Thursday, June 25, 2009
MONDAY BLUES NEWS - 22 JUNE
DJ: Alka
Host: CIA
Photo's taken by: Khanyiso Ndinisa
Founder of MB: Peter Makurube
Once again we had a fat line up, we were all blessed by great performances on the legendary stage:
Johnny Fantastic
Thobile
Kantolomba
Juan & Jon
Zen (Mr Fu and Johnny Fantastic)
Baby T, Spitjo, Kweriez
Mack, Paulo, Bulelani
Ade, Bulelani, Tebogo
Make sure to catch the next Monday Blues on the 29th June 09...
DJ: Alka
Host: CIA
Photo's taken by: Khanyiso Ndinisa
Founder of MB: Peter Makurube
Once again we had a fat line up, we were all blessed by great performances on the legendary stage:
Johnny Fantastic
Thobile
Kantolomba
Juan & Jon
Zen (Mr Fu and Johnny Fantastic)
Baby T, Spitjo, Kweriez
Mack, Paulo, Bulelani
Ade, Bulelani, Tebogo
Make sure to catch the next Monday Blues on the 29th June 09...
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Monday Blues Profile
Monday Blues is a cultural movement that accommodates both artists and the community. Monday Blues has an open mic platform were we allow people to come and showcase their talent in various artistic forms. It began in 1991 in Hillbrow and has since been presented in various communities in Johannesburg. The format is based on performance of whatever art form and exhibitions of visual arts. It has staged live in music venues around the city and welcomes all cultural expression.
The idea behind the constant change of venue and area is to give all communities a chance to experience the positive effects of arts on society that South Africa so needs after centuries of separation on the basis of color and culture. Our movement goes to a different area every six months though we stayed in Hillbrow for three years before moving on. Some of the areas we have been to are Brixton, traditionally a conservative neighborhood. We broke the mould of exclusivity and cultural isolation there. For the first time in our history ( by then 8 years) we had Afrikaans music and poetry performed by residents of Brixton. We've been to Radium Beer Hall, one of the oldest pubs in Johannesburg-where we had a great time even as regulars there ignored us for months, until the day we paid tribute to John Lennon. Melville has had its share of Monday Blues over the years, starting with the famous Bassline Jazz Club, now defunct. It was here we had the privilege of witnessing the greatest penny whistler of the last fifty years, the late Jack Lerole weave his magic on the Monday Blues stage. We returned to this venue several times, including an 8 month stint at Urban Note, directly opposite the Bassline. We also moved into the then, dark and forbidding Newtown Precinct, where we staged the show at Kippiesand Kofifi ( both sadly closed). Then few ventured into the area. Both venues provided milestones in ourhistory and that of the country's music industry. It was here where the late Moses Molelekwa met Moses Khumalo and others. They later collaborated on record and in live shows, when Khumalo joined Molelekwa's band.
Yeoville has been our main base, starting in 1997. Our first home there was Jahnitos, where fantastic performers like JIMMY Dludlu, Zim Ngqawana and Sandile Dikeni played to full-houses every week. We then moved to Raymond Street, where Blk Sonshine was born. Both Neo and Masauko met there and formed this incredible group that went on to win many fans across the social and geographical barriers. Time Square, a few blocks up the road also provided some memorable events - Roots 2000 was born there (Sliq Angel/MXO). The two have since become big names in the music scene. We once again relocated to Orange Grove - this time to Club 206, where Victor Ntoni's career was revitalized.We also put a lot of artists on the map, among them, Waddy Jones(rapper) who ended up as a recording artist and television presenter. This venue attracted the biggest number of audiences for the movement.Other venues, Horror Cafe in downtown Joburg, Mega Music (where the new Bassline is situated) Rosebank (Mama's) and many more followed.
