Cadillac Records reminds us of how music should sound

Earlier today I had a chance of watching Cadillac Records, the new movie which is supposedly based relatively on singer Etta James' life. Having learned a lot about the movie, since I'm working on a premiere where we are anticipating Mos Def as a guest, it was good to finally witness what I have read about on the web, for myself.

The movie chronicles the rise of Chess Records (owned by Leornard Chess, played by convincingly Adrien Brody) and the colourful lives of their artists, including legendary blues and soul songstress Etta James (played by Beyonce Knowles), king of funk Muddy Waters (played by Jeffrey Wright), the distinctive and powerful-voiced Howlin' Wolf (played by Eamonn Walker), eccentric and humorous Berry Gordy (played by Mos Def), as well as talented but also troubled Little Walter (played by young Columbus Short). Narrated by Willie Dixon (played by Cedric the Entertainer), Cadillac Records is able to give you a vivid picture of how the music industry works, or at least worked then. Not that much has changed today, but some of the principals of the music business were a little different back then.

Many have praised Beyonce on this role, but I saw no progression from what she has done before, since she plays yet another singer here (by the way, she made sure she gets this role by signing on as an executive producer). I felt the male cast members did brilliantly in their respective roles. Especially Columbus Short in his role as Little Walter. He commanded the flawed character and made it his own with such ease and flair. Jeffrey Wright also excelled as Muddy Waters, displaying an amazing ability to flex his acting muscle to great potency. The same needs to be said for Mos Def, who gave the role of Berry Gordy awesome vigor and charm. And of course Adrien Brody has the ability to show different emotions just at the right moment, and a lot has to be said for an actor who is able to soundly capture whatever moment is required at that time with such precision. Worth a mention is actress Gabrielle Union, who plays Waters' ride-or-die other half Geneva Wade, also able to display her emotions very fittingly throughout the movie.

All in all, Cadillac Records was a great film. It gives you a glimpse into the workings of the music industry and the assorted and mostly troubled lives led by musicians or artists. This film also marks the 50th anniversary of the Motown era, which Gordy was very influntial in steering.

Cadillac Records opens at selected cinemas nationwide on the 29th of May 2009. But before that, like I've mentioned above, YEAHBO.DOT.NET has been granted a screening of the film on the 07th of April 2009. What makes the screening even more exciting is the fact that Mos Def (who is set to wow hip hop and jazz fans at the Cape Town Internationa Jazz Festival in about 2 weeks) will be making a appearance as a special guest. if you want to be part of this groundbreaking experience, go to YEAHBO.DOT.NET and follow the instructions.

Cape Town Internation Jazz Festival: Profiling Jonathan Butler and Incognito

We started a feature last week where we are profiling some of the artists performing at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, leading to the spectacular festival. Our latest profile features our very own international guitar maestro, Jonathan Butler, as well as UK's funky and jazzy outfit Incognito. I decided to pair these two bands because over the weekend I had an absolute pleasure of watching their respective live performances on their latest DVD's that should be out at stores now or soon, thanks to Sheer Music.

Jonathan Butler

Jonathan Butler needs no introduction, really. He's more than honed his skills as a songwriter, singer and guitarist for decades and this is evident in the live DVD that was recorded in South Africa towards the end of 2007, simply and aptly titled Jonathan Butler Live In South Africa. What made my watching of the DVD more special and fulfilling was the fact that I was actually part of the audience during the recording on that beautiful evening at The Venue in Melrose Arc. I even managed to spot my self for a brief half-second, but I digress. The size of the venue created a great sense of intimacy and warm ambience. The actual performance was top notch, with Butler belting out most of his history-making hits since the advent of his career.

One of the many highlights was his collaboration with Mabi Thobejane on 7th Avenue, and Mandela Bay. Mabi excelled in his role as a traditional percussionist, whilst Butler did what he is famous for on both guitar and vocals. The rest of the band equally shined, providing concrete support to Butler. There are a few skits where Butler takes us through more than just his music, in a few showing us where he grew up and reminiscing on those early humble beginnings. For years, one of my favourite songs from the Cape Town-born musical genius has been I'm On My Knees, and will probably remain so for a very long time. Therefore I was ecstatic that he performed the romantic ballad, with many others that follow in my favourites list; like Sarah Sarah, Lies and his unsullied rendition of the Bob Marley classic, No Woman No Cry.

The experience Butler's progression from young Cape Town boy to the international superlative and respected musician, get Jonathan Butler Live In South Africa. You'll indubitably be moved by the magic seeping from that wonderful moment in our arts and culture heritage where many other notable names in our different industries were present.


