11/02/2017

Twas an afternoon at Maputo where sun braaied skins and winds blew bliss Whilst maidens and gentlemen tore grass and dripped cocktails Minds brewed and braided in tongue dances Humans connected and flowers danced

Morning to end of the afternoon it was a fair of craftwork, fashion, food , beverages, you name it. The PFHUKA group sat right at the entrance sealing wrists with bracelets and welcoming with a smile with hopes of a good first impression. Over green grass and shade of trees people connected and spoke with glee. A highlight in particular for me was the presentation of Trill Moz of the collection Rainha Alexandra, I believe. It was so sudden a model came through out of the blue and I instantly recognized the brand. The choreography was insane, nothing regular to your usual fashion runway. 

Shoutout to your Lauro , you’re doing great things Laurão

The big dogs come out at night   sim e pela noite tocaram música  fizeram dela sua musa em adoração a lua como gesto de ternura e expressão de cada mente única

I was particularly excited to watch PIZZAWPINEAPPLES (a personal friend) and his melodic canvas; LeeJourn and $moller perform Esse Way de Amor Não Existe so much that I raced to the stage to high five them from the moment I recognized the instrumental; TRKZ because I’m always learning his lyrics to sing along and he sings content that wove a heart and opens the mind and Dream Inc. because trap is life (P.S. their instrumentals are sick so whatever you have to do with the sound system do it, those waves deserve to be heard clean and not muffled, by the way, we riding to LITHERLAND aye)

PFHUKA Sessions 

If my memory is not at fault throughout April and neighbouring months the youth group seeking to lift culture presented us with acoustic sessions lives of artists that where on the stage of the Maningue Nice Festival but this time on the hemispheric auditorium of Parque dos Continuadores.

Image: Sousa Domingos (BYV)

I was enchanted by Change Over’s performance - simply good music that tickled the happy senses if there are any. The saxophone made that it look sexy. It’s another level of beauty when Tégui makes hitting those notes look effortless. Then there’s the homie, TRKZ being pulled out from the crowd for a freestyle and acting like he practiced at home. Chave de ouro: J McEdwins giving the crowd live, teaching the crowd and hyping the PFHUKA team - wavy as the sea , rolling with the beat. 

Image by: Ildefonso Colaço

Vem que tem mais .. this Saturday, the 29th of July, Pfhuka will be waiting to meet you at the second edition of the Maningue Nice Festival at Museu Nacional d’Arte , Maputo from 10 AM, for the fair up to 5PM. This ain’t free (support local) 50 MZN up to 5PM then 200 MZN. You won’t want to be late. Link up with the team and show them some love:

Instagram: pfhuka Facebook: pfhuka Twitter: pfhukamoz

Conhece Style Você? Commonly referred to as CSV is a group of young beings that are dedicated in event organization that is currently formed by 11 members with an average age off 22.

This group was initially formed by 4 people who dedicated themselves in the sale of t-shirts of their brand.  Gladly, the group became popular amongst youth and proceeded to seeking an adventure in the area of events in 2013 then with 11 members. The first event took place in July, 2013. At the pace of baby steps it was decided that a small event hosting around 200 people in a house at Coop neighbourhood would fit the initiative just fine. For the inexperience as disadvantage they had a pleasant surprise when it not only satisfied the public but exceeded all expectations. Thereafter a state of mind of seriousness took place and drove them to execute yet another event that same year, September at Casa Velha. Unfortunately, not having forecast the improbable event of climate change down took the expected successful expansion of participants. In 2014 blew the dust off their shoulders and again invested into an event allusive to the first anniversary in July. The candles lit a public of 450 people and opened a vision of the potential of that market. Enlightened minds gazed over new marketing strategies and even built a department for it. The average number of people attending their events is 1000 and they intend to reach further in a short while.

TRKZ

REPRESENT: Why did you start creating music? Trkz: I used to listen to different kinds of music throughout my early teenage days. I've always loved to sing at the shower and at home; used to sing on my way to school like a crazy guy and used to sing for every type of event going on at school. I saw life as this musical movie. The environment I grew up in, my brother was a rapper and my sister loves to sing influenced me in the process. Most of my friends were already recording artists back at 10th grade. REPRESENT: What difference will you bring to this packed industry? Trkz: A mixture of talent and creativity, a new vibe and something that has never been heard before on any part of the world, alternative rap music and alternative music, psychedelic rap and acoustic trap is something we don't find much in here. But the biggest difference is the perspective, the approach to things people feel and don't know how to explain or accept it- the unknown.

REPRESENT: Comment on music Mozambique. Trkz: I love our traditional music,  I think that the multiculturalism inside this country is very interesting. The music in Mozambique, generally, has this anthropology to it that makes it exciting. With so many different lifestyles and the music is one way of expressing that. I find it amazing, I think that we got potential to do better and make our ancestors proud. The rap music in Moz[ambique] has got a lot of potential but so many of the good ones are underrated and I'm glad some rap movements are really working hard to put our rap music on the map. We have so many talented artists here, but I think that most of them just need to know their-selves more and find a more suitable way of expression without trying to be someone else.

REPRESENT: How do you influence the same? Trkz:  I inspire the youth, making the listeners believe that the young people still got a lot to say. And not just the main stream approaches. If you can touch a single person's mind or soul than we're on the right track.

REPRESENT: Could you please explain to us the origin of your artistic name? Trkz:  I had two changes on my artistic name. At first it was AJ Trickz, using the initials of my first two names, Ailton JoséTrickz was a name that was given to me by my childhood friend, Jerry. After [that] the guys at the studio I used to record, Sameblood's LayLow & [Ian] Blanco told me to change to just Trickz, I did so and only ‘till the start of this year I started using a new name which is Trkz. I think that each name is related to the phases of my life and Trkz is the evolution of both AJ Trickz & Trickz. This year you'll hear from him.

REPRESENT: What or who inspires you? Trkz: [I’m] Inspired by Aquarius Singer Arima Ederra, Outkast's Andre 3000, the Brazilian maestro Arthur Verocai, Toro Y Moi with the chill-wave and so much more. I really listen to different genres and I don't listen to rap that much, although I listened to it a lot back in the last decade. I found out that if I listen to a variety of genres I'll be able to expand my brain and creativity a little more and avoid bringing stuff that already exist to this industry of music. So alternative and classic fusions with jazzy and blues are my thing, also acoustics. And I can't forget to mention Coldplay, that group of artists and bands make me believe that I still got a lot of work to do musically.

REPRESENT: What are your aspirations? Trkz:  Having an international record-deal would be nice, being heard and spreading the word around the world would be better. Having to do this and feed my kids and get my mom a huge mansion. I believe I can make huge success and make an impact world-wide.

REPRESENT: How did you imagine yourself now when you started? Trkz:  I think I've exceeded my expectations, when I started people only wanted to hear my hooks and my singing,  but then I started focusing more on the lyricism, I knew I had more in me besides just a nice voice. And every event in my life put me here. And in my life I never thought that I'd do music, I was born mute, had lots of meat in the throat area, so I had a surgery when I was two years old after removing the tonsillitis. [I] started talking at that point. So, I'm glad to know that it's a divine story, God certainly got in the way of it.

REPRESENT: How do you imagine yourself from this point and forward in the same time span? Trkz:  Older, wiser, a better singer, and I'll be receiving Grammy awards and career honors at such a young age. All my work will have it's return of investment of time and money.

REPRESENT: What are some difficulties that you go through in your industry and how you deal with them? Trkz:  It's difficult to find people that believe in you and what you decide to do for a living. Whenever I say that I wanna live through art the first thing they say is "grow up". They think I'm a lunatic. My reaction to it is more of a "prove it to yourself that you can do it" rather than "prove the doubters wrong", but I can't lie that those controversies of ideas and views kinda motivate me ‘cause it wouldn't be fun to get there without these difficulties.

REPRESENT: A word for the fans Trkz:  I love every single one of you, and I'm very thankful for your support, you guys are the best. You listeners make the artist. And I'm glad to be heard by all of you. It's just the beginning of a long journey, thanks for the patience and there's more to come. The Filho da Lua project is coming October 2017 via Kongoloti Records ,been working with Oros Corpus on the production, Joseph McEdwins, also features two of the young most talented artists I've met so far, Journey, and Yeda. Stay tuned!

Kanimambo Trkz!

Catch Trkz on the following social media:

SOUSA DOMINGOS

Sousa Domingos Jr is a ’95 photographer: a storyteller, artist and visionary, postgraduate in Information Systems at ITC and an undergrad in Computer Engineering.

“I had this wonderful mom that passed away ... and now I live to remember her paths ; her memories are the thing that keeps me motivated,” he fondly introduced himself to REPRESENT. He proceeded, “I also have four older brothers that I love and support myself with whatever I need.”

Sousa when young had nothing to worry about because his mother worked arduously so it would remain that way. At the ease of that freedom, as any other of his age, he loved to play around with his friends. Programming, designing, playing games was his ideal of fun back in his childhood thus the second degree in Computer Engineering – passion.

Toknowmymind is one of Sousa’s hidden chest of stories based on his thoughts due to his shyness. It’s a fruit of his frustration with everything, attempting and failing to conclude. The idea was to understand himself and get to the bottom of his issue visually and through writing to then read through and figure out.

Sousa: I look back today and I didn't even start off to finish understanding myself *laughs* in the end it didn't go that well

Mid-2010, his sister brought home a camera and memories state that that was when his journey switched lanes. Two years had gone by from when he started without knowing the essence of the art of photography. It was by the grace of the people who joined him along his journey, the new vision of life and comprehension of the world that his perception of it became objectively refined.

He shares with REP of the difficulty that it is to acquire photography equipment as these tend to be expensive and scarce round Mozambique. As his mother had the urge to help his passion not live forgotten the struggle was real until wedding photography came around. The pebbles on the path started flourishing and the income from capturing the joy of couples’ vows allowed him to overcome the then financial barriers and furthermore.

Sousa met his dear mentors, root of support and inspiration a couple dedicated to wedding photography, mid 2014. Thereafter, storytelling the course of a wedding visually became his passion and identity.

I love arts, I love to look to things on a different way and with photography I can simple do that!  That is the reason he put his head onto the creation of a community, a movement. A movement to allow an unusual vision, entitling ourselves as the storytellers of our own, stories of our quotidianne, happiness, strength and ability. So together with his friends he started behindyourvision which intends to portray the world as they see it. Although it isn’t easy at all, inevitably mountain-high and ocean-floor, he feels that he joggles with both situations optimally. He describes the experience as sleeping at home on his bed, dreaming.

In 2021, Sousa sees himself as an explorer of the world, capturing his vision of the truely happy manner. Beyond the 2020s he envisions himself surrounded by those who are inspired through and enjoy his creation .

I want to be remembered, one day. I want to be remembered as someone that brought change or at least helped. I want to be remembered as someone that made a difference. That’s why I struggle so much, because beyond that, I want to be myself.

Note: The last piece has undergone a translation and formatting of text to accommodate the primary language of the blog and allow better understanding to our readers.

Catch Sousa cruising on the following social media:

She’s dealing with a caved mind Dark inside You can see his soul contemplating jail time A crippled God complex sinks with in the sand Amen To all the healing broken hearts with in an asylum Mental patients mingle with hieroglyphics for it’s easier to silence them While words hold a thousand definition of depression My expression wanders off into your conscious mind to subdue an addiction Ecstasy reminded me of your lips that captured me An emotion that shuts me down when it encounters intimacy A drug of desire that lies about the connection between love & lust Holding on to secrets that brings out your demon later on refusing to return to its body of dust Your eyes turn white in the abyss Like enemies of the light invading my corrupted space Holding onto wisdom that dates back to ancient age Your philosophy on seduction runs wild cause you’re the slave of Venus that was kept in a cage Young men beg for you to teach them this poison The art of your dark magic has filled them with illusions The cries of the innocence are like whispers on the beach Getting caught in violent winds across a red sea You linger around the markets in Spain For foreign romance & to escape your previous pain Dripping with infatuations You leave me with a taste of your thoughts flavored with fornication The meaning behind your mind is tasteless You’ve created mindless subjects By embracing them with your forbidden & tainted fruit Now they lack understanding of moments and emotions that surround the truth She’s dealt with a cave mind Dark inside Every thought contemplates revenge to conquer her wasted time Her painted canvas melts within the crystals in the sand No pretend Within my eyes she wanders into limbo in search of the gates of heaven

WALTER NGULELA

Walter J. Rofino Ngulela is a ’97 Maputo, Mozambique borne. He is a graphics designer since 2012 and is currently studying Civil Engineering. 

It all started as little curiosity cease when his friend and himself decided to attempt doing Vector Cartoon illustration style in Photoshop as Youtube apprentices. As any skillful undergoes so did they, day by day the improvement made itself visible.

“One day, someone approached me and asked how much I charged for my craft, but I did not do it for money,” Walter tells REPRESENT. In what he saw a hobby time taught him that a hobby can make a metical. Bewildered by his own discovered he took the first step of entitling himself for all his worth – graphics designer. He put upon himself the responsibility of honouring his choice by learning more and more. 

Today he believes that he stands at a position of dominance over the basic necessities of a great graphic designer. Walter has basic knowledge in functioning with over 5 software applications but above it all, that that lies within him which is the spirit of a graphics designer.

Today, he works as a freelancer in branding and collaborates with Community Twaan,  Mbalelembalele and other Mozambican brands.

Amongst it all he does illustrations during his free time after all that’s how it all started, with illustrations.

The beast of Graphics Design always lived in me. The discovery of this/it, made me seek to set it free. Today we live side by side, showing love and divinity in all our craft.

 Note: The last piece has undergone a translation and formatting of text to accommodate the primary language of the blog and allow better understanding to our readers.

TÉGUI

Silke Teresa Guilamba commonly addressed as Tégui is young ‘93 RnB and soul singer and composer from Mozambique. Tégui is a junction of her name and surname: Teresa & Guilamba.

Her taste for music goes way back to her childhood under the first musical influences in her own home. She tells REPRESENT that she recalls listening to Christina Aguilera, Mary and Mary, Destiny’s Child, Marcy Gray but all reverted back to RnB, a bit of Brazilian and Portuguese music. She expresses gratitude for this exposure to her father and fellow family members.

Thereafter, she would sing around the house out of pure leisure and nothing else. Her musical repertoire submerged at the age of 12, back in Grade 6. She enjoyed transcribing lyrics of songs in order to learn them. One day Tégui sang one of those, which had been Alicia Keys – Fallin’ to her best friend at the time. “You have a voice,” the best friend complimented her. That comment left her surprised because she was unperceptive, she just enjoyed singing. School breaks, classmates, playfully singing, same conclusion – a noticeable talent. All those pleasurable experiences lead her to believe in herself and investigate more about music.

Tégui became Tégui in 2008 when she sang in a music contest at the school she attended. In 2010, she recorded her first song in collaboration with her cousin entitled Sincerity then a solo, Say Yeah after having sung in her prom that same year.

In blink of an eye in 2011 Tégui joined a trio composed by Doubleme (singer), Wp (rapper) and King (producer) who formed label ‘Love and Music’ dedicated in love songs in the genre of RnB. In 2012 she left to proceed her solo only after having released, Devolva-me and Obcessivo whilst in the label.

Walking her path alone she worked on some music but did not release for a while until 2013 in which she broke her silence with Foi no verão, followed by Só Tu and Vai e Vem in 2014. Along the way she joined another label but not for long. She proceeded to refuse a few other offers in 2015 because she thought to herself that continuing as an independent singer was best.

