Amaranth slideshow

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Go to visit Amaranth to find out more…

 

Our first photographer – Peet Van Schalkwyk

Though Peet’s first focus is his science projects – he still has time to take amazing wildlife photos as well.

Click to see Peet’s ArtMarket site.

 

The Ngoma Vuma story

This afternoon we were busy editing the Ngoma Vuma Afrika website – and added Peter Okeno‘s story on how the group started. Here it is:

“As I walked from where I stayed in the North-West University Potchefstroom Campus I thought of the time when I was wtith Victor Savani in Kenya in the same secondary school. I taught him how to play tumba drums though he was a super isikuti drums player and currently he has his own group touring all over the world and they are famous.

I was also in the same school with George Mutunga. I taught him how to play drums. He also became a very good player and he has combined drumming with gymnastics and acrobatics and he is doing very well touring all over the world with his group.

The question came to my mind : What about starting a percussion group?

I recalled the moments when I appeared in Potchefstroom with the help of Prof. Jacques van der Elst in 2002, I had a concert titled Kenyan rhythms with colleagues whom I taught at the music school in the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus and it was successful.

I remembered the moments when I was David Nkosi’s drumming guru and when we played together and won many trophies in the talent festival.

I then laughed knowing that to some it will sound very weird to start a percussion group and have songs to produce or even have a captivating and entertaining performance. I imagined how people will perceive it but I was happy since I knew my vision and how to accomplish it.

I thanked God and decided to go and talk to Horst Butow about it. By then I had reached the Law faculty which is not far from Horst Butow’s office. I booked an appointment to see him.

On the day of the appointment, I was excited. I shared my vision with him. Having a lot of experience in arts and culture as a lecturer, manager, assessor, advisor and a producer – he looked at it in all angles, asked many questions which was a brain opener. He then advised that we have a small group from the Serenaders Choir, try it out and see its viability on the tour to Germany.

We went and purchased some percussion instruments including the djembe drums.I started training members from Serenaders Choir though it was a very frustrating endeavour since to many, it was strange but I pushed forward. I managed to teach a few songs and how to play some percussion instruments. It was difficult to find committed members on campus.

The group was ready by the time we went to Germany.

After several performances in Germany, Horst Butow called me and we had a very long discussion in the boat. The discussion was about the official start of a percussion group.

Coming back to South Africa Ngoma Afrika was born and it is still in existence as Ngoma Vuma Afrika.”

So this is how you start a percussion band – you have the story, all you have to do is : follow Peter’s example and start your own.

Click here to visit the groups site.

 

New gallery on the Ikageng Arts and Crafts site

Click to see Thabo Mafaese’s work on the Ikageng Arts and Crafts site.

 

No hawkers allowed – an article on street trade

I met Netanya in 2003 – and ArtMarketOnline started.

This art project evolved naturally from me wanting to get to know the diverse cultures of the land while teaching artists web design – and it all started with sitting down with Netanya and teaching her basic web design skills. She is definitely one of the most interesting South Africans I have ever met. Her creativity, determination and bravery is just simply unbelievable. You need to be brave to become a street trader. This is what she writes on her experiences:

At a point in my life, a street trader sold peanuts and raisons for me. He informed me of trading licenses and where to get them. I went to the Traffic Department Offices here, and asked whether or not I needed a trading license to set up a street stand. A woman there told me that I did not need one, because I was selling jewellery and not food. The only catch was that I could not sit in front of shops selling similar items, I could sit anywhere. Amen to free enterprise – or so I thought.

Click here to visit her site and read the rest of the article.

 

Ikageng Arts and Crafts – website launch

We have set up the website for our Ikageng Arts and Crafts group – click here to visit the site.

 

Ngoma Vuma website

The site ready – and Okeno & Nthabi has also finished their basic computer skills course.The first months with Ngoma Vuma Afrika have been great – working with these musicians has been really rewarding – they are really hard working – never short of new ideas and projects to do. They already have plans that will make up the next phase of their training.

We have exciting plans with them for the next few months. Since Aardklop is Software Freedom Day is coming up – we will be working on a special Aardklop program with them and we are also planning an African music workshop and performance as part of the celebrations during Software Freedom Day.

 

Ikageng Arts & Crafts

We have started training two members of Ikageng arts & crafts – which is a small organization busy with various arts and crafts projects including paintings, fabric paintings, wire work, bead work, sewing, leather shoes and leather bags amongst others.Sam and Ethel from the group are busy with their basic computer skills training and we have also started to collect material we can use for their art site.

 

Ngoma Vuma Afrika

A warm welcome to the members of Ngoma Vuma Afrika.

They are a 15 member percussion group playing songs from different parts of Africa.

The band leader, Peter Okeno is from Kenya – all other members are students of the local School of music majoring in different musical instruments.

The team has already launched their first CD – click here to read more about the event and the band itself .

The team’s program at ArtMarketOnline includes basic computer skills training, we will also be setting up a website as well and teach some of the band members how to maintain their new website.

Those nominated to maintain the team’s website will be coming weekly to do regular website updates.

This is quite an interesting project for us at the OpenCafe – we normally work with individuals so this will be the first time we get busy with a team of musicians.