Weekend Music and The Soweto Theatre

My last post was a downer, and I think that reflects the mood in the last couple of weeks. Spearing kak has seriously brought me down, along with all the other vitriol that the media is currently so awash with. And then there's the predictable and personal emotional angst that often accompanies moments like this. Thankfully this all seems to be blowing over now, if a little slowly for my liking. So, I thought it best for me to post something a little more upbeat:

Last weekend I actually had quite a lot of fun and much of it revolved around good music and discovering new places in Jozi. Here's a rundown:

1. Neighborgoods on Saturday morning and afternoon with brother and sister. I know this probably sounds a little lame but I find that this place can actually be quite a lot of fun if you go with nice people and you find a good spot in the sun. I also discovered a Belgian beer that clocks in at the 10% alcohol mark. We were fairly sozzled by the time we stumbled out of there. Shout outs must also go to the friendly Serbs serving up those delicious Balkan burgers. Did little for the rate of inebriation though!



And the band played on

2. The folks came over early Saturday evening, and after convincing them that we were not actually stoned and merely recovering from some serious drinking - my mother happened upon my brother snoring in the bath, and my sister and I both passed out in bed - we managed to rally the troops for our first taste of the Sophiatown Jazz Encounters held monthly at the Trevor Huddleston Centre a couple of blocks away from The Safehouse. Check out The Trevor Huddleston Centre and Sophiatown Heritage Program website here. Lucas Senyatso and his merry band played on that particular evening and I thought it was seriously great. Here's a link to the event. What really warmed the heart too - especially in the context of broader and ugly social rumblings - was how diverse the crowd was: old, young, white, black, indian, coloured, single people, couples, families, etc....everyone was represented by a warm, lovely crowd in a small and intimate space. See photo above. Wonderful setting in a beautifully restored house, a real local community feel and guided tours presenting the history of the area after the show. Wonderful framed photos and the house converted to a heritage centre. A must see.
3. Lunch on Sunday was spent with the family at the Fisherman's plate in Cyrildene. Check out one of my previous posts referring to Jo'burg Gems for more info on this place. The food was spectacular.
4. Then it was off to Salif Keita playing at the newly-opened Soweto Theatre on Sunday afternoon. Big ups to Busi who tugged on her considerable networks and managed to get us some tickets at the last moment (thanks to The General too!). Upon arrival I immediately wondered who all was at the Bushfire Festival in Swaziland because it looked like the who's who of Jozi arrived for this concert. The theatre is truly something to behold. The show was, to put it mildly, mind-blowing, and I think that is mainly because of how energetic the crowd was. By the end of the show Salif was jiving on the stage, pulling audience members up for some free-stylin' dance moves with his drummer. Everyone was out of their seats. Music, predictably awesome. Everyone sang along. Just great. I can't wait to go back there. Observe the photos below.

Tourists in Soweto

So a great weekend and big ups for Jozi and the cool people who never lost their minds in the madness and bitterness that seemed to be taking over before that.