Where the oblivious to her history actually met Tégui was in the release of Namasté. It is an infusion of RnB, NeoSoul and Jazz – the vertex she has chosen to follow. This project had the input of producers such as Key Beats, James Monarc and J.McEdwins, who is also the executive director. Namasté as explained by her is Tégui’s affectionate greeting to the public with this craft at which she felt the freest artistically.

REPRESENT: cloud 30 upcome was firstly announced on our REP page in November 2015, is there a reason why it was only released this current year?

Pizza: I re-recorded it a lot of times. Because it was in between a period of time where I was still finding myself so I was still insecure about it, about how it tasted. One time I even stopped because it's something old. Something that I listen to and I get that time travel to when I was a little lost. But I'd think of it as a vintage thing. That was the fundamental reason.

REP: If to relate to food, how did the taste evolve?

Pizza: It went from tasting good to tasting like me.

REP: Why the name cloud 30. ?

Pizza: It was this day I got really high with my friends Lio and Andrea. Well, Andrea was sober. So I felt like it would be an understatement to say I was on cloud 9 or something. It was one of the first times I had gotten high on marijuana. And the type we took that day was strong.

REPRESENT : What was your thought when conceiving cloud 30?

Pizza: '' Finally. '' Seconds later, I was already fed up of it.

REP: What feeling or message do you intend to convey to the listeners?

Pizza: I don't know what message yet. Maybe there is no. But I'd like to convey the feeling and the state of mind that day you being high. Each track being a stage of the high. But more than that I'd just like them to feel something.

REP: What are the stages?

Pizza: The first one, the plane is taking off. The second one, it's flying high. The third one it stops for to have fun. The 4th one it's crashing. The 5th one it's all over. The 6th one, the pilot wants another plane.

REP: Are you satisfied with the feedback?

Pizza: I can safely say yes. I am. For people feel it inside of them. It's all very interesting.

REP: What can we expect from Pizza in the near future ? If we even may.

Pizza: I honestly can't tell because I don't even know if I may.

*shared laughter*

REP : We'll be waiting, watching and stalking. Any last words?

Pizza: Live.

REP: Thank you for sharing a bit more about cloud 30.

Pizza: Don't mention it *smile*

Catch Pizza W/Pineapples on the following social networks:

More workshops like lectures and being highlight of articles such as SNP no AFRICA FASHION WEEK - Cobertura Studio... & Indice Tokyo no Africa Fashion Week.

LIPIKO t-shirt by Baco.Baco in the first plus size model on the left.

Yesterday, on the 20th of May we received more great news, “Estamos na Folha de São Paulo,” (we would add exclamation marks to that because we are probably more excited than the creator himself).

Make sure to check out the following two articles in which Baco.Baco is featured: about the Fashion Workshop presented by Mozambican designers in SECEL (Secretaria da Cultura, Esporte e Lazer) and the article on Record Brasil’s website about the AFW Brazil runway experience itself at Galeria Olido. 

Sixth from the left: M’Whandro Mangoba.

So ... he took on a lecture at the Faculdade de Moda Santa Marcelina and still today another in the secretaria de Educação Cultura, Desporto e Lazer at Guarulhos, São Paulo.

.. nah , that’s not it. There again the preparations for another lecture is taking place. Louggi Junior at the back is doing an ethnic turban on the model and there is a Lipiko tee by Baco.Baco in front.

Models posing backstage and ..*M’Whandro goes offline* must be busy enjoying life.

Keep in touch for more updates on Baco.Baco taking on AFW Brazil. For a more personal view on his experience follow him on his personal Instagram account:

So ... M’Whandro has landed in Brazil and we are beyond excited to be sharing this experience with him. He will be presenting in the African Fashion Week Brasil which started on the 15th and will go on until the 20th.

This morning, the 16th of May he was at Tv Destaque with ‘the greater presenter Sandra,’ as he described. Enjoy the backstage bliss.

