Defending The Quirky

Believe Cape Town

The city of Cape Town was sent into Bieber Frenzy on Tuesday the 7^th of May when one of the world’s biggest pop stars graced our shores with his ever-so insurmountable presence. Tweets were flying left right and centre about the whereabouts of Justin Bieber and excited “Beliebers” dominated the Twitter sphere with ecstatic tweets about his concert the next day. Rumours that Justin Bieber was shoe shopping at the Waterfront sent a flock of people with their cameras to the Hugo Boss store at the V&A. Overly enthusiastic young females and their dedicated parents camped outside Greenpoint Stadium that night while rock legends Bon Jovi and their fans belted out the classic “Living on a Prayer”. Roads were closed and barriers put up in preparation for the even more intense mayhem that would ensue the following day. The effect that one person can have on so many people is absolutely “unbeliebable”.

Justin Bieber embarked on his Believe Tour on the 29^th of September and decided to acknowledge the presence of South African Beliebers by adding two dates for our wonderful country (8^th of May for Cape Town and 12^th for Johannesburg). The 8^th of May proved to be a very exciting day as cars, restaurants and radio stations were blasting hits like “Boyfriend” and “Never Say Never” to get people in the mood for that evening. Reports were coming in at the increasing chaos going on at Greenpoint stadium as the day progressed, with more and more fans draped in purple and white waited outside to see their idol. Walking up to the stadium around 6’oclock, you could already hear the backtrack accompanying up and coming South African pop star ChianoSky. Inside the stadium was absolute mayhem; queues were endless with teens and parents itching to get their hands on various Justin Bieber tour merchandise and people trying to claw their way as close as they could to the front to get a good view of the young megastar.

The 10 minute countdown created an atmosphere more intense than a showdown in a classic American cowboy movie. At every minute, the crowd screamed as they anticipated the arrival of Justin Bieber on stage. The seconds ticked by almost too quickly and before anyone could realise that they actually desperately need some water and a toilet break after the endless hours of standing around, fireworks blasted into the air and he emerged dressed in all white. The crowd went mental and you’d almost think that he was draped in a pair of silver wings and glitter with the way people started crying and fainting. He opened with the first track on his album “Believe” and blew the crowd away with his energy and back up dancers. Highlights of the concert included his mashup of old hits “One Time”, “Somebody to Love” and “Eenie Meenie”, singing will.i.am’s “That Power” which he features on, showing off his talent for drumming and playing the piano, bringing up a girl from the crowd on stage for “One Less Lonely Girl” and of course, performing a couple of songs shirtless which made a number of oestrogen-filled teenage girls swoon and faint. He ended off with his signature song “Baby” accompanied with more fireworks and purple and white confetti, leaving everyone in absolute awe of the concert they had just experienced. It was truly a great performance on his part that made thousands of tweens and teenagers’ dreams come to life which they will never forget.

Mainstream music vs. Indie music: The on-going debate as seen by University of Cape Town students.

It has been said that you can tell a lot about a person by the music that they listen to. Music is an extension of our personalities; it can represent the various cultures and subcultures that people are a part of and it gives people something that they can identify themselves with. The recent wave of “hipsterism” (non-conformist and anti-commercial entity movement) that has reached nearly every aspect of external expression and identification: music, fashion, literature and hobbies (like longboarding and playing the ukulele) have been the main topic of discussion of current university students for the past 3-4 years. Indie music is a huge component of this hipster phenomenon which a group of university students have identified themselves with and the trend seems to be that the more and more people get into indie music, the more students have a dislike for mainstream commercial music. This is especially the case with students from The University of Cape Town (UCT) as Cape Town has been identified as the hub for hipsters and non-conformists to frolic about in this world class city full of culture and wonder. I decided to embark on a food court escapade to try and find out how many students preferred indie music to mainstream music and why there is such a growing contempt towards mainstream music and the possible origins of this.

