Menlyn Maine launches Gallery of Giving for Mandela month
Thursday 9 July saw the official opening of The Gallery of Giving with a gathering on the Piazza at Menlyn Main. Sponsors, partners and members of the diplomatic community gathered to enjoy the late afternoon sunshine and listen to remarks from Brendan Grealy, head of the executive committee of 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day.
'At 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day, our motto is 'Every day is a Mandela Day'. Events like The Gallery of Giving support this philosophy and encourage us all to keep doing our bit,' he said.
Mandela Day on 18 July inspires South Africans to reflect on Nelson Mandela's legacy and make a positive contribution.
'July is a month to honour Madiba's courage and compassion,' said Natasha Koning, centre manager for Menlyn Maine Central Square.
Hosted at Central Square, the Gallery of Giving features handmade blankets by 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day volunteers and more than 30 Mandela-inspired artworks from a private collection.
'The Gallery of Giving combines fine art and outstanding handicraft skills of our amazing volunteers,' added Grealy
Mini Menlyn stepped up to support The Gallery of Giving with a substantial donation of wool, which will enable the creation of more blankets.
Richard Nwamba, dealer principal at Mini Menlyn, said: 'We jumped at the chance to support The Gallery of Giving and hope that the specially branded Mini will encourage patrons to get behind the call for wool donations to support the ongoing efforts of 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day.'
Rael Demby, chief executive of The Scoin Shop said: 'The Gallery of Giving is about weaving generosity into our community's fabric. We have been linked to 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day since it started in 2014. Carolyn Steyn invited us to get involved, and we've been behind this wonderful initiative ever since.'
This year, everyone is invited to visit the Gallery of Giving and join in making a difference this Mandela month. The gallery of Giving opens to the public on Friday, July 4th. Visitors can see the exhibition at the gallery until 31 July.
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Mail & Guardian
3 hours ago
- Mail & Guardian
‘Travel has been my classroom'
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'These experiences have not only added layers to my writing but also broadened my perspective on how poetry can function as both mirror and bridge. 'Whether it's learning new methods of curation from fellow creatives in South Africa or soaking in the layered histories of communities in eSwatini, travel has been my classroom,' he says. This collaboration for the festival also saw South African poets Jonathan Lefenya and Nomashenge Dlamini participate in performances and cultural site visits, including a workshop hosted by jazz maestro Dr Nduduzo and Omagugu Makhathini. Poet and musician Nomashenge Dlamini said, 'Myself and the incredible Brother Jonathan were delegated to exchange with poets and artists in eSwatini — all this powered by Hear My Voice and Umsamo we Culture. They created a platform in which we could travel to eSwatini to meet and break bread with the likes of Qibho Intalektual and younger poets within the community.' Poet Nomashenge Dlamini. She beams widely when talking about the grandeur of nature in King Mswati's country. 'In eSwatini the trees are the skyscrapers. 'The trees are abundant and ancient. They are incredibly tall like nothing I've ever seen.' I asked Nomashenge how travelling had benefited her creative career over the years. 'Travelling insists on growth and, ironically, solidifies one's 'story', even on the move. One learns to be still in the way one is, which ultimately becomes the signature of one's writing and performance.' Co-founder of Word N Sound Live Literature Company Thabiso Mohare shares similar sentiments. Popularly known as Afurakan when blazing the stage, Mohare says travelling exposes poets to new experiences, cultures, languages and ideas — they are going to be positively impacted in one way or another. 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Like Hear My Voice, Word N Sound has also had its fair share of funding challenges in supporting poets. This Johannesburg-based company has been in the forefront of South African poetry for over 15 years and have funded most of their operational expenses from their own pockets. Regarding funding for programmes, Mohare says it has been difficult, although they have had a few successes, especially with European funders. 'But, again, those are also cyclical, so you're not always guaranteed to get the funding. I think, overall, funding remains a big challenge, especially consistent funding that goes beyond just programmes that the government or the market is excited about at that time.' Despite this, Word N Sound has managed to support poets in seeing the world. Mohare tells me about the various international exchanges, with two programmes standing out for him. One was Next Generation Speaks, a partnership between five organisations from four continents. The other was DExZA, a collaboration between Word N Sound and a German organisation called No Boundaries. Sibiya shares Mohare's frustration on the inconsistency and unpredictability of funders. He says, with every shift in a partner's strategy or vision, funding can dry up, so developing innovative ways to raise money becomes necessary. 