I have been using CricInfo (now known as ESPNCricInfo) since the late 1990's. I remember using it at school to follow the world cup in 1999 and other matches before that. It has become a publishing phenomenon as well as a treasure trove of cricket data. During the recently concluded world cup, the site has been running a video series "Running Between the Cricket", and the last video (episode 30) spurned me to look deeper on the history of the website.
CricInfo's own about page is pretty barren, and its Wikipedia page is not as informative as it should be, but there is a link to an alternative Wiki page here, and it is a fascinating story of an Internet phenomenon - a group of people, who contributed their time and energy (and in some cases hard money) to fuel their passion. There are interesting tidbits on the history of the Internet itself, and some naivety in this regard - such as the expectation of a single Unix server to last for 10 years!
10 April 2011
09 April 2011
The Big Swing
"Step back, half a step"
I shuffle backwards, a bit anxious, but I can still feel the floor
"Bend your knees slightly"
What's this, bend your knees, stand up, routine?
"Look straight at me ... are you looking forward to this?"
"Off course", I reply - I haven't done something with as much of an adrenalin rush since going hang gliding over Rio - and that was rather tame, in comparison.
"Enjoy!"
That's it - he just lets go, and I go falling into the gorge. It is a rush, as I hit full speed, until the cable pulls tight, and then I am swinging in the gorge. It is similar to a bungee jump; in the free fall, but unlike a bungee jump, you swing across the gorge in a rather sedate speed after the free fall (the bungee has a number of smaller free falls).
The Big Swing is located across the gorge just outside Graskop, starting next to the Graskop waterfalls. There are two activities - the slide and the swing (and if you take the swing, you get the slide for free). The slide is actually pretty disappointing in terms of an adrenalin rush - the gradient is pretty small, and thus it is really quite a gentle ride. While it is not an adrenalin rush, it is a great view of the canyon.
In a stark contrast, the swing has a high adrenalin rush, and to add further fun, getting back from the bottom of the falls is via a fairly rickety and slippery staircase.
It is actually a pretty cheap thrill ride, when compared to a bungee jump, and it is a nice way to enjoy the views of the gorge.
I shuffle backwards, a bit anxious, but I can still feel the floor
"Bend your knees slightly"
What's this, bend your knees, stand up, routine?
"Look straight at me ... are you looking forward to this?"
"Off course", I reply - I haven't done something with as much of an adrenalin rush since going hang gliding over Rio - and that was rather tame, in comparison.
"Enjoy!"
That's it - he just lets go, and I go falling into the gorge. It is a rush, as I hit full speed, until the cable pulls tight, and then I am swinging in the gorge. It is similar to a bungee jump; in the free fall, but unlike a bungee jump, you swing across the gorge in a rather sedate speed after the free fall (the bungee has a number of smaller free falls).
The Big Swing is located across the gorge just outside Graskop, starting next to the Graskop waterfalls. There are two activities - the slide and the swing (and if you take the swing, you get the slide for free). The slide is actually pretty disappointing in terms of an adrenalin rush - the gradient is pretty small, and thus it is really quite a gentle ride. While it is not an adrenalin rush, it is a great view of the canyon.
In a stark contrast, the swing has a high adrenalin rush, and to add further fun, getting back from the bottom of the falls is via a fairly rickety and slippery staircase.
It is actually a pretty cheap thrill ride, when compared to a bungee jump, and it is a nice way to enjoy the views of the gorge.
07 April 2011
Cricket, and India's obsession from a foreign view
Wright Thompson has a long, but brilliant article on his introduction to cricket at the recently concluded World Cup. It focuses a lot on the celebrity focus of Indian cricket, particularly on Sachin Tendulkar, and the links between the cricket celebrity obsession and India's economical growth.
I have watched cricket in India (see here), and the celebrity focus is easy to spot, especially with Sachin Tendulkar. But at the same time, the crowds around me were genuinely knowledgable on cricket, and cheered South Africa's heroics as much as celebrated India's. But then, it was a test match and not a one day match. One day matches and 20Twenty matches in particular are the simpler, dumber formats, that feature more entertainment than artistry or skill. In many respects, Wright Thompson, a novice at the game, manages to capture much of this "decline", and it is a truly fascinating article on his experiences.
I think some of the implied conclusions are correct for India, cricket is not a religion, certain players however are god.
I have watched cricket in India (see here), and the celebrity focus is easy to spot, especially with Sachin Tendulkar. But at the same time, the crowds around me were genuinely knowledgable on cricket, and cheered South Africa's heroics as much as celebrated India's. But then, it was a test match and not a one day match. One day matches and 20Twenty matches in particular are the simpler, dumber formats, that feature more entertainment than artistry or skill. In many respects, Wright Thompson, a novice at the game, manages to capture much of this "decline", and it is a truly fascinating article on his experiences.
I think some of the implied conclusions are correct for India, cricket is not a religion, certain players however are god.
04 April 2011
Carmen
Bizet's Carmen is reputedly the world's most popular opera, and it is easy to see why - catchy tunes, great orchestral score, great characters and the combination of sex, crime, violence, sacrifice, betrayal combine to form a great story. Opera Africa, in conjuction with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra have been performing Carmen for the past month, first at the State Theatre in Pretoria, and until the 10th of April, in the Joburg Theatre.
The first comment to make on the show, is that the casting is brilliant. All the main characters fit the singers - with each singer perfectly portraying in acting and physically what is expected from the characters - from a shy village girl (Micaela) to the sexy gypsy (Carmen) or the showman bull fighter (Escamillo). The production is further enhanced by some simple, but very stylish sets, great costumes and the acting/stage direction.
Carmen is brilliantly played by American Cristina Nassif, and truly embodies the role - she is sexy, somewhat mysterious, a tease and generally strong willed. Another American, Noah Stewart plays Don Jose, and the chemistry between the two was amazing - from courtship, to dissolution, is amazingly portrayed. Ntsikelelo Mali's portrayal as Escamillo is equally well portrayed, as is the chemistry between Carmen and Escamillo. Kelebogile Boikanyo's solo in Act 4 drew the greatest applause from the near full house, just compliments how well the cast was put together.
Last year, I saw the Met's production of Carmen at Ster-Kinekor, and while that production certainly had more lavish sets, the South African production was just as good in my opinion - but then I am no connoisseur. I do think however, opera live is a lot better than opera on the screen.
The first comment to make on the show, is that the casting is brilliant. All the main characters fit the singers - with each singer perfectly portraying in acting and physically what is expected from the characters - from a shy village girl (Micaela) to the sexy gypsy (Carmen) or the showman bull fighter (Escamillo). The production is further enhanced by some simple, but very stylish sets, great costumes and the acting/stage direction.
Carmen is brilliantly played by American Cristina Nassif, and truly embodies the role - she is sexy, somewhat mysterious, a tease and generally strong willed. Another American, Noah Stewart plays Don Jose, and the chemistry between the two was amazing - from courtship, to dissolution, is amazingly portrayed. Ntsikelelo Mali's portrayal as Escamillo is equally well portrayed, as is the chemistry between Carmen and Escamillo. Kelebogile Boikanyo's solo in Act 4 drew the greatest applause from the near full house, just compliments how well the cast was put together.
Last year, I saw the Met's production of Carmen at Ster-Kinekor, and while that production certainly had more lavish sets, the South African production was just as good in my opinion - but then I am no connoisseur. I do think however, opera live is a lot better than opera on the screen.
03 April 2011
Hiding in the tress (2)
The Tree Top Hide in Mapungubwe is fairly unique in its construction, and given the considerably lower visitor numbers, very peaceful. It is a twitcher's paradise (not that I am one) - but on the second day, I just took my iPad and read some ebooks in the peaceful hide, overlooking the elephants grazing on the lush banks of the swollen Limpopo river and the many colourful birds.
02 April 2011
01 April 2011
It's a bird, It's plane, It's ... an Impala
The Maloutswa Pan Bird Hide, at the western part of Mapungubwe, overlooks a small waterhole (which seems to be part of a non-perennial river). On my first morning in Mapungubwe, I followed two huge herds of impala and wildebeest to the waterhole - and discovered that it was teeming with animals and birds. It was a great place to watch animals and take photos, especially of the impala prancing around.
Mapungubwe Landscape
View of Mapungubwe Valley, with the Limpopo river in the far background. The combination of rocks, riverside forrest and the savanah makes it quite unique in some respects.
31 March 2011
Owl on the hunt
Owl, taken on a night drive at the Punda Maria Rest Camp, Northern Kruger National Park
29 March 2011
Classic FM Presents - Composers H - M
Last year, Richard Cock, presented a weekly series called "Composers A - Z" on Classic FM, where he played music from composers whose name started with a particular letter of the alphabet. Later, this was converted to a live concert, where selected works are played with the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra. Sunday afternoon, was the second of such concerts.
The selection of works veried from the very well known to the obscure, from very serious to the fun and frivolous; and apart from the absence of Karl Jenkins, most of the well known composers were represented.
The highlight of the concert was the arrangement of a few pieces (mostly Mozart) to use a concert marimba, played expertly by Magda de Vries. In between the pieces, Richard Cock (as the conductor) gave a few words overview on the selected piece, and in certain pieces (such as the theme to the Pink Panther, composed by Henry Mancini) he also got the full house audience to participate (and in this case, click along).
It was a great Sunday concert, and the orchestra got a deserved standing ovation at the end of the performance. While the JPO is fairly serious music, I think that this is the type of concerts that can truly get more people interested and supporting music.
The selection of works veried from the very well known to the obscure, from very serious to the fun and frivolous; and apart from the absence of Karl Jenkins, most of the well known composers were represented.
The highlight of the concert was the arrangement of a few pieces (mostly Mozart) to use a concert marimba, played expertly by Magda de Vries. In between the pieces, Richard Cock (as the conductor) gave a few words overview on the selected piece, and in certain pieces (such as the theme to the Pink Panther, composed by Henry Mancini) he also got the full house audience to participate (and in this case, click along).
It was a great Sunday concert, and the orchestra got a deserved standing ovation at the end of the performance. While the JPO is fairly serious music, I think that this is the type of concerts that can truly get more people interested and supporting music.
28 March 2011
Graskop - A Culinary Delight
Graskop, a tiny town in the rolling hills of Mpumalanga is well known as the gateway to the Blyde River Canyon. But for me, the highlight of Graskop is the food. Even Mpumalanga Tourism's map giveaway for the "Panorama Route" lists "Eating at one of the restaurants on Graskop's Main Road" as one of the main things to do!
There is an obvious affliction for pancakes in this region - and Graskop spots no less than 3 pancake shops within 100 metres, and the other restaurants seem to have pancakes in their menus too! According to the locals though, Harrie's is the place to be - and their pancakes are amazing.
But Harrie's is not a Graskop phenomenon; the main highlight for me, is The Glass House. A small restaurant, with walls of glass, the Glass House is a "South African" restaurant, with a small menu composed of mostly South African delights - lamb chops, malay curries, bobotie and malva pudding. The food is simply amazing - the flavour, the taste is way better than anything I have had in Jo'burg - and I include some very expensive and well rated restaurants I have been to in that comparison. Perhaps it is to do with the freshness of the ingredients, perhaps it is to do with the freshness of the preparation; I do not know - but it was simply amazing.
But more than the great food, it was the great atmosphere and the friendly people. The decor is fairly simple in most parts, with a number of very impressive traditional African wooden carvings. We went there twice in our stay at Graskop last week, and both times, the restaurant was mostly full. The two persons serving the patrons were obviously the owners - and there was constant banter between them and the guests. The service was amazing, and all guests were given a handshake or even a hug before leaving.
It is one of the cases, where you trully leave the restaurant as if you were friends and not just another business transaction.
There is an obvious affliction for pancakes in this region - and Graskop spots no less than 3 pancake shops within 100 metres, and the other restaurants seem to have pancakes in their menus too! According to the locals though, Harrie's is the place to be - and their pancakes are amazing.
But Harrie's is not a Graskop phenomenon; the main highlight for me, is The Glass House. A small restaurant, with walls of glass, the Glass House is a "South African" restaurant, with a small menu composed of mostly South African delights - lamb chops, malay curries, bobotie and malva pudding. The food is simply amazing - the flavour, the taste is way better than anything I have had in Jo'burg - and I include some very expensive and well rated restaurants I have been to in that comparison. Perhaps it is to do with the freshness of the ingredients, perhaps it is to do with the freshness of the preparation; I do not know - but it was simply amazing.
But more than the great food, it was the great atmosphere and the friendly people. The decor is fairly simple in most parts, with a number of very impressive traditional African wooden carvings. We went there twice in our stay at Graskop last week, and both times, the restaurant was mostly full. The two persons serving the patrons were obviously the owners - and there was constant banter between them and the guests. The service was amazing, and all guests were given a handshake or even a hug before leaving.
It is one of the cases, where you trully leave the restaurant as if you were friends and not just another business transaction.
15 March 2011
R523 to Thohoyandou
I initially took this road as a shortcut to get to Thohoyandou, and am glad I did- it is a spectacular road through the mountains, and villages and small towns that do not seem to appear in the map book. Recent rains have destroyed at least two parts of the road, and I hope it is rebuilt soon. It is a road that drivers would enjoy ...
14 March 2011
Mapungubwe
About three years ago, I saw a series of large posters highlighting South Africa's world heritage sites at the International Arrivals terminal at Johannesburg International (now off course known as OR Tambo International, and formerly known as Jan Smuts International). All but one of the posters were easy to recognize, and a golden rhino with the words Mapungubwe was the exception. Subsequently, I read up on Mapungubwe, and I have been trying to make plan to come here ever since.
Location, and how to get here
Mapungubwe National Park is located at the North Western corner of the Limpopo province, in the corner where Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe meet. It's about 80 KM from Musina, although the recommended route in both guide books and the SANParks website is through the back roads (R521) from Polokwane via Dendron and Alldays. I drove through the latter route from Midrand (about 500KM in total), and it is a fairly good road with little traffic. I have since driven to Musina, and given the amount of trucks going to and from Zimbabwe, it is a good enough reason to avoid the N1.
The park is broken up into two main areas, the large, and main part being the Western Half, while the Eastern Half has still got a large private ownership, and is not easily accessible.
While the main attractions are easily reached with a standard car, it certainly helps to have high ground clearance to travel around in the wider park. This is especially true in the case of the eastern part of the park.
Landscape
Large parts of the park is composed of high rocky hills, rolling into valleys, oars cliffs over the Limpopo. The rocky features, eroded by water and wind themselves make interesting features, especially when there are trees perched on top of them! There is also quite a bit of forest, especially along the banks of the river.
The Heritage Tour
The main attraction of the park is the Heritage tour. A forerunner to Great Zimbabwe, there was, for around 200 years, an earlier civilization south of the Limpopo. It was first based around a hill now called K2, before moving for a brief period, to Mapungubwe, about 1 KM away. Unlike Great Zimbabwe, very little structural remains of the civilization remains, but instead all that really remains are the remnants of the civilization. It is most famous for the gold artifacts found here, most notably the aforementioned gold rhino.
Mapungubwe and K2 are themselves preceded by another iron age civilization, starting around 800AD, which is also in the park, but presently unaccessible. There are plans to open a museum focusing on the various archeological highlights, but the center was supposed to open in 2008, and the buildings are still empty. It's a pity, because the main highlights of Mapungubwe are to be seen at the University of Pretoria, and reduces the impact of the tour somewhat.
The site was rediscovered in the 1930s, but the apartheid government wanted to keep it very low key, due to the fact that the site directly contradicted one of its core tenets, that all the South African tribes came to the southern tip of Africa around the same time. It was opened as a national park around 7 years ago, and the guide for my trip, Cedric, was the first guide for Mapungubwe.
Tree Top Hide
There are not that many animals in the park. Cedric's opinion is that the animal density is too low, thus reducing the chances of seeing game. Given, the tuckshop guy at the confluence viewpoint, showed me tracks of hyenas from the night before outside the shop, but also commented that the few lions, rhinos and the elusive leopard are almost impossible to see.
That said, there is still some game to see; and he park has some amazing hides, of which the Tree Top hide is my favorite (and where most of this post was composed).
As the name suggests, the hide is composed of a long walkway amongst the trees, culminating in a hide in the trees, along the banks of the Limpopo. It is a twitcher's paradise, though not much in the way of animals, beyond a couple of elephants who have been grazing on the lush banks for quite a while (according to a regular visitor). It is a very serene and peaceful area, making it perfect place to relax!
Facilities
A standout attraction, in my opinion, is the very limited cellphone reception. In fact in parts of the park, I get better reception from the otherside of the border!
I have been camping, in the forest area, in the Eastern half of the park, and the camping facilities are superb. There is however no restaurant in the park, while the tuckshops (one at the main reception, and one by the confluence viewpoints) stock cooldrinks at very reasonable prices (R8 for a can!) and not much else. The nearest petrol station and restaurant is 30 KM away (where I am now), or in Musina about 80 KM away.
Location, and how to get here
Mapungubwe National Park is located at the North Western corner of the Limpopo province, in the corner where Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe meet. It's about 80 KM from Musina, although the recommended route in both guide books and the SANParks website is through the back roads (R521) from Polokwane via Dendron and Alldays. I drove through the latter route from Midrand (about 500KM in total), and it is a fairly good road with little traffic. I have since driven to Musina, and given the amount of trucks going to and from Zimbabwe, it is a good enough reason to avoid the N1.
The park is broken up into two main areas, the large, and main part being the Western Half, while the Eastern Half has still got a large private ownership, and is not easily accessible.
While the main attractions are easily reached with a standard car, it certainly helps to have high ground clearance to travel around in the wider park. This is especially true in the case of the eastern part of the park.
Landscape
Large parts of the park is composed of high rocky hills, rolling into valleys, oars cliffs over the Limpopo. The rocky features, eroded by water and wind themselves make interesting features, especially when there are trees perched on top of them! There is also quite a bit of forest, especially along the banks of the river.
The Heritage Tour
The main attraction of the park is the Heritage tour. A forerunner to Great Zimbabwe, there was, for around 200 years, an earlier civilization south of the Limpopo. It was first based around a hill now called K2, before moving for a brief period, to Mapungubwe, about 1 KM away. Unlike Great Zimbabwe, very little structural remains of the civilization remains, but instead all that really remains are the remnants of the civilization. It is most famous for the gold artifacts found here, most notably the aforementioned gold rhino.
Mapungubwe and K2 are themselves preceded by another iron age civilization, starting around 800AD, which is also in the park, but presently unaccessible. There are plans to open a museum focusing on the various archeological highlights, but the center was supposed to open in 2008, and the buildings are still empty. It's a pity, because the main highlights of Mapungubwe are to be seen at the University of Pretoria, and reduces the impact of the tour somewhat.
The site was rediscovered in the 1930s, but the apartheid government wanted to keep it very low key, due to the fact that the site directly contradicted one of its core tenets, that all the South African tribes came to the southern tip of Africa around the same time. It was opened as a national park around 7 years ago, and the guide for my trip, Cedric, was the first guide for Mapungubwe.
Tree Top Hide
There are not that many animals in the park. Cedric's opinion is that the animal density is too low, thus reducing the chances of seeing game. Given, the tuckshop guy at the confluence viewpoint, showed me tracks of hyenas from the night before outside the shop, but also commented that the few lions, rhinos and the elusive leopard are almost impossible to see.
That said, there is still some game to see; and he park has some amazing hides, of which the Tree Top hide is my favorite (and where most of this post was composed).
As the name suggests, the hide is composed of a long walkway amongst the trees, culminating in a hide in the trees, along the banks of the Limpopo. It is a twitcher's paradise, though not much in the way of animals, beyond a couple of elephants who have been grazing on the lush banks for quite a while (according to a regular visitor). It is a very serene and peaceful area, making it perfect place to relax!
Facilities
A standout attraction, in my opinion, is the very limited cellphone reception. In fact in parts of the park, I get better reception from the otherside of the border!
I have been camping, in the forest area, in the Eastern half of the park, and the camping facilities are superb. There is however no restaurant in the park, while the tuckshops (one at the main reception, and one by the confluence viewpoints) stock cooldrinks at very reasonable prices (R8 for a can!) and not much else. The nearest petrol station and restaurant is 30 KM away (where I am now), or in Musina about 80 KM away.
13 March 2011
Feel it! It's still here!
The first thing you notice as you drive into Polokwane is a large yellow vuvuzela spanning the N1, with the soccer fan blowing madly into the one end, and the words "Ayoba" spurting out the other. This is not the only reminder of the world cup from last year, virtually every street corner has some signage related to the event; and even the fan parks continue to be advertised. 9 months on, Polkwane is still celebrating he world cup - I wonder how many other smaller towns continue to do the same?
12 March 2011
Greening the scenery ...
For the most part, the drive towards Polokwane is rather boring, a mostly strait road, punctuated with a few toll gates (the tolls are quite high too). As you get towards Polokwane though, the mountains do lend themselves to some nice views, though it is by no means a scenic drive. A big difference to the landscape in Gauteng though, is how much greener it is. Instead of just yellow grass, there is a lot more trees and as we get steadily northwards, more variety in plants, specifically more tropicall plants like bananas and papayas. It's a pleasant change ...
28 February 2011
Movie: Winter's Bone
In a very close knit rural community in the USA, a teen is forced to ask difficult questions about the disappearance of her drug dealer/drug producing father; in order to save her house. For me, the movie is more interesting as a snapshot of a very particular American community - poor, rural, gun carrying and closed - where there is (in this case, very legitimate) mistrust of outsiders, even the police; and matters are settled within the community, by the community.
