TJ, Author at 1Africa | Page 13 of 18

What Do I Need To Do To Be Loved?

Faith

TJ

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February 24, 2015

Whether we admit it openly or not, we all want to be loved. We want to be accepted for who we are and we want to be significant – a sense of feeling that our lives matter. In an age where the norm is to try to talk, look and act tough and independent (which has its merits, don’t get me wrong), even the most heartless dictators and the most brutal criminals want at least someone, somewhere to love them for real.

Yet, though the need for love is common to all and is a basic human desire, it would seem that true love is as tough to find in our world as it’s ever been. For some bizarre reason, we not only withhold love from others but, when we do decide we want to give it, we make it extremely difficult. By the looks of things, 21st century love needs to be earned, and boy is it a price we have to pay! How many times do we hear of a guy needing to jump through endless hoops – buying this and giving that – to even get a second look from a girl he’s into? Even after he’s done every possible thing that’s doable, he has no guarantees that she was never just using him to get ahead. Or the girl who gives heart, soul, mind and body to ‘prove’ to the guy making demands on her that she’ll do anything to be with him? Then, after she’s done all that, she realizes she’s been nothing more than a name, no… a number, in a little black book of conquests.

Love, rather than being a free gift, has become a commodity to be bought and sold.

Hearing all this, one might be tempted to give up and pull out from the whole thing altogether. Thankfully, there is still a glimmer of hope in all the madness. It’s still possible to be loved unconditionally in the midst of a culture that has cheapened love and turned it into something to be slaved for. This kind of love comes from God and His only requirement is that we believe that it exists.

Stop wasting your life toiling to earn love. Anyone who truly loves you will not make you suffer for it. Love, in its purest form, is a gift and it is freely given. It shouldn’t be based on performance or effort but simply on wanting the best for the other. Am I saying we shouldn’t put effort into relationships? No. Am I saying that we should just pour everything out to everyone willy-nilly? No, I’m not saying that either. What I am saying though is that, if our starting point is to know the pure and giving nature of the love we receive from God, we will be able to live that out and model it in a healthy way in our relationships with others.

If you are interested in discovering a relationship of love with God, please click on the banner below and check out the video we’ve prepared, in which we talk about it. Even if you have reservations about this post and want to have your say, we’d love to hear from you.

You are loved.

Focus On What Really Matters (Video)

Lifestyle

TJ

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February 20, 2015

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It’s been said that we are living in a time known as the Information Age. The reason being that almost anything we want to know about can be delivered to us on some device or other in a matter of seconds. Want to know when Brad Pitt’s birthday is? Just google it. Interested in knowing what the weather will be two days from now on the other side of the world? Voice search it on your phone. Or maybe you want to have an idea of where Jay Z had breakfast this morning? No problem. It might be on someone’s Twitter or Instagram. There’s no doubt about it: information is everywhere for us to access sweat-free.

Yet, there is a downside to having an excess amount of anything. As the saying goes, and I paraphrase, too much of a good thing can be destructive. It’s so easy to get caught up in ‘things’ and forget to focus on what really matters. Being busy with ‘stuff’ and having access to information doesn’t equal productivity and it certainly doesn’t equal fulfilling life purpose.

Celebrated Hollywood actor and producer, Mark Wahlberg (The Italian Job, The Departed, Transformers: Age of Extinction), shares, in an interview with TV personality Piers Morgan, some deep thoughts about the power of focus and what it enables him to do in his career. He also shares about the source of his focus and how that relationship has transformed him.

For true and lasting success to be possible, it is so important to know how to focus on what really matters, the things that count. That doesn’t come easy in a world like ours where there is so much ‘noise’ and a lot that is screaming for our attention.

If you are in a place in your life now where you have preoccupied yourself and used up a lot of your time with things that have little value and need to focus on a higher purpose, we want to invite you to discover a relationship of faith – one that really matters. Click on the banner below and watch the video or, if you have questions, we’d love to hear from you.

Baleka Mbete says sorry to Julius Malema

TJ

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February 19, 2015

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Baleka Mbete says sorry to Julius Malema

Just when we thought the drama in the South African parliament was over, things got more interesting. After referring to Economic Freedom Front (EFF) leader, Julius Malema, as a cockroach in a speech at the ruling ANC’s North West provincial conference recently, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Baleka Mbete, has now apologized for her comments. Malema’s response has not only been to fully accept the apology but, for his part, to issue his own apology to fellow politician, Helen Zille, leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) for calling her a cockroach back in 2010. His words: “I now know how it feels to be called a cockroach”.

