Tuesday, April 17, 2012

A night in Loving memory of Captain Schti



You know you’ve had yourself a satisfying weekend, when come Monday morning your butt cheeks hurt & the Jams that painted your Saturday are full blasting away in your head, & brushstroking your body into a jig that has onlookers concerned about your well-being

Once upon these past few months I’ve attended some slamming gigs, this past Saturday however; was quite something.  Perhaps it was because for a change I hadn’t gone out on my own; but I think not, considering that I always know someone no matter where my solo act & I go gallivanting. I’m convincingly certain that the DJ line up had a lot of something to do with Saturday being the thrill it was, but above all else my heart knows in that blindly Christian way, that what made that night had everything & then some to do with why we were all there.

It heartbreakingly all began with a car accident a few weeks back, that lead to the passing on of a spectacular someone. Mac (Makhosini Ngwenya) was far from just an ordinary anyone; and the Music at Last crew did a stellar job of seeing to it that Saturday was a true tribute of tributes to their fallen Captain.

Eager beaver me & my accomplice got to Kitcheners around 4pm-ish. He knew no one & I the opposite, so the dynamics were initially a little off-centre, till the music became a true testament to itself. DJ Kongisto kicked off with a catchy set, which he cherry-on-topped when he played a second set just because he could. A pace & caliber had been set, that those who followed had to match or top. As the sun inconspicuously set, more familiar faces filtered in & Hip-Hop began dominating the dance floor. To My right were the alluring likes of Stunna Leoka chit chatting her way around, while Ms Soma & friends bopped along to beats on my left. In popped Pilzy Lee with loving Quaz an arms stretch away, & an unfazed Amu in another corner having himself a heartfelt time, while Hymphatic Thaps was his reliably colourful self. I squeezed in some sweet & short “hello’s” with the likes of Smiling Shynin Armour (SCF); Mr Sunglasses at night Neon (The Federation); My kindred spirit Benji; Dj X (MANIAC of a driver); Shutterbug Solo; Kool Kat Kay-b & Laid back Speech who’d settled himself into a corner by the bar.

In the midst of all the regulars, I had the pleasure of a refreshing encounter with a young character I came across while on the hunt for a matchstick.
“Why is that stick so important to you?” he asked puzzled once I had found one by his foot. It took gestures for me to explain that stuffing was the only way I could give birth to a blunt, hence my need for a matchstick; or something like it.
“Can’t I just roll it for you?” he offered much to my relief.
We parked ourselves in a poorly lit corner where I came to learn that his name was Tap.
“You here with a guy?” he asked getting to the point
“Yes” I answered under prepared for the question that was to follow.
“So what’s the story there, you guys fucking?”
**** FLABBERGASTED! FLABBERGASTED! FLABBERGASTED! ***
“I think he wants to, but I’m not sure I’m on the same page”, I honestly answered after having taken a moment to snap out of my startled state. The dialogue had been marginally deviated, when our poorly lit corner of time dimmed to an end by the deed at hand being done.
“Call me when you want a fuck buddy” were the last words he spoke to me, as valleys of people swallowed me back to the he who was my partner in Good-times for the night.

This “He” I speak of, played a priceless part in my having had so Epic a time, for never in the 10 years we’ve known each other, had I ever seen him so enthralled. Witnessing him dance his heart out & rhyme along as far as his memory allowed him, was made all the more worth it every 20 odd minutes he glanced me that look followed by the words “I hate you”. If being hated is the price I pay for revving up someone’s dormant social life; then bring on the haters!

It’s unfathomable to me that anyone could have hated the “Music at Last & Friends presents: Captain Schti Tribute” gig; like the Bill Withers track brought to us by Nice to Look at Nico (The Jump Off) said “It’s gonna be a lovely day!”. It sure as hell was in that peak of a moment when so many of us summoned our voices to sing along euphorically.  
“I’m having such a blast” I hollered to Dominique effusively.

All blasts must come to an end however. Being as fatigued as we were, calling it a night was the responsible thing to do; even if it meant that this Groupie Numero Uno didn’t get to see The Federation perform (let alone see the rest of them arrive).

After an evening of Music; Love & Happiness, I rested in Peace that night.
I can only hope that soon & very soon those to whom Mac was nearest & dearest find their own peace too; for after such a tribute of Music; Love & Happiness the Captain is resting peacefully indeed.

