Comments on: Playlist: Ntone Edjabe

By: Sean Jacobs

Sean Jacobs — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:27:44 +0000

I first saw the Madingoane poem being read in the strange film “Two Rivers” about the poet Rashaka Ratshitanga.

By: samboerou

samboerou — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:16:50 +0000

Also,I talk about me,I am Africa,Madingoane reading with musical backing.Then there is Marimba doing the Ingrid Jonker poem,Die Kind.Have seen the Young Lions/Lioness’ rappin’ knuckles with the Afrikan Poet Society compilation.

By: Sean Jacobs

Sean Jacobs — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 21:00:51 +0000

Kaganof also made this film about an electronic music festival featuring the music of Zim and a few others: http://theleoafricanus.com/2007/12/02/africas-first-electronic-music-festival/

By: Ntone

Ntone — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:24:10 +0000

Kaganof also made a good film on the poetry-music dialogue in SAn context, titled “Giant Steps”, music is Zim and Dyani, poets: Ramps, Kgafela, Mac Manaka…co-directed by Geoff Mpaklhathi who ran jazz societies in Pta in the 70s.

Another dialogue I can think of is Mafika’s Jol’inkomo, after the Gibson Kente’s song popularised by Makeba.

By: Sean Jacobs

Sean Jacobs — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:33:58 +0000

@”There’re talks in Tshwane of Festac 2010 in South Africa. Who will, who can organise the anti-Festac (as Fela did in 77, which turned out to be the REAL Festac)?”
Chimurenga!

By: samboerou

samboerou — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:22:20 +0000

Would love to see Kaganof’s movie he did on one of the founders of the Last Poets,Gylan Kain,called Baby Kain.

By: Ntone

Ntone — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 01:18:26 +0000

Fela 1: The 11th track is Femi’s “Democrazy” from his last album – he expanded Fela’s wordplay to a song. The thinness of contemporary songwriting… or minimalism. Anyway I like that Femi flees the crowded world of Afrobeat, riding a fuji riddim. But he took his horns with him.

Fela 2: I think Fela moved to Accra. He lives inside the body of Wanlov the Kubolor:http://www.myspace.com/wanlov
Abeg, get your green card O!

Fela 3: There’re talks in Tshwane of Festac 2010 in South Africa. Who will, who can organise the anti-Festac (as Fela did in 77, which turned out to be the REAL Festac)?

By: Sean Jacobs

Sean Jacobs — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:19:37 +0000

I too was surprised at the non-inclusion of Fela? Ntone, what says?

By: Sean Jacobs

Sean Jacobs — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:19:05 +0000

That must have been before Masekela reformed. I once sat next to him at an ANC corporate gig in the late 1990s held in Somerset West (my reporter girlfriend got me in) and he turned out to be quite pleasant. BTW, that was an odd night. There was an auction and people were auctioning of their ties (!) for the ANC. Patrice Motsepe and a group of BEE men. It was embarrassing.

By: Sean Jacobs

Sean Jacobs — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:16:36 +0000

I thought he used to hang out with the Last Poets.
BTW, I was once invited by a friend who taught at a NYC Ivy League school [I am trying to be evasive] to speak to his class about SA after they had watched Lee Hirsch’s “Amandla!”. When I got there, I found that one of The Last Poets was also there to talk to the class. When I had done my bit, he took the floor and went on a homophobic tirade. You could see how uncomfortable the largely black group of students were.