Before taking on the artistry he is known for now, Revorev was DJ from all the watching of his friend, DJ RASH who, according to Revorev, was talented for a fifteen-year-old. At the attempt of imitating his friend and then having the application, Virtual DJ, installed he then discovered his love for music. It was fun for a while until the idea of creating his own sound got to him. Apart from that, being a DJ required playing at late night parties which at the time was impossible as the mother would not permit late outings then. So with that he searched for applications producers used and found Fruity Loops. Starting off the progress was relatively slow and he was eluded at the thought that his creations were dope. Gracias to loyal friends who burst his bubble that got him working seriously and bound to learn from the Internet. With time he evolved, ‘I gained experience and with my talented young cousin [King Cizzy] freestyling like no one else’.

They started working together and the release of ‘MAGIC’ was outstanding.

Before being Revorev he was DJ Revolluttion and Revolluttion as a musical producer. His PC was attacked by a virus that destroyed all his projects and willpower was crashed with that too. He was motivated by a friend of his to do it all over again with a chance of improving too. Taking on the challenge, he changed his name to ‘REVOREV’ which is the ‘Revolution of the Revolluttion’.

He is inspired by the following artists: Hit-Boy, Travis Scott, EllP and Jahlil Beats.

When asked why he chooses not to return to disco joking, he replied ‘Because creating my music is already mixing Sounds. And that's my passion.’

Find him on the following social networks:

REPRESENT: What's Silicon Valley about? The African Cowboy: It has a loose concept. #8 texted me in depth  about billionaires in North Cali, how he's going to live in Palo Alto and envisions building his network from there. As an African, that kind of sparked it but musically: I'd say this project is a Dystopian Love Story, in a Plastic World. REPRESENT: Why the designated name for the EP? The African Cowboy: We are both linked to it in different ways: He sees himself embodying the ideals of The Valley; the minds and companies there that ensure infinite potential: all from Silicon. REPRESENT: Is the 'he' you refer to 8? The African Cowboy: Living here, I felt his vision really lent it's hand with my isolated, emotionally detached lifestyle (everything feeling like "plastic") The African Cowboy: Yes. REPRESENT: What feeling or message are you trying to convey to the listeners? The African Cowboy: The feeling of disconnect from the one you love and how life doesn't really stop because of that. REPRESENT: Is it a chronologically ordered story or just a compilation of songs from the same nature? The African Cowboy: Yes, it is ordered. REPRESENT: Is Silicon Valley based on real experiences of your own or just fiction? The  African Cowboy: A lot of it is real, specific thing I lyrically spread out. This EP is a look into my head-space right now, while I do make sure to be thematic. The African Cowboy: I don't wish to be overbearing. REPRESENT: If you were to describe it in one colour, which one would it be? The African Cowboy: Orange. REPRESENT: Why? The African Cowboy: Orange is more abrasive, unnatural. REPRESENT: What made you satisfied to release this EP this day in May? The The African Cowboy: I finished mastering it the day before REPRESENT: Day before what? The African Cowboy: Before it was released, as in, yesterday. I stayed up two days straight, from the 10th to the 12th, treating the sound. REPRESENT: Why the dedication to even stay up all night? Were you in a hurry ? The African Cowboy: I was in a pessimistic mood.I frequently go on downers where I'm feeling insecure about my music career. Feeling unloved, that type of thing, so doing this was kind of a pressure release. REPRESENT: Are the listeners meant to learn with this or just feel and enjoy? The African Cowboy: I feel as if there is no closure to get from it. I feel like I'm still in the middle of it, it's an infinite loop. REPRESENT: We are ready to receive and excited. Any last words? The African Cowboy: Well ... To all those who listen to it: I hope you take your time; To digest; The themes; And that they hold judgment till the end. REPRESENT: Thank you Yannick for this insight! The African Cowboy: AYEEE! It was a pleasure and an honor.

Catch Nicko Journey on the following social networks:

Twitter: @YaNicko_J0URN3Y, https://twitter.com/YaNicko_J0URN3Y Instagram: @rapkurt , https://www.instagram.com/rapkurt/ Soundcloud:@nickojourney, https://soundcloud.com/nickojourney