photo by Sydelle Willow Smith
@ Scalabrini Centre, 47 Commercial Street
02 October 2010
Contrary to some of the more contentious coverage in the independent and underground press and behind the social scenes, we have proof that the World Cup did have positive spin-offs for minority groups in the Mother City.
Revelling in a global Cape Town during the football frenzy inspired Miguel Katshiete to contribute to the cultural bobotie in Cape Town.
“The idea came about when I noticed our (Congolese) absence from the world’s biggest event, the FIFA World Cup, which was held on African soil for the first time this year. We are so good at both soccer and music – we dominate most of the discothèques on the continent!” he explains. “Not being represented, not showcasing Congolese music to the world, simply means that we don’t exist, our culture is not known, the world is not interested in us.”
We popped in to the gathering during the Loeries weekend and found a few surprises. It seems anything new in this city, regardless of the crowd and the kind of gathering, needs a little urging along before people unwind. The Scalabrini Centre is a spacious hall, and while all the seats were filled with smiling faces from all across the world (thanks to inserts in local newspapers), no one filled the dance floor in front of the stage despite electric tunes from energetic musicians. Perhaps it was too early, perhaps the people were too sober. Perhaps that’s not the point, and the magical music is. From up on the old school stage we heard new skool sounds, adept and fluid renditions of hits and heavenly tunes across time, from Bob Marley to Bob Dylan, some wicked dancehall tunes. Later on the line up included African Sky Band, Afro-Fiesta(so named for its members’ array of origins) Tintinho, As Atari and ModeroKimasi. Deliciously danceable beats.
Finding it a bit awkward being part of only a small party of people dancing to infectious music, we popped outside to speak to the organiser, Miguel. His input revealed more mysteries that make running entertainment events in the Mother City unpredictable. He was expecting majority support from the Congolese community, and instead received it from a wider, unaffiliated audience whom, he said, read about the event in the local paper. His feeling is that marketing is key to launching a new event, and while I agree, I think it also takes time for a good idea to catch in the mother city if you don’t have a fat budget.
Munching on a freshly braaied sausage of some sort, and friends interjected to ask for free entry. Miguel was hard-pressed to refuse, and gave discounts he probably couldn’t afford as an independent cultural curator. “I have to explain to them it costs to pay the band, to hire the venue, to organise.” One thing’s the same whether you’re from Brazzaville of Belville – we’ll always try and do favours for our friends. Let’s instead do a favour for the Mother City, and move to the music that begs us to believe in the power of our own rhythm.
Check out www.baganda.com for more to come…
photo by Sydelle Willow Smith
