- 19 hours ago
In this episode, host Itumeleng KgosiGadi ya ga Banda is at the Sikelela Festival. Plus, depicting life's struggles, the musician who goes one step further than Burna Boy, and skateboarding as female empowerment.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:06three decades first the path eight and the atmosphere within South Africa is alive than
00:11ever before distinguished artists have gathered for this prestigious occasion that's being the
00:19CLA Festival it's a celebration like no other with an all-star lineup but before we get into
00:26the festival and so much more we meet Canadian Samuel Aukudaku also known as Roasted Kweku who
00:33started off his photography career with just a cell phone we experience how Nigerian musician
00:40Victoria Falana goes one step further than Burner Boy then we see how a group of girls are redefining
00:48skateboarding as an empowering tool for their fellow maids my name is iti milling and you are
01:10watching every night having been built in the year 1975 Ponte Tower is the tallest apartment block in
01:16Africa yes the year this building used to be a vertical urban slump it has been revitalized by
01:23the locals and has attracted global recognition as it's also featured in many Hollywood movies
01:31have you ever heard of Africa's tallest residential building this is the Ponte Tower situated in
01:37Johannesburg South Africa the infamous fixture which stands tall right next to Hillborough was once
01:43Africa's first vertical urban slum the skyscraper has made several appearances in some Hollywood films
01:49such as Resident Evil and Chappie since its apocalyptic image attracts film directors
01:57but did you know that this building comes from the apartheid era the tower opened in 1975 as a focal
02:03point
02:04of opulence during the gold boom in South Africa however Ponte fell into the hands of drug dealers
02:10gangsters pimps and prostitutes in one of the most inspiring regeneration projects on the continent
02:16young Africans from inner city Johannesburg have transformed the infamous towers into a mecca for
02:22thousands of visitors from all over the world 24 year old Gran Mwabo currently leads the project
02:28sharing the history of this towering skyscraper there used to be about 8,000 people that lived here and
02:34they used to chuck all their rubbish into the middle of the building and as you can see now it
02:41doesn't look
02:41that way the building has been cleaned up very nicely and we have an opportunity to actually bring
02:46people here on tours La Lange which means just play in its Zulu is more than just a tourism company
02:54it
02:54also has a community center on the ground floor which provides a safe space for children
03:03the same facilities that these kids went through that's the same thing also that I went through and
03:08now I'm able to do these tours and also give back to the community
03:13architect Rodney Groskopf designed up market space with over 400 apartments
03:18boasting retail shopping on the ground level something almost unheard of 50 years ago
03:24his daughter still remembers the building when her father designed it in fact it was advertised as
03:32the kind of grooviest space to be in all of the apartments were furnished and I mean I remember
03:39coming here as a child and seeing the carpet on the walls going up in the duplexes which I thought
03:46was just the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen
03:49Obo is adamant that La Lange creates genuine opportunities for pan-African youths in the
03:54country with growing xenophobia and not just promoting poverty porn I grew up here and all
04:00of our guides here La Lange also grew up in this neighborhood so we don't look at this as tourism
04:06but then as us showing people our neighborhood La Lange has welcomed over 25,000 visitors since 2012
04:13and has high hopes for the future
04:20it was so great to see that a once a dilapidated building is now hosting such great initiatives
04:26commemorating 30 years of democracy the Sigelele Festival aims to unite the nation through music
04:32and dance then Orgol Edition is set to take place at an iconic landmark within South Africa the
04:38Constitution Hill and this morning I got to hang out with Grammy award-winning artist Zex Banduni to
04:45give me a little bit more insight about this event so you say that this will always be the home
04:50of
04:51Sigelele Festival of course but initially who is this festival for it's for the youth and to really
04:56understand that the certificate the significance of this I visited the University of Pretoria I
05:00think I think two weeks ago and I was sitting down with the young people they're just asking
05:04them what freedom means great minds yeah means to them it was such a look when I was young I
05:10used to
05:10spend time with a lot of with a lot of old people now I'm old so I spent time with
05:18a lot of young
05:18people and basically that's that's what it is let's talk about the selection of the artists that you've
05:24got up for this because I feel like lately there's not enough inclusivity when you look at lineups I was
05:29very selfish I wanted to just watch people that I like you've been in the industry for such a long
05:36time and I'm sure you've been through all the different genres that have come and gone let's
05:40talk about how music has evolved over the years I think in South Africa right now we have to start
05:46accepting the fact that we can have more than one gender popular sure so I feel like now we're here
05:52can you just make sure that you don't come with a new gender now we have to continue you know
05:56so that
05:56so that we are able to have history of what is happening in the country thank you so much for
06:02the catch-up and it's going to be an absolute vibe let's now switch our attention to Ghana where we
