#and Africa omg so many places to take inspiration

[motherl0de]

@thesimsofficial I’m still holding out hope ya’ll will finally make an Arab inspired world and African.

[entertainment]

Entertainment Spotlight: Bianca Bosch, The Kissing Booth 2

Bianca made her feature film debut in Netflix’s global hit franchise The Kissing Booth as the flirtatious and fun-loving Olivia, leader of The OMG’s, which she reprised in The Kissing Booth 2. She will next appear in the third installment of the franchise—The Kissing Booth 3, slated to debut in 2021. Born and raised on the eastern cape of South Africa, Bianca started ballet at just four years old and trained and competed in high-level contemporary dance until she was 19. A small role in a production of Evita solidified her passion for bringing characters to life, which she followed to The New York Film Academy and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Bianca is passionate about giving back to her local communities in St. Frances Bay and Port Elizabeth, South Africa, and hopes to inspire women of all ages and from all walks of life to go after their dreams and heal those who need it, with strength, wisdom, and empathy.

What do you find exciting about portraying Olivia?

When people first meet me, they always sum me up as the bubbly, dramatic, ditzy blonde, and don’t anticipate my intellectual aptitude. They also soon realise that I’m super laid back, easy-going, and value a great sense of humour. Many people always say my exterior doesn’t match the interior. With portraying Olivia, I got to push those qualities that people assume I am at face value, as well as those mannerisms that come naturally to me, but are actually far from who I really am. It was so much fun living in that heightened, exaggerated bubble. 

Can you tell us anything about Olivia’s development between the first and third installments of The Kissing Booth? 

Being the “it girl” of the school, Olivia knows all the gossip going down and will not let any information slip past her because she is the ring leader, and has to have a first peek at any potential. As the story evolves, you see a softer, more supportive side to her, for example, when she cheers on Ollie and Miles as they have their first kiss at the kissing booth.

Which character from The Kissing Booth do you personally identify with most, and why?

I identify mostly with Elle. Navigating relationships can be hard and confusing, especially when the person you love lives far away. Having faith in your relationship and in yourself is important, but not always easy. I have been through those doubts and dilemmas. At the end of the day, communication and respect are vital to making a long-distance relationship work.

Alongside acting, you train in Vinyasa Yoga and Reiki, while also running a lighting/interior design business called MOODMAKERS. How do you cope with wearing so many hats? 

I’ve got to keep up with my lifestyle somehow! Obviously, with acting, you’re not always employed and shooting. You might constantly be auditioning, but it’s been said that you book 1 in 25 auditions—so in between, someone has to pay the bills! Why not incorporate jobs that are already a part of my daily routine and always will be?! Plus, I find that the busier I am, the more I actually get done. Educating and practicing Reiki and Vinyasa yoga are more hobbies than jobs for me; plus, they all coincide with wellbeing and creativity.

Do you have any advice for young women who would like to become entrepreneurs themselves? 

You have to think about your individual strengths and potentially use those to fill a gap in the market by providing a good or service. In my case, it was a product, in the form of a portable light. The opportunity in South Africa was the inconvenience of load shedding, which refers to rolling blackouts that occur due to the lack of electricity in our country. My father is an interior designer, so being surrounded by design my whole life sparked the idea to provide a stylish solution with portable, rechargeable lamps.

How do your experiences as a dancer influence your acting work? 

I feel very in tune with my body, and every character needs their own physicality. So it helps me to sink into and develop the character’s mannerisms. Not only is it great for keeping correct alignment while staying physical, but also it provides discipline through general practice.

You engage in charity work in your hometown, can you tell us a bit about that?

Well, recently, with COVID-19, volunteer work has changed with social distancing in place. I believe charity starts at home, and home for me is in Saint Francis Bay. So, we’ve shifted focus to the local townships’ impoverished areas. We coordinated and prepared meals once a week and delivered them to the local soup kitchen for as many residents as possible. After going there each week and seeing the living conditions, and how excited these families were for their meals, I felt guilty but also so appreciative to come home and live the life I do.

How do you practice being an ally, and what does your allyship mean to you? 

It means being a part of something bigger than yourself. My mission statement is to inspire young girls to go after their dreams, not only through my own actions and successes but also by mentoring them in person where possible. Being an ally also means being committed to educating myself on struggles that differ from my own experience and standing up for others in unjust situations.

How can mental and physical wellbeing and self-care help to sustain creative work? 

I think physicality, mental health, and self-care are as vital as working on your acting skills. This career path takes dedication and perseverance. Keeping grounded in the madness and focused on your goal is crucial. This industry is tough on your body, especially when you’re working long hours on set or doing back-to-back night shoots. It’s not the usual 9-5 job. Plus, you want to be looking and feeling your best for the camera. You need to promote wellbeing for concentration and maximum performance. Having irregular sleeping patterns due to shooting schedules throws off your circadian rhythm, which can have a huge effect on your adrenals, which ultimately affects your skin, moods, and weight. You want to feed your body with the best nutrients, so when the tough times come, your immune system holds up strong. I generally tend to stick to a gluten-free + dairy-free diet and pump my body with loads of greens! Lean proteins and healthy fats! It’s so hard to say no to sugars, so when desperate, I try to go towards the natural sugars (honey, xylitol, etc.), because if I don’t, it results in inflammation and feeling sluggish. Also, I recommend loads of water to promote glowing skin and avoid water retention! Although this might all be beneficial for aesthetic reasons, it’s also preserving your body long-term for your career! Mental health is highly important, as this industry is mentally taxing when it comes to confidence and self-love. I practice meditation every day to promote self-worth and to help me stay grounded.

Describe each of the following in one word: who you are, what you value the most, and what you’d be if you were a food item. 

Who you are - Firecracker 

What you value most - Family 

What you’d be if you were a food item - Peach  

Thanks for taking the time, Bianca! The Kissing Booth 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

[musicallisto]

11. favourite native writer/poet?

#11. Favorite native writer/poet?

I feel like I’ve already answered this question? maybe in another life? idk.

(THIS GOT LONG adjjdjd i’m such a nerd omg. anyway i’m putting this under a read more)

France: I have a handful and I’m sorry but I am going to get sappy over them. Man, let me rave about literature like God intended. Okay, my favorite author is Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, so I suppose that makes him my favorite French writer de facto. You may be familiar with him because he wrote The Little Prince, but I can’t encourage you enough to check out his other work. His writing style has immensely inspired my own, and he wrote my favorite book of all time as well as some of my favorite quotes. The irreplaceable “you’re beautiful but empty - one could not die for you” that I talk about all the damn time, his condemnation of marriage and how it kills young women - “And then an imbecile had come along. For the first time those sharp eyes were mistaken and they dressed him in gay colors. If the imbecile recited verse he was thought a poet. [...] And that heart which was a wild garden was given to him who loved only trim lawns. And the imbecile carried away the princess into slavery.”, his love for humanity in all its grandeur and patheticness and particularly his love for planet Earth. He was a well-traveled man who worked as a pilot for the French airmail service and knew South America and Northern Africa like the back of his hand. His descriptions of the sky, of the stars, of the land and solitary lights of shepherds beneath, when he flew, are my absolute favorite thing in this world. Everything he wrote is just so... ethereally beautiful?

“This day, as I fly, the lava world is calm. There is something surprising in the tranquillity of this deserted landscape where once a thousand volcanoes boomed to each other in their great subterranean organs and spat forth their fire. I fly over a world mute and abandoned, strewn with black glaciers.”

He was also a loyal man, who dedicated some of his works to his friends and their impossible survival stories, like Guillaumet who crashed in the Andes, or simply to the daily life as a pilot with his comrades, and how much joy he found in their friendship. He also worked as a journalist and covered the Spanish Civil War on the Republicans’ side with a faithfulness that I find extremely important as a Spaniard - he understood the tragedy of the conflict far better than many other French writers or politicians did at the time. During the Second World War, he joined the Resistance as a pilot, and was shot down in action - his remains were never found, and some debris of his plane only very recently. I truly appreciate how fiercely independent he was, though? He was dedicated to a cause, an ideal, and not to a person. He did not join the Resistance out of devotion for de Gaulle, for example, but for liberty and humanity. He kind of... did his thing and let no one tell him how he ought to do it. Despite being extremely famous for The Little Prince, he’s rarely talked about or discussed in French literature spheres? or I mean less than he could be. (some people have speculated that it is because he wasn’t one to cling onto de Gaulle and the Resistance kind of brushed him off for that but I don’t think that’s it.) of course, he has said some ice cold takes because ... early 20th century y’all know what it is but I find such modernity and comfort in his writing, his anti-war sentiments and his love for the planet, nature, and humanity as a whole. and of course he had a great sense of humor and a child’s spirit - as evidenced by the Little Prince. also I think it was kind of iconic of him to be a really good pilot despite being easily distracted and crash-landing all the time idk idk

BUT! he’s not my only favorite! (I promise this is going to be short.) I’m but an average person and Victor Hugo has a dear, dear place in my heart. I don’t think I need to expand more on it because everyone knows this man and everyone has read some quotes from Les Mis or something.

