Nqontsonqa, The Praise Poet Of The Eastern Cape

We have the pleasure to publish today an article written by the 2^nd year journalism student Ikhona Pahlane of the Walter Sisulu University in East London. Our informal cooperation with the Media and Journalism Department of the University has allowed us to serve as an incubator for students by publishing their articles in our magazine. 

Today's article is a profile of Nqontsonqa, a spoken word artist who claims his girlfriend is a book. He has recently performed at some major events in the Eastern Cape.

Born and bred in Grahamstown, Nqontsonqa, a praise poet, is rocking stages of the Eastern Cape with his thought-provoking and straight-to-the-point poems.

Siphelo Dyongman, also known as Nqontsonqa, inspires through his poetry and has established a name for himself with his range of colourful T-Shirts branded Nqontsonqa Imbongi Yakwantu  – the praise poet of the people.( Image Ikhona Pahlane)  

The 21-year-old Siphelo Dyongman, known by his poetic name Nqontsonqa said his journey began in Grahamstown, at Andrew Moyakhe Primary School where he was doing grade five in 2002.

“I was part of an Inter-Schools Development festival. I stood up and started to recite a poem and that’s how my poetic career began,” he said.

He has recently released his 2nd album entitled “ANC – Ayindim Ndenzeni Compilation” with a hit single Iphupha that has been aired on radio stations such as TruFm and Khanya Fm.
His album has sold approximately 800 copies, under Nqontsonqa Productions. It is available at Vincent Park and Hemmingway’s Musica stores.

Nqontsonqa is a third-year student studying towards his diploma in journalism at the Department of Media Studies at Walter Sisulu University. “I strongly believe that even with art you need to be educated,” he said.

Through courage, curiosity and confidence, Nqontsonqa has become an inspiration to many people through his poetry. Not only that, but he has also managed to make a name for himself that has transformed him into a brand when he introduced the Indoor Sessions, a platform for unplugged art at Walter Sisulu University in 2012.

“I’ve been in and out of the province hosting and headlining shows until I started my own Indoor Sessions held at WSU’s Heritage Site Campus,” said Nqontsonqa.

He has performed at the Steve Biko Ginsberg Easter Festival and at the Buffalo City Metro Municipality Summer Carnival for the past three years in a row. He shared the stage with newcomer Berita at the Buyel'ekhaya Festival in 2012 and at the Chris Hani Choral Competition. He also features on Berita’s album.

Nqontsonqa has also won awards such as the Best Solo Poet at Injongo Productions talent search and a bronze award in the speech and drama competition held by UBOM Drama theatre. He markets his own t-shirts self-titled “Nqontsonqa Imbongi yakwantu”.

The minute he realised his poetry had a strong hold on people he “pulled up” his socks and saw he could make a living out of it. At the same time he lends an educational voice to those who do not have one.

From the first poem he performed, “My girlfriend is a book”, to many others like “Andiphilanga”, Nqontsonqa’s journey is nowhere near the end. – WSU-SNA

Article and Picture By Ikhona Pahlane, Walter Sisulu University

The Can't Get Car - Wire Art Made In Mdantsane

We came across a very interesting find - entirely made in Mdantsane some twenty years back.

The Can't Get Car - Wire Art Creation By Philipp Ntliziywana

The "Can't Get Car" - so called because one can't get it anywhere is a wire art creation, that was made by Philipp Ntliziywana, a resident of Mdantsane, when he was in his 20's.

Side View of The Can't Get Car

The car found its way into the King Williams town museum in 1989. It was purchased in June 1989 for a 100 Rand from its maker and is still exhibited there at what is called the Amathole Museum today.

A Scrap Metal Detail Of the Can't Get Car

"It is undoubtedly one of the most unusual and comtepmorary art pieces that found its way into the collection of the museum in recent years," so says the Amathole Museum.

Santa Claus as side decoration

Philipp, the talented artist has included in the construction of the "can't get car" all standard automobile details as well as many unconventional parts and ad-ons. The wheels are fitted with tyres and the windows with perspex windshields. There are front windscreens wipers as well.

Everything inclusive, engine, battery...... and a lot of extras

The car has front and tail lights, a battery, an engine and a radiator complete with the radiator cap.