06:07meet a
06:07photographer who started his career with just a mobile phone he now pursues the concept of
06:13photography and his name is Samuel Okudako Samuel Okudako has a keen eye he highlights the obstacles of
06:23everyday life with photographic precision but why is it that he uses his craft to depict life
06:30struggles before we find out how this 26 year old tennis obstacles its opportunities let's find out
06:39what made him choose conceptual acts of expressing himself I chose conceptual photography because I don't
06:47speak much and I think conceptual photography helped me to speak a lot with the letter I
06:52create so both for the people on the streets who are going through a lot I see that what I
06:58take speaks for
06:59them and both for my past and what I've been through
07:06Samuel was born and raised in Suhum a peri urban town in the eastern region of Ghana work in the
07:13field here comes often before school with agriculture as the
07:17main economic activity but why did someone challenge himself to level photography in such an
07:23environment
07:23yeah
07:25yeah
07:25yeah
07:26yeah
07:29so right after secondary education I wasn't able to continue because there was a lot of financial issue in the
07:38house so I wanted to
07:39practice what I have learned in the school so I started with other forms of art and later resorted to
07:45photography
07:45because it was easy I could edit on my phone and maybe publish it tell my story with it
07:52conceptual photography looks very strange to a lot of people so how they reacted outside that it's the same way
07:58my family started reacting my sisters my mom they were all thinking that I was going mad
08:04the beginning I would go out I find anything on the street I just bring it home then I'll come
08:10and dress up my little brother with it
08:12so they were asking questions that why don't you go the conventional way why are you sitting this way
08:19later when they started seeing the results the kind of attention that people were giving me they started understanding
08:28from a humble beginning how did someone transition from using mobile phones to becoming a professional whose works were
08:35exhibited internationally such as in New York
08:38I started by trying other forms of arts such as painting and illustration but they were all not going well
08:48because they were expensive so I
08:51I resorted to borrowing phones until a lady friend gifted me a mobile phone so that's where it started
09:00Samuel started by showcasing his arts on Instagram attracting mentors who nurtured his talent leading to both local and
09:08international exhibitions with solo shows at galleries like filler freaks in Geneva, Switzerland
09:15currently he collaborates with clients such as Latasha Bobo jewelry brand and shoots album covers for artists
09:26I take inspiration from what I've been through in the past and what people go through on the streets upon
09:33all the
09:33struggling they find a bit of smile like you see them smiling moving on with life so today I'm out
09:41and I'm seeing this
09:42woman carrying clothes in that struggle I see the elements of beauty in what she's doing so I'm going to
09:49try out the
09:50concept around what I am seeing maybe bring out the beauty in what I saw in her work
09:58Apart from his works narrating stories rooted in real life struggles Samuel also aims to empower the youth within his
10:06local community
10:08working for someone has empowered me in a way that from the little that he had he was able to
10:15create
10:16great photos and his style and the uniqueness of his images are mind-blowing working for someone in the beginning
10:26I took it as a mere help from the inspiration that I have been getting from him and the images
10:32that he
10:32have been producing now I want to take modeling serious and help him achieve greater goal in the near future
10:38But the unanswered question is why does someone choose to do conceptual photography?
10:44Conceptual photography in a whole has brought a lot because the images are going places that I have not been
10:50at
10:51I have not been at the same time and I have not been at the same time and I have
10:52not been at the same time
10:52People with disorders like post-traumatic disorders and other forms of mental illness most of the time
10:59will send me DM telling me that the images are giving them a lot of comfort so I should not
11:05stop
11:05So Ghanaian culture involves a lot we have funerals but what pushes me a lot is the festivals, the colours
11:14and everything
11:16Actually there is a general misconception that dark skin are associated with poverty
11:23I just want to put it out that the black skin also have something to give
11:28And I just want to show people the uniqueness of the dark skin
11:33Samuels work will continue to inspire generations yet to come that with limited resources one can achieve their dreams
11:47Now that we've had a look behind the curtain at this event
11:49Let's find out what music lovers and some of the performers here today are looking forward to the most
11:57Who are you really looking forward to seeing?
12:00Zegs Bandwini!
12:02Definitely Zegs
12:03Obviously the Grammy Award winning DJ Zegs Bandwini and the Scorpion Kings
12:09I'm a piano that is taking over the world so I'm definitely looking forward to that
12:14Talking about them taking over the world, you saw the line-up so you know other people who are there
12:18If you were to give me two words to describe that line-up, which words would those be?
12:25Magnificent, exceptional, I think explicitly glorious as well
12:30It's fire!
12:30Fire!
12:31That's it!
12:32It's a bomb!
12:33And finally, what does freedom mean to you?
12:36Because we know that we are here because of Freedom Day
12:37This is freedom!