The standout feature of the movie is its acting, in particular, the acting of Jennifer Lawrence as Ree (the teen in question); and the movie has got a well deserved set of nominations for best actress.
Personally, I found the storyline to be rather predictable, and the movie to be rather slow paced. Also, I found that the story hints at a much bigger set of subplots, which are ultimately not explored. In short, it is not really a movie I would watch again, or recommend to others.
The standout feature of the movie is its acting, in particular, the acting of Jennifer Lawrence as Ree (the teen in question); and the movie has got a well deserved set of nominations for best actress.
Personally, I found the storyline to be rather predictable, and the movie to be rather slow paced. Also, I found that the story hints at a much bigger set of subplots, which are ultimately not explored. In short, it is not really a movie I would watch again, or recommend to others.
26 February 2011
Movie: Jane's Journey
The movie, Gorillas in the Mist, is famous for retelling the story of Dian Fossey, for her study of Gorillas; and her subsequent activism to save Gorillas being poached to extinction. Jane Goodall is a fellow primatologist, famous for her work with Chimpanzees (who admits to being mistaken as the lady from Gorillas in the Mist, a mistake which I must admit I also made initially). But unlike Dian Fossey, her activism has extended beyond the primates, to general protection of the environment coupled with social activism; from refugees, to ecoturism activities and beyond.
The documentary, Jane' Journey, traces her life from a very young age, to her ground breaking study of chimpanzees to her current globe trotting, and activities with regards to her two foundations - The Jane Goodall Instituteand Roots and Shoots. her work with Roots and Shoots is particularly impressive, especially as the movement was co-founded with a number of teenagers in Tanzania who were inspired by her talks in their school.
For me, the highlights of the documentary is certainly the first part; where there is a lot of footage from her early time in the Gombe Reserve and the chimpanzees. The latter parts of the documentary are filled with the obligatory repetitive quotations from admirers "on being a beautiful soul" etc. most of which I do not think really need any enforcement.
Jane's journey is partly an autobiographical documentary, partly a documentary on the perils of climate change. However, unlike Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth, it does not focus on statistics, shock and awe - but rather engages directly with the different factors - people need land to survive, the needs of progress, the challenges of economics, aided by her own observations, footage and documentation. It comes across more grounded and realistic - that climate change will require not only a change in human behaviour of the developed world but also needs to address the economic needs of the developing world. That is perhaps the most important message in the movie.
The documentary, Jane' Journey, traces her life from a very young age, to her ground breaking study of chimpanzees to her current globe trotting, and activities with regards to her two foundations - The Jane Goodall Instituteand Roots and Shoots. her work with Roots and Shoots is particularly impressive, especially as the movement was co-founded with a number of teenagers in Tanzania who were inspired by her talks in their school.
For me, the highlights of the documentary is certainly the first part; where there is a lot of footage from her early time in the Gombe Reserve and the chimpanzees. The latter parts of the documentary are filled with the obligatory repetitive quotations from admirers "on being a beautiful soul" etc. most of which I do not think really need any enforcement.
Jane's journey is partly an autobiographical documentary, partly a documentary on the perils of climate change. However, unlike Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth, it does not focus on statistics, shock and awe - but rather engages directly with the different factors - people need land to survive, the needs of progress, the challenges of economics, aided by her own observations, footage and documentation. It comes across more grounded and realistic - that climate change will require not only a change in human behaviour of the developed world but also needs to address the economic needs of the developing world. That is perhaps the most important message in the movie.
20 February 2011
Sunjata
Africa has a rich tradition of oral story telling, but somehow this tradition does not seem to have really translated to movies or other contemporary entertainment forms. Sunjata, is one such story that features the brilliant mix of magic, prophesy, feuding kings and off course, the customary good vs evil.
Sunjata, also spelt Sundiata, was the founding king of the great Mali Empire, probably most well known for Mansa Musa. Sunjata's story is the story of legends - born to the king of the Manding, who married a hunchback woman on the words of a prophesy. He was born, effectively crippled, who taught himself to walk, and then became a great warrior. He then united the various Mali kingdoms, starting by defeating the king of the northern kingdom of Sosso, who had invaded Manding after the death of Sunjata's father.
