- 20 hours ago
In this episode, host Palesa Tembe enjoys the retro 1960s classic Hugo House in Durbanville. Plus, changing South Africa’s meat based diet, a guitar clinic in Malawi and a VR game made by Namibian San people.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Durbanville a charming suburb in Cape Town South Africa it offers a delightful blend
00:12of picturesque landscapes vineyards and a welcoming community and today we're here
00:17at the beautiful Hugo house a retro 1960s classic but first we find out how art can
00:25connect and support women with Zara Muti in Mauritius see how Malawian craftsman blessings
00:31Chilunga is reshaping handcrafted guitars and then discover how the sand people from Namibia
00:37are innovating with virtual reality to keep their tradition alive I'm by Lisa Dembe and
00:44you're watching Afrimax Bakil Ben Shumriel from Johannesburg also known as the soy chef is on a
01:06mission to change people's perceptions about veganism with the food he creates would you take a bite out
01:13of this believe it or not this right here is vegan he's known as the soy chef this is how Bakil Ben
01:24Shumriel is changing people's attitudes about veganism a vegan diet in very simple terms is a diet that
01:33completely excludes animals the obvious one is the elimination of animal flesh but there are other
01:42byproducts from animals such as milk eggs and such the challenges of vegan food are very obvious ones remember
01:57you've been eating meat your whole life and somebody's basically saying or inferring that you are doing
02:06something wrong and that can be something to protect and defend so whenever you speak about
02:14changing people are always going to hold on to their beliefs and their cultural norms and especially South Africa
02:25South Africa South Africa is a very meat centric society everything I mean we've got the braai you know and the braai is the
02:33central part of South African heritage then we've got traditions African traditions where we slaughter animals but I invite
02:43I invite everybody for us to reevaluate even our beliefs to say how can this direction contribute to our well-being and our health
02:57products like tofu from Johannesburg's Chinatown here he finds diverse options to incorporate in his flavorful meals
03:06welcome to Chinatown this is where I get my fresh produce as you can see there's a nice white selection of organic vegetables
03:19hi ma how are you Nihao could I please ask for four of these tofus and one dozen of the soft tofus please thank you
03:34tofu is a like the feta cheese of soy milk the first type of output in a coagulated dairy milk is feta with soy milk you get tofu tofu is like a blank page but you've got a nice protein foundation and the interesting thing it's got meaty characteristics
03:54it's also got dairy like characteristics you can use it as an egg substitute we also going to have it on the braai
04:00the braai
04:02through his father Bakil was introduced to the Israelite community in Dimona Israel a community operating and running some of the earliest vegan restaurants and factories throughout the world
04:12I remember the first thing I ate was a lentil burger but the way the burger was prepared was it really astonished me so I wanted to learn more
04:22this is black fungus it usually grows on the bark of a tree and it's highly nutritious rich in minerals and glyco nutrients and very tasty
04:38he was also inspired by vegan restaurants in the United States
04:42at the time they they had some of the earliest vegan restaurants in the in the United States the brand of restaurant was called soul vegetarian which was very popular in states like Atlanta and Chicago so I began to learn about what they were preparing so their genre of vegan food was was vegan soul food so your traditional southern food things like your
05:11KFC style southern chicken cornbread you know those kinds of foods had been transformed into their vegan equivalent so I wanted to translate that idea into a modern South African perspective
05:29these meat alternatives are made with what we call seitan seitan basically is washed cake flour protein and the the the flour is then colored have colors added to it and and then flavors as well and then cooked in in Shaolin temples they don't eat meat so these this is typically the type of
05:59meat or where it comes from the meat or where it comes from this also what is called buddha meat in the early days my wife inspired me to go and and and and start a like a takeaway kind of vending kind of thing in in in Shavel Johannesburg so we we started making things like vegan burgers vegan pizza pies and so on
06:29for the way I was working with you know we started baking baking and to cook them and we started making things like vegan
06:36and it was very enjoyable I mean people were very this was vegan food people never questioned it they did you know even the the the aspect that it's vegan people just wanted nice food so outside of concepts food is just food and I think that's really my main message and if food is enjoyable and we don't have to kill
06:57enjoyable and we don't have to kill anybody to have and enjoy that food
07:02shouldn't we do that with wouldn't that not be a reasonable way to move forward