12:39For me, freedom means being able to participate in everything
12:42Maybe the economy, politics, everything
12:45And because of what happened years ago, we are able to do what we're doing today
12:50And for me, this is freedom
12:55Victoria Falana is a musician from Canada
12:57She also has roots that hail all the way from Nigeria
13:00Now she's going one step further than Burner Boy
13:04As she infuses the sounds of soul, Afro beats and electronic music to create her electric style
13:10Her music tackles various topics such as those of identity, empowerment and not forgetting social justice
13:17And for that, she is highly praised for her astonishing performances and her exceptional visuals
13:23Go on and surprise me!
13:33You could call her a globetrotter because it's not just musically that she likes moving around
13:39Before we find out what's the newest project of this charismatic singer-songwriter
13:43Let's find why Victoria Falana decided to settle in Lagos, Nigeria after travelling the world
13:52I think one of the most interesting things about travelling and coming back to Nigeria
13:59Is seeing the different ways that Nigerian culture has influenced culture around the world
14:05So like I lived in Cuba
14:07And I'm there seeing in the purest form Yoruba stories, Yoruba culture
14:16Embedded in their culture, it's so rich
14:18So for me, it's like coming to say, okay, I'm now going to sit down in Lagos
14:23As a place where I'm going to make sure that all my music is rooted here
14:26It just makes sense because it's the source of everything
14:38Born in Canada to Nigerian parents, Victoria Falana lived abroad in the UK, Cuba, Denmark, and the United States of
14:45America
14:46Falana has created sounds that reflect her journey, inspired by sounds of these various cities
14:51Let's find out why this musician decided to live in a place her parents call home
14:56Being home is like being rooted and grounded in yourself and your truth as an artist
15:01That's the place you need to create from
15:04As an artist, when you have that, the energy, the vibrations, the rhythm, the histories of who you are
15:10Beneath your feet and in the air and in the conversations that you're having with people
15:14It just, it makes your art come to life in a different way
15:19With her move to Nigeria, Falana has become a fixture in the Lagosian soundscape
15:24But before we get to know more about her sound, let's find where she gets her musical influences from
15:31To be a musician, you have to be crazy
15:33To be any artist, and to pursue artistry, there has to be a little bit of like, craze
15:40Because it's so unpredictable, you know
15:45And you're literally putting yourself out into the world to be judged
15:48To be ridiculed, to be adored, to be ignored, all of those things
15:53For me, I always knew that my voice carried power and weight
16:00And I always knew that singing fed me in a very special way
16:04And then it just grew from there, you know
16:07Stage after stage, after stage, after recording, after recording
16:11And then you begin to find that people resonate with the stories and the songs you're singing
16:20Every day is different, so I brought you, I wanted you guys to be in the studio with me
16:25I might start on the keys, for example
16:31So for example, I remember when NSARS happened
16:36It was a very emotional moment in our history
16:42And I just felt so overwhelmed with emotions
16:44So one of the first things that I'll hear
16:53My heart is bleeding, what's a remedy?
16:59We march for freedom, you call me enemy
17:04No resolution, what is your empathy?
17:10Tell it, tell it, tell it real
17:24This multilinguist is adept at meshing Afro beats, R&B, and other black diasporic sounds into her music
17:30By musicians she cites as her primary influences
17:33Such as Falakuti, Nina Simone to Lauryn Hill
17:37But before we get to know about her sound, let's hear more about her musical journey
17:41I think one of the artists that I admire when it comes to collaboration is
17:45I keep saying her name, but like Sia
17:48She can collaborate with anybody
17:50I think people think that they have an idea of the artist that I am
17:54But that's the fun thing about being an artist, you can change at any time
17:57Falana's passion for her craft is evident in her stage performance
18:01From drumming her percussions to her dance moves
18:10The music for me was always me trying to search for different tools
18:17So like, cajon I'm self-taught, I never took classes on how to play this thing
18:21You know, I remember when I started singing I used to like hunch my back
18:25You know, it was all like a learning process
18:28Learning how to produce eventually
18:31Just a journey really, you just have to keep learning
18:33The more you learn, the more hungry you are and open to new things you are
18:36The sky is your limit really
18:39Falana's recital sound caters to diverse tastes
18:41Blending African-inspired rhythms to Cuban-inspired sounds
18:45With her velvety soul vocals and thought-provoking lyrics on themes of life and love
18:54I've always been the kind of person when people are going right
18:57You know, I don't even go left, I go up, you know
19:00I like to just explore
19:04So, my hair has evolved
19:06People remember me with the puff puff phrase
19:08That was a look, that was a moment, but we're in a different era
19:10So as I evolved, my hair changes, but I'm still myself
19:14Now people have to look into my eyes, look at my face
19:18The creative landscape of Nigeria has flourished with musicians like Falana
19:22Emerging as remarkable voices within it
19:25Showcasing her blossoming talent
19:30Such a mixture of different sounds
19:33Such a rare talent
19:34When one thinks about skateboarding, they think about boys and roughness
19:38However, in Nairobi, Kenya
19:40A group of young girls have decided to break the stereotype
19:44As they are embracing the sport and redefining what it actually looks like
19:50This is Nairobi's all-female skate club
19:54But it's so much more than just learning to skate
19:57How does this group help empower young girls in Kenya?