“What is indie music anyway?” a very confused Natalie, a first year UCT student, remarked when I conducted my survey about whether students preferred mainstream music or indie music. For those of you who may not be so clued up on the alternative side of life; indie music is short for the term “independent music”. It refers to artists and music produced on non-commercial recording labels such as Syco Music and Sony. Indie music has many different sub-genres such as indie rock, indie pop, indie electro and indie folk (just to name a few) which makes it seem difficult to define and establish its boundaries; however the general pattern you find with all these sub-genres is the experimental and musical quality to them which mainstream music lacks. Indie music is all about the freedom of incorporating any musical element (whether it is obscure instruments or creepy sounds) into one’s work but most importantly: not sticking to the musical conventions of popular mainstream music…with better lyrics.

In a sample of 100 UCT students (which is no way reflective of how the entire student community feels about this subject matter) I found that 67% of students preferred indie music over mainstream music. Of those 67 people, about 40 of them were above first year; it’s interesting to note how as you progressively become accustomed to university student life there is an inclination towards independent music as you are trying new things and finding a new identity. “I wouldn’t consider myself a hipster but…*person proceeds to list hobbies of an obscure alternative nature*” and other varied responses to the prospects of being asked about what they choose to identify with. Number one rule of being a hipster? Never admit to anyone that you are one, regardless of the fact that you know you clearly are. So it is all fine and well that we can see that with the growth of hipsterism in popular culture (which is a terribly ironic statement as is) is the subsequent growth of indie music too. Yet the question still remains: Why is there such an antagonistic attitude towards mainstream music?

“I find their music to be a bit tedious, predictable and soul-less” Caroline (19 years old) said when asked about mainstream music artists like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift. “There is no musical or lyrical quality to pop music. It’s very monotonous and the fact that everyone listens to it makes it annoying to hear” Chris (21 years old) when asked about if he listens to the radio or not. The question of whether commercial music is considered to be “good music” or not takes the stage as people continue to criticise artists who are dominating the charts. Thapelo, a 20 year old engineering student shed an interesting account on the mainstream vs. indie music debate:

“Personally, I don’t understand what the fuss is really about. I enjoy both indie music and popular music. I feel like people cannot adequately judge what “good music” is and what isn’t especially when they have no musical background. Everyone is different, people have different tastes and music is not just about the sound, it’s about how it makes you feel. If a catchy pop song by One Direction or Taylor Swift makes me feel happy or makes me feel like I want to dance, then I should have the freedom to listen to it without judgement.”

Second rule of being a hipster? Never listen to anything mainstream and constantly criticise the brainwashed masses who decide to listen to the radio on their way to work in the morning.

What I find interesting about the whole debate is that a lot of the time it isn’t even about the actual quality of indie music itself, but more about maintaining the exclusive and alternative platform that indie music culture gives. There have been quite a few indie music artists who have achieved commercial success like Mumford & Sons and Death Cab for Cutie, and as soon as they have done so, they have been labelled “overrated” and “not THAT good”. Although indie music is inherently better than mainstream music in terms of the thought and effort that goes into each song, sure not all mainstream music can be considered to be terrible? It must have some kind of musical value if it appeals to so many people across the globe? And the big question that I leave you with is: surely the more that people get into indie music, the more mainstream it becomes?

“It feels like the perfect night to dress up like hipsters” Taylor Swift, one of the biggest pop music icons in indie fashion. Indie is the new mainstream.

Matthew Mole: The man and his music

“I’m not the best at speaking, but through music, it’s completely comfortable.  Music - It takes up a lot of my time, it drives me, it makes me who I am.” Matthew Mole is a Cape Town based South African artist steadily acquiring his claim to fame in a rapidly growing semi-underground indie scene.  Over the past couple of months, he has performed at some of South Africa’s biggest music festivals like Rocking the Daisies and Splashy Fen and got the opportunity to be whisked away by Converse South Africa to London to play at the 100 Club, home to England’s veteran music artists. He has picked up a relatively young indie fan base around his age through his quirky/endearing persona and his indie folk tunes playing regular shows at Cape Town’s hottest venues like Assembly, Zula Sound Bar and The Waiting Room. He has embarked on a mini-tour to Joburg and Durban, and regularly plays gigs with his indie musical counterparts (and very good friends) Shortstraw and Al Bairre.

