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Hot sounds for summer
With the music industry hit by a testosterone rush, Brian Letlhabane talks to local pop’s heart-throbs and heavies, featuring the likes of MXO, Mr Selwyn and RJ Bejamin
In the Eighties, back home in Kwa Dwesi, Eastern Cape, he dressed and swaggered like a pantsula. Like other delinquents in that area, he would play cricket in the graveyard, sometimes bunking class to smoke and chill with buddies while listening to the latest sounds. Today he is the prince of African R&B.
Mxolisi Lokwe, alias MXO, arrived in Johannesburg in 1999 and lived in a ramshackle house in Yeoville. There he teamed up with Rastafarians and other nomadic types, often resorting to what he calls the “holy herb” for meditation and escapism.
His opening line when we meet is straight out of an old Mafia movie: “The streets were my university. I’m a graduate from the university of life,” he says fiddling with a silver pendant on a chain around his neck -- a guitar embossed with the letters “MXO” -- essential pop star tack.
A couple of days earlier I had made my way to the rooftop of a nine-storey building on Johannesburg’s Commissioner Street. MXO was shooting a video for his track Zandiy’bone, the first from his latest album Peace of Mind. The crew was restless, trying to look busy or at least spark a dialogue with MXO, whose raspy voice is evocative of stars like Louis Armstrong and the late Mahlathini of the Mahotella Queens.
“It makes me feel good to see all these people investing their professional talents in my project,” MXO said between mouthfuls of yogurt. The crew were about to capture a shot where he appears to be flying above the city.
MXO’s album is the most heralded of the new batch that has been released in time for the party season. But as the music industry gears up for festive profits, more new names come to the fore.
Take 30-year-old Sowetan rapper Mr Selwyn, for example. His album, Formula, which recently hit the shelves, talks about local issues and mixes street lingo with American slang.
Mr Selwyn’s commitment to his chosen genre has come at a price: he has been frustrated, trying to make it as a rapper in a society obsessed with kwaito, has been called many things -- from “coconut” to the “N” word -- and he had already recorded most of the songs for his album by the time Gallo Records made him an offer.
“I called it Formula,” he tells me over a drink in Melville, “because I feel I’ve got the formula for success in this industry.”
Among township youth Mr Selwyn’s Tonite is one of the year’s top love songs. It features MXO in a style that makes the artists sound more mature than their years.
In a reconciliatory tone he tells us on the track I Finally See: “Yeah, whatever / blacks and whites /I guess we’re equal.”
Not earth-shattering news, but meaningful nonetheless.
RJ Benjamin’s Who I Am launched with a romantic touch -- candles and rose petals dotted about SABC’s M1 Studio. The walls were festooned with posters of the young heart-throb who has bravely admitted to once having aspired to be like Michael Jackson.
Benjamin, who is operating as a white boy with a black soul and refers to his sound as “funkadelic soul”, is signed with Ghetto Ruff -- home to Zola, Amu, Pitch Black Afro and up-and-coming producer Bongani Fassie (son of the late MaBrrr).
“I had written a lot of sad songs,” Benjamin told me at the launch, “but I had to change that after my producer told me to start making happy songs.”
Singing to an excited audience, Benjamin gave a splendid performance with his new repertoire that includes songs such as Restless, featuring Pitch Black Afro. “Pitch Black is talented, to those who understand what he talks about in his rhymes,” Benjamin joked.
Gauteng is flourishing with a number of new independent labels. Outrageous Records, linked to the youth site Rage, has recently released rapper Zubz’s latest offering, Listeners Digest.
The album, Zubz’s second, features 19 new tracks. His previous album, The Last Letter, was given to the public for free by Yfm and the rapper’s friends.
Zubz, who hails from Zimbabwe, said that having recorded the bulk of Listeners Digest, all the tracks were lost at the eleventh hour owing to a computer crash and he had to start from scratch. He wrote a whole new album for which, unsurprisingly, he thanks God.