07:07to enjoy our lives without humming other animals or without humming other
07:13creatures turning to a meat-free diet certainly sounds appealing Hugo house
07:20is a mid-century modern masterpiece which embodies the essence of modern
07:25style with its clean lines practicality and deep connection to nature I'm now
07:30joined by property experts Mario Berger who is also the owner of the sanctuary
07:35Mario I have never seen such a unique home are there any specific mid-century
07:41modern architectural features or elements that you particularly find special in
07:45the home yeah what I find interesting in the house is the they've done carpentry
07:51work with small little secret drawers that opens up it's part of a shelving and
07:56it's a hidden sort of draw in the house and at the time when they constructed
08:00this house the lounge window was apparently the biggest shop window that
08:07was fitted in 1962 in Cape Town and if you see the house from above the
08:12architect designed it in a Y shape so these wings that you as a family can
08:17disappear and sort of have your own space and it's set perfectly in the middle of a
08:22big property with the equal-sized garden to the front and to the back he was
08:28very well known for finding the light so through the seasons you'll see that the
08:33light moves into this house from different windows and there's all long
08:36tall skylights everywhere through the house that catches the light well Mario well I
08:42can't wait to continue our conversation in just a bit thank you Zahra Muti is a
08:46visionary artist who is reshaping the way we perceive the influence of art through
08:51her transformative spaces she empowers female artists and channels art potential
08:57to craft a brighter tomorrow can art actively support and connect women for
09:03Zahra Muti the answer is yes for me it's important to share a message a strong message that
09:11that move people and to advocate for women artists in a world that
09:16underestimates the impact of art visionary artist curator and founder of Zee
09:20Arts Zahra Muti challenges that norm
09:25I'm an artist with a mission with a purpose that yes art can be hanging on the
09:33wall but art is is a medium is a way that we spoke the unspoken word you may
09:40come from different backgrounds different ethnic group different religion
09:43different cultures different colors yet the language of art is so powerful and
09:48this also transcending my action when I curate exhibition is the success of
09:54other artists and I like to see artists grow and if I can make a little
09:59difference in the life of an artist this is for me a great achievement money
10:04cannot pay for that Zahra Muti transforms spaces into vibrant galleries recognizing
10:10art's potential to shape the future especially for female artists
10:16women artwork of value lesser than male artists and they don't actually really
10:23have opportunity to showcase their works and to be in in the limeline and our
10:30small contribution for our different initiatives raise the voice of women
10:36and we showcase women from across the world for the art connects women initiative
10:41this project is under the patronage of UNESCO and we have also empowered and
10:48connect private sectors and government entity to raise the voice and to create
10:53awareness about female artwork and female artists please give all the artists a big
11:00round of applause those who travel from different parts of the world for Zahra art is the bridge that
11:07connects us all a connecting point to others that shape minds hearts and
11:11societies for social good each year it's like the bridge is getting more and more
11:18concrete we are talking we are sitting and we are conversing with other people from
11:25different parts of the world and what's more important that we learn from them it's like
11:30good practice in art so I continue to learn the odds not only celebrates the
11:36extraordinary talent and resilience of female artists worldwide importantly it also
11:41hosts workshops in which answers from all over the world engage and this
11:48has led me to have meaningful conversations with international artists
11:54as well I've discovered new techniques new ways of painting photography so it
11:59broadens our knowledge as artists and makes us grow as an individual and today I
12:06am here also for the third editions of Mia which has given me more visions for my
12:14artwork and also to be able to show everyone how I am progressing the theme of the art fair this
12:21year is about embrace our paths and enlighten our future so we have to create a story between each and
12:31every artwork may it be conceptual abstract or emotional the intention of the theme is to help
12:38the viewers see and feel either the world or themselves in a new way for artist Amira Kohiali
12:44it was an opportunity to articulate how self-acceptance can help one move forward
12:48what better representation than myself as a kid but here we have the mirror which is broken some people
12:59can't accept what they see in their reflection so they project something else they project another
13:04personality here I wanted to show how we should accept ourselves to metamorphose into someone better in the future