Moreover the car is fitted with a fan, a telephone, a stove and a television set with a large T.V aerial mounted on the roof of the car.
Pimp my ride! Does that sound familiar? With his can't get car Philipp has probably realized more than one of his own dreams. 

The Can't Get Car In all Its Beauty

Like many more others and simpler wire motor cars, that can still be found in the rural parts of the Eastern Cape, the luxurious can't get car can be directed and manipulated through the help of a fitted steering wheel.

For A Quiet Ride.....

Where is talented Philipp Ntliziywana now? He was in his twenties, so the museum says, when he created this piece of art in Mdantsane. He must be in his late fifties now. Is he still making art, amazing wire creations? We would love to know but probably we will not. One thing is for sure, Philipp was far ahead in time with his creation. His can't get car is largely constructed and crafted from discarded metal and scrap metal pieces. Recycled Art and Design at its finest!

The Amathole Museum in King Williams Town

Where to see it? At the Amathole museum in King Williams Towns.

The maker of the can't get car, Philipp a Mdantsane resident!

The Amathole Museum in King Wiliiams Town in The Eastern Cape

The Drivers Cock pit of the Can't Get Car

Dance And Drama In Mdantsane - The Imonti Arts Company Under V.S.T.C

Acting and Dancing In Mdantsane

There is a lot of dance and drama in Mdantsane. You just have to look for it! Some of it takes place at the Mdantsane Arts Center, that is presently going through a revival period.

The Imonti Arts Company Under V.S.T.C

 

On our last visit to the center we surprised the "Imonti Art Company Under V.S.T.C" during a training session. The guys and girls of the Imonti Art Company were busy rehearsing a dance and drama play, that they have created themselves in the studio of the Arts Center. 

Their play is a mixture of dance, song and poetry.

Expressing the spirit of Mdantsane

A little bit surprised by our intrusion into their domain they did however not hesitate a minute to give us a taste of what they were working on. What we saw was pretty impressive!

Local Talent Made in Mdantsane

These young Mdantsanians are no amateurs. They have already traveled to Germany and performed there with their group before larger audiences.

Mandla Sanelisiswe

The group of young people share between them a whole range of talents, that combined make up a contemporary drama and dance performance, that has the power to mesmerize the spectator. Infatuating rhtymn and singing, dancing, stamping feet, mixed with poetry makes you keep your eyes on the actors. 

This is no boring drama and dance play, not one of those plays where you politely wait until the end has come and you take a deep breath when outside, lucky that you can go home. No, this is not one of those. This is Mdantsane's power and talent combined and you just wish they must continue to perform in front of you..

Member of the Imonti Arts Company

The group's performance covers topics that arise from the neighbourhood, they live in. Their stories talk about the daily life in Mdantsane.

And nobody is more qualified to talk about it than they are.

Masindwa Ntsingisela (right) is the poet of the group

After the rehearsal Masindwa Ntsingisela said: "Can I say a poem for you?"
His poem talked about young people that have choosen the way of crime as their career.

Born to be a dancer

Looking at the images we have uploaded for you, you can even feel a little bit of that intensity and passion, that showers the spectator.

 

You will be able to see more of them in our documentary movie "Mdantsane - Another African Story".

Zingisa Zang Nkosinkulu - Welcome to COUCHLOCKPROJECTS

Today we are introducing you to the blog of Zingisa Zang Nkosinkulu -The Art of Zang.
Welcome to COUCHLOCKPROJECTS for Arts development/ Exhibition/ Projects/ Hip Hop/Graffiti

Zang has contacted a couple of days ago The Mdantsane Way Magazine and left us his link. We followed up (it took a while, like always) but what we have seen is very interesting and stimulating!

Who is Zang? First of all he is born and bred in Mdantsane.

That makes him so interesting for us. And he is another perfect showcase of Mdantsane talent. Great talent, that has unfortunately left the township but we understand, you have to go where you can find a living.

Here is Zang in his own words:

Zang, living today in Pretoria in Gauteng was born and raised in the Township of Mdantsane, Eastern Cape. 

He acquired his diploma in Fine Art at NMMU, his B-Tech at WSU and is currently studying towards his Master’s in Visual Art at UNISA. He worked at Belgravia Art Centre while in East London as an art teacher for five years. 

After that he joined the team at UNISA Art Gallery as a gallery assistant. Zang is a Visual/ Graffiti Artist with a Calling to use ART as a Mediator to TRANCEND beyond conditions of his birth place. 

To bring new hope, share Creative Wisdom and Encourage youth to be ARTISTIC, EDUCATED and Conscious Individuals. Art is a way he lives trying to relate to the world in a CREATIVE and SPIRITUAL ways. Zang believes in working in creative collaborative projects and workshops to develop the Artistic Underdeveloped Communities.

Zang's Studio from where he works. Images by Zang

 

Zang's Studio, work in progress, All Images are by Zang himself

That is what we also believe in. We see art as a tool of expression of the society we live in but also as one of the most powerful transformation tools. The place one is born into is not the place one is confined to for the rest of one's life. 

We have taken a few images from Zang's blog but we do not have the intention to tell his story for him because he is already doing a good job telling his story himself and presenting himself and his art to the world. We really invite you to go over to his blog and have a look at his artwork! 

Laetitia

There is a series called Laetitia, a life drawing exercise he did with candle smoke and other materials. We have been absolutely impressed by this mixed media art piece.

My Culture - My Technology- Vanishing Values Of The Xhosa Tradition

In my culture my technology he deals with the theme of the culture of the Xhosa people, that is being treatened by technology. 

Zang says: "Technology is a symbol of change and technology weakens things of value. For instance, now the are new circumsizing tools, that are governmental or hospital tools. Now the traditional spear used to remove foreskin will be forgotten. Now children sit down and play with their cellphone they do not sit around the fire and wait for their grandmother to tell them stories."

His artwork is of course for sale and as every artist in this world he needs the community's support. All his contact details are on his blog.

Zingisa Zang Nkosinkulu

The Mdantsane Arts Center

The Mdantsane Arts Center is situated in NU 1 and is funded by the Department of Arts and Culture. It has had its ups and downs in the past.

We paid a visit to the center the other day to see what is happening at the moment.

A Mural Painted On A Container At The Mdantsane Arts Center

The best visits for us are the ones that are not planned and not prepared because then we get a real feeling for a place. This day the heavens had opened their flood gates and a very fine and thin rain was pouring down on us and left us soaking wet withing seconds. The sky was dark and the light dressed all the buildings and everything else around us in an uniform grey. The cameras had to be hidden and carried under plastic bags. It felt like an end-of the world day. A feeling of wanting to go home, crept up inside of us.

But we found artists there! And not only one or two!

A Dance And A Music Instructor At The Mdantsane Arts Center

The Arts Center has a couple of fixed buildings, that host several rooms. We were able to see amongst others a dance room used by drama and dance groups for their practice, a larger workshop that hosts a women's pottery group and painters and a musical room. The other rooms were closed that day. 

On the property outside containers are set up, that serve as workshops for artists and crafters, like Welile the basket weaver whom we have already introduced to you.

Container workshops in the yard of the Mdantsane Arts Center

While we were there more artists were coming to the center instead of the heavy rain. The fact that the center was frequented so much on this day, when we paid an unannounced visit, makes it clear how important art is for every society and especially for Mdantsane. 

Art is an extremely powerful instrument not only in expressing society, but also in reforming the society from the inside. South Africa is a society that has more stories to tell than anyone can perceive. 

South Africa is a multi-cultural society in constant transformation, with a rich base of different and interesting people. The artists are the ones that can tell the stories of South Africa to the rest of the world.

We need the writers, dancers, poets, musicians, actors and filmmakers! We need them! We need them to express our lives and the times we live in!

Mural on the wall of a container

For a place like Mdantsane an art center is a necessity. That day there were so many artists but there was little space. South Africa is a country with a very high crime and unemployment rate and the townships are the spots were the left overs of the misery that South Africa's history of segregation has created can still be found in concentrated form.

What alternatives does the youth have in Mdantsane? The Art Center is an outlet for creativity and a counter measure to crime and boredom. But it could be much more than that. It could be a powerful instrument in the development of the youth. Of everyone in fact! You do not need to be young to become an artist.