The album was launched at the Songwriters’ Club in Newtown in late October and pulled in a big hip-hop crowd. Appearances by a list of Johannesburg’s finest rappers included Hip Hop Pantsula, Pro-Kid, ProVerb and H20.
Zubz went through a rough patch when he came to Jo’burg after completing his BCom at Rhodes University. “I was depressed for six months,” he recalled, “no job, no apartment, holding a BCom degree in my hand. It was heart-wrenching.”
Listeners Digest is constructive and thought-provoking, an essential purchase for this festive season. “I see myself as someone who is pavi - Mail&Gaurdian
Hot sounds for summer
With the music industry hit by a testosterone rush, Brian Letlhabane talks to local pop’s heart-throbs and heavies, featuring the likes of MXO, Mr Selwyn and RJ Bejamin
In the Eighties, back home in Kwa Dwesi, Eastern Cape, he dressed and swaggered like a pantsula. Like other delinquents in that area, he would play cricket in the graveyard, sometimes bunking class to smoke and chill with buddies while listening to the latest sounds. Today he is the prince of African R&B.
Mxolisi Lokwe, alias MXO, arrived in Johannesburg in 1999 and lived in a ramshackle house in Yeoville. There he teamed up with Rastafarians and other nomadic types, often resorting to what he calls the “holy herb” for meditation and escapism.
His opening line when we meet is straight out of an old Mafia movie: “The streets were my university. I’m a graduate from the university of life,” he says fiddling with a silver pendant on a chain around his neck -- a guitar embossed with the letters “MXO” -- essential pop star tack.
A couple of days earlier I had made my way to the rooftop of a nine-storey building on Johannesburg’s Commissioner Street. MXO was shooting a video for his track Zandiy’bone, the first from his latest album Peace of Mind. The crew was restless, trying to look busy or at least spark a dialogue with MXO, whose raspy voice is evocative of stars like Louis Armstrong and the late Mahlathini of the Mahotella Queens.
“It makes me feel good to see all these people investing their professional talents in my project,” MXO said between mouthfuls of yogurt. The crew were about to capture a shot where he appears to be flying above the city.
MXO’s album is the most heralded of the new batch that has been released in time for the party season. But as the music industry gears up for festive profits, more new names come to the fore.
Take 30-year-old Sowetan rapper Mr Selwyn, for example. His album, Formula, which recently hit the shelves, talks about local issues and mixes street lingo with American slang.
Mr Selwyn’s commitment to his chosen genre has come at a price: he has been frustrated, trying to make it as a rapper in a society obsessed with kwaito, has been called many things -- from “coconut” to the “N” word -- and he had already recorded most of the songs for his album by the time Gallo Records made him an offer.
“I called it Formula,” he tells me over a drink in Melville, “because I feel I’ve got the formula for success in this industry.”
Among township youth Mr Selwyn’s Tonite is one of the year’s top love songs. It features MXO in a style that makes the artists sound more mature than their years.
In a reconciliatory tone he tells us on the track I Finally See: “Yeah, whatever / blacks and whites /I guess we’re equal.”
Not earth-shattering news, but meaningful nonetheless.
RJ Benjamin’s Who I Am launched with a romantic touch -- candles and rose petals dotted about SABC’s M1 Studio. The walls were festooned with posters of the young heart-throb who has bravely admitted to once having aspired to be like Michael Jackson.
Benjamin, who is operating as a white boy with a black soul and refers to his sound as “funkadelic soul”, is signed with Ghetto Ruff -- home to Zola, Amu, Pitch Black Afro and up-and-coming producer Bongani Fassie (son of the late MaBrrr).
“I had written a lot of sad songs,” Benjamin told me at the launch, “but I had to change that after my producer told me to start making happy songs.”
Singing to an excited audience, Benjamin gave a splendid performance with his new repertoire that includes songs such as Restless, featuring Pitch Black Afro. “Pitch Black is talented, to those who understand what he talks about in his rhymes,” Benjamin joked.