On the face of it, this seems quite possibly like the usual rhetoric of people in the game of ‘politricks‘ but it’s always good to learn lessons from whatever we can in life. I learned two things from this incidents and want to share them in this post.

Firstly, anyone who’s ever done wrong to another person knows just how difficult it is to say the words “I’m sorry”. There seems to be some kind of in-built pride in us that makes it quite tough for us to own up when we mess up. Something in us feeds us the lie that everyone else can fumble but not us. So, when we are able to apologize genuinely, that’s not something to take lightly. Forgiveness holds the key to so much freedom in our lives. Ultimately, it benefits both the one forgiving and the one being forgiven.

The second thing I learned from this particular story is how one act of humility can inspire another and create a domino effect. I wonder if Malema would have apologized to Zille if Mbete hadn’t taken the first step. Nobody really knows but it’s an interesting learning point all the same. Maybe when we withhold certain acts of goodness or forgiveness, we prevent other positive things from happening. Forgiving that person you hold a grudge against may yield much more fruit than you realise – bigger than just you and that individual.

Take some time to think and focus on the issue of forgiveness in your own life. Is that grudge worth you being so miserable and risking your physical, mental and emotional health? Probably not. The good news is that the perfect model of forgiveness has been taught to us in particular by a loving Saviour who, though He was the offended party, chose to pay the price. Through this kind of exemplary role-modelling, we can be introduced to a better way of life. To know more about discovering a relationship with Him and to make a decision to do so, please click on the banner below and watch the video that follows.

Oscars 2015 Preview

Culture
Film

TJ

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February 19, 2015

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It’s that time of the year again when the entertainment industry is abuzz with expectation and juicy gossip! Who will get it? What will they be wearing on the red carpet? … Why? It’s Oscar season! On the 22nd February, the biggest names in Hollywood will be celebrated for achievement in creative and technical excellence in their different fields of filmmaking. Today, courtesy of weeklyinsights.wordpress.com, we get to check out some very interesting reviews of the big contenders and how they’re likely to fare at this year’s awards ceremony:

The Oscars 2015 event is where the movie gurus tell us what they think the best movies from the previous years were. It is the biggest award ceremony for movies and everyone pays attention. I feel obligated to also give my two cents on the movies and actors nominated. This year I watched fifteen of the movies from which all the big nominations came. I will start by reviewing these fifteen movies; my rating system goes from (- – -), the worst, to (+++), the best.

Birdman(–) is a weird, off-beat movie about a washed up actor who once played an iconic superhero, i.e., Birdman. He attempts to make a comeback in a Broadway play. Interestingly the main actor, Michael Keaton’s, career stalled after he played Batman (1989 and 1992).

Boyhood(+) shows the life of a young man, Mason, from age 5 to age 18. It has received rave reviews but I’m not sure why. Maybe it has to do with the fact that film was shot over 13 years in real life and the actor was 5 when they started shooting ended when he was 18. Apparently they would shoot on average one week per year. Well, I guess that’s impressive. I found myself thinking of other things when I watched the movie.

The Grand Budapest Hotel(++) is a very entertaining movie about the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous hotel from the fictional Republic of Zubrowka between the first and second World Wars, and Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend.

The Imitation Game(+) is the true story about how math whiz Alan Turing, who was recruited by MI6, cracked the Nazis’ secret code, which was code-named “Enigma.” Benedict Cumberbatch delivers an outstanding performance as the socially challenged professor whose accomplishment shortened World War II by two years, by some estimates. He was then found guilty of being a homosexual and ended up committing suicide. Tragic.

Selma(+) is a chronicle of Martin Luther King’s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. Who would have thought that after all these years America would still be dealing with Civil Rights issues?

The Theory of Everything(+) examines the relationship between the famous physicist Stephen Hawking, played brilliantly by Eddie Redmayne, and his wife Jane. Their combined strength in overcoming Hawking’s terrible medical condition is just as extraordinary as Hawking’s contributions to physics.

Whiplash(+++) is an excellent and intense movie about a young drummer who aspires to be one of the best in the world. His drill-sergeant conductor pushes him over the edge, but he climbs back impressively.

Foxcatcher(-) shows how the greatest Olympic Wrestling Champion brother team joins Team Foxcatcher led by multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul – a union that leads to unlikely circumstances. Another weird movie. The ending is tragic and the saddest part is that it actually happened.