13:13I think that the odds is like a hive to nurture artists creativity but also we are firm believer that education is paramount so we always empower the artists that we mentor like today the conference was
13:28for example is about empowering and sharing knowledge and building conversation you know meaningful conversation and as a proud Mauritian I think that it's important that we give back to our country to grow
13:43the legacy of Mia would be to see people proud of their art to see the young ones say oh I want to start art and say that oh I have my opportunity here in the island and I don't need to go abroad
13:57and we want to give them the opportunity to be able to create here to exhibit here and have a name internationally
14:03other initiative of the art is about Africa speaks 54 where we connect the 54 African countries across art as you know art in Africa is so powerful
14:15and another initiative that we recently launched is the SDG for art my dream is to raise awareness about SDG for art
14:25with the arts sorry moody proves that art can definitely shape our future for female and male artists alike
14:32shaping the future for female artists is an outstanding feat now back to you Mario what is your favorite room of the home and why
14:43my favorite room has to be this room I absolutely love in the morning to have my cup of coffee in my lounge chair and I look through the big windows out onto the garden and see the day starts now the furniture is well suited to the home what was your approach when it came to the decor you know I think it was just like the instant curatorship of mid-century pieces and when we found this house every single chair and table and couch just automatically fitted into the house and
14:49Franklin's to the center to the center of the center of the center of the center of the center of the center of the center of the center of the room I'm excited to go check out the dining room
14:56that's good
15:11just automatically fitted into the house to the centimeter beautiful i'm excited to go check out
15:17the dining room your partner ian what's his favorite elements of the home come let me show you
15:25yeah so this is in studio and as you can see it links parts of the property together and you're
15:35right in the middle of the house where you're shattered by the big old oak tree garden setting
15:40and for him this is just the most creative space to work from i completely understand why ian loves
15:45the space so much the natural light is everything exactly apart from its beauty what does this home
15:53mean to you and your partner ian it feels like a peaceful sanctuary a sanctuary indeed you know
15:58this is a place where we spend weekends in the garden and it feels like you never want to leave
16:03here thank you so much mariel for inviting us into your home if my table is broken i ask a
16:10carpenter but what about a broken guitar ask blessings chilunga a malawian who runs a salt
16:17after guitar clinic
16:18i advise the instrument users how best they can use and also how best they can maintain
16:32their instrument from string changes to new frets from broken headstock repairs to extensive
16:39modifications at blessings chilunga's guitar clinic your instrument will get the attention and treatment
16:45it needs to get back on track
16:47with the situation we are in malawi most of the musicians especially guitarists fail to find a
16:58a proper place to get their instrument fixed so i thought it was that i should start this company guitar clinic
17:05malawi is a net importer which means that locals and expats were in the country need to look for
17:15alternative means to get access to what they want ten years ago blessings chilunga identified a gap in the
17:21market and started a business repairing guitars we came to repair the tuning peg it was not working it was
17:30not functioning properly so it has been fixed overall i'm satisfied it is now okay even the sound the
17:38tuning peg is against able to be tuned
17:46i started building before repairing so the first was for me to learn how to build guitars in building
17:54i was also learning techniques on how i can repair those problems
17:58so i built the guitars for about five years and then repairing them became easier for me
18:06i was actually interested in carpentry as i was growing up my dad is a carpenter so this other time
18:12or we we went to to fix a house all of a sudden nzungu a white guy his name was ean thompson
18:20he was working on a guitar and then i was i was actually interested to see how he
18:30he was like he was repairing it so i came across to him and asked him if he if i can learn from him
18:38the techniques that he uses so he accepted it i started working with him or learning from him from 2011
18:48up to 2017 we settled as a company and i was one of the senior luthier
19:03building a guitar is quite an expensive and lengthy process it can take up to four weeks but the
19:08process actually starts before then with sourcing the wood which he does in blantyre
19:19so this wood are protected by law of malawi we get them from authorized dealer
19:25registered with ministry of forest we buy log so we buy that and make sure that we cut it from uh
19:32we we say quarter stone so we cut it from the center going out uh the main reason that we do that is