And lastly, another of my favorite French writers is Albert Camus. Because I don’t know shit about philosophy, I can’t really analyze it from a critical point of view but his conception of the human condition/the absurd, that he explains in The Myth of Sisyphus, truly resonates with me, because he doesn’t allow himself to be pessimistic about the mortality of man - “one must imagine Sisyphus happy”. What I can say, though, is that I absolutely adore his writing style as well, that The Plague and The Stranger are some of my favorite books, that I truly admire him for being a prominent figure of the political left in his time but still going like, “yeah, soviet concentration camps? hard pass” when everyone was jerking off to the USSR at the time - and I love him for his beef with Sartre because in this house we do not stan Sartre. Also, he was an adamant advocate for the abolition of death penalty, which is also a cause I feel strongly about. (Just like Victor Hugo was, one hundred years before him.) And he was also a Resistant so we love to see it <3 He also said some... stuff about Algeria that not everyone would agree with maybe? but like, he was Algerian so idk I can’t really speak for him.

anyway. if you have read this far you deserve a veteran’s discount

Spain: YALL I gave everything I had for the French writers and I’ve got NOTHING. No genuinely I’m so uncultured about Spanish writers, because all the Spanish-language authors i like are latin american? like Neruda and Garcia Marquez and stuff. I will say though that I really like contemporary poets and songwriters such as Joaquin Sabina. Also I’ve read a few quotes from Garcia Lorca and I’m kind of vibing with it. I need to read Bodas de Sangre asap. (and to know this play inspired my favorite Rosalia song! art imitates art.)

SOOO yeah that was a lot lmfao but I guess I was full of feelings. thank you bye x

[thelifedocumentor]

Nkuley Masemola and his iconic creative expressions

Nkuley Masemola is a multidisciplinary creative who works as a fashion model, DJ and stylist. Nkuley Masemola has modelled for iconic South African fashion brands such as Rich Mnisi, Thebe Magugu and Nao Serati. They also invite the young vibrant youth of Johannesburg to the eccentric scenes of Braamfontein through DJ’ing. With styling that transcends cultural eras and borders, Nkuley translates their experiences of navigating South Africa and the creative culture artistically into their photographs. The success they have garnered since working as a fashion model from the age of 17 is truly inspiring. In this interview we talk about what inspired Nkuley growing up, their artistic journey and the importance of being yourself in order to thrive in the creative industry. 

1. How was it like growing up in Pretoria? 

The funny part is that I didn’t actually grow up in Pretoria, it was more outside of Pretoria than it was Pretoria. I grew up on the outskirts of Pretoria - that’s the farms. Bronkhorstspruit is where I was from. And it was bland - I don’t know any other way to explain it. It was like growing up on a big sheet of white paper. I had to make out myself. It was an experience but it was also really overwhelming because no one there had progressed to anything. It was complicated but also a good learning curve. I always say I would have rather not. I would have rather had a soft life but I guess I see the benefit of growing up like that but it was overwhelming. 

2. What are some unforgettable childhood experiences you believe shaped who you are today? 

When I finally moved to Bronkhorstspruit, after my father passed on, my mom bought herself a huge mirror. I didn’t have friends, I didn’t have anyone. So the only thing I ever did was look into that mirror. I had all my performances there, I had all my interviews, I did everything with that mirror. I just became so self-obsessed, all of my art is self-obsession. Everything is all about me. It’s my self-portrait, it’s music that is about me, everything that is structured in a way that is like self-worship. So I think that particular childhood experience shaped me forever. I got harassed but I never got bullied. I never let anyone bully me. If it happens, I can just avoid it, I’m not gonna stick around. I was always inside the house. I would make up my own stories, live in my head, and wait for the day I move to Jo’burg. When it finally happened, I already had like self-discovered so much. That particular childhood experience shaped who I am today. I created my whole world, and now I’m living in it. 

3. How did you start modelling? 

Back home, there used to be this modelling agency. It was just high school kids who had high-quality cameras, more than it was a modelling agency. They were like, “Yeah you should be a model.” And I was like, “I guess.” It was never my thing. I take really good photos, but I don’t look like a model, I don’t present myself as a model. At that time, I wasn’t the typical male model. And so I was like I’m not a model. That happened and it wasn’t really serious. When I moved to Jo’burg, my friend and I had just come from registering and we were going past Kitcheners and my friend was with their friend. We were all speaking to a guy and he said, “Yeah you can just come back to my place.” We all went back to the place. Then I left my matric certificate at their place and then when I left and went back home, they were like, “You left your stuff here [matric certificate] and also, I saw on Twitter that you might have to drop out of school because you don’t have anywhere to live until March so you can just live with me.” This is the person that I met with a friend because they met on the streets of Braam, literally at the corner of Kitcheners. I lived with that person for 3 months. They literally got me into modelling.

The first day I got here they were like, “You’re a star!”. I was on a music video set, and they needed one guy and I had just moved to Jo’burg and put my bags down. My parents had just dropped me off. I put my bags down and went up to shoot the music video. After that, I had another job. It was quiet for a minute and then my friend asked me to escort them to a casting. Still, I was not in the modelling game, I was just deep in love at the time. So cool, I go to this modelling gig, and then when we get there, my friend doesn’t get picked but they’re choosing from outside. They’re like, “You? Come here.” I said that I’m not here to model what’s happening? They said, “No, just audition quickly.” So I walked and strutted to the wall and then when I came back I got picked. It was The Threaded Man show. After that, everything started picking up, everything just set off. That’s how that happened. I just started modelling after that. Still very weird. 

4. Wow! The Threaded Man was so huge at that time. 

I didn’t even know. I didn’t know who Siya Beyile was. I had just got to Johannesburg. I had no idea who anyone was. So literally getting calls from Rich Mnisi being hey it’s Rich Mnisi. When I found out it was Rich Mnisi I was like OMG! They were shooting for i-D. That is one thing I’ve always dreamt about - I’ve always bought i-D magazines at the taxi ranks. When they said, "You’re 17 you’re gonna shoot for i-D", I was like that’s crazy, that’s crazy. I shot for almost every magazine that I had back at home. In one year, I had Cosmopolitan, Vogue, and i-D. My mom was like, “Aren’t these the magazines that are in your room.?” It was my favourite flex. I didn't even know it’s gonna happen in terms of modelling. I had always imagined being a part of the creative team or like one day when I’m all the way older on the cover of i-D for doing something. But not a whole documentary that is based on us. That’s so crazy, that’s insane. 

4. Which would you say are your favourite fashion collections you have modelled for?

I really enjoyed the Rich Mnisi collections that I modelled for in the first year - I thought I looked really good in zebra print. Thebe Magugu gave me a suit and said “Do what you must with it.” That was really insane for me. Siyababa Atelier’s collection, Rich Mnisi’s collection and Nao Serati’s collection. 

5. The South African creative scene has truly evolved over time, but there’s still so much work to be done. What do you think still needs to be done to move the culture forward? 

I think South Africa needs to stop normalizing things and actually live in them. We need to stop trying to normalize things so much because we are othering them more than we think. We are othering people more than we think. We are regressing more than progressing. If we keep saying “Normalize trans women” - why? They’re women. Women are already normal. You don’t need to normalize women. It’s microaggressions like that. People don’t realize homophobia is just as serious as racism. The same way people are judging you because of your skin colour is the same way you are judging someone for loving someone. I think South Africa would be much better if they just lived in their truth more than trying to be these progressive people. We’ve been through so much, that we should know by now that we can’t risk having another revolution. We’ve revolved too many times. We’ve been traumatized too many times - we don’t need any more trauma. We just need to get that into our heads. We need to let go of the power game. The obsession with power in this country is a hectic obsession - that needs to be let go of. 

6. How do you find the experience of integrating fashion, music and creative direction together to tell a story? 

It comes easily because everything that I do is still self-obsession. Everything that I create is based on me so it’s not that hard. Self-awareness. It’s hard in that term that you know yourself so much that people want to digress you into this way. The only thing hard about it is people not understanding you and wanting to change you and who you are at that point. You already know who you are. Trying to accommodate everyone into your world because I’ve already said I am living in my own world, in my own space. In my own space, there is no need to accommodate other people. I think that’s the hardest part about it. It’s just me finding spaces for people in my world. In terms of navigating it, it’s always been me living out what I wanted to live out. It’s always playing music - when I DJ I play all the music that has registered with me. I’ve always been a Rihanna girl, I’m always going to play Rihanna. I’m always going to have the Rihanna aesthetic - the same way she does it. I’ve been studying Rihanna for the longest time in my life. The same way she does it. The same way she has this creative direction that goes into her music that also goes into her modelling - it’s really insane. That’s what I’ve always done. Rihanna, FKA Twigs, and FAKA do that in the most perfect way ever. That’s my thing. 

7. If you ever feel a creative block during a project, how do you reconnect and channel your energy? 

I like feeling things out. If it doesn’t happen then it’s not gonna happen. I was at a point where I was really depressed last year - I was at my lowest. I had never been that depressed ever in my life before. I told myself that I never want to feel like that ever again. For that to happen, I always have to be honest with myself. I have to know that I can’t do this right now. If I’m gonna go somewhere and I’m like okay you’re gonna have to model today but you don’t have the haircut. You look bad, you’re gonna feel bad and the pictures are going to look bad. So rather, we don’t do it. Rather sacrifice that and put me in a risky position but I’m not going to put something out there that I don’t believe in and don’t feel comfortable with. Being uncomfortable with something that’s seen by so many people is actually kinda crazy. It’s like uploading a picture of your pinky toe that you don’t like. I know people always say embarrassing yourself on the internet is being real, but that is always different for me. My realness is perfection. The real me is the perfect me. 

8. Which creative material inspired you on your overall journey - it could be a book, film, exhibition, art collection - anything really. 

Definitely seeing FAKA. Sitting down, talking to FAKA, and realizing that we have had the same life experiences. When I was 15, when I was a party girl - I still am, FAKA was like, “Oh you host this party called “Umrubisho” and I was like omg we used to host that party and FAKA was like we were always there. It’s so crazy how the Universe aligns like that - that’s insane to me. No one at that point understood what that meant to me but it just means to me my life is fine, I don’t need to worry about a lot of things. Life is just going to progress the way life progresses. I’m just going to get to where I need to get. A moment most pleasing to me was when FAKA was curating a Versace show. That’s so insane. That means anything is possible. That moment for me just sparked up everything. Thebe Magugu winning the LVMH Prize. Rich Mnisi doing Milan Fashion Week. Moments like that for me make anything. Moments like that for me are the most affirming.

9. Which brands and artists would you like to collaborate with in the future? 

I’m not a big fan of Kanye but I really love Yeezy and the direction that it’s taking. As much as I’m working with Adidas, I would love to go deeper into Yeezy like that. Of course, I want to be a FENTY girl so, so, so bad. All the luxury brands - not necessarily as a model but as a muse nonetheless. I would love to be a DIOR girl, I would love to work with YSL but most mostly, I want to be a FENTY girl. 

10. And lastly, which words of advice would you give to artists who aspire to manifest their dreams in this creative industry? 

I would say be yourself. It’s not a joke, really be yourself. Everyone always says this, and it sounds corny all the time but really but it took me at least 2 years to realize, be yourself. Don’t fake it out, be yourself in such a way that even if you are being fake, you’re being fake in a way that is beneficial to you. You’re being fake in a way that is not going to hurt you in the end. You’re doing chaotic things but everything you do must be aligned with you. Everything you do must not come back and bite you. Everything you do must be something that you’ve always wanted to do. Be selfish as much as you can because being selfish just means being yourself and be selfish in ways that will still benefit you. That’s what it has always meant. Just remain yourself because that’s all you’ll have. People will come in and out, but you’re gonna remain with the same person forever - and that’s gonna be you. Take care of yourself, you know what’s good for you, you know what hinders you. You know what you need to do, so just do enough of that to keep yourself going. 

[wedance2sense-blog]

How to start to dance hip-hop: 10 practice tips for begginers

Everybody wants to feel good his own body. That’s why people dance. My name is Leema and I’m dancing hip hop more than 10 years, Hi! So after that time I can answer how to start dancing hip hop. You may think that it’s so hard but it’s not. I know, you are beginner and really don’t know which way you must begin. So especially for YOU, my friend, here some practice tips, what should you do to start dancing hip hop. And if you will follow all of this tips, I promise, you will dance very good. Let’s go!

1. No matter what they say! Honestly, not everybody understand hip hop. BUT! If you really want to dance this style you must be brave. You must follow your choice. No need to listen haters, who tells you, that hip hop is not for you. Hip hop is a culture where is a place for everyone. So, if you really want to dance hip hop – welcome in a new family.

2. AAI! It will be very useful if you will watch dancing videos. It could be different online lessons, battles, jams. Or some videos with top hip-hop dancers. When you watch dancing videos you can analyze their technic, moves, musicality. Also, as you are beginner, these videos can inspire you to dance. And after some time they will inspired you more. You can find interesting and useful videos on our website in the dance styles section as well.

3. Buddha Stretch, Henry Link, Caleaf Sellers – do you know this names? I think you don’t know this names. These are legends of hip hop, because they invented a dance base. Every good dancer know basics moves and you must learn it too. In our days this is not so problematically, because everyone has internet and there a lot online lessons. Basics moves is not so hard, so you can learn it by yourself. You really can do it! And our website will help you with learning. If previous tips weren’t practice, this is more than yes.

4. I’m not alone. Dancing alone is not very funny, yeah? So you can go to dance classes. Than you will have a teacher, who can help you with everything and you will have a company to dance. It’s very useful to share experience and get him back from others. You can text me and make sure of the correctness of this tip.

5. Are you crazy? It’s mean you must practice every day everywhere. You can tell: OMG, what an insane idea. But it’s not. If you decide to be a good hip hop dancer, you must be brave at first (Tip 1). It must be unimportant for you what people may think or say about you. Are you crazy? Fine, thank you! You must go beyond the social framework. Good dancer doesn’t shy when his dance takes a lot of attention from others. Lately, for example, I’m dancing in the subway and it’s ok.

6. I can’t do this. You must improvise in dance. Many beginners are scared to improvise, but it’s very important. That’s why many beginners don’t want to take part in dancing jams. But, you know, all fears are in your head. You need just try to dance with others. Believe me, you will never forget your first jam and your first battle. In this way you are defeating your fears. You can do this!

7. Original Old school it’s good, but you are here to find your own style. You can try to dance something new in your hip hop. For example, you always dance “bounce style” – you could try “point style” or “lazy style”. This is a very small difference between hip hop styles, but you will be shocked how your dance will be changed. Also, you could add in your hip hop something from another styles. So, one more tip is...

8. Always keep learning! When someone thinks that he knows everything he stops in development. That’s why you should always find more ways to learn something new. You can go on different classes from others dancers. It’s about experience, you know? Also, you can start to learn new dance style. Can be krump, break dance, jazz funk, waacking, house and others. Whatever you want. In this way your dance will become more interesting than simple basic movements. You should always think about your style and mixing everything you like. You should always keep learning.

9. Love what you do. I’ll tell you a secret. Sometimes you don’t want to go on training, because you think that your dance is not important for culture, but first for you. It’s call creative crisis. In situations like that, you must remember for what you started dancing. And the answer is always in your heart. But sometimes such situations happen (it’s true) and then you must find new inspiration. I, for example, started playing drums. So don’t forget that you are living in a big interesting world. And there a lot of wonderful things that could give you power to move on in you dancing way.

10. Hip hop – one love. The last tip what you must understand - what is in general hip hop culture. It’s like know your clan. You must understand all process of the birth of culture. History is the way which past communicates with the present. In that way you will be true. Some basic information you can read here.

This is not so hard, isn’t it? I hope that my tips will be helpful for you. Don’t be afraid, practice and everything will be ok. Peace.

P.S. Forget to say one more important thing. When you are dancing, you lose a lot of energy. So, that’s why you should always think about your food. You need eat different kind of meat, eggs, fruits and vegetables. First of all, it will be healthy eating and you will have more energy to dance. Also, when you have pain in muscles, you should eat meat after rehearsal. Because meat has a lot of healthy protein that is needed for your muscles. And don’t forget drink more water! Water is so important for your body. What else? I know that this P.S. is not so funny and cool, but I really must tell you about eating. Many people think, that this is not so important, but for dancers - yes. And at the ending I want give you some motivation phrases from famous hip hop people. I think they good to be written here.

My mama always used to tell me: if you can’t find something to live for, you best find something to die for - TuPac. Life is too short to live the same day twice. So each new day make sure you live your life - Machine Gun Kelly. If you’re scared to take chances, you’ll never have the answers- Nas. Practice makes the hard thinks easy- Africa Bambaata. We are changing world with hip hop power… You can join us now!- Lil Zoo.

[checkoutafrica]

Interview; Elo Zar – SA’s breath of fresh air part 1

There are so many things that I love about the woman that is Elo Zar, but I think the one thing that I love most about this beautiful soul is her personality! I wish personality could translate through words because I kid you not, never in this life have I ever felt so comfortable doing an interview – She just has this incredible aura about her and it honestly felt like I was catching up with an old friend!

Elo Zar encompasses the freedom to be, she makes her own rules and doesn’t care what anyone has to say about it – she just does her. This is translated through her style, the way she brands herself and of course the music she creates. She lives her life unapologetically and so she should! She is the woman that I one day aspire to be – a free spirit who lives life for herself.

This is not your average SA musician, she is an electro-pop musician. Tell me how many alternative musicians you know in South Africa right now? Well, I’d like to introduce you to my favourite! Her bright pink brand oozing of femininity and the celebration thereof, she is big on women taking their space and being comfortable in their own bodies. Playing small is not a concept Elo Zar knows anything about!

View this post on Instagram

I just came from a tough week and I’m still recovering from it. #BOPHELO #queenofquirk #alternativeafrican

A post shared by ELO (@elo_zar) on Mar 24, 2020 at 4:52am PDT

Firstly, who is Elo Zar and what exactly is your brand?

Elo Zar is basically just somebody who thinks out of the box and is quite creative, especially when it comes to the conventional items that make up creativity – so when it comes to music, I just don’t believe in doing things normally. When it comes to art, like fine arts, I’m just like somebody must do something different and when it comes to film it’s the same thing. I am somebody like that, I am also a person who believes in doing things differently- playing outside the boundaries you know? Especially as an African, doing it for Africans, because most of the time you find that when you tell people you’re going to be an electro-pop musician or an alternative musician, only Europe and America or whatever will get it – no one ever puts Africa as a thought for this genre of music but I’m like NO! I am going to start a revolution! They are going to like my song, at least one.

But that is me, that is my brand. As a brand, I stand for your self-journey. Fight to be different and fighting to stay different because that is what you are! That has also been the story of my own personal journey!

In one of your interviews, you spoke on how you went through an identity crisis growing up, can you tell us more about that and how/ when you finally discovered who you truly were? Any advice for anyone going through the same thing?

I mean, look, I did not like being a teenager. OMG. I had a lot of exes as a teenager trying to find love, trying to find acceptance because I was always the black sheep in my family – I never had anyone to relate to. In my family, I was almost perceived as a nerd, even though I wasn’t and I spoke better English which didn’t really work for me. I think I was also raised by a strict mom who was very hardworking and who didn’t allow us to do a lot of things so the rest of the family sort of treated her like the Hitler of the household and we got the back clash as her kids, especially me as the last born. I almost had to be the cushion for everyone else, I was that always that kid that made sure everyone in the house was okay when they would have arguments or when members of my family were going through something. The problem with that is that it became a default characteristic of mine. In retrospect I forgot me. I didn’t have a chance to figure out who I was because I was trying to manage the environment in the house so I ended up taking that into the world which is probably why I was an outcast in school. So with all of this, you’re trying to figure out who you are, constantly asking yourself questions like why am I like this? what’s wrong with me? Cause also I never liked peer pressure, I thought it was silly, especially with fashion – I never did what people were doing so that resulted in me not actually having a crew. I never just blindly followed people.

After all of that, I started to embark on that journey of self-acceptance and I had to. And even with people I thought were my friends at some point, I realised like “yo, guys, we’re not gelling as much as I thought – we just hang out together because we like the same music and that’s not enough for me.”

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I found myself realizing the depths of my brokenness but I’m here now and that pain WILL no longer define me. #BOPHELO ft @kommanda_obbs see bio for

#queenofquirk #alternativeafrican

A post shared by ELO (@elo_zar) on Mar 24, 2020 at 4:53am PDT

Once I got my degree and I decided that I am going to be a full-on artist and embrace my music side, that is when I had to face me. Whoever that was! And I am grateful for that because I had to look at the wounds and be like “yeah, this level of rejection still hurts” and it was painful. When you go through a lot of rejection you go through life with a lot of walls around you, trust becomes a huge issue. So then, I had to start working to kill that off because I wanted real love, I wanted authentic love – not just from somebody else but from me to myself. And because of that, I am in a much better place.

If I had to advise anybody, its that; at the end of the day when you go to bed you sleep alone, when you wake up they’re your eyes that you open. I think that everyone should learn and have the courage to ask questions, especially self questions and find self-love beyond family and beyond friends. Once you have that, you can share that because it is never going to run out!

What was it like singing back up for the iconic Vusi Nova and what did you learn from him in terms of being a musician and personal growth?

OMG. It was frightening. It was very scary because at that point I wasn’t even confident within myself, I didn’t know if I could pull through but he kept me around and I really appreciate that. I still do.

It was quite enlightening and with everything that I had gone through, clearly, that whole no peer pressure thing was a great skill that I had mastered. I learnt that just because you’re trying to figure out the industry, it doesn’t mean that you have to be like everybody else and do things the way everyone else is doing them. There are people that pay a high price to be popular, to stay popular and when I was in those scenes I was observing these lifestyle choices, asking why people wanted to do certain things. I was constantly asking myself “are these people actually happy?”

Being a backup vocalist for Vusi has honestly anchored me in the sense that I can be like “I’ve seen this before and that guy, he did not look happy!” But also I enjoyed being on stage, it was so beautiful to watch him perform, I mean he has this personality when he hits the stage and it still inspires me to this day.

The post Interview; Elo Zar – SA’s breath of fresh air part 1 appeared first on CheckoutAfrica.

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[mikeswheeler]

I was tagged by the lovely @finnxwheeler​ and @jewishstanuris​ ♡

Okay so answer the questions and then tag 8 people!

What made you sign up to Tumblr? HOOO BOI well i’ve been on this site for,,, a long time lmao i signed up with my first account aka my main, personal one in around early 2011 ??? and it was honestly just bc i wanted to see what this site was all about bc i kept hearing ppl talk about it on other sites and reference it and i was like ???? what is Tumblr anyways ?? (like it was all bc of that “What is air?” stuff that was happening and i was so confused bc i was like why is everyone asking about air and then my older brother was like oh it’s a Tumblr thing so i was like what’s that and well,, the rest is history)

What did your blog start off as being? WELL my first account was basically cringe-central, like this was in 2011 so my content was basically Memes and Tumblr-esque inspirational quotes and cheesy, basic lookin’ photography (i was also really into anime and Harry Potter at the time so that was another thing) (oh and for some reason i had a Lolita phase where i was super into that style of fashion) (i was a weeb as a child)

Have you ever received any creepy asks, and if so, what did they say? Ehhhhhh,,, kind of ??? like i’ve definitely gotten a couple that i either wanted to deflect or i just kind of conveniently deleted it from my inbox and pretended it never happened lmao 

Have you ever had a bad experience on Tumblr? All the pornbots like it’S SO ANNOYING ??? AND GROSS ?? it’s especially apparent on my personal blog idk why but i have to block so many at a time smh 

If you had to pick a favourite English monarch, who would you pick? This is like a question i’ve never had to think about so I’m not really sure what to answer... 

Do you prefer hot or cold? COLD COLD COLD i’m also in California though so our cold isn’t like...... unbearable ya know ??? but i can’t stand being super hot and sweaty, it’s so uncomfortable !!! 

Do you have a special skill or talent? UHM I GUESS ACTING ????????? idk i kinda don’t wanna say that bc that’s implying i’m like ‘good’ at or whatever, but i have been in multiple plays/musicals before and even gotten an award for one of my roles so i guess that counts for something !!! 

Do you have a phobia of anything? Tight spaces, spiders (or just bugs in general), the dark, heights, anything medical related so blood and needles and hospitals and what not, aliens/the paranormal/supernatural (it’s not such a wild concept ok like it’s all totally plausible)... uHM yah i’m a big baby about a lot of things 

If you had to pick a favourite real life villain from history, who would you pick? Again, never had to consider this question before in my life so i’m not really sure !!!

Do you have any dark traits?

There are times where i’m pretty withdrawn and moody and easily irritated 

If you could do anything, literally anything, like fly on a unicorn or something, what would it be? 

Is it weird if it’d be something like,,, be cast on Stranger Things ??? like i think i fantasize about being on that show ten times a day, i just...... i really wanna be on Stranger Things gOD IMAGINE HOW AMAZING THAT WOULD BE 

What is the scale of the worst argument you’ve ever had? Slamming doors, raised voices, lots of crying...... fun times !!!

What is your favourite slush flavour? Not really into slushies tbh 

If you could bring back any food or drink from your childhood that has been discontinued, what would it be? DUNKAROOS ????? i feel like any snack from the 90s tho like we just don’t have anything as fun as what we had back then 

What is your favourite and most vivid childhood memory? Nothing specific but i remember playing outdoors with my siblings A LOT like we had a pretty big backyard so we’d constantly be out there, being imaginative and coming up with fake scenarios and acting them out, or like playing with the hose in the summertime or THE POOL omg we had this pool and we’d be in it so much...... also video game battles with my older brother ! my childhood was kinda shitty but at least i have those moments to reflect back on 

If you could bring anyone back from the dead who would it be? My first theatre teacher from high school... he passed away due to cancer around my sophomore year... he was really inspiring to me, i mean he’s kinda the reason why i stuck with that class and didn’t totally give up (thus resulting in me finding out that i love acting and that’s what i wanted to do with my life) 

If you could go back to any time period and live there for a week, which period would it be and why? GIVE ME THE 80′S OH MY GOD my mom grew up in the 80′s as a teenager so i always hear all the stories from her about what it was like and it seemed like ??? so cool ?? especially if you were a teen like what a dream ! give me my 80′s teen movie memories !!!

If you could visit any abandoned place to take pictures, where would it be?

Wow, this is actually a good question....... maybe like a retro arcade or art museum or amusement park ???? i feel like those could make for some Neat Photos (the aesthetic tho)

Do you have any particular, peculiar interests? Hmmmmm psychology interests me ?? i took a psychology class my junior year of high school and it was really fascinating, learning about human behavior and those stories of old psychology experiments (so Wild too like damn, i can’t believe they got away with so much shit back then)

Do you have a creepy/scary experience that has happened to you, and what was it? Not necessarily to me personally like, i’ve heard things before but idk to what extent that could mean so i never really looked Too Much into it bUT UHM i know my family has, especially in my childhood home (that place was straight up haunted like i swear) ALTHOUGHHHHH one night my mom was talking to us about something she saw in her room and all of a sudden a bunch of weird shit started going on in our apartment like our printer kept turning on and off and noises came from the kitchen like a cabinet shutting and things like that IT WAS CREEPY OK 

Do you like/read creepypasta stories? If so, what’s your favourite story? Don’t really have a favorite, but i have read creepypasta stories in the past before - they’re pretty intriguing ! (i’m a total wuss tho!!!! which is why i don’t read enough to have a personal favorite)

If you were in the Wars of the Roses, would you be a Lancastrian, or a Yorkist? Haven’t given this any thought before to decide so I DON’T KNOW !

What is your recurring nightmare? Don’t really have any ????? 

Have you ever had a lucid dream? Nah, because the moment i become aware i’m dreaming and i can do whatever i want, i wake up !!! it’s so frustrating lmao 

If you could go to another planet, which would it be? UHM i just really like the way Saturn looks lmao also Venus bc it sounds Nice but in terms of living conditions, i’m sure none of those are suitable  

What is your religion, if any? Don’t really have one !!!! (in the sense of actively practicing) although my mom is Jewish so i have always felt the most connected to that one 

Have you ever got so drunk, that you did something really embarrassing, and if so, what did you do? i’ve never gotten drunk before so lmao 

Mike, Dustin, Lucas, or Will? THIS IS ???? NOT FAIR ??? THEY’RE ALL MY SONS HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME CHOOSE JUST ONE but fine, i pick Mike just bc i feel the most related to him in the sense of personality traits 

Do you like Marina and the Diamonds? SURE ??? she’s got some good stuff 

Charli XCX? YAH SURE WHY NOT i like some of her stuff !!

Tag a blog that you’ve seen, and you love their posts, but have never told them, and would like to talk to them. @miliebobbybrown HER EDITS ARE ALWAYS SO ??? GOOD ???? her whole blog is total #goals just bc of how Nice everything is like wow i am,,, Intimidated but in the best way possible

Pick one thing you like/love from the 80s. The pop culture :^) (movies, music, fashion...... like wow, i just love it all so much)

What year were you born, and name something cool from that year. 1998 and Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets was published 

What was your blog name originally? (If you had another blog name) This one was originally lifeisdefinitelystrange (rip) 

Do you follow any blogs that you know the user in real life? KIND OF ?? I JUST MET @telekineticeggos FOR THE FIRST TIME IN REAL LIFE LAST NIGHT SO LMAO but we’re also planning on doing more things together in real life in the next few months so YEET 

If you are in the ST fandom, which is your favourite song off the ST soundtrack? Africa by Toto (duh), Atmosphere by Joy Division, Heroes by Peter Gabriel, and When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die by Moby (those last two songs were too emotionally impacting to not name) and from the score itself i LOVE KIDS THAT ONE IS SO GOOD TO ME LMAO but tbh i love the entire score and soundtrack ???? it’s so hard to pick just One Favorite

Finally, give your opinion on the person who tagged you! @finnxwheeler - YOUR WRITING NEVER FAILS TO AMAZE ME WOW ??? i’m always in tears over how flawless your fics are like Whiskey and Broken Hearts destroyed me my dude like oh my goddddd i love your characterization of Mike and Will in all your fics :’) one of my favorite byeler blogs ♡ (also you’re super cool in general like wow what a Neat Person)

@jewishstanuris - I LOVE TALKING TO YOU !!! you’re so nice to me and understanding when i take ten years to reply LMAO also your writing is also super good ??? you should do it more often tbh like i swear you don’t do it enough bc i remember only seeing a few things written by you on here in the fandom buT LIKE THEY WERE SO GOOD AND LIKE ???? DO MORE OF THAT MAYBE ??? another rlly good blog apart of the byeler ship ♡ :’) 

OK SO I’M GONNA TAG THESE GOOFS - @telekineticeggos, @dadharbour, @baileytsample, @elevenknope, @nessa007, @theamiableanachronism, @eggo-my-leggo, and @ghost-grantaire ♡ (obviously you don’t have to do it if you’re not interested or if you’ve done it already!)

[swearronchanel]

Oops I did it again: Unnecessary post of random thoughts part 2 - series 5, Episode 8

Because I got some laughs last time posting my actual thoughts while watching and since series 6 STARTS TOMORROW (it’s 11pm here) I’m going to do it again with Series 5, episode 8. Yup, that episode

- lol what boat is this and why is it worthy for the intro - yass Trixie - Damn Vanessa already so inspiring - Shelagh ! hello nurse Turner - Lame ass rules. Give single girls the pill who’s going to snitch - “It’s a start and you still change lives, for the better ” get yourself a Shelagh :beauty and support - Violet’s headscarf is cute - Oh yea I forgot it’s this lady who’s kinda related - Don’t care about this story tbh - Hey Tom 😏 - “I should put a shirt on” , “that would be preferable” Lady why you lying to a vicar - Sister E being cute with the gremlins - Sister MJ with the puppet 😂😂 I love her - Susan Mullocks!! So precious - How tf do they make the baby look so real but can’t make a wig to look real for Pats - Shelagh looks so pretty, I like the lavender. Let’s see what 1962 does for her wardrobe cause she looked so good in the Christmas special - “Baby Williams evacuated his bowels” Lmao babs got shitted on - “It’s called distival” nooooo - Trixie wants Pantyhose lol, go get em girl💁🏼 - “Sounds like a breeding ground for yeast” I LOVE U PHYLLIS 😂😂 - Aw I miss Sister E’s yelling 💔 - “Love knows no boundaries” lol yo Violet is actually precious she needs more screen time - Alright an Australian’s cool but there needs to be a story line for an American girl so it can be me - Someone set that up I’d do it for free - Tom why you so handsome? - also why tf are you two always making out? I don’t care but like Shelagh and Patrick are married and never kiss - lol It’s so funny that they never kiss but they’re going to have a baby on the show - hey pats and delia - wait delia’s welsh why does she not have a passport ? - Can you go to other countries in the U.K. with no passport? I remember that in the European mainland going to France and Spain from Italy but I haven’t been to the U.K. so I don’t know - here I am being a dumbass American - poor mrs cottingham - the wedding dresses lmao, weird to think nuns get “married’ to god - sister MJ😭 she’s not even that tall though - shit I’ve had too many thoughts I’m only 20 mins in - sister E with her last baby omg my heart - I THOUGHT I WAS OKAY IM NOT - Fred found her I wanna cry but I ain’t no bitch - jk I am I feel tears forming - que linda Angela 😭💕 - “Patrick you’re needed at Nonnatus house” damn it I’m crying - everyone on the stairs, my heart hurts - “How is our sister to rise again if her earthly form is not in tact..” omg sister Monica Joan I CANT 💔💔💔 - I already miss sister E and I didn’t see series 6 yet, she would’ve take NONE OF sisters Ursula’s shit - “Patrick Distival’s being withdrawn” - Oh fu*k. - yo queen Laura freaking Main needs an award for her acting - Maybe I should stop cursing - But seriously she’s made me cry or want to cry so many times in this show, I don’t even get this attached like this to tv show characters - I knew they’d give the Australian girl sister E’s dress before they did - Patrick put the damn cigarette out - Wow I’m sad - “She never once said thank you in 18yrs of bicycle maintenance” I loved fred and sister e friendship though omg - Phyllis taking charge lets get it - The nuns in sister e’s room aw dios te bendiga - How do I get to be as beautiful as Trixie wtf - Phyllis, Shelagh and Patsy = power research team - Phyllis’s glasses Lmaoo - Go take those pills back ! - Lol the coffee place is called Paris why does Delia need a passport to go - probably was a lot funnier to me than it really is - “God love ya but you look lonely” I am crying again 💔 - PHYLLIS COMFORTING TRIXIE, MY HEART. I NEED A HUG FROM PHYLLIS - “If there’s any justice in the world you’ll get your reward” I love them omg, I need a Phyllis to my Trixie - “When I see Tom and Barbara now I don’t see what I might have had, I see what they have.. I can’t tell you how much I’d love to feel like that. But it doesn’t need to be bc of a man"💔💔 I am in tears. I feel this so hard - Sister E in the casket. 😪 - Trixie and Peter aw, sorry your damn wife couldn’t show up man - “Nasty, personal job” stfu Mrs Bubsy, go back to Wales - “She’s coming to Paris with me” haaa tell me Pats - Lol @ Tom doing a conga line - Shelagh’s coat is so pretty ! and ofc she’s perfect in it - Aw Mrs Mullocks it’s not ur fault - “I didn’t have gin, we were on a budget” same. try Vlad, horrible taste but works - Again Laura Main, so good with the facial expressions, like I wanna cry with her and hug her - Ha they lit dancing to the twist while the bride’s in labor. Didn’t this happen in an earlier series? - I’m pretty sure someone gave birth during a wedding. Chummy delivered the baby I remember - everyone in black in front of Nonnatus hurts me - THE SHOES, I cry - Damn I forgot how sad this was 💔 - why am I in the feels, i shouldn’t have watched this - Cue Vanessa Redgrave’s outro - “The world was hers no longer..” - “The hope that knew no end” THERE’S SO MUCH HOPE, THERE WAS HOPE IN SOUTH AFRICA, HOPE FOR SHELAGH AND PATRICK EVEN THOUGH THEY DONT KNOW YET, HOPE IN SERIES 6, HOPE IN TODAY FROM THE WOMENS MARCH for 2017 AH - Too many feels. But - The End .

[belletylers]

Hello! I've been following your fanfiction for a few years now, and I am wondering how you're able to write for so many different fandoms? Also if you have any tips in general that would be great :D Thanks!

hi anon! this is lovely, i’m so flattered that you like my writing and you would ask me for tips omg!!

just a disclaimer i have never studied writing, nor do i consider myself an expert of any kind. this is just advice!!

general tips: 

check your spelling and grammar: this is so basic but important lol

check your formatting: nothing worse than a huge chunk of text

write, write, write: the more you do, the better you’ll get. i’ve written dozens of things that i’ll probably never publish or even FINISH. sometimes they remain half-baked ideas, sometimes i’ll use parts of them in a future fic. 

keep a log of all your ideas and inspirations: they can come from songs or concepts or from real life! a lot of the time, one line of dialogue would pop into my head and that would be the inspiration for my story. 

READ!! take inspiration from others, like new phrases or words, or different interpretations of the characters than yours. even if you disagree, it will get you one step closer to a concrete interpretation of the characters. 

don’t write in first person. just...don.t do it.

specific tips: 

keep your dialogue in character: i know, easier said than done. BUT because the source material for fanfic (at least for me) is almost always film or tv, the dialogue is what is going to resonate with the audience the most. it’s the familiar link to them! think not only about what they say, but how they say it. think about the phrasing and the intonation. try to hear them say it in your head. what are they doing with their face and body while they say it? which words do they emphasise? write it all down. make it real. 

a sub-tip: don’t write the dialogue for characters with accents phonetically. it’s tacky. 

don’t overdo it on the slang either (e.g. overuse of words like “blimey” for british characters)

if you’re going to quote the source material, do it sparingly. when characters quote themselves it can come across as cheesy. 

be detailed! detail really sets the scene and it’s the opportunity you have to set the tone for your story as well as establishing an authorial voice. 

establish an authorial voice!! put your stank all over your writing (except the dialogue). try though i may to venture out of my comfort zone, my writing is very distinct in style (to me at least). but this is actually a good thing! good writers HAVE a distinct style formed from years of practice. 

know your canon. know when in the timeline your story takes place and the circumstances surrounding that point that would affect your characters.  for example, when i would write tony/ziva from seasons 3-5, it would be extremely different than writing them from seasons 10+, because of the changes in their relationship. if there’s magic or fantasy elements, do your best to understand them. if it’s canon-divergent, say so and be done with it. but you’re creating an alternate universe, so stick to the rules on that one. 

KNOW YOUR CHARACTERS. this for me is the ultimate advice for jumping from fandom to fandom. your style transcends the story you are telling, but the characters are stuck in their own story. you need to be able to answer any possible question about these characters. if you can receive info from the source material, great!! probably go with this as it’s the basis for what you’re creating. if you don’t know, make a decision. does your character like avacado? have they ever been to africa? do they like the way they look? what is their relationship with their parents? what do they want? make a decision and stick to it. your interpretations of characters can change from fic to fic - mine OFTEN do - but the version of the character that you are putting out there is not going to be convincing unless you act like you truly know them, ESPECIALLY if they are your POV character. 

pick a character as your window into the universe -- for me these are belle french, rose tyler, erin gilbert, tony dinozzo. pick ones that you relate to, and through whose eyes you can try to unpack the idea of the complicated character. and know them inside out and back to front. you’ll note that the love interests of all the characters i mentioned are the Complex and Semi-Mysterious ones AKA a writer’s nightmare but also sometimes a fun challenge if you’re up for it. they aren’t impossible, their brains are just harder to get inside. 

feel free to be self-indulgent with your writing. what you want, people probably do too!! coffee shop au?? fake dating au??? excellent. did the writers fuck up? fix it!! it will make you and everyone else feel better!

write because it’s fun, and don’t rely wholly on praise for validation. 

honestly tl;dr as long as you have a solid understanding of the canon and a very clear interpretation of the characters and you don’t contradict yourself, you’re set. 

[musicmapglobal]

Fortune Shumba

Recently we premiered a track from a devilishly good digital dub EP entitled Dubokaj Meets Fortune Shumba, and immediately we wanted to know more about the singer adding his honeyed vocals to the Swiss producer’s ‘Alpine Dub’. As the title suggests, that singer is Fortune Shumba, a Joburg artist originally from the township of Mpumalanga.

After discovering music while cleaning his father’s taxi cabs, Fortune Shumba determinedly set out on a creative path that was not without its pitfalls. From being ripped off by unscrupulous promoters to getting accidentally stranded in Texas, it’s fair to say the smooth-voiced singer hasn’t had it all his own way. However, aided by a diverse range of influences and his irrepressible artistic energy, Fortune Shumba is showing that there are few barriers to self-expression that can’t be overcome. Read on to learn the rest of his compelling story…

MusicMap: We recently premiered a track from your EP with Dubokaj – what were your favourite moments from those recording sessions?

Fortune Shumba: Hard to pick! I could say the lunch breaks? But then you’ll say I eat too much hahaha so… it has to be when I was first being introduced to the instrumentals with no words and I had to come up with melodies that would perhaps enhance the songs (cause honestly they were already dope without my vocal!). Also cause this was new territory I was branching into, as far as the genre. I’d never really made dub before this.

How did recording with Dubokaj differ from your usual studio experiences?

He really lets you be as weird as you wanne be without giving you the eye LOL! He pays fine attention to fine detail, if a recording take has one tiny thing bothering him he will not be afraid to tell you to do another one. He also has a no rules policy, he makes music that feels good but there is no specific formulae. Anything goes!

Where would be the ideal place to listen to the EP, in your opinion?

With friends once everyone is super baked or alone in bed and in your feels (and/or baked). Bottom line is, it’s even nicer when you are baked. Promise you.

You’ve previously said your music is inspired by dreams – what’s the strangest dream you’ve had recently?

I keep dreaming of my late grandmother, and her house, it’s a recurring dream. But in these dreams there is a huge flood headed our way (My mom, younger brother and I keep driving to escape by driving away). She most probably misses me as much as I miss her. We used to visit her place every holiday and spend some time together. She was a poet and a school teacher so we’d spend most of our time writing or painting or something creative. I guess I also miss that life, hence these never ending dreams about that and tons of flashbacks from my childhood, suddenly.

You’re originally from Mpumalanga. How would you desribe it, and how does it compare to living in Johannesburg?

Mpumalanga is very quiet and reserved. I grew up in a simple, small township and not much really goes on that side. As a kid I was really errm.mo different (or weird depending how you look at it really…). So, as you can imagine – I did not have that many friends, hardly ever went out.

But I have some great memories of my time there. I know we had loads of trees at home so that meant we never had to buy Mangoes or Avos or Bananas. Some great weather too. I realise now how lucky I was because I moved to Joburg and had to pay a fortune for a tiny avo and it’s usually really cold. Nelspruit is generally relaxed.

Loads of WTF moments about Joburg however! Like, the fact that everyone is minding their own business and always on a rush to somewhere. No friendly hellos and smiles from strangers like back at home here. Everyone is on their daily hustle and no one trusts anyone or feels the need to get to know anyone. But also this is an exciting thrill, this pushes you to push yourself! I am still trying to get used to this rush and just being here and I moved here like a year ago already.

Can you send us a photo of the view from your window?

What sort of music were you exposed to when you were growing up?

Kwaito first, my father was a taxi driver who later went on to start his own taxi business. Before he and my mother divorced I was exposed to the taxi life almost everyday. My dad played a lot of Brenda Fassie, Soul Brothers and Yvonne Chaka Chaka in his cars.

When he expanded his business there were more taxi drivers involved, each one had their own different taste in music and since it was my duty to clean the “mini-bus” taxis upon their return every night, I’d go through each driver’s music catalog and sing my heart out while doing my “chore”. You’d get guys that would play Brandy or Whitney or Destiny’s Child or Luther or Celine or whatever, the more younger drivers would have more edgier Kwaito and House stuff like Boom Shaka or Arthur Mafokate or Mandoza or Brenda Fassie or even Oskido. Then you had those drivers that liked American rap, your Ja Rule and DMX and Jay Z or Biggy or Pac. I played everything!

My gran played a lot of Dolly Parton so I was exposed to that too. She’d cry over it or dance or whatever cause it reminded her of a friend that had passed on. My grandfather from my dad’s side was from Zimbabwe, he ran a drinking shebeen for the villagers to drink at and he normally played a lot of Zimbabwean records, really loud. We’d normally dance to that and the people who were there to drink would form part of our audience and would sometimes throw some money at us.

I then grew a little older and went through my little gothic phase (picture this, a township kid in a public school who is goth and queer). I was listening to 5FM which was considered a “white station”. Radio introduced me to bands like BLK JKS, Panic at the Disco, Freshly Ground (first live show I saw and to this day I aspire to be as liberated as Zolani was on that day) and so forth. I was also listening to Evanescence, Paramore, Green Day, The Killers, Daughtry, Queen, Adam Lambert and 30 Seconds To Mars.

Then I kinda outgrew that and started listening to a lot of world music, loads of Busi Mhlongo and Jabu Khanyile and Bholoja and Dobet Gnahorè, some Sade too.

When I was in high school I began dating a guy who was older than me and was a die hard Bjork fan. I jumped on that too, became super obsessed. Oh I loved Beyonce (still do), my playlist had some Rihanna, and some Missy Elliot, some Pink, some Madge, Bowie, Grace Jones. I liked the pop artists who were super visual and were pushing boundaries.

And then when I would still go to church one of the American missionaries who’d visit our house regularly told me about Florence and The Machine and Kate Nash and a bunch of very quirky and alternative Brit acts he liked. I was genre hopping a lot growing up.

When did you start making your own music and what was it like?

First time recording, I was in 10th grade and it was a hook [by] a guy called Pressure, a rapper neighbour of mine at the time. Never got to hear that mess after recording it and also, I was glad cause I hated it so much OMG I thought I had a really annoying voice!

Since I spent a lot of time with my writer gran, I became a writer and poet first before even deciding to sing my own songs. In 2013 when I went to University I was yearning to record music suddenly. I’d skip some classes and link up with some guy in the city who had promised to make me a star. I paid him for studio time from my own savings without telling my mom and he got these two guys to produce a house song for me and it was not as bad as my first attempt with the rap hook.

The two guys disappeared with the song and my damn money. The other guy who’d said he’d make me famous vanished too. So I never got to hear that song too, post- studio session.

Later on during the June school holidays in that 2013 whilst visiting a friend of mine from back home who had his little backyard studio set up, just a mic and mixer – nothing fancy but heeeeyyy. He played me a tribal house beat and I started free styling over it, he lost his mind completely. See, I was not that confident in my singing, he kinda hyped me up and talked me into recording that song the next day. We ended up doing an entire mixtape and I was like “I love this shit!”. I realised I really enjoyed singing more than anything.

I went back to University and wrote more music while other kids were studying hard for exams, it was an otherworldly experience honestly and I had been sucked into this fantasy land where I could be anything or anyone I wanna be through song. I ended up dropping out of University where I was studying Accounting and pursued the music thing full time. And yes my parents were disappointed in me, severely… but I could care less. I felt free through making music.

Does your local area influence the music you make?

Definitely! I mean… as a writer you find inspiration in almost anything and Jozi is like a melting pot of cultures so inspiration finds you all the time. I started being more outgoing, braver and edgier when I moved here. I grew into my own, away from all I knew back at home. The people I hang around with now, the spots I go to, just my general view of the big city and its impact in my way of living and thinking has definitely influenced my sound somehow.

Who’s your biggest South African musical influence, past and/or present?

Present: Die Antwoord, Black Coffee, Thandiswa Mazwai. Past: Brenda Fassie, Boom Shaka/Lebo Mathosa, Busi Mhlongo, Jabu Khanyile.

What one place should music fans visiting South Africa see or do?

Definitely Maboneng. Very artsy vibe. Real African experience. There’s usually shows happening and there’s a back packer too, loads of places to get wasted at and buy some trees. Really tourist friendly and all the cool kids hang out there so there is some great company too.

What’s the biggest challenge facing musicians in South Africa right now?

People do not wanna pay for our stuff out here ’cause the respect for our craft is not really there. Though you do get lucky sometimes.

Promoters also do not pay artists and if they do it’s not what they are worth. And you get festivals that will book the same acts every year and shut other kids out. I could go on cause there’s a lot but that is up there in my top three… oooh also, no radio or tv air play for the kids who try to bring something fresh and original.

Where in the world would you most like to perform?

Does “All over the world” count as a valid answer? Lol Would really love to play a huge stage at a European festival. I really love Europe. I think I was meant to stay in Europe?

What’s your favourite album of all time?

This is so difficult. I will go with Bjork’s Vespertine.

What’s your favourite track of 2017 so far?

Besides my own of course! I really like Sevdaliza’s ‘Bluecid’.

Finally, Fortune Shumba, what are the luckiest and unluckiest things to happen to you in life so far?

Unlucky: Losing both my maternal and paternal grandmothers around the same time. My messed up relationship with my father. My parents divorcing when I was a kid… getting lost at night in Johannesburg on my first week of being here… what else? I got drunk at SxSW last year and got on the wrong bus back to the hotel, ended up stranded in the middle of nowhere in America and I had a flight to catch the next day. Also being molested at a young age changed my entire life and not being able to talk about it. And recently I was supposed to go to Switzerland for three months and my Visa got declined. Too many things to mention really… LOL

Lucky cause I am still alive and able to create music. Lucky to have a loving and supportive mother and siblings. Lucky to be free. Freedom is not known to others.

[kateemmerson]

THE SASSY SYNCHRONISTIC STUFF OF SIMPLY SHOWING UP

THE SASSY SYNCHRONISTIC STUFF OF SIMPLY SHOWING UP #Minimalist meanderings

Recently in the quaint country of Romania for some work, I experienced some (well SEVERAL) sassy synchronistic stuff unfold as I allowed the special energy of this beautiful city take over for a while. I was staying in a flash 5 star hotel as a guest of my host in the country (Sassy #1 – having been delightfully upgraded from an already wonderful 4 star hotel as upon checking in they were renovating that back part of the hotel and a band had extended their stay, so they had no room at that Inn and so they “moved me” to the ooh la la Radisson on the front) Ooh I love that I believe in unexpected delights!

Sassy #2 – there were strelitzias basking on the new concierge’s desk at check in. Hello South Africa. The Radisson was also directly opposite the main concert hall near the old walled city, and 2 days later I discovered there was a special concert on THAT evening. How?

I had been gifted a three-hour private walking and driving tour of the city earlier by my hosts, and we happened to go inside the concert hall to view it’s historical magnificence when we stumbled across some deeply inspirational choral practice whilst looking up at the domed ceilings with awe. Sassy #3 – My amazing tour guide mentioned there was a very special concert on that evening – nudge nudge wink wink.

Sassy #4 – we then landed up in front of the “palace” that was built under Communist rule, now the seat of government. My host proclaimed, that although being Romanian she had never yet been inside or had the tour, and that sadly you need to submit your passport at least 24 hours before in order to get inside. We were marveling at it from the parking lot. Then she gets a twinkle in her eye and says- shall we try and get in? She made a phone call to a friend who works inside, and even though he WASN’T working that particular day he said – go to the entrance and they will allow you to visit today! My host and guide both decided I was their lucky charm, making everything so easy and effortless.

I started feeling a bit lousy in the afternoon after returning from the tour, and had taken myself off to bed for an afternoon nap, contemplating the concert that night. 35 minutes before the start of the concert, I knew I would regret not trying to get a ticket, so I dragged myself out of bed again, splashed my face and added a dash of lipstick, walked across to the “late sales” booth at the side, and stood in a long queue.

Mmmm bed seemed very appealing again. Waiting, slowly.

I saw a very well dressed elderly gentleman standing near the queue for the 15 minutes I was there and kept wondering what he was doing? He wasn’t talking to anyone, but kept trying to motion to them. I kinda felt sorry for him. As I got to the front of the kiosk, they told me they only accepted CASH> >>>aaaargh I only had my card. Cash machine here? No! Tickets were 75 leu and I had only 40 leu cash on me. Damn. Maybe the other Hotel across the road could convert my foreign money, as I knew my own hotel didn’t do that. In Romania what is weird is that all the hotels only work in Euro’s, as it’s now part of the EU, yet all the local shops and establishment still use Romanian Leu, the original, local currency. It’s a tad confusing.

That Hotel also had no local money for me and the banks had closed ten minutes ago.

Eventually after 10 minutes – with the show now starting in ten minutes, I found a cash machine, realizing it would dispense in local currency. DUH! Now, a little weird travel lesson from South Africa. We are considered a slightly “dodgy” country, you know because we look and sound just like Nigeria where most of the money laundering in the world happens. Every time I leave SA I spend about an hour on the phone calling my two banks and getting all my business and credit cards cleared for the countries of my travel, otherwise any foreign transactions might be deemed fraudulent transactions. And even after doing that time-consuming clearance, they can still decline transactions when I’m overseas. So I have multiple cards with multiple options so as not to get caught out.

It took me three cards to be able to draw cash from THIS Romanian machine!

Right – dash back, sweating and huffing to the queue, now with less than 5 minutes till show time. Old man still there. Sassy #5 – He shows me a ticket and says “you for one?” He seems to “imply” he has a ticket (in very broken English and of course I am 200% fluent in Romanian) so I go to the kiosk lady and get her to verify the ticket is indeed valid as there was no date on it (that’s how their special season tickets work apparently) and he says he wants only 60 leu for it. B for bargain, as the tickets were  originally 75 leu.

“COME” he urges, “we late”.

As we are walking and running up the stairs he manages to convey to me that his wife is home and ill and this is her season ticket – pretty good communication hey? We walk into this uppermost concert room and I gasp. OMG – vast, bold, exquisite and ornate. Everyone dressed to the nines and I am transported to ancient Eastern European grandeur.

Sassy #6 – He proceeds to walk to the FRONT ROW. I am front and centre and can hear the musicians breathe as they are warming up. In and out, deep and crisp and even. And the faint squeak the violin string makes before the haunting sound is emitted across the air. I can reach out and touch the conductor as he sashays to the front and lifts his baton!

I can see him twitch and sweat beads form on his brow.

Front row tickets for simply BEING in a city on a night and being willing to show up. I am in awe of the magic of life.

Too often we try and PRE control and PRE book. I believe there is a place for that, but I do love the magic of being in the moment and letting life unfold! FRONT ROW SEATS UNFOLDS! Sassy #7 -The next morning as I head outside to my taxi back to the airport to leave for Greece to run a writing retreat, I see the music conductor sitting in the hotel lobby. Already half way through the revolving door, I make a split second decision to do the full 360 degree circle and get out where I started. I walked up to him, apologized for interrupting his Sunday morning with his female companion, shook his hand and said how marvelous it was that I had enjoyed the privilege of being in the front row the night before. “I remember you, madam, thank you” he said, smiling and eyes twinkling.

And that is how I love to travel.

Do you need to start letting sassy magic unfold in YOUR life? Perhaps I can share some of my methods with you over the next few months?

Last week, I had 90 minutes to “kill” before meeting a dear friend for a mutually soulful chat and had gone early to make sure I was in the right place. So literally killing time, wondering where to go to I was just meandering along in my Russian hat. This “random” guy, bit older than me, Kevin to be precise, stop and says, “I know this is weird but I have (Sassy #8) “time to kill” before making my way to my theatre show tonight with friends and may I buy you a cup of coffee. You look really interesting”. I shrieked with laughter, looked a little shocked and amused at the same time and promptly tuned into my spirit and said yes. I KNOW some of you are reading this with many many “WTF is wrong with you Kate!!!” going round in your head.

As we sat and chatted and told each other a bit about ourselves, (and please let me re-iterate with zero weirdness or innuendos or sexual undertones whatsoever) I was telling him about my new book being released this year helping clients to get really clear on the complex emotional issues of detaching emotionally from a home before putting in on the market to sell, and to support people to sell, pack and move with ease. He just looks at me and smiles – he is about to sell his house and it’s a potentially complicated story with the house and…..Sassy #9 he ALSO works for a well-known estate agent in his town. Now – here’s the rub – I am I the process of looking for potential “brand partners” in the whole property industry, alongside “guinea pigs” to keep working with the material to give me feedback on how it all works for them. Social proof if you like. So this sassy just tickled me pink.

And then there was today catching a bus on a sad, dreary day from Rugby – saying goodbye to my mum on the side of the road just as the light was just coming u, I start chatting the the guy waiting for the bus with me, also headed to Heathrow Airport. Sitting across the aisle, we simply chat about where we are headed and why, and spend the next two hours chatting about work, life, beauty therapy, making brave bold choices in life and business and following our dreams. He landed up Sassy #10 – lugging my suitcase between the buses whilst we waited for an hour and he bought me a mug of tea and became my companion for a while on the road. We even landed up looking at his new brand logos for his business.

Yep, I speak to strangers and I let my trust in people, the world and what we are all doing here seep into my soul at every turn. It’s all to easy to shut off, shut down and shut up. How is that working for YOU?

  Call me crazy, call me naïve, call me mad. Or worse. I call it “THE SASSY SYNCHRONISTIC STUFF OF SIMPLY SHOWING UP”. And I mean showing up with trust, openness, love, compassion and your wits about you at every turn. Let life and people surprise the hell out of you, shock you and win you over. Yes, it’s a bit of a dare!

  WANT TO FIND YOUR OWN VERSION OF SASSY?

I am so passionate about this concept of LIVING IN THE MOMENT and being in love with your real self (as in deeply proud of who you are and how you live your life) and for me it all starts with HONESTY.

The starting point is simply to TAKE STOCK in all 8 areas of life, so that you get clear on WHERE YOU are and what is and isn’t working for you.

I have created an entire video series – FREE of charge to support you to get started. Click here to  QUICK SHIFT 1 THING using the 4  G-SPOTS of TRANSFORMATION If I can help you do that as smartly as possible, then you will have some starting points to let yourself meander and BE. And that is good for ALL of us. My mission is to help you find your own SASSY and SHIFT!

When you sign up, you will need to confirm your e-mail address, and get stuck into the first video with pen and paper. Then I will send you 2 more videos.

These 3 live videos will cover the 4 G spots of Transformation – Grips, Gap, Grow and Guts.

TAKING STOCK in all 8 areas will help you figure in which 1 area YOU need to shift immediately.

Then further down the line you will be invited to “The Cappuccino Challenge” -another surefire way to stay HONEST with YOURSELF. Courageous acts of self-love every day for 30 days. Loved by THOUSANDS of CLIENTS that have transformed their lives permanently in just 20 minutes a day  –  Just so you know what’s in store for you as you join my “tribe” ok?

LET’S GET YOU STARTED RIGHT AWAY

With lightness,

THE SASSY SYNCHRONISTIC STUFF OF SIMPLY SHOWING UP was originally published on Kate Emmerson - The Quick Shift Deva