iHamlet

In true Shakespearian fashion Ashraf Johaardien took command of the old English and brought the character of Hamlet to life. In this solo act, Ashraf combines and embodies the young vigour ,excitement and  the confused mind set of the character  which comes from Hamlets deep anger and hatred for his uncle and his mother.

Going through the many emotions and the mad journey of the prince of Denmark, iHamlet is based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, but this show, being a bold and deeply expressive piece is rooted in the quest for identity and finding his place in a world which he can’t seem to understand.

With his ‘villainous’ uncle looming over his head, he struggles to find who he is. He is lost in a world of despair which is characterised by his deep love for his father and the bedrail caused by his mother who is then wed to his uncle.  His struggles go through phases which also see Hamlet taking on a feminine role in discovery of his sexuality. 

In his rebellious ways, the audience gets taken aback by the emotions and passionate performance. It’s easy to find Hamlet as an indescribable character, but his words really emote the performance where one could not equate any words to describe the tribulations of this youth.

Broadened by mirrors and the use of reflections, the music selection as well as the setup of the stage in its levels and depth, this modern version of the classic is perfect for those with a love of Shakespeare and dramatic art with its Victorian humour which captures the imagination of a select cultured audience as the old English proves tricky to keep up with and the full journey of the character which is not completely understood.

what makes Mi Casa beat

After a recent performance we sat down with Mi Casa to find out a bit more about the story behind their music. This unique collaboration of music diversity, which is bound by the beat, strung with the soulful sounds of the trumpet and given life by the addictive vocals, come together in a way which can be described as nothing less than a having a good time.

Mi Casa, which means My House, can only be defined by the great skill and talent of its members. Consisting of Dr. Duda who is a keyboardist, producer and DJ, Mo-T who has his roots firm in the essence of music is the skilled trumpeter who just embodies the soul of the band and J’Something, the vocalist, songwriter and guitar player is the voice behind the beat.

They are a group that has the best of what all their unique genres can offer, now bound in a great collaboration which has seen them to be very successful.

Performing together for the first time in November 2010, producing their first track 3month later and followed by their first CD 3 month after that, the trio clearly demonstrates their deep passion and love for making house music is.

These self-taught musicians are in a class of their own. Of the 3 SAMA awards which they took home recently, the two which really stands out for them are record of the Year and best Group.

When listening to their music, one can’t help but smile and enjoy the beat. Being inspired by every facet of life, their music grows from experiences with different people, situations and life experiences they go through. They keep grounded by the love, happiness and joy which they put into their music and it is that which people take out of it.

Motlatji is Pursuing Happiness

Motlatji Ditodi is an amazing person of many talents, dreams and aspirations and tackles each day with her “Do it now” attitude. With an extensive repertoire, she has accomplished much and yet still wants to do much more. With all her on-stage presence as an actress, voice over artist and singer, Motlatji now finds herself back at UJ, coming full circle from her student days, to train, teach, grow and develop the talents of students in the arts, who she describes as being “so hungry to perform.”

From youth Motlatji has been performing in school productions and musicals and had a hand in as many productions as she could. After high school she came to UJ and did her B.A. Audiovisual Production Management degree, taking part in all culture activities in Skoonveld Ladies Residence, where she stayed (and became HK in her 2^nd year), and she was in the UJ choir. In her third and fourth year she was involved in the Arts Centre, taking part in every production through the Song and Dance Company, Contemporary Dance, as well as the Drama Company, Motlatji found a home on that stage clearly supported as she says “I want to do all mediums of acting and performing”

After varsity she worked for Red Pepper Pictures where she realised she wanted to get into acting as a professional. From that point she did a few adverts and acted in SABC 2’s Askies, as Nombulelo, as Thembi in Zone 14 on SABC 1 and in the short film Southern Cross, she played the character of Lerato. For someone who has been in the public eye for so long, she still can’t get used to watching herself on TV, but thrives to not only be the best for herself but to represent her country as being one of its greater assets in her genre.

With every job becoming bigger and as a fresh new venture which has seen Motlatji come this far, now she feels it time to give back to the stage where she once thrived.  Currently, involved with ‘Quiet Violence of Dreams’, S.A. Shorts and doing vocals on a friends album, Motlatji still finds it greatly rewarding to train the actors and to teach them the beautiful art that is acting. This in turn brings one of Motlatji’s own aspirations of doing more directing to fulfilment as she has aims of telling more stories, on and off the silver screen, from a black woman’s perspective and added the importance of supporting a cause and being more than just ‘a passenger in your own life’ as she feels “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”

Motlatji, with her fun, vibrant and goal driven personality is someone who really stands out, surprisingly she has a preference on individual conversation over crowds of noisy banter. She ended off by saying “find your own journey to happiness and enjoy every moment of your life because everything could end tomorrow.”

Be Still

“For those who hold on to old patterns, there will be increasing pain, violence, confusion, and madness… So for a moment be still… Stillness speaks” -Eckart Tolle

The words written by Eckart Tolle posed many questions and an uncomfortable pondering in my mind about the show. But going into it I felt comfortably exited to witness some conventional performance, but that was not to be.

With its ever dramatic and slow start, where the hidden figures were slowly given shape with the elumination of the stage and where the dark music captures its unique nature, there is where the stillness first began.

With a curious and ever aqueous audience awaiting their money’s worth, the clapping motions of each character with unique and repetitive movements, slowly brought the show to life.

With an excellent use of dimensions, levels and props, the show had such a new feel to it which might have made some onlookers question it. This form of modern dancing really used the bodies of the dancers in a way which one rarely sees portrayed on stage. Using the walls, floor and air as their canvas, they displayed a range of styles and combinations which at times flowed but had neglected timing which might have its roots in the recurring but unpredictable stream of emotions which people naturally poses.

With the puppeteer in the background controlling the one constant and unspoken character, which then gives a sense life to the others as they are then taken by the dancers and made to move in a display which saw the audience extremely impressed.  

With the lifeless and blank faces of the puppets which are like ragdolls in nature and humanlike in shape create mixed emotions around the unclear theme of the piece. As the strong movements take flight in the display of talent and expression, the dark music creates an uneasy feeling but endorses the artistic flair and deeply possessive and in-depth nature of the performance.

This is truly for the open minded, leaving mixed feelings and well true ‘confusion’, this piece embraces those who have acquainted themselves with the new and stilling nature of expressive and interpretive dance.