Music 2010

 

From January 2010, Luke De Villiers was employed as a third coordinator for the music project with responsibility for mobilising Fish Hoek youth to join the programme. Longterm volunteers Ricardo Herdien, Alfonzo ‘Teado’ Johnson and Leo Letsape were also promoted to official eMzantsi facilitators in gospel singing/songwriting, vocal technique and harmonisation respectively, to assist Earl with the growing numbers of participants in Ocean View.

Following an Open Space discussion in the New Year, we decided to expand performance options for our local artists from once a year at Carnival to quarterly i.e. four live concerts in different areas give our young artists more opportunities both to perform and cross boundaries to collaborate. In March 4WAY LIVE was launched at the Masiphumelele Community Hall.

In April, four eMzantsi intercultural music project groups took part in auditions for the FIFA Fan Fest entertainment at the Fish Hoek Civic centre. All four – Imbizo, Van Die Blokke, Ghetto Youth and 4Corners – made it through to the second round at Grand West in May. Imbizo were scheduled in the last 10 of the 120 acts seen that day and were unlucky not to make it through after their stage time was cut at the last minute, but the other three groups, all from Ocean View, were offered contracts. We are very proud of hiphop artists and harmony singers from 4Corners, Ghetto Youth and Van Die Blokke who performed at the various fan parks across the city in June-July 2010.

In May music project members took part in a full day of artist enhancement workshops offered by PANSA (the Performing Artists Network of SA) as part of the FIFA audition process. Our youth enjoyed sessions on vocal and mic technique, preparation for performance, and music business performers contracts. Following the PANSA workshops, there was a request to share such experiences with the larger group, and a decision was taken to start monthly Masterclasses.

Intercultural music project coordinators decided we needed an opportunity to expose musical youth of Fish Hoek to eMzantsi groups from Masi and Ocean View, in order to open their eyes to the potential of collaborations. In May we launched the eXpression Sessions: by-invite-only showcases, not advertised to the general public, where eMzantsi participants practice performing their acts to each other. View pics from eXpression Session Fish Hoek May 2010

At the end of May, Ocean View music project participants invited their parents to come and witness the results of their hard work over the last 10 months. We were delighted at the numbers attending – we were expecting 50 but more than 300 turned up on a cold wet winter Monday night! We especially wanted to reassure mothers that their daughters were safe under the guardianship of eMzantsi music facilitators, adding that eMzantsi’s Cindy Carelse is also present every Monday evening. View pics from eXpression Session Ocean View May 2010

In June, an eMzantsi busful of supporters went to watch 4Corners and Ghetto Youth entertain the crowds at the main Fan Fest at the Grand Parade. We were thrilled to witness the huge strides these groups have made in terms of professionalism and confidence, especially Deon Moses and Glen Ward of Ghetto Youth, aged only 15.

In July, the second 4WAY LIVE concert took place at Ocean View High School.

In July a group of music project facilitators, participants and producers took part in an Open Space discussion to plot a way forward for the music programme. Their conclusions acknowledged the need for a quality product to counteract the ‘community project’ label while keeping the eMzantsi process as inclusive and affirming as possible

From August, music project participants set themselves the target of writing five collaborative songs i.e. different area groups in partnership (rather than a token guesting on each other’s tracks) by September to be performed at the third 4WAY LIVE, and another five by December in order to showcase the best at Carnival.

The practicalities of overcoming the geographical and mental distances between participants, and confronting unequal power dynamics (of both gender and race) in the rehearsal space proved challenging for facilitators, sharpening their intercultural facilitation skills.

See pics of collaborative rehearsals:
Ocean View at Civic Centre Aug 2010
Masiphumelele at Living Way Sept 2010
Fish Hoek at High School Oct 2010

In September, the third 4WAY LIVE concert took place at Fish Hoek High School.

Meanwhile, Nomthandazo Silo rehearsed the Chulumanco dancers, a group of girls and boys aged 8-12 from Masiphumelele twice a week from Sept to Carnival. They performed alongside the Ocean View youth orchestra, continuing to practice four days a week under the guidance of Angeline Constant.

In addition to public performance opportunities offered to music project participants at quarterly 4WAY LIVE concerts and various promotions, area facilitators Khanyiselo Silo and Luke de Villiers organised eXpression Sessions in November in Masi and Fish Hoek respectively.

Mark Dodsworth of Red Zebra initiated the formation of the eMzantsi Bloco, a Brazilian samba-style drumming ensemble, to lead the heartbeat of the parade. Drummers from Masiphumelele and Ocean View rehearsed together weekly throughout November.