Culture and creativity at work in Newcastle, Amajuba at inaugural event in July 2024
On Saturday the 27th of July 2024, Afropolitan Explosiv held a cultural event, “Chords & Chill”, at Baywash Lounge in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal. The evening was a remarkable experience that blended art, emotion, and community spirit. The ambiance was vibrant, filled with anticipation and excitement as attendees gathered to witness an array of poetic performances that promised to touch hearts and stir minds.
The program was divided into three segments:
(1) Poetry, (2) Music, (3) Visual Art & Craft
Dr Thokozani Mhlambi was the program director for the evening, each of the segments had its own curatorial team. As an opening meditation audience members were invited to read from classic texts, including a poem by Nontsizi Mgqwetho—the great innovator in Xhosa poetic form, there were recitations from izibongelo of Queen Nandi daughter of Bhebhe, to mention a few.
Poetry Segment
The poetry segment was an electrifying showcase that left the audience enthralled. Poets graced the stage with their remarkable works, exploring a multitude of themes and life’s profound moments. Each performance was a unique reflection of the human experience, weaving together words that resonated deeply with everyone present.
Sokhethabahle: The evening began with Sokhethabahle, whose powerful performance captivated the audience. His piece delved into human interactions within modern society, shedding light on the complexities and beauty of our social connections. His words were poignant, his delivery commanding, leaving a lasting impact on all who listened.
Intandokazi KaBaba: Following Sokhethabahle, Intandokazi KaBaba took the stage with an incredible performance that fused poetry with movement. Her pieces explored matters of intimacy and the heart, each verse a delicate exploration of love and human connection. The fluidity of her movements added an extra layer of depth to her words, creating a mesmerizing experience for the audience.
Nkondllo: Nkondllo’s performance was a journey through themes of discovery and resilience. His evocative imagery and powerful delivery painted vivid pictures in the minds of the audience, taking them on an emotional ride through the ups and downs of life’s journey. His ability to convey complex emotions with simplicity and grace was truly remarkable.
Lethal Injection: The audience was then swept away by Lethal Injection’s stunning presentation. His piece, an ode to the warm fires of romance, was delivered with charm and elegance. His performance was not just about the words but the way he conveyed them, creating an atmosphere of passion and enchantment that resonated deeply with everyone present.
uMphazima: The segment concluded with UMphazima, who presented a masterful craft that delved into the vast circle of morality. His performance was beautifully fused with acoustic music, creating a harmonious blend of sound and poetry. His exploration of moral themes was thought-provoking, leaving the audience with much to ponder long after his performance ended.
Isibaya Arrangement of Craft Exhibition & Visual Art
The exhibition was gorgeously arranged in the shape of isibaya, a circle with an opening arranged with tables and racks on an astroturf and framed with Afropolitan Explosiv step and repeat banners on each end. Upon entry into the exhibition, the spectator was ushered into the fine art section that welcomed viewers into an artistic universe. The art was weaved throughout the exhibition in-between the crafts tables and crochet rack. Light weight fine art was hung on display windows behind the crafters. Metal and cloth canvases leaned against display tables with large pieces positioned along the tables to create a seamless segue from section to table throughout the exhibition.
In 2023, Afropolitan Explosiv ran a 9 month arts and craft project called #UkubonaKabusha2023. This was development work with crafters of all craft media focused on 3 areas: conceptual creation, business flow strategy and digital online business sales on free platforms.
At the event at Baywash, the crafts were displayed by the following participants:
Zibuyile Mbatha: who is an immaculate veteran beader who works with Czechoslovakian beads to make necklace and earring sets and elaborate neck and waist pieces.
Malindi Mbele: who works with leather wood and beads to make hats, leather and wood keyrings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
Philisiwe Biyela: who works with beads and wool to make crochet shoes and slippers along with vibrantly coloured neck and wrist pieces.
NoBuntu Mhlambi: who is an arts and culture facilitator who both coordinated and facilitated the #UkubonaKabusha2023 joined the exhibition in support of the exhibitors and showcased her collection of NoBuntu Mhlambi Cardigan cardigans.
Visual Art Exhibition
Mthokozisi AKA Cube CREA, from section 5, Madadeni: Brought magnificent hand crafted projects which were several of them. He impresses his audience with so much creativeness and abstract ability to produce something that has depth in terms of its meaning. He uses big canvases that the audience can relate and interpret the work even from a distance away.
Sabelo Nyandeni, from section 6, Madadeni: He was so vocal and able to interact with the audience in relation with the questions they would ask pertaining his creations. He brought several pieces of his abstract art and which are based on anime since his mostly inspired by cartoonist. He was able to engage and letting the audience know the kind of medium which works best for him and had successfully achieved his thought of increasing momentum in his craft, which makes it even more interesting.
Siphesihle Zondo, from section 6, Madadeni: I was able to give warmth in speech to the audience relating to my projects. I was able to make a very interesting display setup of artists work with the assistance of other artist. I was able to connect my art to the audience letting them know more about the meaning, composition and the vision behind some of my works, also the depth of it. I was able to keep the audience entertained during the solo exhibition because some of the works got an entertaining story behind them. I brought over 10 artworks that are solely based or inspired by realism. Sometimes the audience finds it hard to believe that this is hand made portrait because of the complexity and detail it contains.
Musical Segment:
In addition there was a musical segment which incorporated a variety of music genres, including soul, gospel, Afropop, Amapiano and African Classical Music.
The headline performance was rendered by Ekow Saxx, a talented saxophone player from Accra in Ghana, currently on tour in South Africa. Ekow blends the rich harmonic tones of his saxophone with live amapiano beats.
There were also performances from the following artists:
Zipho Dube: who sang a number of gospel items from his latest album.
Thokozani Mhlambi: who sang gave tunes from his album Zulu Song Cycle, and he also introduced Ekkow Sax.
Under Souful Music, we had:
Sunflower N: who wore a red evening dress and sang classic and new RnB tracks,
Mbali Majola: who had power-packed playlist fusing RnB, Amapiano and Afropop.
Nobuntu DivAA: who sang neosoul tunes from the early 2000s.
Under the Hip Hop section:
Mrale Fin
Rapkid Nja ye Lyric
BoneX
The Chauffeur
Typikal SgoraBar
Rasclaat
Phil