News and achievements

Shani Waldbaum exhibits art at LRH House

"Little Moments," a selection of Shani’s emotive and poignant artwork will be on exhibit for one night only at this remarkable venue, a house designed in the distinctive style of renowned architect, Frank Lloyd Wright and owned by the prolific artist and humanitarian, L. Ron Hubbard.

Date: Saturday, 4 August 2007
Time: 18h30
Address: LRH House, 40 Hannaben Rd, Cyrildene
Phone: 083 727 1614
E-mail: africanartworx@gmail.com

Visit the L. Ron Hubbard House website: www.lronhubbard.org/Houses/Joburg/

Véronique Lalouette releases new albums

Véronique, always a huge hit at the annual Arts Festival, has just released a  new album, "Chosen Memories."

The album consists of a collection of cover versions of some of Véronique's favourite songs.

Earlier this year, the song "Right Here With Me" (which she performed at the 2007 Festival) from her album "As I Am" hit the OFM Top 20 charts and achieved great success for her.

Currently, V is doing a series of gigs and concerts around the country, and you can always find out where the next one is by checking out her website at www.veronique.co.za.

Her proud father, Denny Lalouette, one of South Africa's top bass guitarists, performs at many of these gigs in her backing band.

The Lemmings in the news

Lucas Maree	The Lemmings in the studio

Lucas Maree, phenomenal legend of the Afrikaans music industry has teamed up with The Lemmings (or Die Lemmings, in Afrikaans) for a re-work of the classic Afrikaans song "Kinders Van Die Wind" (Children Of the Wind), to be released as the promotional single/video for award-winning film "Ouma Se Slim Kind" (Grandma's Clever Child).

This moving Afrikaans-language film (with subtitles), shot in High-Definition by Southern Sky Pictures, has knocked Oscar winner "Tsotsi" off several number one spots including The Apollo Awards "Best Script" and "Best Audience Response", even though the film was still in rough-cut version at the time. The film has recently won the sought-after Kanna Award as well.

The "Kinders Van Die Wind" single debuted on South African radio and TV in late March 2007. "Ouma Se Slim Kind" in South African cinemas from 11 May 2007.

Listen to the music: www.ouma.co.za 

Visit The Lemmings' website: www.thelemmings.co.za

Arts Festival Director nominated for Grammy Award!

Robin Hogarth, the goal-maker and driving force behind the Arts Festival of Southern Africa, has been nominated for a Grammy Award for his work in producing the Soweto Gospel Choir's second album, 'Blessed." The following article, which recently appeared in the national press, tells the whole story:

Press Release:

Robin Hogarth	In the studio producing the Choir’s third album to be released in 2007	The Soweto Gospel Choir

British born international composer and producer Robin Hogarth, who has many links with South Africa, produced the Soweto Gospel Choir's second album, ‘Blessed’, which has recently been nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award in the Best Traditional World Music category.

The Soweto Gospel Choir, formed four years ago, has performed extensively in Europe, Australia and the US and has won numerous awards including an Australian Helpmann Award, and an American Gospel Award. At the Edinburgh Festival, the choir has been a top selling show, and the choir is booked in the US into 2008. It has performed in many prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, and the Royal Festival Hall in London. The choir was formed by promoters Andrew Kay, David Vigo and Clifford Hocking, in association with Executive Producer Beverley Bryer, and Musical Director David Mulovhedzi.

Contacted this week, Robin was excited at the news. "This is another milestone in the global recognition of African and South African music around the world," he said.

Robin began writing for film in 1972, initially for two feature films, and subsequently additionally for TV. From 1987 he wrote and produced the theme and incidental music for numerous South African TV series, and made for TV films. These productions received local and international recognition (South African awards, and a New York Film Festival award), and ranged from comedies to action thrillers, historical drama to modern dramas, covering a panorama of different musical styles. Later international films and TV productions followed, from Anglia Survival (for which one film received a Panda nomination – the wildlife Oscars) to albums for film and television which are now used all over the world - from Japan to Sweden, Korea to the USA.

In 1990, due to his knowledge of African music, Robin began representing one of the largest catalogues of Southern African traditional music in the world. This involved acquiring an in depth knowledge of this music, and the production of the necessary research material to go with the albums concerned. From there he began producing albums of traditional Southern African music. To date over 40 such albums have been released internationally.

Robin’s music has appeared on albums featuring artists like Peter Gabriel, Enigma and Adiemus.

Recent projects have included 'Tribal Beatz', a release on ARC Music in the US and UK, with Barry van Zyl (drummer for Johnny Clegg), Johnny Clegg, and musicians and singers from the band. The album is an exciting mix of African authentic rhythms, instruments and voices.

His work on world music for film and television has continued, with a double CD release 'African Spirit' on KPM, and a world percussion album in progress.

Work was recently completed on the Soweto Gospel Choir's third album, which will be released in the course of 2007.

'I find a particular spiritual energy in African music, which is so rich and diverse,' Robin said. 'There is something very special about its moods and rhythms. It is full of uplifting surprises. The world will hear more and more from Africa as the future unfolds. Africa calls!'