Gauteng is flourishing with a number of new independent labels. Outrageous Records, linked to the youth site Rage, has recently released rapper Zubz’s latest offering, Listeners Digest.
The album, Zubz’s second, features 19 new tracks. His previous album, The Last Letter, was given to the public for free by Yfm and the rapper’s friends.
Zubz, who hails from Zimbabwe, said that having recorded the bulk of Listeners Digest, all the tracks were lost at the eleventh hour owing to a computer crash and he had to start from scratch. He wrote a whole new album for which, unsurprisingly, he thanks God.
The album was launched at the Songwriters’ Club in Newtown in late October and pulled in a big hip-hop crowd. Appearances by a list of Johannesburg’s finest rappers included Hip Hop Pantsula, Pro-Kid, ProVerb and H20.
Zubz went through a rough patch when he came to Jo’burg after completing his BCom at Rhodes University. “I was depressed for six months,” he recalled, “no job, no apartment, holding a BCom degree in my hand. It was heart-wrenching.”
Listeners Digest is constructive and thought-provoking, an essential purchase for this festive season. “I see myself as someone who is pavi - Mail&Gaurdian
October 20, 2006
By Jane Mayne
If someone told you to "turn your jeans up and enjoy the party in your pants", you'd probably think their grammatical savvy was on the dodgy side before contemplating a few other lewd possibilities.
But think again, because someone, somewhere has had the vision to make this a perfectly practical statement. In a move to combine fashion and technology, Levi's has launched their RedWire DLX Jeans concept, which is something of an innovation in "wearable technology".
Hailed as a world-first for both the fashion and IT industries, the jeans come complete with fittings for second-generation iPods. These new-style statements were created in San Francisco in consultation with Apple, with the design team focusing on both function and fashion.
Selling at R1 729 a piece, they're bound to be a handy tool for those music junkies who find it hard to part with their iPod, and the new range now makes it possible to pack your music in your pocket and just keep humming to the beat.
Says Levi Strauss SA MD Mike Joubert: "Our consumers want to carry their music with them in the most functional, attractive way. By integrating fashion and technology we have come up with a great innovative way to enhance wearers' portable, digital music lifestyle.
"You don't have to take your iPod out of your pocket to change songs or volume, its great. The result is a uniquely functional, yet stylish, great-fitting jeans
."
This is how it works: the jeans have a conductive "redwire" running along the right-hand side leg seam and a concealable pocket designed for your iPod to fit snugly without bulging.
The watch pocket has a specially designed joystick to control the volume and song selection and the jeans also come with a separate retractable headphone unit.
To christen these new items, Mxo has become the official Mzansi face of the Levi's Redwire range. Out of the 120 of these limited jeans available in the country, Mxo is a happy-camper to be one of the few who owns a pair.
"It's crazy," he enthuses. "I've got music with me wherever I go."
The release of Mxo's new album coincides with the launch of Levi's Redwire and proud owners of the jeans will receive three tracks off the album free before anybody else gets to hear them.
To air this new iPod designed into the pocket, Levi's enlisted some of the country's most progressive illustrators and commissioned them to take Mxo's image and transform it into something novel.
The new jeans concept is tipped to start a new wearable technology revolution as music lovers plug their jeans into their ears and wiggle their watch pockets to change from track to track.
The jeans sell at select Levi's stores countrywide. Go to www. levi.co.za and click on Levi's Redwire DLX Jeans.
- Tonight (Independent newspapers)
October 20, 2006
By Jane Mayne
If someone told you to "turn your jeans up and enjoy the party in your pants", you'd probably think their grammatical savvy was on the dodgy side before contemplating a few other lewd possibilities.
But think again, because someone, somewhere has had the vision to make this a perfectly practical statement. In a move to combine fashion and technology, Levi's has launched their RedWire DLX Jeans concept, which is something of an innovation in "wearable technology".
Hailed as a world-first for both the fashion and IT industries, the jeans come complete with fittings for second-generation iPods. These new-style statements were created in San Francisco in consultation with Apple, with the design team focusing on both function and fashion.