'We've had to adapt. We actively raise our own funds by offering poetry-focused services and curations to clients, using that income to support our own programming. 'It's not easy — especially when external funding isn't available —but it's made us more resilient and self-sustaining.' Thabiso Mohare aka Afurakan. (Dirk Skiba) Co-founded alongside Phomolo Sekamotho and MoAfrika Mokgathi, Hear My Voice has been relentlessly committed to the development and promotion of spoken-word poetry for almost a decade. One initiative that has supported poets to travel has been the Hear My Voice Mobility Fund. Launched in 2020 when lockdown restrictions started to ease, the fund was created to help South African poets participate in international literary festivals. 'Poets, and artists in general, are often invited to perform at festivals and book fairs, but they're expected to cover their own travel costs, which can be a major barrier. This fund helps remove that obstacle,' Sibiya says. Since its inception, the Mobility Fund has supported poets such as Xabiso Vili, Mak Manaka and Emmah Mabye, among others. For wordsmiths, travel adds enormously to the growth of the skills, emotions and thoughts which inspire their work. But for such opportunities to be fulfilled, they require sustainable supportive structures. Poetry organisations like Hear My Voice, Word N Sound, Umsamo we Culture, and many other hardworking formations, are playing a key role in being the wind beneath poets' wings. 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The Herald
a day ago
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From East London to the world — The Voice Lounge is the Eastern Cape's voice, amplified
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Mail & Guardian
a day ago
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Frame of mind: Apiwe Bubu, who hails from the Eastern Cape, and now has his own studio in Los Angeles, came back to his home country to record his debut album. Photo: Ofentse Moatshe On Thursday, 31 July, Apiwe Bubu dropped his debut solo album Reflections of a Sound Mind — an eight-track collection of piano compositions that has been two decades in the making. It was a long road that saw Bubu travelling to Boston, Valencia and Los Angeles before coming home to record and release his first album at the age of 41. Born in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, Apiwe is the second of five children. His early years were spent in his birthplace before he moved to Johannesburg at the age of 12 for boarding school. It was there, amid the piano rooms tucked into every quad, that he first started 'twiddling' with the keys and discovered a passion for music. He moved to Pretoria to complete his final two years of high school. Upon matriculating, Bubu found himself unsure of what his next steps should be. He initially embarked on a path that would sound reassuring to his parents, briefly studying aeronautical engineering at Wits. 'I was, like, 'No, this is too much,'' he recalls, realising halfway through his first year it wasn't the right fit. After taking the rest of that year and the following one off, during which he worked at a branch of Roman's Pizza, serving slices while pondering his future, music emerged as the clear direction. To appease his parents and ensure they would take his career choice seriously, he framed it strategically. 'Let me not present it as music. Let me present it as sound engineering,' he recounts. 'The engineering is still going to make them feel like, 'Oh, there's a job behind this.' They can still say their son is an engineer.' Bubu enrolled at In-House in Randburg, Johannesburg, where he earned a certificate in sound engineering a year later. This qualification quickly opened doors. At 21, he landed a job at Urban Brew, a prominent post-production house for TV shows. Here, he wasn't just an engineer — his piano skills caught the attention of his interviewer, leading to opportunities to compose music for daytime TV. This period offered him invaluable insight into the mechanics of the music industry, from composition to royalty statements and the workings of the Southern African Music Rights Organisation. He learned extensively from lead composer Abe Sibiya, observing his ability to translate ideas into complex musical arrangements with apparent ease. 'I was trying to figure it out,' Bubu says, describing his fascination with Sibiya's talent. 'Just, like, how does that happen?' His journey then took him to SonoVision Studios, where he delved into audio work for radio ads. While the job was comfortable and highly sought after within the industry, Bubu harboured a growing desire to deepen his musical understanding. It was at Urban Brew that a significant seed was planted. The owner of Urban Rhythm Factory, an associated post-production team, who had graduated from Berklee College of Music in the US in 1974, suggested Bubu further his studies. 'I looked it up and saw the people who'd been there: Quincy Jones, John Mayer,' Bubu remembers, recognising the school's prestige. However, the cost — $50 000 a year for tuition alone, not including living expenses — made it seem 'pie in the sky'. Despite the daunting financial hurdle and his stable job at SonoVision, Bubu made a courageous decision. He left his position to focus entirely on auditioning for a scholarship to Berklee. What followed was a gruelling four-year audition process. Each year, Berklee would visit one African country, requiring aspiring students to travel for their auditions. His first attempt was in Mozambique, in 2008, followed by Durban in 2009, Kenya in 2010, and, finally, Cape Town in 2011. During these four years, Bubu dedicated himself to refining his craft, studying weekly under jazz maestro Andile Yenana, who he considers a mentor. The breakthrough came in 2011, during the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. 