19:39to make sure that we we have the longer grains so if you have the shorter grains the wood breaks but we
19:45have the longer grains and then the wood can stay for sometimes without any crack so the whole process is
19:51done uh in blanta that's where we have uh the machinery for us to cut the wood and also to sand it into a
20:01proper sizes that we need after cutting and after sanding there comes the this process of drying so
20:07drying the wood uh to prepare for for guitars the minimum time given is two years after carefully
20:14selecting the wood he will need for the current build or repair blessings travels back to his workshop
20:20in the long way we do the assembly like bending them into shape putting everything together the top
20:25on the back this brown part is bower or bohaggan wood and this one we are experimenting with uh this
20:34type of wood it's pine and also for this to to finish uh we we need some pickups so pickups we need
20:41to import uh for example we are we have these imported pickups we also have a neck so this is just a
20:51sample the sample uh the sample neck uh it's made from wood uh from bower as well for this one we are
20:57also getting a new bridge the bridge design is something like this which has a tailpiece and then
21:03the bridge which will hook the strings and then the strings will be the other side nice guitar man i
21:10are indonesia made in malawi we are also dealing in uh music lessons we teach how to play the guitar
21:22how to play the piano and any music instrument we also do instrument music instrument care advisory with
21:29his special skills as a guitar doc and a guitar maker blessings is reshaping the malawian musical
21:35landscape most of the people here are using guitars or are using music as their career and also maybe
21:42something to uh to support their life to bring a guitar from outside a professional guitar from
21:47outside which is worth maybe two thousand dollars uh and comparing it to to uh the one that we can
21:55beauty in malawi the malawian it's it's quite cheap because you can also manage to build that
22:02professional guitar and also to uh to use it here by innovating with locally available materials
22:10blessings tulunga has handcrafted over a hundred guitars and repaired countless others to make sure
22:16that malawian guitar players keep on strumming thanks to blessings musicians in malawi never miss a beat
22:27in namibia the sand people africa's most ancient tribe
22:30are harnessing the power of virtual reality to collaboratively design an experience
22:35that comes across as a video game but serves to preserve their dying culture be surprised
22:46the sand people are the oldest traceable tribe in africa whose roots go back 20 000 years ago
22:53in the remote village of donkobos somewhere in namibia the sand people are using vr to co-create video games
22:59when i enter it i was a little bit scared of the the buildings and the ones of the code the hunting
23:09section because when you shoot an animal it comes as it bounce on you then it runs by your side it
23:17it feels like it's a real thing the local sand people work together with a group of researchers
23:24and designers to develop vr games to preserve their knowledge and wisdom for future generations to
23:30come the donkobos project is a collaboration between namibia university of science and technology
23:36and auborg university in denmark i think the most exciting with emerging technology is that you can
23:43actually capture experience a full embodied experience and i think so the most exciting has been
23:52to retell a story that was told orally by an elder when i tested vr for the first time i was not scared
24:02of it i got to experience hunting for the first time because as women we were not allowed to go hunting
24:09the code design process takes into account what gestures the sand community use to interact with
24:17the vr this then becomes the basis of developing an interaction system that is authentically their own
24:25code design for me is uh it's a respectful way of working together because you appreciate that
24:30there are other people that know something you don't and so what i bring is a technical
24:35understanding and what they bring is you know what does it mean down here if you want to capture
24:41something like indigenous knowledge or cultural heritage they are estimated to be about 30 000 san in
24:47namibia belonging to the high home joan sea and the quay subgroups and since colonial times they've been
24:55pushed off the traditional lands san have the lowest average incomes and life expectancy
25:01with the donker boss vr project the san people have an opportunity to preserve and share the
25:07traditional living experience following the success in donker boss the team is now looking
25:13to explore the possibilities of vr with other indigenous groups and this is how the indigenous
25:19tribes in namibia are preparing themselves for the future that's about all the time we have for you
25:27today we hope you enjoyed the show but now it's time for me to kick back relax and make myself at home
25:33until i'm asked to leave don't forget to head over to dw.com forward slash afri max for more see you soon
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