WeeklySA_AdminUNEARTH: The music project seeks to connect like-minded creatives through masterclasses and exhibitions…
By Thuli Zungu
Talented South African youngsters have been offered an opportunity to launch themself to the world through the “My Community Cooks” Project, which was launched in June.
Last week Vuma’s “My Community Cooks” initiative, in partnership with the Soweto Wine and Food Lifestyle Festival, Soweto Theatre and Native Rebels allowed 30 of Soweto’s most gifted creatives, including dancers, actors, photographers and fine arts practitioners, to share their stories, knowledge, and experiences through an intimate masterclass with one of South Africa’s music greats, Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse.
Mabuse said the programme was launched in June to help nurture South Africa’s creative talent, says Mabuse. Lianne Williams, Head of Marketing at Vuma says My Community Cooks is aimed at developing skills and creating employment opportunities that empower the community.
The programme, created by Vuma, South Africa’s leading fibre provider, in partnership with the Soweto Wine & Lifestyle festival, Native Rebels and The Soweto Theatre, is open to Soweto’s finest musicians, photographers, designers, artists, dancers, and social innovators, she says.
By shining a spotlight on creative icons like “Hotstix” Mabuse, the project encourages young South Africans to showcase their talents and reach for the extraordinary, she says.
“We seek to connect like-minded creatives through a series of live performances, masterclasses and exhibitions. It’s time to shine a light and showcase our talent to the world,” Williams said. The initiative is expected see the “My Community Cooks” project putting the Panstula music genre and choreography on the global map, taking Soweto Street art to the world, Williams said.
Williams says the goal is for the “My Community Cooks” project to continue across all of South Africa’s communities to nurture and support creative talent in the country and play a part in the economic recovery of the entertainment sector.
Mabuse shared his experience in the industry concerning how he earned the nickname “Hotstix”, and advice for aspiring artists. “The purpose of this initiative is to amplify the visibility of undiscovered talent and to expose them to South African icons,” Mabuse said.
On his nickname, Mabuse said, because he was used to practising on his own, he was able to play a 25-minute drum solo at an event after a power outage prevented the band from performing. “That particular solo earned me the nickname, ‘Hotstix’,” he said.
Mabuse, whose career spans more than five decades, says artists who want to create a lasting career in the industry need to be ambitious. “They need to make sacrifices, and dedicate their time and energy to mastering their craft,” Mabuse said, adding that his ambition is what had driven him to excel in his craft. “I would practice for hours on end to hone my skills, and it paid off,” he said.
Mabuse believes young creatives need to focus on breaking the mould. “South Africa is probably the only country that can produce such a wide variety of music genres,” Mabuse said. “But, sometimes we narrow our ability to develop and grow our creativity.”
Using “Amapiano”, which is a hybrid genre of deep house and lounge music as an example, Mabuse said everyone seems to be following this new music trend, instead of drawing inspiration from this and other musical styles to create new genres that are just as exciting.
The “Burn Out” hit maker said he owes his decades in the music industry to his ability to reinvent himself and find other ways to stay relevant, including often interacting with young creatives so he can figure out how the music industry has evolved.
“It’s important to be open to learning new things all the time. I would love to sit down with the creators of Amapiano music and learn more about this genre, maybe ask them why they felt they should call it ‘Amapiano’, especially considering that I can’t hear the piano in the music,” Mabuse said.
Driven by a dream to better himself, Mabuse returned to high school when he was 60.
He advises young aspiring creatives to adopt the same mindset and enter the industry to share their unique story, improve themselves, and leave a legacy, and not to become artists, just for the sake of being famous.
“It’s important for artists to remain grounded and not go into the industry for fame because no matter what’s happening today, you could find yourself in a very different position tomorrow. This industry is unpredictable. It makes you famous today and flushes you out tomorrow,” Mabuse said.
Interested wishing to showcase their myriad talents on the My Community Cooks project platform are invited to submit their work by visiting the project website at, www.mycommunitycooks.co.za.
