jarabi” at the Long Street Slave Church in Cape Town (May 2012). This performance sees a 21-string kora composition from Mali finding its expression on a six-string classical guitar at the same venue in which Diabaté performed in 2009. Gripper’s work as a “translator” of the West African kora appears on his 2012 album One Night on Earth: Music from the Strings of Mali and is available at New Cape Records on Bandcamp.
Catch Derek Gripper in Gauteng on Sunday 3 February 2013. There’s a “Bach meets Mali” recital at the Brooklyn Theatre at 3pm and the Joburg premier of Music from the Strings of Mali at The Lucky Bean at 8pm. Join the event on Facebook.
The December 2012 edition of the Cape Town Goema Orchestra showcases an expanded version of McKenzie’s “South Atlantic Suite” (which premièred in September 2012) as well as new orchestral works by Ana Strugar, Maxim Starcke, Reza Khota and Keenan Ahrends. December’s line-up also sees the exciting addition of jazz legend Sathima Bea Benjamin.
The third installment of South Africa’s Sound On Screen Music Film Festival is based in Johannesburg for the first time this year! SOS 2012 takes place at the Bioscope during the first half of December and features Mama Goema on Sunday 2 December at 8pm.
Derek Gripper launched the “digital” version of One Night on Earth: Music from the Strings of Mali at the South African Slave Church Museum in May 2012. Playful yet poignant, the album sees the unprecedented arrangement of 21-string West African kora music on six-string classical guitar, exploring the compositions of Mali’s Toumani Diabaté (who performed at the Slave Church in 2009). The album also features Ali “Farka” Touré’s “’56,” which is derived from a Guinean revolutionary song. From Conakry to Timbuktu to Cape Town, “’56” speaks of music’s ability to shrink time and space, uniting three seemingly disconnected African states and, coincidentally, a period of 56 years, into a single performance. Night on Earth is being released on CD this month and is available from New Cape Records on Bandcamp.
Celebrating Creative Week, I did a presentation on “Documenting Cape Town” last night as part of a series of events curated by Lisa Huang & Ovidiu Pacuraru (Food & Chaatter) and hosted by Zavick Botha at Studio 41. Ben Hemson-Struthers of SAcamera was also a key player, introducing some awesome Sony gear (and even giving some of it away). The doc presentation touched on how to assemble a “guerrilla” filmmaking kit from enthusiast-level hardware to produce professional results, dipping into a personal arsenal that includes a Sony Handycam, a field-recorder and a home-made pair of “steady-wings” (pioneered by Leonard Helmrich). The workshop touched on Cape Town works that inspired and informed Mama Goema, including Silver Fez (Lloyd Ross & Rian Malan), Fokofpolisiekar (Bryan Little) and Sea Point Days (Francois Verster). Grab the hyperlinks to view respective film trailers on YouTube.
For this month’s pair of Cape Town Goema Orchestra performances, I presented an update on Mama Goema and drew attention to the broader activities of the “goema movement.” I touched on the theme of connectivity and the idea of forging an inclusive global sound for the 21st century. I also acknowledged special guests Bongiwe Lusizi of u-Mthwa no Mthwakazi, who saw the show on 8 September, as well as jazz-giant Sathima Benjamin, who attended the 15 September performance. This is how it went:
Mac’s back, again! The third concert season of the Cape Town Goema Orchestra takes place on Saturdays 8 and 15 September at the SABC Auditorium in Sea Point. Led by Cape Town’s “goema captain,” Mac McKenzie, the orchestra will perform the première of “The South Atlantic Suite,” McKenzie’s third major orchestral work. “The Suite evokes dormant musical thoughts and practises deeply embedded in the memories of peoples from along the south western coast of Africa and eastern coast of South America, people who share a common ancestry and experiences born out of slavery,” says McKenzie.
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* South Africa * Music * Film * Documentary * Photography * Books * Theatre * Arts * Popular Culture * Social Media *
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The Cape Town Goema Orchestra and the birth of a new vision for South African music.
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Mama Goema - A documentary film exploring Cape Town's most representative music genre.
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Want to let me know about your film/album/event? Drop me a line at calum [at] saysomething.co.za
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Cinemuse presents a screening of Mama Goema with filmmakers in attendance at the funky and intimate 5 Ryneveld Restaurant cinema lounge in Stellenbosh on Thuesday 11 April 2013 at 19.30.
The December 2012 edition of the 
Celebrating 
For this month’s pair of Cape Town Goema Orchestra performances, I presented an update on Mama Goema and drew attention to the broader activities of the “goema movement.” I touched on the theme of connectivity and the idea of forging an inclusive global sound for the 21st century. I also acknowledged special guests Bongiwe Lusizi of 
Mac’s back, again! The third concert season of the Cape Town Goema Orchestra takes place on Saturdays 8 and 15 September at the SABC Auditorium in Sea Point. Led by Cape Town’s “goema captain,” Mac McKenzie, the orchestra will perform the première of “The South Atlantic Suite,” McKenzie’s third major orchestral work. “The Suite evokes dormant musical thoughts and practises deeply embedded in the memories of peoples from along the south western coast of Africa and eastern coast of South America, people who share a common ancestry and experiences born out of slavery,” says McKenzie.
A brave learner at South Peninsular High School demos the !xaru
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* South Africa * Music * Film * Documentary * Photography * Books * Theatre * Arts * Popular Culture * Social Media *
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Cape Town Goema Orchestra and the birth of a new vision for South African music.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mama Goema - A documentary film exploring Cape Town's most representative music genre.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Want to let me know about your film/album/event? Drop me a line at calum [at] saysomething.co.za
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Want to receive exclusive news, special offers and freebies via email (with easy, automated opt-out)? Drop your details here:
