Event : 2008

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The Event : June 2008

DJ Sdjunkero steals the SAMAs

DJ Sdunkero, a resident radio DJ at Ligwalawala FM, walked away with the MTN Record of the Year award at this year’s South African Music Awards (SAMAs) for his catchy house track, Maputo Song. The Nelspruit producer and club DJ was up against the likes of Freshlyground, DJ Cleo, Jimmy Dludlu and Lira for the award. “Winning the award opens many doors,” he says. “The publicity behind it is huge.”

“People have to vote for that award,” he adds, crediting his fans for his success, which demonstrates house music’s massive popularity in the country.

The voting process wasn’t without controversy though, According to YFM’s website, DJ Cleo’s Ngihamba

Nawe was originally assigned the voting letter B, which Cleo promoted widely. But at the awards at Sun City, Ngihamba Nawe was shifted to A, while Maputo Song took over as B, which led to claims that people might have voted for the wrong song.

RISA has confirmed that the letters were indeed changed, but that the necessary steps had been taken timeously to prevent any artist from being negatively affected.

As with the previous edition of the MTN SAMAs, the SAMA organisers agreed with MTN and SABC in mid-April that the letters allocated to the artists for the public vote category would change simultaneously with the announcement of the final five nominees on 2 May 2008. This announcement of the final five nominees took place as planned SABC 1’s television program Live, but the changes to the letters were not, however, announced as planned.

On learning that this was the case, the SAMA organisers, in conjunction with the SMS technology provider (MTN), and the independent auditors for the awards, Sizwe Ntsaluba VSP, decided that the letters should remain unchanged and that voting should continue as is.

Since the television graphics could not be altered in time for the live broadcast of the Main Award Ceremony on the evening of 2 May 2008, it was consequently agreed that the solution was to count the votes received up to the beginning of the live broadcast, and then change the letters on the voting system and start a fresh count simultaneously with the commencement of the live broadcast of the Main Award Ceremony, when the new letters were published for the first time.

The new allocations remained until the closing of the voting line, whereafter the auditors attended to the outcome of the public vote, which was based on the sum of the two sets of votes. Hale Qangule from Sizwe Ntsaluba says that the votes cast during the live broadcast did not have any material bearing on the final outcome.

Citing colleague and mentor DJ Christo as his hero, Sdunkero followed his dreams to radio and club DJing, becoming known as Nelspruit’s “hottest house DJ.” He moved on to producing his own material, dubbed Afro-kwai-house, a winning blend of contemporary club sounds, traditional Kwasa- Kwasa, and glorious gospel. He now runs the independent record label, Sdunkero Sounds.

While he’s getting the groove on for the Rainbow Nation, he’s also promoting one of our many mother tongues. “My main objective is to introduce siSwati language to South Africa,” he says.

DJ Sdunkero keeps his formulas fresh by insisting on original compositions rather than rehashing what works (a habit of much generic house music). “I think people love something fresh, something new. If you release the same sound, it gets tiring.”

He also insists on using his own samples because “people like personalised songs – they relate to them better.” He prefers bringing real artists into studio to lay down samples so that he can control the sound better. It’s evidently a winning formula.

Sdunkero claims that house music is so popular because “it’s a universal crossover sound. It appeals to a white and black market. It’s suitable for everyone.”

Maputo Song is available on DJ Sdunkero’s debut album, EdladleniVol1 (DJ Mix), which has reached gold status, selling 20 000 copies. He’s available nationwide, with two weeks notice.

words : Jess Henson

The Event : February 2008

Up The Creek : Where Fans And Musicians Play

AT 15, Up The Creek may be adolescent, but it’s one of the longest-standing, live music festivals in South Africa. Following a two-year sabbatical, the first weekend of February saw expectant music lovers armed with cooler bags and lilos arriving in carloads from all over the country. Held on the slopes of Swellendam’s beautiful Breede River, this year’s quality line-up of established, emerging and little-known musicians delighted both hippies and yuppies (who weren’t floating downstream, that is).

Every successful outdoor festival has its defining qualities. ‘Outdoor intimacy’ seems to be UTC’s – a farmyard feel with farm-style food; a modest-sized camp with a family atmosphere; rubbing shoulders with musicians in the pristine surroundings; and modern amenities with tight, incognito security.

Red Hot Events’s Roxy Walker describes her colleagues as “highly energetic, go-the-extra mile types,” who handled everything except the line-up. That was left to the veteran visionary, Ant Bumstead, the inspiration behind the festival’s conception 17 years ago, and this year’s mad MC in women’s undies.

And what a line up it was. With sound and lighting by Somerset West’s Sound Generation, the lineup typically included a range of rock, blues, folk, jazz, punk, ska reggae and fusion sets. A combination of UTC regulars (Boulevard Blues), accessible bands boosting the festival’s public appeal (Bed On Bricks), ballsy rockers (Taxi Violence), talented newcomers (Foto Na Dans) and little known “diamonds in the rough” got the crowds on their feet. It’s telling of the UTC’s musical ethos that there’s a “waiting list of bands wishing to play.”

Without a “marketing or advertising budget,” organisers “were thrilled at the turnout.” Tiered ticket prices were used to encourage early sales, but a fortnight before, pre-bookings reflected just 150-200 guests. A great line-up, a good history and payday changed all that, and 1230 festival attendees exceeded both expectations and shower power. It’s not all blind estimations when it comes catering for UTC numbers; festival capacity is purposefully limited to 1 600 to retain a sense of intimacy.

Apart from the farm’s permanent facilities, extra toilets were provided to counter the call of nature and always had loo paper. Hearty traditional meals for the masses were provided by the farm family with great reviews (except from vegetarians).

With a crime rate and an alcohol tolerance as high as ours, security is a major concern at any public, outdoor gathering. UTC’s “best practice levels of safety” were proven by zero crime incidents. Lockable rooms for musical instruments and equipment were provided, while CP Security (elsewhere known as the scary men in red) discretely monitored bar areas, abandoned braais, and lost babes alike. Medics from Medi Care Events Services and fully trained lifeguards were also present.

Fire hazards were another burning concern. Apart from patrolling fire-fighters and manual fire-fighting equipment, the event boasted a specialised farm-style “fire truck” of its own, provided by farm owner, Andries Odendaal: a tractor equipped with a mounted water tank and hose.

Wisely, UTC invested in extra generators, an excellent electrician, and made sure Eskom kept them updated on load sharing projections. Eskom may have lost public faith, but they haven’t lost their sense of humour, claiming that Cape Town’s Black Friday load-shedding was because “Up The Creek needed it more.” The stomping on the dance floor seemed to agree.

Unfortunately, people were witnessed washing their hair in the river with toxic shampoos. The size of the crowd and the untouched beauty of the area necessitate a greater green consciousness than is being fostered at this event. Is the rubbish that is so quickly cleared recycled? Nobody knows.

In all, with an emphasis on promoting superior local music and a willingness to do it better, the festival is set to keep making its mark, so watch out for this teenager.

For more information, please visit www.upthecreek.co.za.

Jess Mitrani Henson

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