The Monday Blues has been strong on poetry, music, film, dance art and comedy. Projects undertaken by the movement are varied and are aimed at improving relations between people both inside and outside South Africa. Our longest campaign is the anti-rape project - whose target is men whodon't rape. The artistic approach toward discouraging and condemning this scourge has helped createawareness and breaking resistance from men in general. The idea is to encourage law-abiding men to beinvolved in combating rape. It has been going on for four years and we intend to keep highlighting this issue until there is no reason to do so anymore. We have also undertaken projects to eliminate otherprejudices - homophobia, chauvinism and xenophobia. The latter project helped bring in refugees bothpolitical and economic into the mainstream of society in South Africa. To this day Monday Blues remains the most inclusive cultural movement on the continent. The youth, who comprise the majority of Monday Blues family, have benefited from these projects by connecting them with others across the continent. As leaders of tomorrow in Africa, we believe we they can benefit from a positive attitude and a shared vision for the continent. The movement has also attracted audiences and performers from around the world. France, Britain, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Japan, USA, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Brazil, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Cameroon, Spain, Finland, Kenya, DRC, Lesotho, Swaziland, Australia, Canada, Sweden among many others. Among the artists who have graced the Monday Blues stage in the past years : Tshepo Tshola, LouisMhlanga, Moses Molelekwa, Zim Ngqawana, Sandile Dikeni, Cudjou, Common Man, Jimmy Dludlu, Khaya Mahlangu, Blk Sonshine, Simphiwe Dana, Zena Mathews, Andrew Missingham, Brice Wassy, Musik Ye Afrika, Hugh Masekela, Myesha Jenkins, Ntsiki Mazwai, Mcoy Mrubata, Paul Hanmer, Sidney Mnisi, Jack Lerole, Munich Youth Jazz Orchestra, Lefifi Tlali, Abe Cindi, Pops Mohamed, Marcus Wyatt, Fikile Magadlela, Dorothy Masuka, Victor Ntoni, Moses Khumalo, Kagiso Lediga Feel A Sista, Sipho Mabuse, Bakithi Khumalo, Roots 2000, Fana Zulu, Afrika Mkhize, Masello Motana, HiltonSchilder, etc.
MONDAY BLUES - (1991 - 2001)
The Monday Blues was born in the bowels of Hillbrow in an underground club called Cotton Pub on the corner of cnr Quatz and Kotze a block away from the highest point on the hill - Highpoint, home to thousands of tenants all its 30 floors. From there one could see as far as Soweto, Kensington and the M2 east. Yet another sight was the most famous red light district in the land, Quartz street. Business went on 24 hours both for the girls and taxi drivers. Cotton Pub was situated under the Hotel Plaza, then catering to the lowest end of the market. It was there prostitutes took their clients. The Cotton Pub was sharing this alive space with all the others. There was a pub right next door to the Cotton Pub’s exit. Then Hillbrow was the place to be and people from all walks of life met in Hillbrow and the Cotton Pub was one of the magnets for the upper scale fraternity. It was here future stars met it each other, played together and paved the way for the ensuing boom of jazz and the emergence of new stars onthe creative music scene. The first musician to play Monday Blues was bassist Bakithi Khumalo, who is now among the world’s most respected musicians. He is based in New York City where he is playing with top stars like Grateful Dead, Marcus Miller and Diana Ross. He first came to international prominence after recording and touring with Paul Simon during Graceland.
The Monday Blues soon attracted more artists, poets, comedians, dancers and writers. Artists also exhibited their paintings every Monday. Among the writers we hosted Gomolemo Mokae, James Mathews and several international writers who had come to Johannesburg for the International Writers Conference - hosted and organised by the editor of New Nation (now defunct). Others who graced the Monday Blues stage were Sipho Mabuse and Tshepo Tshola (the latter has been a regular since 1991 to the present time. Remi Kabaka, an internationally recognised percussionist from Nigeria (based in NYC for the last 35 years) who had come to South Africa with Hugh Masekela’s Sekunjalo home-coming tour. The show began attracting younger musicians like the late Moses Molelekwa, Jimmy Dludlu, John Hassan, Jimmy Mngwandi, Frank Pako, McCoy Mrubata and Junior and Ishmael among others. The latter two were close collaborators who plied their trade on the mean streets of Hillbrow. Their appearance at the Monday Blues led directly to a stint with top rap act, Prophets Of The City. Junior and Ishmael then toured Europe with this band but later split to go their separate ways. Junior Sokhela co-founded Boom Shaka while Ishmael joined Skeem but has since gone solo. Monday Blues has been a positive platform for many other young artists since then. Between 2001 to present Monday Blues was hosted at the following venues:
Urban Note in Melville, Mzansi Orleans n Norwood, Mo’s, One Drop in Yeoville. We’ve also been busy with other projects such as Zimele Concert, Running the Streets that was a June 16 gig in Yeoville. We are now currently hosting at Ko'spotong in Melville.