'Yo, that was amazing!' Bubu exclaims, recalling the moment he received the acceptance email days after his audition. He was bouncing between stages at the festival when he finally gathered the courage to open the message. 'Boom! It said what it said and I was at the jazz festival. And I was, like, 'Wow, jeez. Let's celebrate!' The scholarship covered 75% of his tuition, with the remaining amount being secured through an annual international bursary scholarship from the National Arts Council. In 2012, Bubu finally arrived in Boston to begin his studies at Berklee. What was supposed to be a five-year programme was condensed into a brutal four years as he pursued a double major in music production and engineering and contemporary writing and production. 'If I thought the first four years of me trying to get in was brutal, then the next four years were even more brutal,' he admits. He was immersed in studio work for production and engineering, while simultaneously honing his compositional techniques, culminating in his final writing exam — an orchestral score he conducted and recorded. His final semester in 2015 provided a much-needed respite. After three intense years in Boston, Bubu opted to complete his liberal arts electives at Berklee's campus in Valencia, Spain. This period of relaxation allowed him to recalibrate before the next chapter of his career. Towards the end of 2015, while still at Berklee, Bubu secured an internship with Mirrorball Entertainment, the umbrella production and studio company of renowned mixer and producer Tony Maserati, known for his work with Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Robin Thicke. This came through a recommendation from Carl Beatty, the chief of staff at Berklee and an old friend of Maserati's. Impressed with Bubu's work, Maserati offered him a permanent position upon graduation. Beginning in early 2016, Bubu found himself immersed in high-profile projects, including Beyoncé's Lemonade album. 'It was crazy,' he recounts, recalling the secrecy surrounding the project. He contributed to the mix engineering of the tracks 6 Inch, Sandcastles and All Night, his personal favourite from the album. He recalls a 'baptism of fire' moment when he mistakenly adjusted a setting on Beyoncé's vocals during a mixing session, earning a swift rebuke from Maserati. 'How am I the guy who messes up a Beyoncé song?' he remembers. While he never met Beyoncé in the studio, he witnessed industry giants like Diplo come through. In addition to Lemonade, he made contributions to albums like Keith Urban's Ripcord and Gallant's Ology, which all earned Grammy recognition. Though he valued his time at Mirrorball, Bubu felt a pull towards the creative side of music: 'Engineering is technical stuff … I want to create more,' he explains. He began freelancing with other producers in LA, delving deeper into the production of hip-hop and R&B. In 2019, he established his own space in North Hollywood, Global Sound Studio LA, where he now handles his own clientele, production and mixing. Through his studio, Bubu has collaborated with a diverse range of artists, including trap producers like 808 Mafia, Flipp Dinero and pop artist Bridgit Mendler. He has also founded his own record label We Want More. Through it, he focuses on discovering and developing emerging artists, such as Disney star Dior Goodjohn. Despite his extensive work with other artists and his growing empire, Bubu's own debut album was a long time coming. 'You know when you just never know when it's time,' he muses, explaining his diverse influences and ongoing refinement of his piano technique. The compositions on Reflections of a Sound Mind have been simmering for years, performed occasionally but never formally recorded until now. The catalyst for the album came during a recent visit home to Joburg. Producer and long-time friend Ofentse Moatshe, known as JT, knew of Bubu's unrecorded material and pushed him to commit. JT went as far as to purchase a piano for the project and install it in his studio. 'One day he's, like, 'Let's talk about the album.' Then, when I get there, he's like, 'Ah, yeah, let's test it out now. Let's just see if we can get a good sound from this.' 'So, from testing it out and then saying to me, 'Okay, we're recording now.' I'm, like, 'What do you mean?' He's, like, 'Yeah, we're starting now.' All of a sudden, eight hours later, we've got the album.' The entire eight-track album was recorded in a single, focused session, a testament to Bubu's preparation and JT's persuasive determination. Apiwe Bubu's personal odyssey finds resonance in his family name. He discovered that 'Bubu' traces back to ancient Egypt, meaning 'bringer of light'. This perfectly encapsulates his 'hero's journey': travelling the world, immersing himself in the global music industry, learning from masters and defying traditional career paths, only to return home to record and release his inaugural collection of work. Reflections of a Sound Mind is the illuminating culmination of a life dedicated to sound, a light finally shining brightly.