Selling at R1 729 a piece, they're bound to be a handy tool for those music junkies who find it hard to part with their iPod, and the new range now makes it possible to pack your music in your pocket and just keep humming to the beat.
Says Levi Strauss SA MD Mike Joubert: "Our consumers want to carry their music with them in the most functional, attractive way. By integrating fashion and technology we have come up with a great innovative way to enhance wearers' portable, digital music lifestyle.
"You don't have to take your iPod out of your pocket to change songs or volume, its great. The result is a uniquely functional, yet stylish, great-fitting jeans
."
This is how it works: the jeans have a conductive "redwire" running along the right-hand side leg seam and a concealable pocket designed for your iPod to fit snugly without bulging.
The watch pocket has a specially designed joystick to control the volume and song selection and the jeans also come with a separate retractable headphone unit.
To christen these new items, Mxo has become the official Mzansi face of the Levi's Redwire range. Out of the 120 of these limited jeans available in the country, Mxo is a happy-camper to be one of the few who owns a pair.
"It's crazy," he enthuses. "I've got music with me wherever I go."
The release of Mxo's new album coincides with the launch of Levi's Redwire and proud owners of the jeans will receive three tracks off the album free before anybody else gets to hear them.
To air this new iPod designed into the pocket, Levi's enlisted some of the country's most progressive illustrators and commissioned them to take Mxo's image and transform it into something novel.
The new jeans concept is tipped to start a new wearable technology revolution as music lovers plug their jeans into their ears and wiggle their watch pockets to change from track to track.
The jeans sell at select Levi's stores countrywide. Go to www. levi.co.za and click on Levi's Redwire DLX Jeans.
- Tonight (Independent newspapers)
Roberta Flack, the legendary soul singer who is best known for her hits, Killing Me Softly and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, is one of the headliners for the upcoming Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2005. Johnny Clegg will also make his debut appearance at South Africa’s biggest Jazz Festival. Other new names include Transglobal Underground, Pitch Black Afro, Suthukazi Arosi, The Whole Drum Truth, Bazwaana, MXO, The Bobo Stenson Trio, Louis Moholo Sonke, Susanne Abbuehl, Tsepo Tshola, The Tony Schilder Trio and Friends, Bhudaza, Swazi Dlamini, and The African Jazz AllStars.
The sixth staging of this popular and successful Jazz Festival will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on March 26 and 27. The festival will again feature 40 acts in total, comprising the traditional 50/50 split between African and International artists, spread across the festival’s five stages.
The espAFRIKA team, headed by Festival director, Rashid Lombard, are now the sole organisers of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (formerly known as The North Sea Jazz Festival - Cape Town).
The international contingent includes the eclectic Transglobal Underground, the popular world music collective best known over the past decade for their string of innovative albums that all successfully fuse western dance music with the best of Arabic, Asian and African sounds. Another eagerly-awaited performance will be by The Whole Drum Truth, a highly respected jazz line-up featuring the four legendary jazz drummers, Ben Riley, Albert "Tootie" Heath, Jackie Williams, and Leroy Williams.
Among the new names in the international contingent are two artists who both appear on the respected ECM label. There is The Bobo Stenson Trio from Sweden, Swiss-Dutch singer and composer Susanne Abbueh and her group; Cesaria Evora, the barefooted World music songstress from the Cape Verde Islands; Cuban jazz pianist Ramón Valle; Yellowjackets, the innovative jazz outfit from the USA; keyboard player Amina Figarova, who is originally from Baku in Azerbaijan, with her Septet; US trumpeter, Terence Blanchard; Dave Holland, the acclaimed Jazz bassist from England; and saxophone player Yuri Honing from The Netherlands.
