The “American hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg”, as he is known to the press in South Africa, spent last night in police custody in London, instead of on stage in Johannesburg, where he was due to perform as part of the Premier Foods People’s Concert.
(Only in South Africa could a name as dull as Premier Foods - makers of Snowflake Flour and Iwisa Mielie Meal! - be coupled with a name as redolent of itchy rebellion and straight up gangsta cool as Snoop’s, y’all. )
1 comment
Cape Town shakes to the rumble of thousands of feet tomorrow, in the annual human stampede known as the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, “the world’s most beautiful marathon”, and the city’s biggest run.
It’s called the Two Oceans because its longest race - a 56 km ultra - stretches from one side of Cape Town’s peninsula to the other, thus visiting, according to some theories (and marketers), both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The fact that this theory is bunk should not detract from a pleasant morning for all participants, from the 5 kayers to the ultras.
Two Oceans …
1 comment
Jazz lovers, don’t forget that “Africa’s Grandest Gathering”, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival kicks off tonight at the CTICC! Over 40 musicians are primed to groove - and the headline act is none other than the fabulous Mr. Jose Feliciano himself.
Jazz Fest Links: Jazz Fest Homepage | SA Blog Coverage | CTICC
No Comments
Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
If you like a party in aid of a good cause, then mosey on down (or up) to the Garden Route paradise of Sedgefield, and its number one hostel, Upendi Backpackers.
When: Saturday, March 25th
Where: Upendi Backpackers, Sedgefield
Time: 19:30pm
Dress Code: Shirt and Hat
Cost: R35 p/p
Cause: Bring extra clothing to be donated to the Masakhane Community Project
Read more about Upendi: click here.Book your stay at Upendi: click here.Upendi and the Baz Bus: click here.
Don’t forget the extras, which include Drumming, Poi (fire dancing) and the legendary DJ Dr. Chi, plus a chance to win some brilliant prizes.
No Comments
The 2006 Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour has come and gone - and afforded Capetonians with all the usual excitement and drama.
Get 30,000 people together in any random place and you’ll likely see what we saw during the course of race morning: one death (heart attack on Suikerbossie, dreaded Suikerbossie), eight serious injuries, and cyclists in leather bondage costumes.
Argus Head
Steffen Radochia of Germany won the men’s race in 2:34, while local Anriette Schoeman was first home in the women’s race, covering the 109 kms in 2:59. Meanwhile, Slovakian Peter Velits kept his pink jersey as the overall Giro del Capo leader and, ultimately, winner. Congrats to him.
Argus Head was hoping to better his time of last year, given the cooler conditions, but could only manage to equal it, gliding over the timing mats in 4:10. At least we’re not going backward!
Cape Argus (newspaper) homepage: click here.Cape Argus (cycle tour) homepage: click here.Your results: click here.Read more on the race: Cape Times | Business Day | Cycling News
For the cycle tour’s full provisional results - including hand-cycling, tandem and oldest/men women times - see below. Till next year, cycling fans, it’s goodbye from Argus Head!
No Comments
Waking up at 9 am was already considered late for the hardcore beer-drinkers at the Oppikoppi Easter Festival. We walked from our tents to the outdoor bathrooms to brush our teeth as a group of people returned from playing a round of beer golf and began their morning braai of sausages and eggs. “Four!” shouted a drunk man as he swung his golf club at the beer can he had just drained.
Drinking made up just a fraction of the festivities during the weekend festival, where bands - mostly from South Africa - came together for three days to play rock and punk against the backdrop of the hills in Northam, Limpopo Province.
No Comments
If you’re looking for a party to crash today, look no further than the winelands town of Paarl and its signature estate, Nederburg.
Following two days of by-invitation-only wine auctions (the details of which have been fed to us titillatingly by the press), Nederburg opens its doors to the public once again, and, in a kind of bizarre trumpeting of its own success, charges us R500 to watch models parade through its historic halls.
The entrance money goes to charity, there’s “gourmet braai” food, and the fashion show and other activities (including a “rare finds” auction) last all day. For the full story, gushingly told, click over to wine.co.za.
No Comments
One of Cape Town’s most popular summer events is back! Last seen and heard in 2000, the Symphony of Fire, a fireworks competition between professional pyrotechnicians - set to music provided by Kfm - kicks off at the V&A Waterfront tonight.
Symphony of Fire Map
Three further events follow, on 1, 5 and 8 April, all in the same place. It’s quite a spectacular visual and aural feast, and costs just R90 - R160 for a spot on the Portnet Tower wharf, directly across the water from where the fireworks …
3 comments
Alert! South Africa’s first International Wildlife Film Festival will take place next month in Durban.
The festival, called “Wild Talk”, will run from 24 to 27 April, and will not only showcase the best of SA’s free-roaming stars of the bushveld, but will also be a hub for the filmmaking trade. Commissioning editors from Discovery Animal Planet, the BBC and National Geographic are expected to drop in.
Links: Wild Talk Film Festival | Wildlife Filmmaking School | SA Wildlife & Travel DVDs
Follow the story: Screen Africa | Filmmaker.co.za | Google News
No Comments
Countdown: The Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour is just 1 day away! (Counting today.)
Argus Head
Tomorrow, the city comes to a virtual standstill as tens of thousands of spectators fill their cooler boxes and grab their deck chairs, sunscreen and hats, and line the route to watch the 35,000 cyclists whoosh by.
Cape Town weather forecast: click here.
Top vantage points:
Click here for street maps.
Camps Bay Beachfront: A great place to watch the cyclists flash past. Choose from the restaurants of Camps Bay or the grassed verge that fronts the beach. A pedestrian bridge allows you to cross the cycle stream.
Sea Point Queens Road: This is the a steep downhill and an exciting place to watch the cyclists make a sharp left turn from Victoria Road into Queens Road and negotiate the tricky traffic islands. A pedestrian bridge also allows crossing here.
Sea Point Beach Road: There are many good places along the promenade to watch the cyclists make their run into the finish. There are pedestrian bridges at St. Johns Road and Western Boulevard.
Suikerbosse: This is the prime spot on the whole tour to see what the event is all about. Suikerbossie’s an unrelenting climb and all cyclists find it tough as they are tired and moving slowly. They need all the encouragement you can give. This area can be accessed on foot from the streets of Hout Bay, or Nooitgedacht Road.
1 comment