I learnt the tale of Sunjata, through a play at the Market Theatre. Directed by James Ngcobo, the play focuses more on the birth of Sunjata, instead of his life on the two contrasting kings - Maghan Kon Fatta or Maghan the Handsome (King of the Manding) and Soumaoro Kanté (King of the Sosso); who receive two contrasting parts of the same prophesy. Maghan receives the prophesy of how he can get a son to continue his reign, by marrying an ugly hunchbacked woman; while Kanté gets the prophesy of how his cruel reign will be ended by a young warrior, who is just a boy.
The play starts of in a rather annoying fashion, but as the main story starts, the acting and the story is simply superb. In a genius move of role reversal, all the main male parts are played by women while the main female parts are played by men (although each of the actors have a number of different roles).
The costumes and the sets are minimal; but they are not needed - this is the telling of a legend, in an oral tradition brought to modernity - the acting is stunning, the story crafting is superb - all that was missing, was sitting around a log fire under the African sky ...
Sunjata, also spelt Sundiata, was the founding king of the great Mali Empire, probably most well known for Mansa Musa. Sunjata's story is the story of legends - born to the king of the Manding, who married a hunchback woman on the words of a prophesy. He was born, effectively crippled, who taught himself to walk, and then became a great warrior. He then united the various Mali kingdoms, starting by defeating the king of the northern kingdom of Sosso, who had invaded Manding after the death of Sunjata's father.
I learnt the tale of Sunjata, through a play at the Market Theatre. Directed by James Ngcobo, the play focuses more on the birth of Sunjata, instead of his life on the two contrasting kings - Maghan Kon Fatta or Maghan the Handsome (King of the Manding) and Soumaoro Kanté (King of the Sosso); who receive two contrasting parts of the same prophesy. Maghan receives the prophesy of how he can get a son to continue his reign, by marrying an ugly hunchbacked woman; while Kanté gets the prophesy of how his cruel reign will be ended by a young warrior, who is just a boy.
The play starts of in a rather annoying fashion, but as the main story starts, the acting and the story is simply superb. In a genius move of role reversal, all the main male parts are played by women while the main female parts are played by men (although each of the actors have a number of different roles).
The costumes and the sets are minimal; but they are not needed - this is the telling of a legend, in an oral tradition brought to modernity - the acting is stunning, the story crafting is superb - all that was missing, was sitting around a log fire under the African sky ...
Movie: Black Swan
Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake is one of the most famous and popular ballets; and certainly has some of the most memorable (classical) musical pieces that I have heard. The story centres around a princess who is turned into a (white) swan by an evil princess and then needs to find true love to be restored. It is a tragic story; as the princess is robbed of her true love by the evil sorcerer's daughter (the black swan) - and unlike most fairy tales, there is no happily ever after.
The movie focuses on Nina, played brilliantly by Natalie Portman, who is a technically brilliant dancer (and thus can play the White Swan with perfection). However, she lives a sheltered life with a very protective mother (who is a former ballet dancer, who had to give up her dreams when she fell pregnant with Nina, seemingly unplanned); and as such does not, initially have what it takes to become the sensuous, care free, black swan.
Nina's transition is the subject of the movie, and is part horror, part thriller - focusing on Nina's (and to a lesser extent, her mother's) rather unstable mental state. It is perhaps a dedication to what it takes to be single minded in the pursuit of an artistic ideal (which in some respects would also apply to other professions, where repeated practice is a requirement for any perfection); and the movie is part gore, part scary and at the same time, supported by some incredible acting. It is not a straight forward tale - and stylistically is more like a David Lynch movie - which in some respects suit it; and in others makes it even more convoluted.
The movie focuses on Nina, played brilliantly by Natalie Portman, who is a technically brilliant dancer (and thus can play the White Swan with perfection). However, she lives a sheltered life with a very protective mother (who is a former ballet dancer, who had to give up her dreams when she fell pregnant with Nina, seemingly unplanned); and as such does not, initially have what it takes to become the sensuous, care free, black swan.
Nina's transition is the subject of the movie, and is part horror, part thriller - focusing on Nina's (and to a lesser extent, her mother's) rather unstable mental state. It is perhaps a dedication to what it takes to be single minded in the pursuit of an artistic ideal (which in some respects would also apply to other professions, where repeated practice is a requirement for any perfection); and the movie is part gore, part scary and at the same time, supported by some incredible acting. It is not a straight forward tale - and stylistically is more like a David Lynch movie - which in some respects suit it; and in others makes it even more convoluted.
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