Making its debut festival appearance will be the group Ojoyo, featuring four accomplished South African jazz musicians now all based in New York: Morris Goldberg on sax and pennywhistle, Bakithi Khumalo on bass, Tony Cedras on piano, keyboard and accordion, and Anton Fig on drums. Added to the list of African artists are popular and unique SA rapper Pitch Black Afro (Thulani Ngcobo) ; acclaimed female vocalist Suthukazi Arosi, and Simphiwe Dana whose debut album, Zandisile, is described as “one of frightening power and intensity”. The Shape of Strings to Come, a tribute to the great Winston Mankunku featuring Jimmy Dludlu, Richard Caesar and Alvin Dyers, is bound to be one of the highlights of this year’s festival.
Tony Schilder, a famous and respected bandleader on the Cape Jazz scene and part of the well-known Schilder "jazz family" from Cape Town, will bring The Tony Schilder Trio and Friends to the festival for an emotional performance. Also on the bill is the Southern African group Bhudaza featuring Lesotho’s multi-platinum selling saxophonist Bhudaza Mpefane (lead vocals and sax), alongside Freddy Mthiya (trumpet), Thato Mokoena (piano), Tsietsi Koetle (bass), and Limpho Makhetha (drums).
MXO is the dynamic solo artist from Port Elizabeth who emerged on to the South African music scene in 2004 with Peace Of Mind, his début album on the Sony label, which exposed his winning blend of soul, funk, kwaito, hip-hop, and jazz. Tsepo Tshola first gained popularity as the leader and vocalist of the ‘80’s Afrobeat group Sankomota and later launched his successful solo career with his 2002 album, A New Dawn. Louis Moholo Sonke is the legendary SA drummer whose name is synonymous with important SA jazz groups like the Blue Notes in the ‘60’s and later Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, as well as Harry Miller's Isipingo, and Spirits Rejoice with Kenny Wheeler and Evan Parker. Bazwaana is the name of the group headed by Adam Howard that released its debut album, Step by Step', which featured guest artists including Kabelo, Bruce from Brothers Of Peace, and Themba Mkize.
The African Jazz AllStars, regarded as “Africa's greatest jazz orchestra”, will appear at this year’s Festival. The African Jazz Allstars, under the direction of guitarist Lucky Ranku, features a changing group of renowned African jazz soloists who successfully fuse township rhythms with a range of African jazz styles including afrobeat, soukous, and mbalax. The line-up includes names like Lucky Ranku from South Africa (guitar), Claude Deppa from South Africa (trumpet), Fayyaz Virji from Tanzania (trombone), Bukky Leo from Nigeria (tenor sax), Tony Kofi from Ghana (alto sax), Greg Bonnie from Nigeria (baritone sax) - http://www.artsmart.co.za/index.html
Roberta Flack, the legendary soul singer who is best known for her hits, Killing Me Softly and The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, is one of the headliners for the upcoming Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2005. Johnny Clegg will also make his debut appearance at South Africa’s biggest Jazz Festival. Other new names include Transglobal Underground, Pitch Black Afro, Suthukazi Arosi, The Whole Drum Truth, Bazwaana, MXO, The Bobo Stenson Trio, Louis Moholo Sonke, Susanne Abbuehl, Tsepo Tshola, The Tony Schilder Trio and Friends, Bhudaza, Swazi Dlamini, and The African Jazz AllStars.
The sixth staging of this popular and successful Jazz Festival will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on March 26 and 27. The festival will again feature 40 acts in total, comprising the traditional 50/50 split between African and International artists, spread across the festival’s five stages.
The espAFRIKA team, headed by Festival director, Rashid Lombard, are now the sole organisers of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (formerly known as The North Sea Jazz Festival - Cape Town).
The international contingent includes the eclectic Transglobal Underground, the popular world music collective best known over the past decade for their string of innovative albums that all successfully fuse western dance music with the best of Arabic, Asian and African sounds. Another eagerly-awaited performance will be by The Whole Drum Truth, a highly respected jazz line-up featuring the four legendary jazz drummers, Ben Riley, Albert "Tootie" Heath, Jackie Williams, and Leroy Williams.