Natasha Mauer recording album

Natasha Mauer

Natasha Mauer, very active on the Creative Arts scene, and a firm favourite of Creative Arts audiences, is currently recording an album. Produced by Phil Hollis and Ernest Schröder, it will be released soon.

She has a lovely, professionally trained voice. A versatile singer with an incredible vocal range, she is not tied to a specific musical style. Her ability to 'cross-over' diverse singing styles both in English and Afrikaans, has made her equally comfortable performing in various competitions and cabaret shows as well as performing solo. Natasha was a member of the University of Ann Arbor choir in Michigan where she attended classical voice training presented by one of Detroit City’s most admired Opera vocalists, Valerie Yova. More recently she participated in a successful amateur cabaret project which received rave revues from many critics.

Des Khoury chosen to sculpt Golden Horn Awards

Des Khoury

The Golden Horn award.

Des Khoury, whose involvement with Creative Arts  and the Southern African Arts Festival goes back to the very beginning, has been chosen to design and sculpt the Golden Horn Awards for South Africa's own Academy Awards. This is the South African equivalent of the Oscar! This is a HUGE acknowledgement for the work of this talented and creative man, and probably one of the most important commissions that any South African artist could receive.

An internationally acclaimed artist, composer, musician and sculptor, Des' sculpting work has won him various acclaims including endorsements by SARFU for his work celebrating the 1995 World Cup win, by the Nelson Mandela Millennium Fund for his sculpt called "Madiba Magic" (which was copied for the Nelson Mandela Square) and a personal endorsement by Nelson Mandela for the limited edition sculpture that became the symbol for the heavyweight title fight between Lennox Lewis and Hasim Rahman dubbed "Thunder in Africa." His work is owned by celebrities around the world. Today he keeps a busy sculpting and casting studio going as well as a music studio.

For many years, Des ran Creative Arts and built it up to the popular event that it currently is.

Award-winning Rock Album

Ludwig Bouwer	Ghapi - the award-winning album

The album: "In Die Diepkant In" (Translation: Into the deep end) has just been proclaimed winner of the "Huisgenoot/You Magazine Tempo 2006" Best Afrikaans-Language Rock Album for 2005/2006.

This award is a national award given by the biggest and most widely read magazine in South Africa.

Recorded by the band Ghapi, the album was co-produced by Ludwig Bouwer of One Big Room Studios (www.onebigroom.co.za) together with colleagues Heath Fouche and Phillip Botha. This talented trio also co-wrote all the songs on the album!

Ludwig has long been involved with the Southern African Arts Festival and Creative Arts, both as a performer with the popular group, the Lemmings, as a bass guitarist with various other artists, and also as the provider of superlative sound.

Artist chosen for 2007 Festival theme painting

Shani Waldbaum, local artist whose work has a distinctively African flavour, has been commissioned to produce the 2007 Arts Festival theme painting. Her painting will be used on all Festival promotional items, as well as on the Festival t-shirts.

After several experimental periods, Shani found that the oil colours were far more vivid than those of water colours or pencil. She found that it brought more life to her paintings and that she was able to achieve far more texture. It was at this stage that she fell in love with the medium.

Over the past couple of years, she has produced a number of innovative art works, utilising mixed media, allowing her to explore more abstract art forms. However although she loves exploring she is always drawn back to oils on canvas for more realistic art work.

Sam Gunn featured in local newspaper

Sam Gunn, who appeared at the 2006 Arts Festival, and has performed at Creative Arts, was recently featured in a local newspaper, the Krugersdorp News, where she told of  being involved with the production of her first CD, which is to be launched soon.

She also mentioned her involvement in the production of a song for the Church of Scientology in support of anti-drug abuse and the striving for world peace and that this project would be launched worldwide at all the Scientology head offices and will soon be available on a website.

Samantha performs at corporate functions and also sings with her father's band, Rhapsody.

Her many achievements were highlighted, including:

• Winning ten gold medals and one silver at the Performing Arts Championships in 2002, and also walking away with the Grand Champion award!
• Being selected to represent South Africa at the World Performing Arts Championships in 2003. At this event, she entered 12 vocal styles, and won gold medals for all of them! She went on to win the Grand Champion award in the vocal section, as well as overall Grand Champion, thus becoming the junior Grand Champion of the world! Her prize included a fully-paid trip to Los Angeles and the offer of two recording contracts - one with Disney Records, and the other with Words and Music studios.
• Winning the junior section of the West Rand Idols championship in 2004.

Not bad for a someone who has reached the ripe old age of thirteen!

Claire Schröder does origami workshop at Disney opening

Claire Schröder, better known to most Creative Arts and Arts Festival regulars as a singer and very competent organiser of events, was recently contacted and asked to do an origami workshop/performance at an event. Imagine her surprise when she found out that the event in question was the South African opening of Disney Television!

She met Geoff Ellis, Senior Vice President of Walt Disney Television EMEA, who took one of her origami creations and said that he was going to be keeping it on his desk in his London offices!

He was also very interested to find out that Ernest, Claire's husband, and former Artistic Director of the Southern African Arts Festival, is involved in the South African music business, and expressed interest in African music.

All this because of Claire's listing (on this website) as the origami workshop person for the 2007 Arts Festival!
 

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