Matthew Mole and his music are one in the same thing. He’s a very down to earth and subtle guy with a firm set of beliefs and a good head on his shoulders. For Matthew, music is not just about the enjoyment of playing instruments and putting together a unique sound for the pleasure of others, it’s his identity and an expression of his values and what he aims to achieve in life. “I try to live my life a little differently to the way most people think it should be done. For me, music is very closely linked to that. I like to try and bring my hopes and beliefs through that.” If you listen to his various tracks on Sound cloud (http://www.soundcloud.com/matthew-mole) you can see the strong correlation of his light and uplifting banjo/guitar playing and the subtle electronic elements in the background with his humble personality and happy persona. When asked about what he wants to achieve with his music, he had an inspiring account for it: he wants to affect people in “a way that will make them think about where they’re at.” A musical adventure that he wants his listeners to take with him and relate to. He interacts with his fans over various social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr adding to his perception of being just a regular recent university graduate exactly like his student and young adult following. When looking at his Twitter bio, it reads: “ Jesus Christ. Music. Illustration & Design.” In today’s secularized music industry, it’s refreshing to see an artist try and incorporate his own belief system into his music without coming across as overbearing to non-religious people.

The indie music category is incredibly broad as it entails a variety of branches and sub-genres that involve many alternative sounds and appeal to the non-conformist masses.  What comes with the territory of being an independent music artist is always being asked to “describe your sound” as not all indie music sounds the same. “If you had to force something out of me, I’d tell you that I play Folk music. Folk music with an Electronic back bone.” Matthew says his influences stem from very well-known artists like Mumford & Sons (who have a predominantly folk sound) to Gold Panda (a heavily progressive electronic music artist). He is a very talented individual having studied Music Production at the SAE Institute (School of Audio Engineering) and using his skills to their full capacity by producing and recording all of his music. He plays a variety of instruments like the banjo, guitar, piano, drums, the ukulele and the odd hint of the xylophone to proud a light but captivating sound. He performs with his friend Jack Straw who plays the drums for him as well as uses a synth to playback the electronic elements while he plays his banjo or guitar (relatively similar to Jeremy Loops). His choruses are easy to sing along to and he makes his performances intimate, relatable and enjoyable with close up audience interaction and playing some covers of popular indie tunes.

For Matthew Mole, one of the greatest things for him is hearing people singing along to his songs at festivals and concerts. 2013 is panning out to be a great year for this young artist with his first official album being recorded at the moment. Commenting on the progress of the album, “We’re more than half way with the album recording. It’s sounding so nice! It’s such a blessing to finally do this stuff in a rad studio” With over 90 000 plays on his Sound Cloud page, his anticipated first album The Home We Built is bound to skyrocket to success when it’s released later on this year. He was also invited to the MK Awards earlier on this year, played at live music festivals Splashy Fen and Park Acoustics as well as did a big show at the Barnyard Theatre alongside ISO and one of South Africa’s most successful and well-known bands, The Parlotones. Matthew Mole is rapidly emerging to join the ranks of South Africa’s veteran musicians and is definitely an artist to look out for this year.

News Analysis: South African rapper Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye sentenced to 25 years imprisonment for murder

The criminal court case of South African musician Molemo Maarohanye (nickname Jub Jub) has been a consistent source of media attention in South Africa since March 2010 when the incident happened. The rapper and his friend Themba Tshabalala were drag racing under the influence in the urban hub of Soweto when they crashed into 6 school children; 4 were killed on the scene (Prince Mohube, Mlungisi Cwayi, Andile Mthombeni, and Phomello Masemola) and 2 were left permanently brain damaged (Frank Mlambo and Fumani Mushwana). They were granted bail shortly after the accident which caused frenzy in the media as well as a protest by South African students. They were subsequently taken into police custody in October 2012 until the sentence was received on the 5^th December 2012 by the Protea Magistrates court. They were sentenced to 20 years in prison each as well as a further 5 years for attempted murder and driving under the influence of drugs. The story has been covered by various local and international publications; with the local news following every detail over the past 2 years with many articles and constantly updating the story on websites (like The Sowetan and News 24) and the international media (like BBC News and Huffington Post) only covering the major events (Their bail, and the sentencing).

