South Africas iconic supergroup Mango Groove are considering touring Australia in early 2014 to bring their unique blend of township jive and pop to not only the large number of Southern Africans now living in Australia but also to give Australians a taste of the joyous sounds of South African music.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox: One ship sails East,And another West,By the self-same winds that blow,Tis the set of the sailsAnd not the gales,That tells the way we go. Talking Bottle Shops I remember the days when buying alcoholwine had a real air of occasion! You only bought wines if you were having a dinner party! Maybe that was before I discovered quite how delightful a good glass of red can be!
Spud which is the most successful book in South African publishing history is now a film and will be released in Australia on April 19,2012. Starring John Cleese and Perth-based Troye Sivan the film topped the South African box office during the 2010 Christmas holidays and will be available to Australia audiences next month. Like the novel, the film is set in 1990s South Africa. Two major events are about to happen: The release of Nelson Mandela and, more importantly, its Spud Miltons (Sivan) first year at an elite boys only private boarding school.
Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital (RBWH) Foundation is excited to announce its upcoming major charity event, the 2012 Right Royal African Affair. The event will be held at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre on Saturday June 2nd and promises to be a sell out! This is a wonderful opportunity to re-live your favourite aspects of African culture while supporting Queenslands largest hospital.
Jonathan Butler, South Africas favourite Grammy nominated son is heading to our Australian shores in February 2012!
If you grew up in South Africa then its almost a guarantee that you have stumbled across the story of Racheltjie De Beer, the Voortrekker girl who, after getting lost with her younger brother during a snowstorm, uses her body to shelter him from the cold, sacrificing her life for his.
An exhilarating brew of multicultural delights awaits music lovers when Two Voices, the new album by South African flautist Wouter Kellerman, is launched in Australia.
South Africas favourite Cousin, Barry Hilton, has arrived in Australia for the start of his Serial Comic Tour. The first show in Perth at the Regal Theatre on Friday night is SOLD OUT! What a great way to start the tour, says Barry. Im thrilled 1100 people are coming to see me, it seems there are more South Africans in Australia than there are in South Africa!
Non wine drinkers believe that wine is for females, special occasions or only for beginners and that it is light. Wine drinkers, however, enjoy wine on any occasion, find that it brings great enjoyment, is about being social with friends, is marvelous with a meal, and it lifts life into another dimension.
The build up to the Africa Club of Queenslands potjiekos competition was intense for weeks ahead of the event. This was my first and I must say that the anticipation kept me up for days before the showdown. We even had comments on our Facebook page that saw some of the competitors sizing each other up to gain some psychological advantage before the cook off.
What can people expect from your performances in Australia?
My Ouma used to say: n ou bok hou van groen blare (an old goat likes young or green leaves). She married my grandfather who was 15 years older than she and that was in the 1930s. They had many, many happy years together, raised three children and had successful careers, but when Oupa passed away my Ouma spent her last 20 odd years without her life partner.
A column about little things that are deceptively similar, yet decisively different. Read and be prepared.
SAbona spoke to Arno Jordaan ahead of his tour with Kurt Darren to Australia next month. Our interview with Kurt is published in Issue 19 of SAbona and is on our website at www.sabona.com.au1906
Brenda Fassie, Hugh Masekela, Oliver Mtukudzi: Whats the common denominator? Theyre all high profile names in the African music industry.
Bianca was tempted to join another gym
Reading through Tiana Canterburys résumé, its remarkable that this Capetonian is only just 29 years old. With more than 15 years of dancing experience, specialising in hip hop, dancehall, break, funk, salsa, afro and disco, Tiana has been a choreographer for all three seasons of So You Think You Can Dance Australia.
Abrama: Ons gesels vanaand met Ian Lentoor, geroepe onderwyser, gebore en getoe in die mooiste ou Kaap. Hoe gemaak om die mooie plek te verlaat? Ian: Ja Abrama en Erik, dis maar moeilik om die mooiste berg agter te laat en jou heil op n vreemde plek te gaan soek. Julle weet, ek is gebore in Steenberg omgewing en het groot geword in Grassypark in die Kaapse vlakte en na skool ingeval by die Onderwyskollege.
