Media Flaws

Oh, dear me. Here we go. Clogged up nostrils, sweaty nights, persistent headache, etcetera. Panic - is it Meningitis for chrissake? 'Screw it. Let’s do it' anyway. When else can one effortlessly make so much moolah in a measly lousy two days?

Friday evening I sit at the Southern Sun Waterfront hotel staring into the eyes of Marie Daulne of Zap Mama. She reminds me of Marlene Duma for some odd reason, although there's no resemblence. Marie. A bit of a Frenchy affair, coupled with the most mesmerizing beauty Belgium could ever possibly bestow South Africa with. Interview goes well.

Oops there goes Hugh Masekela… He'll be celebrating his 70th birthday on stage at 22h30 and there'll even be the whole cake-slicing and "Happy Birthday To You!" shebang during his performance... Hugh. Hugh. Dashing off to another engagement. I guess I’m that petty on his to-do list. No problem – audio from pressie conference captured. A bit long-winded but smothered with some nuggets or real gem audio clips. That’s Hugh. He can really go off at a tangent. Reminds me of a time – in 2003 – at UCT Radio when he walked in and first thing was: “I’m going to buy you guys a broom! This is filthy!” I can still remember the look of disgust he held throughout the on-air interview. Needless to say upon being conscientised on my immediate environment I quit UCT Radio. Oh, how I worry about that bastard child of Student Development Services at UCT. Maybe one day things will come right, but right now in a previous SAARF presentation they featured nowhere on teenage audience ratings. Can someone wake up? Is there anyone on that campus who actually understands the power and potential of an on-campus radio station?

Anyway. I digress. The agenda is jazz.

Having interviewed Marie I then dashed off to the event. Dear me. A friend and colleague issues me with VVIP – only god knows why certain people can be deemed as “Very Very Important Person” – but that was I on Friday. Needless to say the night was as unproductive as a rabbit experimenting with the concept of abstinence. As time wondered on in the VVIP section - the idea of “it’s lonely at the top” got personified, so I emerged inebriated like a Presbyterian pastor who’d recently dispensed the 'blood' of christ to his congregation. I make my way to witness Siphokazi on stage. Just seeing her makes me realize how busy artists are. At 6h30 on the same day I was literally on the phone with her, before she caught her flight. She’s humble and possesses an element of what we would term isiXhosana in the Eastern Cape. Love her to bits for all the wonderful responses she gave me.

Siphokazi is from Lusiskisiki – one of those to-forget places in the Eastern Cape. She did herself a favour by leaving. She’d probably be stuck in some shebeen dealing with unfounded allegations of being a village bicycle had she not moved. She moved and for all it’s worth she’s good. She even had former deputy minister of health, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, crooning the dance-floor. This could be a sign of aging on my part but I’ve been bumping into Madlala-Routledge on far too many occasions.

To think that an hour or so before Siphokazi performed I was sitting in the “it’s lonely at the top" room when all of a sudden I heard a shrieking “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” And then lights, boom mics emerged. It was minister of correctional services, Ngconde Balfour, having a fit over a film crew that’d invasively taken footage of him ordering Moet and Jameson. There was no Jameson. Which meant the fit would soon become a severe bout of epilsepy. I left.

Not so far, in the Department of Arts and Culture Marquee, another minister was having a seizure. Yes, Pallo Jordan was frothing when he found Bulelani Ngcuka and Saki Macozoma perched in his hospitality lounge. I don't know the exact words - but if you've ever heard one say VOETSEK to a dog - I'm sure you can imagine how Macozoma and Ngcuka scurried off. Macozoma later downplayed the incident by saying Jordan was just joking when he kicked them out. Mh-mm, so why didn't they stay on in Pallo's lounge after the joke? Funny stuff indeed.

Anyway. So I eventually ended up in Kippies arena where Freshlyground was literally killing their audience. In a good way. Zolani, the lead vocalist, better be taking the bigger slice of their cake. How else can you explain this former UCT student penning down lyrics and voicing them, now having to share royalties equally amongst their already overpopulated group? Reminds me of rabbits. Forgive me I seem to have developed this deeply profound love for rabbits for what they are and are capable of doing. Anyway I watched Freshlyground and silently wondered why she hasn’t gone solo yet – but then I guess there probably is safety in numbers. They sound better live by the by.

Having witnessed all – I then willfully proceeded to the “it’s lonely at the top" room – which before doing so I handed over my car keys to a strangely sober friend. Told him to just keep them until the next day and not under any circumstances hand them over to me. *whistling*

To listen to audio of pre-fest feature I produced follow the following link - more audio features to follow during weekends:

http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2009-03-31-voa20.cfm