There are very few differences in the way that this part of the case was covered over different news publications although they appeal to different audiences. The BBC online report, the Sowetan Live report and the News 24 report all perpetuated the same news values and conventions of Hard news writing in accordance with this case, despite the different audiences they each appeal to. Hard news is defined as the report of a story that has happened “within the previous twenty-four hours and treats an issue of ongoing concern” and is centered around an individual or a group of individuals (Campbell & Jamieson, 2001: 40-41). In the case of Jub Jub each article was published on the 6 December 2012 online, a day after the sentencing occurred and focuses primarily on Jub Jub, paying very little attention to the other guilty party, Tshabalala. Hard news is usually dramatic, conflict filled and has a lot of emotional intensity and links to an ongoing issue in the media (Campbell & Jamieson, 2001: 41). Each article highlights the most important aspect of the report, which is the sentencing and the charges brought upon the culprit. There is an underlining theme in each of the articles which highlight the issue of driving under the influence. For example, the BBC news report puts “cocaine and morphine” as its lead quote in the middle of the article and Sowetan features a quote by the judge on top of the article which states that the culprits had “brought it upon themselves”. News 24 highlights the issue slightly differently; the title of the article reads “Jub Jub gets 20 years for murder” and later on in the article, it mentions that they both got an additional year for driving under the influence of drugs and not following the rules of the world. That deliberate alienation of the claim from the rest of the larger sentence as a whole emphasizes the issue at hand.

The constant reporting of the South African news publications over the two years in the case influenced the content of the article which makes it different to the way that an international news publication puts it across. Sowetan Live and News 24 had more detail about the actual court case with quotes from the judge and the description of Jub Jub and Tshabalal’s reactions in the court room as opposed to the BBC report which was more of a broad overview and shed light on previous details of the stories. News 24 starts off with a quote from Magistrate court judge Brian Nemavhidi highlighting the justification for no life sentence because it was not premeditated (which alludes to the fact that the sentence may not have been deemed enough for the murder of 4 children). The Sowetan Live uses the quote which states that no one can sympathise with them because they had brought the incident upon themselves. The Sowetan relates to the black middle class and black people at the grass roots level who are assumed to be the people who would most likely be fans of Jub Jub. This article differs to the other two as it mentions statements said by Jub Jub at how remorseful it is. For example, the article goes on to state his future action to appeal the decision and how he intends to set up a trust fund for the families affected by the deaths (and that healing would not be possible if he were to go to jail) and that he apologises for being a part of it. There is an allusion to some sort of sympathy that the readers should have for the rapper due to its intended audience. The BBC online report differs in that the report is very vague and quite short. It attempts to set up the shock worthiness of the story by the caption under the photo which reads “Maarohanye is one of South Africa’s best-known musicians”. It omits any quotes from the judges and the happenings of the court room as well as presents an overview of the crimes and previous happenings (like how they were granted bail in 2010). This is mainly due to the fact that BBC online did not constantly report the ongoing of this case so they had more ground to cover as opposed to the South African publication. It highlights the importance of this story on each of the news publications. Locally the Jub Jub case was a very high profile case whereas internationally, it was a story that did not have any significant impact as it was not particularly high on the agenda of International News.

Article Links:

BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20623870

News 24: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Jub-Jub-gets-20-years-for-murder-20121205

Sowetan Live: http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2012/12/06/25-years-for-jub-jub-s-drag-racing-car-crash