Vir alle Afrikaners waar ookal in die wreld, is dit uiters belangrik om ons kultuur en Godsdiens te behou. Wanneer mens jouself in n vreemde land bevind, word dit eweskielik moeilik want die kinders is in n Engelse skool, al hulle vriende is Engels sprekend, nuwe vriende wat mens ontmoet is Engels sprekend, besigheids verhoudinge is Engels, ens.
The Queensland Buffers Association Inc. recently hosted an African Night in Beenleigh, Queensland. The Buffers, which was established in Queensland five years ago, participates in an annual international soccer tournament.
Abrama: We are chatting to Ian Lentoor, a teacher born and bred in the most beautiful Cape. Ian, how did you manage to leave that place? Ian: It was not easy to leave that pretty mountain and to search for luck and good fortune in a strange place. You know I was born in Steenberg and grew up in Grassypark in the Cape Flats where I also went to teachers college.
One of the most difficult aspects of moving to a new country is leaving friends behind. Many people find themselves unable to enjoy their new environment because they miss their friends. People can feel very alone after a move and may not feel comfortable exploring their new surroundings on their own. These emotions just seem to add to the feeling of being somewhere new.
Governor-General Hosts Reception for AABC NSW Chapter The Governor-General Quentin Bryce and her husband Michael Bryce recently hosted a reception for the New South Wales (NSW) Chapter of the Australia Africa Business Council (AABC) at Admiralty House. The reception was attended by members and friends of the AABC including representatives from the African Diplomatic Corp and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trades NSW office.
Its amazing how things can happen in your own back yard, without you being aware of it. While it is no secret that I am a huge rugby fan, I have never paid much attention to the local club rugby scene. My rugby interest has pretty much revolved around the Super 14 and Tri-Nations tournaments, so it came as a huge surprise when I received a call from Lance Blackbeard, chairman of the Helensvale Rugby Club on the Gold Coast.
Rugby may well be the game played in heaven, but if were not careful, it will be the ONLY place it is played! Weve been talking to some of the Australian Super 14 franchises, most notably the Reds and the Waratahs, about how the South African community in Australia can help ensure rugby survives. The way I see it, if the Australian franchises fail due to lack of support from fans then we may as well switch to watching rugby league, or just stick to watching the limited Currie Cup games to which we get access.
Known as the celebration that stops a nation, Melbournes Spring Racing Carnival is one of the biggest sporting events on Victorias calendar. It ran from September 30 until November 18, 2009, reaching its zenith with the Melbourne Cup Day, which is declared a public holiday in Melbourne, at Flemington Racecourse.
South Africa was awarded the Country of Honour title at the prestigious MIDEM 2010 festival held in Cannes in January. This resulted in by far the most diverse representation of South African artists ever to perform to a high powered international music industry audience.
Abrama: Welkom by ons in die ateljee, Wouter. Vertel ons hoe jou musiekreis begin het. Wouter: Ek is gebore en getoe in Linden, Johannesburg. Toe ek 10 jaar oud was het my ouers ons na n simfoniekonsert geneem en gevra watter musiekinstrument ons graag wil bespeel. My broer het die klarinet gekies, maar ek het die orkes so bekyk en gesien dat al die wind instrumente votentoe wys, behalwe die fluit wat kant toe wys. Dus besluit ek die fluit moet spesiaal wees en kies dit toe.
Abrama Ahlers and Erik Vosloo host a show on Radio Pulse 94.7FM in Geelong, Victoria. They recently interviewed South Africas most foremost flautist Wouter Kellerman during a trip to Australia. His album Colour debuted to rave reviews.
South African singer and songwriter Louis Brittz will be performing in Australia in February. At the time of writing concerts were booked in Perth and Brisbane, but details about additional performances will be available through Louis website and SAbona. Louis is a 40 year old lawyer by training, who is now setting trends in South Africa as a Christian singer and songwriter, worship leader, music producer and public speaker. He is the chief executive officer of Merchant Music, a South African record label that records, markets and distributes quality South African music.
