Mamela Nyamzaaaaaaaaaaaa :-)

So...I should be studyin...but had to rave about Mamela Nyamza - yet again!
The more I read about her and her work, the more I am convinced of her status as one of the the ultimate artist activists.

awkward story...

I'm standing outside a theatre, just having watched "Hatched", Mamela's latest work. Its the last performance, so I decide to take one of the gorgeous A1 posters for my personal collection...just as I am taking the tape off of it...Mamela walks out...haha...awkward stalker status (tick)

If you ever have the chance to catch one of her works...do not hesitate!

Check out the awesome poster below to understand the reasons for my stalker(y)

sensational! (to quote one of my friends: I could have just watched her back)

News on previous artists of the week

Much has happened with previous artists of the week - it's a case of good news/bad news



RJ Benjamin: the prolific and incomparably talented musician has decided that his next album will be his final album. Such a genius - and a pity to lose his solo talents, but he will still be producing music for the future generation (insert self here ;-) lol )

Mamela (2nd from left) and the Standard Bank Young Artists

- photo credit: Suzy Bernstein

In fantastic news, Mamela Nyamza has won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Dance! Cannot explain how happy I am for her, would do a happy dance en-point (if I could without breaking my ankle). Nevertheless, fantastic that SA is recognising the work of the fantastic artist. For more info on Mamela and the award, click here: http://www.artsouthafrica.com/?article=819

Tisch School of the Arts at NYU

wow - so much has happened since I last posted! Caught up in the world of being a post-graduate student in the arts!

Amazing and interesting things have happened in the past few months - and I am super excited about future plans, which include an application to the Tisch School at New York University for...wait for it...a course in ARTS POLITICS! Seems tailor-made for me, an artist activist course!

For more information about it, click here: http://app.tisch.nyu.edu/object/artspolitics.html

Reviews and general artistic-ness to follow

AMAZ!NG BEGINS!

Today is the first day of the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and I have already seen some amaaaaaaaazing theatre.

Raiders of the lost Aardvark is in its 21st year (wow) and I was one of around 180 people who saw it this morning. What an absolutely sensational performance from the Ellenbogen bros. Simply hilarious, and the audience participation was uber fun.

Kyle de Boer's Umsenge dance theatre has impromptu street performances that literally made my day! Whats not to like about blue and yellow people dancing about on the streets, absolutely gorgeous juxtaposition of the angsty blues and the funny and clowning yellows! Will post some pictures soon.

Off to see Ama-no-gowa, Kaput and NATV later today...ah, 15 days of performance! What's not to like for a crazy performer who gets worked up about seeing Shaleen Surtie Richards in Pick and Pay, forgets her pin and almost forgets her purchases, whilst going fan-atic on the inside, and trying to signal that Shaleen is around to her best friend, but lands up looking like she has turrets? ah this is gonna be a great festival

FlashForward!

Khanya, Tamara Dey, myself and Kelly

SA bands are really and truly taking my heart and magnifying it to 10x its size. The music currently coming out of our gorgeous country is mind-blowingly good! One band I can't stop listening to is Flash Republic, an electro band fronted by the gorgeous and gorgeously talented Tamara Dey.

That pic was taken at Rhodes University's Trivarsity party where Flash gave a crazy performance! (Luckily on that day I was trying to back up a lil on my gushing and be vaguely normal chilled- which was aided by the fact that Khanya did all the talking and thus looked more like the obsessed fan than I did! Thanx Khanya!).

Certainly feeeeel goooood music! Their song "Twister" makes me happy no matter what state I'm in and I'm often prone to general craziness displays of happiness: dancing in the streets, on tables, in dept stores, in Pick and Pay, in lectures whenever I hear it!

Tamara has amazing style! Love her rockin red hair and rock chic/flower child/futuristic look (on a rockin body). She certainly turns heads and turns "robots red" as people stop and stare to quote Flash's awesome song "Robot"

(how awesome are those lashes?)

way too cool (turning more than robots red I see!)

the futuristic urban African

Check out Flash Republic here:

http://www.theflashrepublic.com/

David Tlale: Fashion Visionary

If type A personalities are hyper, I am definitely triple A. On a trip to Johannesburg last year I spotted David Tlale at the airport and absolutely died inside! David is an artist who takes risks, is dynamic and confident in his designs and truly presents world class couture on the runway. Would die to be at one of his shows. Anyway, back to the airport story. So I run up to him and gush (something that I am incredibly good at) about how I think he is an awe-inspiring, gifted and unique designer. He was so engaging and absolutely humble, and I left a bigger fan of David and David Tlale designs.

I am in such artistic love with David Tlale! He is a fashion visionary! His presentation and conceptualisation is just beyond.

His Autumn/Winter Fantastical Constructions collection shown early this year was truly inspired and such a blend of fashion and theatre. Instead of the usual runway show, it was more of an installation where all the models were arranged in a room on chairs, ottomans etc. It looked like a couture version of Madame Tussauds! He created a true theatrical event and fashion experience that ignited the senses!

Absolutely love Tatum Keshwar (Tatum + Tlale = gush fest of note)

Architectural excellence!

His construction excitese me so much. Swan Lake meets urban street style!

this model is working it!

Would definately sprinkle rose petals all over his front steps and give him 17 salutes while secretly hoping for an invitation to his show! I ♥ Tlale!

SHOUT!

I am super proud of Danny K and Kabelo's SHOUT initiative.

Celebrities are standing together to fight crime. It is great artistic activism that excites me sooo much, it's great to see celebs standing up for something so crucial and USING their voices and influence!

Plus, I love the SHOUT video (a cover of the Tears for Water song of the same name).

Check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuFroEZpECo