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Dirty L'il Blunt

He's the man who has given us sad songs such as Goodbye My Lover off Back to Bedlam and Same Mistake off All the Lost Souls - even You're Beautiful even had a touch of melancholy to it. But Mr Blunt is sounding a lot happier these days. Witness the new single off his latest album called Stay the Night. 



There's a different kind of energy that comes though in Some Kind of Trouble. Blunt himself acknowledges this, saying his two previous albums were a pair of book ends - action and reaction. Some Kind of Trouble starts a new chapter.

Some Kind of Trouble is out now. 

Follow James Blunt, the self-confessed performing monkey, as he gets more comfortable on Twitter here.

Make Things Happen

This is the advert Sharlto Copley made for Nedbank. I love that Sharlto, who is currently in talks to star in the upcoming Men in Black 3 movie, was involved in filming this in downtown Joburg. It has such a great message - one that I have been taking to heart.



John Kani also made one, that will air on TV as a follow-up to this one.
Well done to Nedbank on bagging two of the country's finest actors!

RIP Hotep Galeta

It was with a sad heart that I wrote up one of today's stories: jazz musician and teacher Hotep Idris Galeta passed away.

Hotep was one of the first interviews I did when I started out as a music journalist, while I was living in Cape Town. He was so warm and friendly, and full of knowledge - knowledge he was so eager to pass on. He remained that way, up until I last saw him a few months ago in Cape Town.

He may not have been as well known as Abdullah Ibrahim or Hugh Masekela, but Hotep was more comfortable behind the scenes, as writer Evan Milton attests in this piece he wrote last year. But the contributions Hotep made should not be forgotten and will live on in the many young students who gained so much from his wisdom and warm smile.

Hotep's death comes in a year in which we've lost many a wonderful soul, like Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Robbie Jansen, Rex Rabane and Ezra Ngcukane. As the new Arts and Culture Minister Paul Mashatile says, it's been a sad year indeed for jazz lovers.

U2 360 Degree Tour Confirmed for SA!

So we knew this was in the pipeline but as good, law-abiding citizens over here in Newsville, we like to make sure the I's and T's on the contracts are all dotted and crossed before we start getting as excited as we should be for one of the biggest concerts of our time!

This stage from the band's concert in Barcelona is the same one that will be used in Joburg and Cape Town next year.

The two dates in South Africa took many years to confirm. Organisers Big Concerts say the world-class stadiums in Cape Town and Joburg sealed the deal. The size of this tour will be unlike anything we've seen here before: 150 containers will be shipped in, with 120 of those being transported back and forth between Cape Town and Joburg. The stage itself is 190-feet-high, weighing 180 tonnes. Then there are the fans: 100 000 people can fill the FNB Stadium standing, with about 56 000 in the Cape Town Stadium. And you can be sure these shows will most certainly sell out!

U2 play Joburg and Cape Town on the 13th and 18th of February, respectively. Tickets go on sale this Saturday.

Boo!

Oh, how we love you! It was so good to be transported back to a time when bassists spoke an incomprehensible language and dressed up in pink fishnet stockings at Friday night's reunion gig in Joburg.

Ta-da-taaah, ta-da-taaaaah!

Taken with Nadia's Gorgeous iPhone

Boo!'s latest album The Three of Us is out now.

Happy Birthday to The Arch

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu turns 79 today. He announced two months ago that he would be retiring on his birthday, and there are some great pieces that have been published, reflecting on his legacy here and here.

I've always loved covering events that The Arch attended because he just has such a wonderful personality (and makes for great radio with his jokes and charm!) This photo was taken at his 75th birthday celebration at the Sandton Convention Centre - where Samuel L Jackson, Santana and Alfre Woodard came to join in the fun (and fundraising).

And this right here - from the World Cup Kickoff Celebration Concert in June - is one of the reasons why he is so loved:

Die Antwoord - Part Two

A few posts ago, I expressed my ambiguious feelings about Die Antwoord where I said I was hoping the group would stick around long enough for me to make up my mind about how I felt about them. Much has happened since then, namely that the band signed a major deal with Interscope Records, home of Lady Gaga and Eminem. They're committed to 5 albums so have to be around for at least that long.

On Saturday night the group performed at the Bassline before heading back overseas on the second part of their world tour. They also previewed the music video for their new single, Evil Boy, which features a young Xhosa rapper called Wanga, as well as a whole lot of penises. These made their way onto the stage too - see Exhibit A and B below.

The video is as controversial as you'd expect from a group that uses the words "poes" and "naai" as easily as "please" and "thank you". But the track is slick and US producer Diplo has worked in his magic into a tale about circumcision and "big loving". It's as hot as Die Antwoord's stage show, which is filled with non-stop energy, fast raps and great costume changes. Oh, yeah, and Ninja's prosthetic District 9 limb. He showed me later the D9 tattoo inscribed on the inside of his bottom lip. Fans to the max!

As for me, I had fun and that's that. I think I am going to stop over-analysing the band too much. Although I am still intrigued by things like meeting an American girl who has flown over here just to watch the band because she's "seen everything else out there, from dubstep to industrial, and there's nothing like Die Antwoord".

