Die Storie van Susanna Van Biljon

Two film trailers in one month. One more and this might become a habit :-)
I am especially excited about this film because it stars Karen Zoid. I'm also quite fascinated to see how many films about and made in South Africa there have been recently. I haven't seen this yet, of course, but it looks like it may be an Afrikaans reworking of the Susan Boyle story. Or am I imagining things?

12 September 2010: The teasers just get better and better

Spud trailer

I can't wait!

zef slang woordeboek

 I'm rather embarrassed to post this to my blog, but since Die Antwoord made a huge splash in New York the other day, I'm suddenly getting a bunch of questions.
To answer a couple of them up front:

• No, they are not the topic of my dissertation. Karen Zoid is.
• No, Karen Zoid does not sound like this.
• No, they are not meant to be taken seriously. It's a spoof, and an extremely profane one at that.
• Yes I speak Afrikaans. but no, I don't speak it like they do.
• Yes, I have listened to their music. I find them as a popular phenomenon fascinating, but I don't listen to their music for pleasure. I may write about them at some stage, but for now, I'm focused on the dissertation.

Feel free to post any additional questions in the comments here.

Dusty's Hair!

When I got back to New York a couple of days ago, I had a birthday present waiting for me. I'm super excited, because not only is is a fun read, it is also really inspiring for my dissertation-writing, because Annie Randall models what I'm hoping to do. Rumour has it that she will be teaching a class at NYU in the fall. I know I'm supposed to be done with coursework (and mostly I very definitely am DONE!) but this may be something I need to audit.

the sound of South Africa (for now anyway)

Soccer World Cup 2010

I think I mentioned a few posts back that I wrote an article on music and the promotion of the 2010 Soccer World Cup for an upcoming special issue of the journal Soccer and Society. The issue is currently in press.
I am not yet sure where I'll send it, but I really want to write a follow-up article after the tournament linking some of the initial speculations and forecasts with what eventually happened (is happening), and so this post is an opportunity for me to bring the relevant links together in one place. I'll update it as I go over the next month.

Blogs:
Africa is a Country. Always an excellent read, but especially relevant in this instance because Sean Jacobs, on of the bloggers here, is currently blogging from South Africa where he is attending several matches.
Football is coming home
Just Fila: Prophetic Dreams, False Fans, and Faith, Faith like Rugby Balls
Mhambi: Hier Kom Bafana
Soccer can induce labour?


Newspaper articles:
Historical:
General:
The Guardian: World Cup Opening Ceremony as it happened
Opinion:
About the Music:
The Guardian's Neil Spencer on the kick-off concert line-up
Mail and Guardian: Africa's Musical Boots
BBC News: Rapper K'Naan's Wavin' Flag in World Cup Triumph

On Vuvuzelas:
BBC Sport: World Cup Organizers will not ban Vuvuzelas
Football is coming home on the origins of the vuvuzela
Blatant on vuvuzelas at the confederations cup
The Guardian: BBC May Offer Vuvuzela-free Matches
Business Day: Vuvuzelas sell out at Sainsbury's
BBC.co.uk: BBC Receives 545 Vuvuzela Complaints
Vanity Fair: All Hail the Mighty Vuvuzela
Telegraph: Pope Must Not Be Subject to Vuvuzelas
The Onion: Vuvuzela Philharmonic Angered by Soccer Games Breaking Out During Concerts
The Observers: Sound of the Vuvuzela can be Music to the ears
Vuvuzelas in the concert hall
Vuvuzela concerto (the comments are more interesting than the post itself), and a Guardian article on the Vuvuzela Concerto
The Guardian: Play Vuvuzela Like a Pro (Samora was a few years behind me at Wits, and we sang together in the Wits choir)

Das Vuvuzela in Geschichte und Gegenwart
Vuvuzelas in Seoul

On Shakira's "Waka Waka" song:
Video of Shakira performing Waka Waka at the kick-off concert

On the opening concert:
Rivmix: On South African music not in the Kick-off concert


World Cup Advertising:
Mhambi posted this very funny Pepsi advert: Moving the Goal Posts

General music:
Jack Parow's spoof World Cup anthem: Blaas Jou Vuvuzela
R. Kelly's performance of "Sign of a Victory" at the opening ceremony.
R. Kelly arrives in South Africa, talks briefly about his song
Shakira on the world cup for the 1Goal project.
Sean Jacobs at Africa is a Country on a potential unofficial world cup anthem, Make the Circle Bigger
2K10 IN SOUTH AFRICA. Haven't heard it yet, but can't wait to!

Soccer, gender and queer issues:
The Onion: Soccer announces it is gay

Spud

If you haven't yet read the three books in what will eventually be a 4-book series by John Van De Ruit - Spud, The Madness Continues and Learning to Fly - I strongly recommend you do. And while there is a whole lot in them that is emphatically and uniquely South African, I think even my US friends and colleagues will find them as fascinating and engaging as I have. They are hillariously funny books, and my delight in them was dramatically increased today when I read on the author's blog that in an upcoming film based on the first book, the gov, one of my favourite characters, is played by John Cleese. The only other person I could have imagined for the role was Peter O'Toole, and it would have had to have been filmed a couple of decades ago for that to really work. I think John is perfect for it.
So if you haven't read the books, do so, and then read the author's blog. I've thoroughly enjoyed the diversion, and even get to call it research, as I will be quoting Spud in my dissertation. I'm eagerly awaiting the film and the final book.