Project Playground

Our last guest of the Morning Cruise was Project Playground.Project Playground is an organization that is solely focused on creating a healthy environment for young children to grow up and become outstanding people. Project Playground exposes children to opportunities that they usually don't receive at home our at school.

 Project Playground is inviting everyone out to their event 'Children Art Festival in Gugulethu this Saturday 30th September 2017 from 10am to 6pm.

Loconville

The next guests on the Morning Cruise are  twin brothers that we all know so well, Andrew and Brian Chaplin, who goes by the name of Loconville. Loconville is a South African duo that produce electro hip hop music. The duo came to the station to promote their brand new track called 'Done'.

During the interview the brothers were asked how they felt about working with one another being that they have been around around all their lives. There response was shocking because they admitting to liking working together. "What we do is fun and we have a good time doing it together", said Locnville.

The duo was also asked," when and how did their music career start?"
"We've been writing our music since we were kids and our mom was a big influence on that ...generally speaking we grew up around a lot of  music.We don't have anyone else in our family who are musicians or anything like that so it was just something we naturally took to."

The duo ended their interview by discussing  how they have come to learn the most important part of the music business with is the business side. They believe that the South African music industry is growing and this is great time for their career.

De-colonization of Museums

Our first guest on the Morning Cruise was Zenzile Khoisan.Khoisan is a museum extraordinaire to say the least. He considers himself an activist and a teacher of the need for the "decolonization" of museums in South Africa.

According to Khoisan "decolonization" of  museums is an on going issue. Khoisan believes that museums today are spaces that are suppose to represent the past meaning where "we" come from and the human journey. However,the museums that exist today focus on a "colonial type narrative". Meaning the museums do not represent Africa because they only tell parts of Africa's history. Khoisan also refers to the issue of the "colonial type narrative" to be an "injustice" for Africa.

Khoisan says that the museums represents Africa with  "no dignity".He then challenges the museums decisions to display the bones of those who walked on this land centuries ago. He believes that the foundation needs to be stripped down and made new to properly represent African history. Khoisan also suggest that once people realize that "we" are here because of our ancestors because we are descendants of them we'll see how important it is to decolonize the museums to tell our story.

Learn2Cycle takes Open Streets

Lebogang Mokwena,  who is originally from Johannesburg, but moved to Cape Town recently via New York City where she was a student for 2 years and part of Learn2Cycle (adults learning to cycle at Open Streets).

While being in New York City, she got involved with an NGO called the Bike New York, that does a free bicycle education program throughout the city and that is where she learnt how to ride bike at the age of 31.

No one has ever came up to her and said that it’s a kid’s toy, but given her levels of enthusiasm sometimes people would think it’s quite childlike, but she is really crazy about bicycles. ”In many developing countries around the world bicycles are the principle mode of transportation, because they are free and you use your own sweat and power to get you through” says Lebogang. This could result in people using less money on transportation and they can over huge distances. To her bicycles are about that level of freedom, autonomy and money saving, especially to her as a student.

Cycling has been working well for her and she uses it to go everywhere, for example, she’ll traveled with it from her home in Woodstock to Kommetjie. She reckons that anybody can get as far as they willing to push themselves to do.

There are certain benefits when it comes to using a bicycle. Physically, you get to do exercise without having to create space for whatever gym equipment. It can help you emotionally and psychologically, knowing that you have to focus and concentrate on not being hit by vehicles, you are not worried about anything else but being present moment that you are cycling.

For the environment, climate change, greenhouse gases, bicycles are healthy for the environment. People who commute by bike are friendly and an open community. There is something around the social communion particularly in South Africa, with so many racial and class desperacies, that a bicycle can really be a good medium for different types of people to connect in ways that they otherwise don’t and wouldn’t.

Her recent cycle experience was in May, which she and her husband cycled through Italy from Florence to Rome, compared to Cape Town and Rome, Italians are much more patient and respectful towards cyclist except in Florence. People in Cape Town don’t understand the hand signals of cyclist. If more motorists can get to know cycling language, it will make it easier for motorist and cyclist to have less tense interactions on the road.

Lebogang Mokwena has successfully introduced adult cycling lessons in Cape Town. Although structured around the Bike New York technique, the Learn2Cycle program is informed by her personal experience of learning how to cycle as an adult. Learn2Cycle is interested in getting black women in general who never got the opportunity, either because it’s a toy prioritize for boys or it’s a toy that’s really expensive that low income households cannot afford. It’s for adults that feels as if it’s too late to learn. The program dispels all the myths that you’re too old to be on the road and claim the public space that people are too scared to use.