Among the new names in the international contingent are two artists who both appear on the respected ECM label. There is The Bobo Stenson Trio from Sweden, Swiss-Dutch singer and composer Susanne Abbueh and her group; Cesaria Evora, the barefooted World music songstress from the Cape Verde Islands; Cuban jazz pianist Ramón Valle; Yellowjackets, the innovative jazz outfit from the USA; keyboard player Amina Figarova, who is originally from Baku in Azerbaijan, with her Septet; US trumpeter, Terence Blanchard; Dave Holland, the acclaimed Jazz bassist from England; and saxophone player Yuri Honing from The Netherlands.
Making its debut festival appearance will be the group Ojoyo, featuring four accomplished South African jazz musicians now all based in New York: Morris Goldberg on sax and pennywhistle, Bakithi Khumalo on bass, Tony Cedras on piano, keyboard and accordion, and Anton Fig on drums. Added to the list of African artists are popular and unique SA rapper Pitch Black Afro (Thulani Ngcobo) ; acclaimed female vocalist Suthukazi Arosi, and Simphiwe Dana whose debut album, Zandisile, is described as “one of frightening power and intensity”. The Shape of Strings to Come, a tribute to the great Winston Mankunku featuring Jimmy Dludlu, Richard Caesar and Alvin Dyers, is bound to be one of the highlights of this year’s festival.
Tony Schilder, a famous and respected bandleader on the Cape Jazz scene and part of the well-known Schilder "jazz family" from Cape Town, will bring The Tony Schilder Trio and Friends to the festival for an emotional performance. Also on the bill is the Southern African group Bhudaza featuring Lesotho’s multi-platinum selling saxophonist Bhudaza Mpefane (lead vocals and sax), alongside Freddy Mthiya (trumpet), Thato Mokoena (piano), Tsietsi Koetle (bass), and Limpho Makhetha (drums).
MXO is the dynamic solo artist from Port Elizabeth who emerged on to the South African music scene in 2004 with Peace Of Mind, his début album on the Sony label, which exposed his winning blend of soul, funk, kwaito, hip-hop, and jazz. Tsepo Tshola first gained popularity as the leader and vocalist of the ‘80’s Afrobeat group Sankomota and later launched his successful solo career with his 2002 album, A New Dawn. Louis Moholo Sonke is the legendary SA drummer whose name is synonymous with important SA jazz groups like the Blue Notes in the ‘60’s and later Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, as well as Harry Miller's Isipingo, and Spirits Rejoice with Kenny Wheeler and Evan Parker. Bazwaana is the name of the group headed by Adam Howard that released its debut album, Step by Step', which featured guest artists including Kabelo, Bruce from Brothers Of Peace, and Themba Mkize.
The African Jazz AllStars, regarded as “Africa's greatest jazz orchestra”, will appear at this year’s Festival. The African Jazz Allstars, under the direction of guitarist Lucky Ranku, features a changing group of renowned African jazz soloists who successfully fuse township rhythms with a range of African jazz styles including afrobeat, soukous, and mbalax. The line-up includes names like Lucky Ranku from South Africa (guitar), Claude Deppa from South Africa (trumpet), Fayyaz Virji from Tanzania (trombone), Bukky Leo from Nigeria (tenor sax), Tony Kofi from Ghana (alto sax), Greg Bonnie from Nigeria (baritone sax) - http://www.artsmart.co.za/index.html
The 2005 Channel O African Music Video Awards Nominees were announced at a glittering function at The Venue in Rivonia on 17 February 2005.
There are 21 categories, featuring 77 nominated artists. South African star Thandiswa Mazwai leads the pack with four nominations, with Tanzanian Renee Lamira and Nkalakatha star Mandoza tied for second with three nominations. Jazz legend Hugh Masekela is also set be receive a special award for his contribution in developing a drug rehabilitation program for musicians.
Other leading South African musicians like Arno Carstens, Mxo, Arthur and Kabelo are nominated, along with the rest of Africa 's finest like Nigerian 2Face Idibia and Kenyan Hip Hop superstars GidiGidi MajiMaji.
