GIG REVIEW - FAYA UMAN : MUSICAL CHAIRS CD LAUNCH AT KINGSTON ON 4TH

WRITTEN BY Miehleketo Maluleke

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Nyiko Baloyi (@Nyiko_EMagFirst on Twitter)

Most people are aware of the party energy surrounding the 16^th of December. So in the plethora of things to do and places to go, EMagazine First was at KINGSTON ON 4^TH in Melville for what turned out to be an epic and adventurous night.

Brought to you by RIDDIM YUT PRODUCTIONS was the launch of FAYA UMAN’s album titled MUSICAL CHAIRS. As her name suggests, dis UMAN ah blaze up dah place, she ah hot, she mad pun dih microphone, she ah ride deh riddim and make dih crowd move I tell yah. Even “haters” would have been impressed by the “fire” of this “ghetto uman”. She has a stage presence that can make a stiff waist “lose control” and a voice so hypnotic if you love reggae music all you could do was “follow your heart”. Not only can she sing, she can rap too.

On the decks we had DANCEHOLLIC-BIGGY and TANDARING DAWTA who kept the massive in motion dancehall style. The reaction of the crowd made it clear that the selectors were straight murdering it. Not forgetting our MC for the night my man SHEPHARD STULLA keeping things running smoothly as the proceedings proceeded.

Other acts blazing the stage included MOMODREAD performing tracks like “ubuhle bakho” which he says is for the sisters with locks, afro’s and weaves-in other words “fih al dem sistaz” seen. ALCAPONE JJ blessed us with “black and proud” which is self explanatory. We also had EMPRESS DIVINE rocking it with a mixture of reggae and hip-hop, JESSE DAN doing his thing as well. We had JAH LINK who blessed us by performing a track never performed before titled “even if I’m far away” which is a dedication to his daughter. You had to love the array of diversity and styles that was hosted in our own little KINGSTON.

 

No doubt MUSICAL CHAIRS is a beautiful album and I know because I have it. FAYA UMAN is on a level of her own. You can tell her lyrics are written from the “inhliziyo”. They inspire a “rebellion” that can bring about “liberation” in a confining situation. And her producer BEREKET TAFARI is just too nice on the beats.

 

In conclusion it turned out to be a very fun filled and memorable 16^th of December. Definitely worth the sweat lost on the dance floor and more. The experience for everyone who was there was out of this world. Big up KINGSTON ON 4^TH –RIDDIM YUT PRODUCTIONS-FAYA UMAN and all the people who made it what it was. GO OUT AND GET YOURSELF THAT ALBUM YA’LL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



CAPLETON IN JHB PICTURE GALLERY AND SHORT VIDEO

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO BY Nyiko Baloyi / 078 135 4047

GIG REVIEW: 1ST ANNUAL SOUTH AFRICAN HIP HOP AWARDS

Written By: Nonkululeko Ndukuya (@LekoNdukuya on Twitter)

Photography By Nyiko Baloyi (@Nyiko_EMagFirst on Twitter)

Edited By Nyiko Baloyi (@Nyiko_EMagFirst on Twitter)

With merely a few days before the awards, well known Rapper A.K.A publicly announced his decision to withdraw from the 1^st Annual South African Hip Hop Awards due to ‘lack of information’. In his absence, A.K.A. scooped 4 awards, amongst those was Album of the
Year. This triumphant event was conceived and executed by The Ritual Group, which consists of Ritual Stores and OST.

Workshops leading to the event were held on Saturdays, months before the actual event to allow the exchange of information about the awards between the organizers and whoever else was curious. These workshops where jam-packed with information.
The atmosphere was vibrant and flamboyant, essential ingredients for a perfect Award Ceremony. Bumping into Rapper Proverb (whose video interview can be viewed on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIcbihUVaps&feature=g-crec) as we made our way through the parking lot, we were adamant that the night would be great, and it was. The dress-code spoke fashion. Ladies paraded in ‘Freakum Dresses’& high heels, gents in their sagged pants and bulky sneakers. Hip Hop was out to play that night.

After a few hours of entertainment by DJ Zakes, the ceremony kicked off much later than the planned time which was a bit of an inconvenience. We had soon forgotten of the time as an opening poem by Mac Manaka set the ambiance as the crowd roared with excitement to punch statements. Hosts Pule ‘The Skothane’ and Jay Boboza had us in fits of laughter the entire evening. ‘Swaggametrics’ and ‘Swagga-overload’ were in full force, the does and don’ts in Hip Hop Video making. They were absolutely a great pair. Hopefully they host the 2^nd Annual South African Awards too.

Ben Sharpa, Neo Beats (Winner of Mixtape of the Year), Zuluboy, SCF, The Federation SA, SiyaShezi and Reason (Winner of Son of the Year) all gave spectacular performances and had the crowd in the palm of their hands.

For a first of their kind, these awards were pretty impressive. South African Hip Hop is definitely gearing in the right direction and it seems that growth is infinite. Props to all that are doing their part to contribute to it.

EMagazine First Interviews with a few artists on the night of the awards can be viewed on http://www.youtube.com/user/EMagazineFirst.

A full list of the winners can be viewed on http://www.sahiphopawards.com

FRIDAY AT KINGSTON ON 4TH IN MELVILLE (PICTURE GALLERY)