The idea behind the constant change of venue and area is to give all communities a chance to experience the positive effects of arts on society that South Africa so needs after centuries of separation on the basis of color and culture. Our movement goes to a different area every six months though we stayed in Hillbrow for three years before moving on. Some of the areas we have been to are Brixton, traditionally a conservative neighborhood. We broke the mould of exclusivity and cultural isolation there. For the first time in our history ( by then 8 years) we had Afrikaans music and poetry performed by residents of Brixton. We've been to Radium Beer Hall, one of the oldest pubs in Johannesburg-where we had a great time even as regulars there ignored us for months, until the day we paid tribute to John Lennon. Melville has had its share of Monday Blues over the years, starting with the famous Bassline Jazz Club, now defunct. It was here we had the privilege of witnessing the greatest penny whistler of the last fifty years, the late Jack Lerole weave his magic on the Monday Blues stage. We returned to this venue several times, including an 8 month stint at Urban Note, directly opposite the Bassline. We also moved into the then, dark and forbidding Newtown Precinct, where we staged the show at Kippiesand Kofifi ( both sadly closed). Then few ventured into the area. Both venues provided milestones in ourhistory and that of the country's music industry. It was here where the late Moses Molelekwa met Moses Khumalo and others. They later collaborated on record and in live shows, when Khumalo joined Molelekwa's band.
Yeoville has been our main base, starting in 1997. Our first home there was Jahnitos, where fantastic performers like JIMMY Dludlu, Zim Ngqawana and Sandile Dikeni played to full-houses every week. We then moved to Raymond Street, where Blk Sonshine was born. Both Neo and Masauko met there and formed this incredible group that went on to win many fans across the social and geographical barriers. Time Square, a few blocks up the road also provided some memorable events - Roots 2000 was born there (Sliq Angel/MXO). The two have since become big names in the music scene. We once again relocated to Orange Grove - this time to Club 206, where Victor Ntoni's career was revitalized.We also put a lot of artists on the map, among them, Waddy Jones(rapper) who ended up as a recording artist and television presenter. This venue attracted the biggest number of audiences for the movement.Other venues, Horror Cafe in downtown Joburg, Mega Music (where the new Bassline is situated) Rosebank (Mama's) and many more followed.