Ja nee, met die sing van die liedjie kom die heimwe. Die mense rondom ons sing dié kerslied in Engels maar dit wil nie vlot nie, klink nie reg nie! Amper soos toe Boney M, die destydse popgroep, gesing het uit Psalm 137: How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange land? Hoe sou ons die lied van die Here kan sing in n vreemde land? En tog is dit waar ons is, n vreemde land, en ons sing.
Die Afrikaanse Klub gholfdag is vanjaar op 17 Oktober op die North Lakes baan noord van Brisbane gehou. Ons het besluit om die jaar n meer formele gholfdag te hou en die manne met die stokke is behoorlik getoets op die baan wat onder die top 100 gholfbane in Australi tel.
The annual Traditional South African Bazaar, hosted by the Clarkson Reformed Evangelican Church of Australia, was held at Quinns Baptist College in Mindarie, Perth recently. The bazaar gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy a range of food products including biltong, pancakes, curry and rice, sosaties, vetkoek, boerewors and koeksusters.
Many Sabona readers either live in Australia already, or have family or friends living in the land down under. It is natural for migrant families to bring their extended family members across to join them in Australia. One aspect of moving to a new country that has (also for me personally) been an issue, is the guilty conscience that results from separating ones children from their grandparents, uncles or aunts and cousins. It is therefore appropriate, I reckon, to look at a number of visa options for family reunions.
South Africans showed what they are made of when they participated in the Perth City to Surf event recently. The event serves as a fundraiser for Activ, a charity that provides services for 2,300 people with disabilities, as well as their families. Close to 40,000 people participated this year. The main attraction of the event, which has been run for 35 years, is the 12km walk or run from St Georges Terrace to the City Beach Oval. This year the event incorporated a 42.2km marathon for the first time, as well as a half-marathon, the 12km race, an 11km wheelchair race and a four kilometre walk or run. With free transport from and to the event, including a bus ride back to the starting point, it was a well organised event with few hiccups.
There have been some very strong winds in Melbourne recently and last week I heard on the radio that a large tree had fallen onto a parked car. Youd think this would be cause for concern, but in fact it was cause for some sniggering and mirth because the car was a Porsche.
Our roving photographers have been taking photos of Springbok (and other!) supporters EVERYWHERE. A lot of photos have been uploaded to Facebook with more being added daily. Become a Fan of the Sabona Magazine Facebook Page and tag yourself or your friends! You can see a slideshow of all the photos that have been uploaded so far on our Flickr photostream or you can just view our Flickr Gallery
This year the Zimfest phenomenon reaches the shores of five continents and will be celebrated in dozens of countries around the world. One of the charity festivals newest host cities is Perth, which celebrated its first event in 2008. Excitement is currently building for the next event, which is to be held on September 5, 2009. The stage is set for a breathtaking and exponential ascent of the concept of Zimfest, as Western Australians turn to gather Zimbabwean scatterlings comes around once again; all in the name of Zimbabwean charities.
Everyone who knows me, knows I always speak (or write) from the heart. Even though I am very lighthearted and known for being a bit of a clown and not taking life too seriously, when I am serious, I say what I say with conviction. Anyone who knows me also knows that Im not very quick to get angry and I believe I take criticism very well. Well, constructive criticism anyway.
So paar maande gelede, om een van die talle braaivleisvure, het n paar manne oormotorfietse begin gesels. Dit was interessant om te sien hoeveel motorfietsentoesiaste daar was onder die Afrikaanse gemeenskap in Brisbane. Ek is elke keer verstom dat vreemdelinge so gou gemaklik gesels as die geselskap in die rigting van motorfietse gaan. Daar is niks beter vir enige mens se gees as die skoon lug, die groen valleie en gemaklike samesyn van fietsryvriende nie; net daar besluit ons toe op die Boere Bikers of soos ons wederhelftes ons noem, die BBBs (Bles en Boepens Bende).
Paddy Johnson from Tweed Heads in New South Wales recently contacted the Africa Club with a proposal to have an annual SaffieZimbo camping weekend. It sounded like a great idea and any reason to pack the tents in the Toyota and head off somewhere seems like a reasonable thing to do. We only had a couple of weeks to gather the troopsand it was Mothers Day weekend as well. So things werent looking up for a huge gathering. On the other hand, the weather was looking great and why not get away for the trip?