Criteria used for short-listing were technical quality of the video and frequency of requests for a video on the different Channel O shows to measure popularity of the video. The videos need to have been produced between October 2003 and December 2004 and should have received airplay on Channel O. This exercise produced the final five nominees per category.
Here are the Nominees in some of the main categories:
Best Male Video
2Face Idibia
Zola
Mandoza
Mzekezeke
BEST FEMALE VIDEO ARTIST
Reneé Lamira
Wanda
Lebo
Thandiswa
Tamara Dey
BEST NEWCOMER
Mina Nawe
Gang of Instrumentals
Mxo
Freshly Ground
Yola Araújo
BEST DUO OR GROUP
Gang Of Instrumentals
Trompies
Pentágono
340ml
V.I.P
BEST R&B VIDEO
Danny K
Loyiso
Styl-Plus
Denim
SSP
BEST KWAITO VIDEO ARTIST
Arthur
Trompies
Kabelo
Brown Dash
Bravo
Now in their second year, the Channel O AMVA's are unique in that videos are nominated and voted for by viewers, giving fans complete control over who receives an award. A call was put out on the Channel O website for viewers to recommend videos which should be included in the nominee list. A short list was then created by Channel O management.
Channel O General Manager Ayanda Tshabalala is sure that the nominations reflect the opinions of the channel's loyal viewers. “ “The 2005 AMVA's reflect the incredible diversity of African music, and also illustrate the trans-continental popularity of many of these artists. Channel O is proud to be promoting African music”.
The Awards show itself will be held at the Civic Theater in Johannesburg on 31 March 2005. The event will be recorded ‘live' and broadcast on Channel O on 2 April at 19:00 CAT.
To Vote:
Viewers can log on to www.channelo.co.za
Call +27 (0)83 920 8400 and follow the voice prompts to register a vote for their favourite artist in a particular category
To vote via SMS +27 (0)83 920 8400 enter the category name, a space and then the artist's name
Votes are charged at international call rates.
- www.mio.co.za
The 2005 Channel O African Music Video Awards Nominees were announced at a glittering function at The Venue in Rivonia on 17 February 2005.
There are 21 categories, featuring 77 nominated artists. South African star Thandiswa Mazwai leads the pack with four nominations, with Tanzanian Renee Lamira and Nkalakatha star Mandoza tied for second with three nominations. Jazz legend Hugh Masekela is also set be receive a special award for his contribution in developing a drug rehabilitation program for musicians.
Other leading South African musicians like Arno Carstens, Mxo, Arthur and Kabelo are nominated, along with the rest of Africa 's finest like Nigerian 2Face Idibia and Kenyan Hip Hop superstars GidiGidi MajiMaji.
Criteria used for short-listing were technical quality of the video and frequency of requests for a video on the different Channel O shows to measure popularity of the video. The videos need to have been produced between October 2003 and December 2004 and should have received airplay on Channel O. This exercise produced the final five nominees per category.
Here are the Nominees in some of the main categories:
Best Male Video
2Face Idibia
Zola
Mandoza
Mzekezeke
BEST FEMALE VIDEO ARTIST
Reneé Lamira
Wanda
Lebo
Thandiswa
Tamara Dey
BEST NEWCOMER
Mina Nawe
Gang of Instrumentals
Mxo
Freshly Ground
Yola Araújo
BEST DUO OR GROUP
Gang Of Instrumentals
Trompies
Pentágono
340ml
V.I.P
BEST R&B VIDEO
Danny K
Loyiso
Styl-Plus
Denim
SSP
BEST KWAITO VIDEO ARTIST
Arthur
Trompies
Kabelo
Brown Dash
Bravo
Now in their second year, the Channel O AMVA's are unique in that videos are nominated and voted for by viewers, giving fans complete control over who receives an award. A call was put out on the Channel O website for viewers to recommend videos which should be included in the nominee list. A short list was then created by Channel O management.
Channel O General Manager Ayanda Tshabalala is sure that the nominations reflect the opinions of the channel's loyal viewers. “ “The 2005 AMVA's reflect the incredible diversity of African music, and also illustrate the trans-continental popularity of many of these artists. Channel O is proud to be promoting African music”.
The Awards show itself will be held at the Civic Theater in Johannesburg on 31 March 2005. The event will be recorded ‘live' and broadcast on Channel O on 2 April at 19:00 CAT.
To Vote:
Viewers can log on to www.channelo.co.za
Call +27 (0)83 920 8400 and follow the voice prompts to register a vote for their favourite artist in a particular category
To vote via SMS +27 (0)83 920 8400 enter the category name, a space and then the artist's name
Votes are charged at international call rates.
- www.mio.co.za
Discography
Another Day [Unity/Mlok 2003]
Peace of Mind [Unity recordings 2004]
As guest/session artist:
Zandisile by multi-award winning Simphiwe Dana [Gallo Music]
Formula by SA music award winning Mr. Selwyn [Gallo Music]
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
In a musical world dominated by a handful of genres, and most frequently peopled with unadventurous and predictable artists, MXO is a blast of fresh air, blowing stronger than a howling Cape South Easter and leaving in his wake an ever-expanding pool of fans simply smitten with his singular sonic sound.
The promise contained in the debut ep, Another Day has been kept, and fans of MXO will be thrilled to learn that with the release of his first full-length recording, this rare artist has crafted an album that is nothing short of a musical gift to the South African nation and beyond our borders.
Simply hit the play button on Peace Of Mind, MXO’s just-released 16-track album and you’ll too find his musical brew irresistible and intoxicating. Produced by Africa Mkhize, and featuring a dazzling array of fine South African musicians including Africa himself on piano and other keyboards, Marcus Wyatt (trumpet), Siya Makuzeni (trombone) and Sindney Mavumdla (saxophone), the album is a landmark recording, signifying a maturing South African music scene that is capable of nurturing and supporting a talent as individual as MXO’s.
Born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa in 1978. Singing began quite naturally for him as a young child growing up in the township and participating in both school choir and the scout choir. It was the musical legends such as Letta Mbulu, Hugh Masikela, Miriam Makeba as well as the social and political climate of the early 1980’s that influenced the youngster and he was part of two groups – Black Power Crew and Lil Homies – that were in demand throughout Port Elizabeth.
Financial difficulties and plans to pursue a career in music brought MXO to Johannesburg in 1999. After meeting up with numerous artists, he eventually linked up with DJ Blaze and his Unity Recordings and before long was gaining his fame in JHB city by performing at legendary venues like the Bassline, Horror Café, Monday Blues and other underground poetry and Hip-Hop spots including Jungle Connection, the Couch and Coffee, and more.
It was while jamming in these spots that MXO connected with Sliq Angel, another superb solo artist. After they performed together at an open mic session, the formation of Roots 2000 was inevitable and the duo performed at many gigs (Jazz Arts Festival 2000, OppiKoppi and more) and was featured on many radio and television stations.
But the solo road proved too strong for both MXO and Sliq who parted ways, with MXO releasing his debut ep, Another Day, in 2003, marking the arrival of an artist working outside the boundaries of conventional genres to create an Afrocentric sound that benefits greatly from an acoustic feel and a hip-hop sensibility as well. With lyrics that celebrate life, deal with matters of the heart, are fully respectful of women and address issues like violence against women and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, MXO packs a powerful punch.
Live, MXO’s undeniable sex appeal and naturalness on stage is clear for all to see and together with his 5 piece band .
In 2003, he collaborated with Grammy Nominee Jamie Catto for the second One Giant Leap project which brings together artists from all corners of the earth. (for more info please check www.1giantleap.tv).
2004 saw him play at the WORLD EXPO in Aichi, Japan.
In 2005 he performemd with John Legend's during John's MTN/SA tour.
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