YO WASUP? On tour at the moment around France, next month Germany and the US and Italy in May! So exciting seeing the amazing reception in different cities, people getting down to South African music! I don’t know how many times I’ve heard Mujava’s ‘Township Funk’, it’s like a shadow Р every DJ playing it where ever they go, sometimes a few times 
a night.

I recently had the opportunity to check out the South African musical Umoja at the prestigious Folies Bergere - the seat of French music hall culture since 1872, and famously captured in the great impressionist Edouard Manet’s painting of 1882, ‘A Bar at the Folies-Bergere’.

Having seen the posters and heard about this SA dance show, I was not expecting all that muchЙ Just another African musical selling the same old theme of exotic Africa with negritude, I thought. African people running wild in the jungle, dancing and being happy, capturing nothing of the essence of what South Africa is about! But I was wrong!

Umoja captured the movement of South African dance throughout history from the early period where the women were half naked in the villages to the migration to the cities, Sophiatown and the modern day ‘pantsula’ movement .The show paid tribute to Miriam Makeba... and to my surprise, a large part of the audience (which was very mixed - old and young, black ‘n white), were singing along to the lyrics of Miriam’s ‘Pata Pata’!
The creators of Umoja, Thembi Nyandeni and Todd Twala, aimed to bring to life the spirit of togetherness, both having previously worked in the hugely successful Ipi Ntombi and Meropa shows which toured the world in the 70s.

The show exploded with drumming that invoked ancient African traditions, four drummers in darkness, the sound filling the entire venue as it began its journey through four decades, brought together by the voice of an elder, hugely reminiscent of the much loved Mandela both in words and dress!

The choreography was amazing, my favourite part of the show was when the whole cast came together displaying various styles in costumes depicting different eras and cultures of South Africa. Although there were a few cultures and styles they didn’t portray, it is the best musical I’ve seen which captures the South African dance movement, and I totally recommend it!

And if you happen to be in London, do check out one of the most talked about clubs at the moment Р the Double Club Р it is one part Prada, the other Congolese... yes, two seemingly opposing identities, a bit like Apartheid South Africa made cool, as if such a thing is possible. It’s open for only 6 months. Designed by Carsten Höller, the club will only be open for six months! And for the art enthusiasts, Höller also has an installation at the Tate gallery, where Friday night is African only... get on down for some cool art and celebrity spotting too!