Hugh Masekela, legendary South African jazz flugelhorn player, trumpeter, composer and singer is making his Australian debut tour with a select series of concerts. Now aged 70, the musician, whose sumptuously warm flugelhorn sound contrasts with his exuberantly gravelly voice, was last seen in Sydney two decades ago when he played in Paul Simons Graceland tour. The legendary jazz flugelhorn player, trumpeter, composer and singer, and iconic anti-apartheid figure, will perform a best-of collection from his extensive back catalogue and tracks from his 35th studio album Phola. The concerts in October is set to be a moving journey through the African continent, offering a glimpse into the personal and political journey of Masekela.
As many native English speakers have discovered on moving to Australia, a shared language does not mean a shared culture. Many South Africans, Americans and Britons who migrate to Australia expect to settle in quickly and easily and will have been unpleasantly surprised by just how difficult it was to feel at home here. For South Africans particularly, coming from a country where the climate, lifestyle and even landscape are very similar, it doesnt seem unreasonable to expect that Australia will just be a safer version of back home.
The first of what will become an annual Sabona Business Network (SBN) Awards dinner was held on May 21 in Brisbane, Queensland. Thanks to our friends Shandell and Rialet of Entelect Solutions the décor was spectacular. The theme was African (naturally) and the venue just looked spectacular. Sabona flew special guests in from as far as Perth (Douglas Horak, our Perth SBN coordinator) and Melbourne (our guest speaker, Pete Niemandt, author of Things Ive learnt about Immigrating to Another Planet) and quite a few from Sydney. Most of our coordinators had never met each other, so this was a perfect opportunity to get to know one other and share some ideas.
Even as I write this I realise that to the uninformed (that is, those not from the state of Victoria) the word footie could mean a small ball (like in Afrikaans words for small things seuntjie)
Who would have thought that South African sport would be where it is now? After the election things were looking bleak with quotas, administration blunders, confusion, but amazingly its pulled itself up and again. The emergence of genuine international superstars of all race colours is highly pleasing. The South African 7-a-side rugby team is excelling leading the international standing by quite a margin and going into the last two tournaments in London and Edinburgh should pull off a first. There are definitely a couple of future superstars in the making for the Boks in this very talented squad (and none of them play in the Super 14 ). Any doubters just remember awesome Jonah Lomu and dynamic Christian Cullen came out of the 7-a-side system. And of course beating the New Zealanders on a regular basis now is very lekker, especially after all the smashing we had to endure when the South African Rugby Board did not take the competition too seriously.
Lots of Sharks and Bulls but no Storm or Lion and Cheetah frenzy The Super 14 is already taking its familiar team position format as far as the South African teams are concerned with the two big guns from Durban and Pretoria stamping their authority and class right from the start. The question on all Bulls tragics out there is whether they can they travel well this year, they have to negotiate the Hurricanes ( very tough ), Highlanders ( do-able ), Crusaders (can be done as they are showing cracks at last, the mighty Crusaders ), Waratahs ( extra tough ), Bumbies (hard in Canberra ).
One of South Africas boxing champions has made Queensland his home and is giving back to the boxing industry. Holder of the record for the most number of punches landed by one fighter in a championship fight, 555 punches during a fight against Ivan Robinson in 1996, Philip Holiday moved to Australia in 2003.
Id been here just six months back in mid-2003, but that was six months longer than my friend Rod. Id known him since we were nine-year old kids making mischief in the bush that was our fledgling suburb on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth. Bluewater Bay was blessed with only about ten house, dirt roads, wind-up party-line phones, virgin bush teaming with buck, meerkat and boomslang.
NovemberWe went to see Johnny Clegg at the Great Concert Hall where he played a good selection of songs justifying the nearly R1000 we paid to go and watch. The audience went into a frenzy when Johnny broke into a bit of Zulu dancing during his hit song Impi leaving us all in goose bumps. One can never ever forget that African beat and rhythm, it is in your soul. Its a cruel, crazy wonderful world.
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