20:00And what are the challenges they had to overcome in a male-dominated sport?
20:05Girl Skate Nairobi for me is a safe space where I can just come in and skate
20:10It's a space where women come in, they get empowered, they get to be represented
20:16Anybody can come in and be represented
20:19It's a really cool space, Girl Skate Nairobi
20:24Girl Skate Nairobi was founded by Antoinette and Jelimo
20:28It's not just your typical ladies' hangout
20:31They are a close-knit community that advocates for the inclusion of women in skateboarding
20:37And even got the attention of international skateboard pro, Tony Hawk
20:41How they achieved that? We'll tell you later
20:45But first, what exactly is it that they do?
20:48So Girl Skate Nairobi is a community for girls who skateboard in Nairobi
20:54So it came about because we
20:57First, when I started skating, which is like two years ago
21:01I came and I didn't find a lot of people who were female skaters
21:05It was only male skaters
21:07So I teamed up with Antoinette in 2023 last year
21:13And we started having the conversation about what we could do to bring together female skaters
21:20And that is how we just started our Instagram page
21:25Then our WhatsApp group and now we are here
21:28We have like a schedule, right now we have a girl skate team
21:33That is ongoing right now, we are here right now at the park
21:37How we skate, we have a schedule of skating like
21:42Together we skate two times in a week
21:45Where we come to the skate park, we come to Shangilia skate park
21:49We go to the mall and we also do street skate park
21:52Since starting out, an average of 50 girls have learnt to skate through the club
21:57But for most girls, the group serves as a support system as well
22:01Girls Skate Nairobi has been a great support system for me as a skateboarder
22:08Having skateboarded for a while, it has always been
22:11Somehow discouraging going to a park and not seeing someone who is like you
22:15So being in this space has really been inspiring for me as a young skateboarder
22:20I really appreciate Girls Skate Nairobi
22:22Because emotionally I am well, mentally I was ill mentally
22:27Like I couldn't even socialise with people
22:30But at the moment, since I started, I found a place to express myself
22:35Just the way I am
22:36And I improved socially
22:39Anxiety, social anxiety went away somehow
22:42So I feel great about that
22:44Girls Skate Nairobi goes beyond skateboarding
22:46The members strive to create awareness on gender equality
22:51And the lack of representation in the sport
22:53Girls Skate Nairobi has a big part in raising awareness of social justice
23:01Like social equality
23:02In part of our group, we have a lady who produces pads
23:06And we were able to go and give out pads to girls for free
23:13The community of female skateboarders have encountered numerous challenges
23:17With limited resources posing a significant hurdle to every kickflip they attempt
23:22We actually face a lot of challenges because
23:26First of all, we are females, we are girls
23:29And being a girl already, you're already a target to being discriminated
23:33Another challenge we face is skating in Nairobi is hard
23:37So you can't skate alone as a girl, first of all, in the streets
23:41It's just dangerous
23:44The group was formed to act as a creative outlet and a space for self-expression
23:49It caught the attention of many enthusiasts all over the globe
23:53Including American skateboarder Tony Hawk
23:56Being reposted by Tony Hawk, that was so great for me
24:00And it made me realise it was even less of me doing the kickflip landing it
24:07It was the sense of community that was shown through that video
24:11How skateboarding community supports each other
24:16The female skaters also gather here at the mall
24:19A popular rooftop serving as a training ground where they refine their skills
24:26So we are here at the mall, it's a rooftop
24:28This is where it's a culmination of the creative minds
24:32This is where skateboarding, art, music, this is where all that meets
24:37It's a space for us to express how we feel in different ways
24:41Music, skateboarding, BMX, fashion and all that
24:47We want to bring up a team of girls who can shred as hard as boys
24:52So that they can inspire more girls to join skateboarding
24:56And we also want to have a skate park that is specifically for girls
25:02In the heart of Nairobi, the group has forged a bond that transcends the skate park
25:08It is a true sisterhood
25:11As they carve their own paths in a male dominated sport
25:15These women are rewriting the rules and inspiring others to do the same
25:28From the Constitution Hill, the home of CLL Festival
25:30We hope that you enjoyed the show as much as we did
25:33Do make sure that you check us out on dw.com forward slash AfriMax
25:38Until next time, it's bye for now
26:08Thank you
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