Hungry Like the Wolf

Duran Duran have been working with Mark Ronson, cooking up a new album, called All You Need is Now. It's almost ready to be released, and lead singer Simon Le Bon says they will be premiering tracks from it when they tour South Africa in December. It's been 17 years since the group last performed here.


Duran Duran play Durban at the International Convention Centre (ICC) on 7th December 2010, Johannesburg at Carnival City, Big Top Arena on the 8th and 9th December 2010, and Cape Town's GrandWest Grand Arena on 11th and 12th December 2010.

RIP Tony Curtis

Hollywood star Tony Curtis has died in his sleep at his Nevada home, at the age of 85.

BieberHunters

This whole week I have been getting smses and emails about Justin Bieber. It goes with the territory, this I understand. However, I would like it if the smses didn't come at 5:45am! Nonetheless, Bieber's visit to SA coincided with the news that a) he had just been snapped making out with a fellow teeny-bopper singer and, 
b) he had released a line of bedding and curtains with his face all over.
Now comes the news to satisfy all those Bieberites who haven't managed to get their picture taken with him while he's been cosying up to cheetahs and kite-surfing (barring those who took pics with the "fake Bieber"). Bieber dolls! Collectible Bieber dolls - that will hit stores in the US just in time for Christmas.

      Eeeeeek! 

Money Never Sleeps

And that has proved to be a good thing for the sequel to Wall Street, which hit the big screen in South Africa and the rest of the world this past weekend. Showing it is worth its weight in gold, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps struck it big at the box office during its opening weekend.

At Cannes I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Carey Mulligan, Frank Langella and director Oliver Stone to talk about the movie. Stone said he wanted to preview it in Cannes, see people's reactions and then tweak it a little before its worldwide release. It seems that move has paid off.
Here is a snippet of Douglas talking about how it came to be that he reprised his Oscar-winning role of Gordon Gekko...



This interview took place before it was announced Douglas was fighting throat cancer - a battle he's fighting with his wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones and their two children.

Die Antwoord Enter the BBC

A few weeks ago, I mentioned on Twitter that it felt surreal to hear Die Antwood's Enter the Ninja on high rotation in the UK. Well, in a very short time, the track has entered the BBC Radio 1 Chart at Number 37 - alongside Eminem and Katy Perry. That's no mean feat. But then again, it's not like we should have expected anything less from the group that seems to be fast becoming everyone's favourite group du jour.  As this article by the fantastic Diane Coetzer relates there is just no stopping Yo-landi Vi$$er, Ninja and DJ HiTek, as they conquer the world's music territories, one by one.

In a telephonic tete-a-tete with Yo-landi, she says they weren't even aware that they were in the chart. "We don't even know what the chart is," she said.
"But it sounds important," adds Ninja.
They've been working on the new music video for the track Evil Boy with a Xhosa emcee called Wanga, whom Ninja says brings a "fresh twist" to things. And they're keeping mum on upcoming videos they are working on but I have a feeling at least one of the heroes he speaks about meeting is involved.

Here's the interview - where Yo-landi and Ninja talk about officially releasing their debut album, which has  a "cute cover that you can stick up on the wall", and the 23 Die Antwoord tracks that are "floating around."

Keep up with Die Antwoord here and here.

Die Antwoord play the Bassline in Newtown, Joburg, on October 2nd, before heading out on the second part of their world tour.

SA at the Toronto International Film Festival

How gorgeous do Malin Ackerman and Ryan Phillipe look at the premiere of The Bang Bang Club at the Toronto International Film Festival?

Last night there was a gala screening of the film - it was one of only 15 movies to be selected for gala screenings at the fest - which was also the world premiere. Much more fanfare than the low-key screenings that happened at Cannes earlier this year. So far, the film's reception has been good, but a Reuters' critic felt it "lacked grit". I got an sms from Jesse Clegg at around 5am to tell me he thought I deserved an Oscar for my cameo- too sweet! Haha! But he said he was very impressed with the film and really enjoyed it.
Two other South African films - State of Violence and Life, Above All (which is South Africa's official submission to the Academy Award board in the Best Foreign Film category) are also shining the spotlight on the country at the festival.

Best of Grahamstown

I love the 969 Festival because it gives those of us who missed out on this year's National Arts Festival (thanks to a little thing called The World Cup) the chance to see some of the best productions from there. Last night I went to see Athena Mazarakis' Elev(i)ate 2 at the Nunnery at Wits University.

She won a 2010 Standard Bank Ovation Award for the piece, which is a follow-up to the dance installation she presented at the Dance Umbrella in March. For that piece she worked with a digital artist and invited audience members to interact with her - thinking about certain things as she physically lifted them up. The footage from that was recorded and forms part of Elev(i)ate 2.

Photo by Suzy Bernstein

It's a wonderful, imaginative and evocative insight into the weight of matter, and the weight of what matters.
Next week I am going to see James Cunningham's Kaput about two brothers whose lives are disturbed by a foreign invasion. Check out the line-up and go see some of the best of the best!

U2 Headed for SA soon?