So far she has gotten a great review and people from Durban and Johannesburg would like her to bring the program there. There’s a level of need that we all take for granted.

There will be an event on October 1 called Open Street. Learn2Cycle will be at the Grand Parade, teaching people how to cycle. There are two slots which is 10am-12pm,1pm-3pm and there are another 4 spaces for people to just drop in and learn how to cycle.

To get hold of Lebgang Mokewena contact: lebogang.mokwena@gmail.com

Liverpool Portlands fc – A Football based NPO from Mitchells Plain

Jason Oostendorp and Hein Matthys joined us in studio to discuss the history and current situations surrounding the footballing team from Mitchells Plain. Starting in 1978, the team Liverpool fc then amalgamated with Portlands fc to create the club Liverpool Portlands fc. Reaching the status even of playing against club giants Kaizer Chief in the 90’s.   

Jason then continued to give a brief history lesson on the team and the variety of age divisions in the Liverpool team. Losing their status over the years of competing against the big dogs in the superior leagues, he also added that they are currently building up their respect again within the community to reach past heights. “We don’t stop players from leaving, as long as they are still playing football because that is the way to go”, he added.

Hein Matthys said, “Currently we are working on a project, with Portlands Primary, for an astro turf (artificial grass pitch) of our own which costs around R9million.” Funding is the main issue that has been setting the project back and not allowing the team to move forward with plans of finishing the turf in the near future. Different aspects such as the levelling the ground, JOJO tanks that have to be installed and maintenance of the turf, all portray expensive problems that Hein and Jason are faced with. Engaging with many shareholders, Jason and Hein struggle to find funding and the proper doors open to them and the project.

Due to the drought, football in and Cape Town have been on a bit of a slow pace this year, but has not stopped the behind the scenes work from the exco (division within the team that runs their daily duties) of Liverpool and other members. Future plans for the team include getting services providers and different sponsors to seek funding for the turf, engaging with their fundraising committee to have more events as they have been having for the past 2 years, ensuring the involvement of the community as well.

If anyone is interested in contacting or sponsoring a fee to the NPO, browse online and enter Liverpool Portlands fc on Facebook, also kindly call Jason Oostendorp on 082 381 3541. Alternatively, you can contact their secretary on 083 260 8842.

Presenter: Mkhuseli Khusi Veto

Producers: Tyler Layman, Michaela Muller

Muso Masoabi (Contemporary Fine Artist)

Are you inspired through Art? Today we heard from Muso Musoabi in Studio, who is a Contemporary Fine Artist originally from Lesotho.

According to Musoabi artist systematically, do not live in the same state of mind as others do. As an artist, the listens to what you are not telling him and not what you are saying, to observe life from another point of view. They care about most things, that people do not care about.

"The ability to draw is not art" says Musoabi. Art consists of high level of interllectual. Every painting needs to have a meaning behind it. If you are looking at it from your perspective, it has to potray a meaning that as an impact or something you can relate to you. That is why people buy paitings right? Converting your emotions into the art work should be orchestrating.

Muso Masaobi & Mkhuseli Khusi Veto 

Art is a luxury. Most people who are set out to buy the art, does not have many problems when it comes to surviving, so he says. Plenty are opressed with issues, that they don't take the time to appreciate art. Namely: finance problems. Not having food could be converted into art, but many do not think in that way. Thinking rich helped Musoabi get through his troubles. Living in a shack is a form of art in his case. If he paints in this mind set, the rich can possibly relate.

Interllectual capacity, historically message sare sent through generations in technical drawings. Emotional Art, "relating to black people, who have more emotions" says Mswabi. These are the two parts of art which is separated into. He uses an example of when you  a doctor studies for his\her profession and you say you have pain, the doctor will know exactly what is wrong. Same goes for a Grandmother, she will know what it is and what to use. This shows that both are interllectual, one just in an emotinal condition.

There are also two sides of art; Commercial Art, selling painting for a living or on a daily bases and Investment Art, keeping the painting until it's value has increased. The highest painting is going for 2.3 billion rand by a guy in Qartar Republic. Musoabi sold his first painting for R150 in 2012 and five years later the value increasingly became more. It becomes investable.

No one introduced him to painting. He studied Natural Science and dropped out in the first year. "We are told that without education we are nothing" says Muso. He believes that everyone has a certain ability and that all you need to do is find what you are good at and what you believe in through sacrifices.

To find out more information contact: Muso Musoabi Art on facebook.

Presenter: Mkhuseli Khusi Veto

Producers: Tyler Layman, Michaela Muller