There are great discussions going on concerning the number of residents, that life in Mdantsane. The official number after the last government census ranges at 400.000 and something. In our opinion this does not even come close to the actual number. But we are just speculating. 

So how can a small space like the Mdantsane Arts Center cater and accommodate the talent of the people in the township. The answer is: it cannot! 

But it could.

The rule with promoting artists is, that there has to be a certain continuity in funding. It takes a long time to develop an artist. An artist needs first of all the peace of mind to work on his talent and become better in his skill until he reaches a certain level, that satisfies him. When he reaches this level, only then is he confident to expose himself and his work to the world. 

Peace of mind you can only have when you are not hungry!

If there is no continuity in funding the process of grooming talent is interrupted and to start all over again is much more difficult. This is the story of many art centers.

Some things do not bring money but they bring good for the society at large and money has to be spend on them.

Creativity in a container

It could be a place not only to occupy the youth but to seriously groom Mdantsane's talent

The talent that walks the streets of Mdantsane can not be counted! The talent we met in one day at the arts center was impressive. We will be publishing a couple of articles about our encounters with the artists!

But we will be back for more in depth interviews and recordings.Today you are getting some impressions from the outside, especially of the beautiful murals, that decorate the outside of the containers.

Drama and Dance Group at The Mdantsane Arts Center

The way we see it is that the government should not only see the arts center as a place to keep young people occupied and keep them from the streets but to really start understanding the importance of an arts center as a place to groom seriously the talent of Mdantsane. Amen!

Sakhile Graphics Project At The Mdantsane Arts Center - Graphic Design From A Container

The Story Of Welile The Cane Weaver

Welile Melane The Cane Weaver

Welile Melane has been living in Mdantsane for a very long time. Welile is a basket weaver and he works from a container in the Mdantsane Arts Center. He has not always been a cane weaver.

During the political unrest in the 1980's when the whole of South Africa was in turmoil Mdantsane was also put under a curfew to keep protesters under control. One day Welile came into a violent confrontation with the police, was beaten severely and lost his eye. Half blind in a time of great insecurity he faced a grim fate.

At a later stage when peace was restored in the township and the country's regime had changed Welile found help from the South African organization of the blind in East London. He got involved in a skills development program and was trained in the century old craft technique of basket weaving.

Basket weaving is like pottery one of the oldest trades and crafts techniques in the world and is practised in many countries. The role basket weavers and ceramic artists played in the community was an important one. People always needed containers and before the arrival of plastic and other modern materials baskets and ceramic pots were valued household goods.

The techniques differ depending on the region, culture, history and the material available. It is a skill that deserves great admiration. But some of the very old technique are known only by old people in the rural areas anymore and are dying out now.  It is a skill from the past.

Welile is weaving with cane. He has to buy the material from suppliers in East London or even from Durban. Cane is not available in Mdantsane. 

"Now, I had a skill but I had no money to start a business", says Welile.

Somebody told him about the Mdantsane Art Center. The Art Center of Mdantsane is a story of its own. It has its ups and down. It is riding a constant wave. At the moment it is in the upwards face and there is life. The premises are filled with artists because the center has received new funding from the government.

Welile's Baskets

Welile was given a container from where he operates his business now. He called his business WEZA'S CANE WEAVING and works still alone. These are some of the beautiful baskets he makes. 

Working Material

WEZA'S CANE WEAVING

Welile was facing the same situation like many other participants, that have completed successfully skills development programs. To develop a skill takes time and dedication. You have to be hard working and patient.
But it is even more difficult to start a business. Once the skill is there, what next?

There are business start up programs in East London that assist artists like Welile.
"But then again financial input is not the only thing that matters", Welile reasons, "equally important are management skills. And these are not easy to transfer in a couple of days or in a week long workshop to an uneducated person".

But Welile tries! 

He has learned about costing and knows now how to get his prices right and not to sell his products to cheap.

"But if the price is right and fair to him people tend to buy less", he says

If you have enjoyed the story about Welile don't miss our 60 min road and documentary movie MDANTSANE - ANOTHER AFRICAN STORY  (click the link to watch the trailer). We have included an interview with Welile in the movie.

 A peak into Welile's workshop