The Monday Blues has been strong on poetry, music, film, dance art and comedy. Projects undertaken by the movement are varied and are aimed at improving relations between people both inside and outside South Africa. Our longest campaign is the anti-rape project - whose target is men whodon't rape. The artistic approach toward discouraging and condemning this scourge has helped createawareness and breaking resistance from men in general. The idea is to encourage law-abiding men to beinvolved in combating rape. It has been going on for four years and we intend to keep highlighting this issue until there is no reason to do so anymore. We have also undertaken projects to eliminate otherprejudices - homophobia, chauvinism and xenophobia. The latter project helped bring in refugees bothpolitical and economic into the mainstream of society in South Africa. To this day Monday Blues remains the most inclusive cultural movement on the continent. The youth, who comprise the majority of Monday Blues family, have benefited from these projects by connecting them with others across the continent. As leaders of tomorrow in Africa, we believe we they can benefit from a positive attitude and a shared vision for the continent. The movement has also attracted audiences and performers from around the world. France, Britain, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Japan, USA, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Brazil, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Cameroon, Spain, Finland, Kenya, DRC, Lesotho, Swaziland, Australia, Canada, Sweden among many others. Among the artists who have graced the Monday Blues stage in the past years : Tshepo Tshola, LouisMhlanga, Moses Molelekwa, Zim Ngqawana, Sandile Dikeni, Cudjou, Common Man, Jimmy Dludlu, Khaya Mahlangu, Blk Sonshine, Simphiwe Dana, Zena Mathews, Andrew Missingham, Brice Wassy, Musik Ye Afrika, Hugh Masekela, Myesha Jenkins, Ntsiki Mazwai, Mcoy Mrubata, Paul Hanmer, Sidney Mnisi, Jack Lerole, Munich Youth Jazz Orchestra, Lefifi Tlali, Abe Cindi, Pops Mohamed, Marcus Wyatt, Fikile Magadlela, Dorothy Masuka, Victor Ntoni, Moses Khumalo, Kagiso Lediga Feel A Sista, Sipho Mabuse, Bakithi Khumalo, Roots 2000, Fana Zulu, Afrika Mkhize, Masello Motana, HiltonSchilder, etc.
MONDAY BLUES - (1991 - 2001)
The Monday Blues was born in the bowels of Hillbrow in an underground club called Cotton Pub on the corner of cnr Quatz and Kotze a block away from the highest point on the hill - Highpoint, home to thousands of tenants all its 30 floors. From there one could see as far as Soweto, Kensington and the M2 east. Yet another sight was the most famous red light district in the land, Quartz street. Business went on 24 hours both for the girls and taxi drivers. Cotton Pub was situated under the Hotel Plaza, then catering to the lowest end of the market. It was there prostitutes took their clients. The Cotton Pub was sharing this alive space with all the others. There was a pub right next door to the Cotton Pub’s exit. Then Hillbrow was the place to be and people from all walks of life met in Hillbrow and the Cotton Pub was one of the magnets for the upper scale fraternity. It was here future stars met it each other, played together and paved the way for the ensuing boom of jazz and the emergence of new stars onthe creative music scene. The first musician to play Monday Blues was bassist Bakithi Khumalo, who is now among the world’s most respected musicians. He is based in New York City where he is playing with top stars like Grateful Dead, Marcus Miller and Diana Ross. He first came to international prominence after recording and touring with Paul Simon during Graceland.
The Monday Blues soon attracted more artists, poets, comedians, dancers and writers. Artists also exhibited their paintings every Monday. Among the writers we hosted Gomolemo Mokae, James Mathews and several international writers who had come to Johannesburg for the International Writers Conference - hosted and organised by the editor of New Nation (now defunct). Others who graced the Monday Blues stage were Sipho Mabuse and Tshepo Tshola (the latter has been a regular since 1991 to the present time. Remi Kabaka, an internationally recognised percussionist from Nigeria (based in NYC for the last 35 years) who had come to South Africa with Hugh Masekela’s Sekunjalo home-coming tour. The show began attracting younger musicians like the late Moses Molelekwa, Jimmy Dludlu, John Hassan, Jimmy Mngwandi, Frank Pako, McCoy Mrubata and Junior and Ishmael among others. The latter two were close collaborators who plied their trade on the mean streets of Hillbrow. Their appearance at the Monday Blues led directly to a stint with top rap act, Prophets Of The City. Junior and Ishmael then toured Europe with this band but later split to go their separate ways. Junior Sokhela co-founded Boom Shaka while Ishmael joined Skeem but has since gone solo. Monday Blues has been a positive platform for many other young artists since then. Between 2001 to present Monday Blues was hosted at the following venues:
Urban Note in Melville, Mzansi Orleans n Norwood, Mo’s, One Drop in Yeoville. We’ve also been busy with other projects such as Zimele Concert, Running the Streets that was a June 16 gig in Yeoville. We are now currently hosting at Ko'spotong in Melville.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)