Incognito

Having entertained masses for a very long time, it's only fitting that Incognito present their fans with a wonderful gift of their golden sounds packaged into a live DVD. It took a show at the Java Jazz Festival staged in Jarkarta, Indonesia last year to have the benefit of enjoying their inimitable plethora of music. And to say they brought the house down is an understatement as the audience couldn't get enough.

In a band or group environment, you usually get at least 1 person that shines and overshadows others. However, that is not the case with the eccletic band made up of members from different parts of the world, including Africa (the originator and band leader Jean-Paul Bluey Maunick, affectionately known only as Bluey, is from Mauritius). Although they sound magnificent as a collective, each member is given an equal chance to shine on their solos, whether it's on vocals, or the horns or the piano or bass guitar or drums. That ability to show such remarkable presence in such a huge band takes a lot of strength and confident in your talents, therefore each and every member in the band is laudable for the great work they contribute to the British band. Not to mention the energy displayed with such comfortability and ease.

Their wholesome ability to display copious amounts of emotion in their sets also intensifies their substance as musicians. This results in an irresistible and moving repetoire, from the dynamic funky tunes, to the memorable soul ballads, to the gospel-laced numbers transformed into easy party grooves. These qualities put them above their counterparts in the jazz and soul genre. The mere knack for interpreting new music, at the same time inspiring with their versatility is really amazing.

The live DVD will be released in May 2009 in South Africa, so look out for it at the music shops. If you don't get to see them when they are here in a few weeks, this should be more than enough consolation.

Win With Friday The 13th!!!

The latest thriller to hit the cinemas today is the appropriately titled Friday The 13th. I had a chance to watch it last week. Although the intention of such movies are to scare you, this one was more gory and gruesome than scary. If you are a fan of such a genre, you should however not be deterred by my view.

To make your viewing of Friday The 13th even more scarier and exciting, UIP and YEAHBO.DOT.NET are giving away 5 hampers containing the following movie memorabilia:

• 5 Friday the 13th Blood Splat with the title treatment

• 5 Friday the 13th Moulded Mask mouse with liquid filled pad with the title treatment.

All you have to do to walk away with the above prize is answer the following simple questions:

1). What is the name of the lake where Jason, the serial killer lives?
2). Who played the character of Jason in the 1980 version of the movie?

Send your answers to yeahbo@yeahbo.net, together with the following details:

Name and surname;
Contact number;
E-mail address;
Your age;
The city where you live; and
Tell us how you learnt about YEAHBO.DOT.NET or yeahbodotnet.blogspot.com.

Good luck.

Darkie clothing prices slashed by 50%!!!

A week or two ago I published a post about the Darkie shops, both in Cape Town and Jozi having their season-end sales. They have taken it further, you can get everything you see in store now at a whooping 50% off. That means that you only pay half-price on each and every item of clothing you see in the store. I do have an impeccable two-piece fitted suit in mind that I want to get my hands on, come Friday.

The Darkie shops are located in Kloof Street in Cape Town and on 7th Street in Melville in Jozi. This is one fashion sale you don't want to miss out on. The exclusive pieces that Darkie designs, which by the way are never repeated, are going for extremely low prices to make way for a new colection that will hit the stores up very soon. Be on the look out.

Oh, and if you get there and buy an item, you can revel with other shoppers at an intimate party where you choose what you want to drink. If you don't have any plans for Friday night, the Darkie shop at Melville will be the place to be.

Siphokazi proves humilty will take you far

The roads all lead to the Mother City for the Cape Town International Jazz Festival at the beginning of April. If you haven't done your bookings whether in terms of getting there or accommodation, move faster because you might just find yourself missing out on this amazing spectacle.

Leading to the festival, we shall be featuring profiles on some of the artists that are featured on the line-up for the 10th Annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Opening things up is Siphokazi, whom I had a chat with over the phone yesterday. She is one of the musicians that will be burning the torch from the Mzansi at the festival. We chatted about a few things, including what this milestone means for her and what her musical influences and inspirations are. Here is a highlight of the conversation:

What does being invited to performance at one of the biggest festivals in the world mean to you?

I am extremely excited. I'm still very overwhelmed. It's very humbling that they chose me to be part of it. Although I'm still not sure which day I'll be performing on (Friday or Saturday), I'll be sharing the stage with people I'd never dreamed I'd perform with."

What should the audience expect from your show?

A lot of nice music. I also respect people because they have shown me a great deal of respect, so I'll make sure I rehearse a lot so that I can give them my all. It's going to be much and much fun.

The rest of the write-up is at YEAHBO.DOT.NET.