Romz; Sims; Themba & Pilzy. . . Big Up Yourselves!
To the Ngwenya Family; Thank you for Makhosini.

“What makes you vulnerable, is what makes you beautiful” – Makhosini Ngwenya (1981-2012)

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Loving Out Loud!




Loving Out Loud!

Listening to what I hope is the FINAL edition of a mixtape I’m compiling as part of a birthday gift , I can’t help but recall my last week & how it came to pass that I embarked on an “I Love you quest.”.

Once upon someone’s birthday the other week, the words “I love you” were used in part of a sentence & directed at me . They were true. The truth of it all, made my own truth strikingly clear. My truth being that my mind walls my heart in. I’ve Rapanzelled myself! Fortunately because metaphors are exactly that, the power rests with me to set myself free. . .so off I embarked on a quest to be my own metaphorical Knight in shining “amore”.

The “I Love You” bus’ first stop, was to the someone who started it all to begin with. I figured that seeing as the words were words I’d had a nonchalant reaction to in the past, I had to make a gesture of reciprocating them. Me and my old fashioned sensibilities resorted to writing a Love letter. The letter was far too epic to simply email or inbox on facebook; so my old-school self settled for mailing. Post Offices are alive & kicking y’all. . . but he doesn’t have the letter yet… long story

“I Love You” number two went down like a scene from an indie flick. My ego got the best of me at first when in the middle of a sincere chat about just how sunny & beautiful Saturday was, I decided to coyly insinuate my sentiments by saying:
“I associate you with Sunny & Beautiful”.
You can bet my damaged liver that he overstood me, but that wasn’t quite mission accomplished. I let it rest for a minute & sidetracked myself with wanting to show off the lyrics to a song I’d satisfactorily completed. The songs lyrics happened to live in my head, so I typed them out real quick, then proudly shifted my laptop so he could read for himself. It took his saying something later in order for me to eventually connect the dots that my song about how helplessly I love some fictional man, was actually completely appropriate (although not the intention at all). It took 4 Castle drafts or more,  for the liquid courage to finally kick in. I started off blabbing an explanation about how I’d come to this point, then looked away from him and said
“Moral of the story is, if anything were to happen; I just want you to know that I Love you.”
“I knowhe said so assured. “Like the song said”.
If it hadn’t been for his friend returning to the table, I would’ve crawled under it & and willed the ground to swallow me whole. I’d basically been shoving my heart down this mans throat the whole day.
Oh Bother!


Our Sunny & Beautiful Saturday out at the Bowling club in Zoo lake, sunset itself to an end.





Floating on the high of having done the “I Love You” deed (among other highs), he dropped me to join recipients 3 & 4; who were suitably getting down to some Zambian music at our trusted pub across the road. This serving of “I Love You” may have seemed to an onlooker like any other drunken girls gushing session, but it was sincerely pre-empted and heart felt. Our all being inebriated was sheer coincidence. Anybody would be a fool to doubt my LOVE for Tarryn & Lindy.

Which made my “I Love You” to them even that much more significant. My telling them was to some extent superfluous, but I did it anyway.

After having been Sunny & Beautiful; Saturday danced & drank herself away on a Jovial note. Cheers to her!

I discovered come Sunday, that my “I Love You” bus seemingly had no brakes. Although it was no surprise, I was startled by the fact that I’d let my guard down to quite this extent. How on earth did it come to pass that I wholeheartedly dished out an “I Love you”, to the founder of the “Break Christine’s Heart Association”; which was established in 2002?

Nevertheless, what’s done is done; and the word for word dialogue of how that played out goes like so (Thanks to FB, I have it on hand):

(After my sharing with him that I was on the verge of giving up on the catastrophe that is he & I)

He   : I don’t blame you. . . .But I haven’t
Me   : That’s good to know.
He   : I doubt I ever will. Cheesy moment right there. This will NEVER be repeated!
Me   : Silly man! I guess now would an appropriately cliché opportunity to tell you that I Love You
     Right?
He   : I guess “I know” will also be the appropriate response right about now.
Me   : Ha! Ha! Have been embarking on an “I Love You” journey. It’s empowering being unafraid to
     Say it.
He   : I Love You too!


And that’s how that sweet & short cookie crumbled.

In fair hindsight though, it seems my heart is quite in tact and that Rapenzelle was quite comfortable in the safety of her tower. Every single one of the 5 of them knew it indisputably.

Guess I’m quite the lover after all :)