The official answer?

No. Not yet, at least.

There have been rumours and reports that the Irish supergroup are going to bring their 360 Degree tour to South Africa in February next year. According to major concert promoter Big Concerts' CEO John Langford, this is the real story:

Obviously we'd all like U2 to come here, and Big Concerts has been trying since we last had them here in 1997. But the problem with the 360 Degree tour is that it is incredibly expensive. There are 150 containers that need to be shipped over. At this stage, the rumours are not true, I'm afraid.

That doesn't mean it's not going to happen at all though...we'll be waiting anxiously for the latest update!                                  

U2 on stage in Athens (U2.com)

While You Were Away...

Being away on a much-needed holiday means I have missed out on a few big things that happened on the SA arts and entertainment scene over the past two weeks. So quick catch-up then:

# Damon Galgut was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize...

The Pretoria-born, Cape-Town-based author made it to the coveted list of writers up for the Man Booker. He's been nominated before, for The Good Doctor in 2003 and he's also won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book from the Africa region.

The winner will be announced in October and will add £50 000 to his/her bank account plus, of course, the prestige of the title.
Book SA reports that poet laureate Andrew Motion leads the panel of five judges.

We'll be rooting for him!

# Freshlyground stirred the Zim pot...

Award-winning and all-round fantastic performers Freshlyground teamed up with ZA News to bring the spotlight back onto Zimbabwe in this video:  



As a result, the group's visa has been revoked by the Zim government meaning they won't be performing there next month.

#Literary great Lewis Nkosi passed away...

The famed Drum writer, author and intellectual died in Johannesburg last week, after a long illness, at the age of 74. Minister of Arts and Culture Lulu Xingwana paid tribute to him with these words: Prof. Nkosi made major contributions to our literary heritage as a playwright, novelist, and as a fearless social and literary critic...the world has lost a great writer and intellectual. He will be deeply missed though he will continue to live in us through his work.
We convey our sincere condolences to his twin daughters  Louise and Joy, and to his wife, Astrid Stark.


#Life Above All was submitted as SA's official Oscar entry...

Back in May, I was lucky enough to be in Cannes when this local film received a standing ovation and the Oscar buzz already started developing around it. Well, now it's been officially submitted by the National Film and Video Foundation and SA's Oscars Selection Committee (yes, we have one of those) for consideration. If it's selected, then it will become an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film. Following in the footsteps of Yesterday and, of course, Tsotsi, which went on to win the award. Hold thumbs 'til the announcement in February!

2010 Mercury Prize Winner

Yes, yes, London-based group The xx were the bookie's favourites to win, but that wasn't why I had been rooting for them.  Ever since listening to the band's debut album xx I became enamoured with The xx. Opening track Intro draws you into an album that sometimes brings up feelings you may not be ready to face, but by the end of the album, it feels as if you've gone through a kind of catharsis.



Some of my other Mercury faves:

Mumford&Sons

The banjo-driven gusto of this band, together with the passionate pleas of Marcus Mumford, helped me get through some very long hours while travelling to my latest destination.



Villagers

Thanks to Q Magazine for the heads-up on this Dublin singer who goes by the moniker of Villagers as a kind of collective for the producers he works with. Singer-songwriter at his best!



Biffy Clyro

I just love the spunk and character behind this three-piece. They're a stadium-rock act, but with a quirky spark firing inside that takes them a step further (And I am loving lead singer Simon's new "sexy-Santa" look - sadly not seen in this video)

Ultimately, what I love most about the Mercury Prize is that it exposes me to music I just have missed - plus the fantastic weekly emails they send out to with info on all the fantastic new music that's bubbling under!

From One Reality to Another

I've been in the UK for two weeks now and while I haven't been watching reality TV while here (okay, except for the chunk of Jerseyshore I just had to share with my mum for a few laughs), certain characters have jumped out from the shows they've been on and made their way onto other platforms.
From the good off of Must Be the Music...




to the bad and ugly off of The X Factor!

The US Envoy Named Fran

She answers the phone with a "hello, this is Fran."
Before the line had dropped, we'd established who I was and where I was from. So now - in an instant - it was like talking to an old friend.
"Hi Fran, it's Nadia."
"Yes, hello there. Tell me, Nadia, what is the weather like there? I'm busy packing...hot? cold?"
And so began the interview with Fran Drescher, aka The Nanny (named Fran!). What an easy interview. Ask Fran one question and you get a lovely, thought out answer. Okay, so it's an 11 minute one. But c'mon, did I really expect anything less from the woman with one of the most-recognisable voices in the TV world?

Fran - a survivor of uterine cancer - is heading for South Africa to help spread the message of education and awareness about HIV/Aids. She may be a humourous woman, known for her comic act, but Fran can be desperately serious too. She's been through a lot - raped in her home, divorce, cancer, and more. It's given her a purpose beyond acting. Now, Fran has become a diplomat, lobbying for women's rights.

Oh, and she, surprisingly, doesn't actually sound like The Nanny - her voice is a lot deeper and not quite as chipper!

Read more about Fran's Cancer Shmancer Movement.