American Sniper(+) is an intense movie based on the extraordinary true story of Chris Kyle, a US Navy SEAL who served four tours in Iraq as a lethal sniper committed to protecting his comrades-in-arms. Yet another tragic end to the story in this one. Lots of debate surrounding this movie, some say it doesn’t address the reasons why America invaded Iraq & Afghanistan in the first place so this hero is no hero, plus he killed lots of people. The movie itself I found enjoyable, nothing amazing.

The Judge(+) shows a big-city lawyer who returns to his hometown for the funeral of his mother. He stays longer than he expected or wanted to in order to defend his estranged father, the town’s judge, who is on trial for committing a murder. Again, enjoyable movie – not much else.

Two Days, One Night(-) is about Sandra, a young Belgian mother, who discovers that her workmates have opted for a significant pay bonus, in exchange for her dismissal. She has only one weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses so that she can keep her job. Very slow-paced and ultimately I didn’t really enjoy it.

Still Alice(+++) is about Alice Howland, who’s happily married with three grown children, and a renowned linguistics professor, who starts to forget words. When she receives a devastating diagnosis – she has early onset Alzheimer’s disease. We then see how the family bonds are tested as the disease gets worse. Knowing that the director also suffers from this disease and could barely finish shooting the movie makes it even more heart-wrenching.

Gone Girl(++) With his wife’s disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it’s suspected that he may not be innocent. This movie proved a few things to me..Ben Affleck is a good actor, not just a great director. Secondly Neil Patrick Harris can act in a serious role, not just comedy. But the revelation for me was Tyler Perry, yes Madea – who knew that he could also act a serious role? That was a surprise. The fact that he also throws a few F-bombs might, or might not, have been a surprise to Christians. Oh well, we need another day to talk about Christians in Hollywood.

Wild(-) is a gripping movie about a woman’s 1,100-mile solo trek on the Pacific Crest Trail. It is based on the true story of Cheryl Strayed, who went on the long walk to clear her head after a catastrophic loss in her life.

Into the Woods(++) is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a musical format that follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel-all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them.

So those are my thoughts on the actual movies, as you can see only two movies were really outstanding, Whiplash and Still Alice. As to the actual nominations, here’s my take:

Best Picture
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
Prediction: Apparently its a toss up between Boyhood and Birdman – I would have voted for Whiplash.

Actor
Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher”
Bradley Cooper in “American Sniper”
Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Imitation Game”
Michael Keaton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Eddie Redmayne in “The Theory of Everything”
Prediction: Toss up between Keaton & Redmayne but since I enjoyed The Theory of Everything more my vote goes to Redmayne.

Supporting Actor
Robert Duvall in “The Judge”
Ethan Hawke in “Boyhood”
Edward Norton in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Mark Ruffalo in “Foxcatcher”
J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash”
Prediction: If J.K Simmons, who delivered the acting performance of his career, doesn’t win then I’m boycotting The Oscars forever!

Actress
Marion Cotillard in “Two Days, One Night”
Felicity Jones in “The Theory of Everything”
Julianne Moore in “Still Alice”
Rosamund Pike in “Gone Girl”
Reese Witherspoon in “Wild”
Prediction: Julianne Moore should win here, she was a class above the rest of the field.

Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette in “Boyhood”
Laura Dern in “Wild”
Keira Knightley in “The Imitation Game”
Emma Stone in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)”
Meryl Streep in “Into the Woods”
Prediction: This one is really hard to call, very evenly matched performances – my heart says Streep but if I was a betting man I’d go with Arquette.

Best Achievement in Directing
Richard Linklater for Boyhood
Alejandro González Iñárritu for Birdman
Bennett Miller for Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Morten Tyldum for The Imitation Game
Prediction: I agree with all those who are saying Ava DuVernay should’ve been nominated for directing Selma. From those nominated it looks like a toss up between Inarritu & Linklater. Smart money is on Linklater.

What is your take on the views expressed in this post and what are your own Oscars 2015 predictions? We’d love to hear from you!

Special thanks to Gerald Zengeya (weeklyinsights.wordpress.com) for letting us use his review for this post.

Looking For Love

TJ

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February 13, 2015

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Love.

That word we love to love and use oh so generously. “Oh my goodness, I love my new shoes!”, “I really loved that movie. Did you see the scene where she shot him in the leg?”, “I think I’ve met the man of my dreams. I love him so much”

Given that we use the word ‘love’ so much, one would think that this world should be an amazing place. We should all be walking the streets, hand in hand, with everyone happy and fulfilled, living out their dreams and fearing nothing. Maybe I’m being just a little dramatic but you get the idea… I hope.

Sadly, things aren’t all rosy and chocolaty. Our world is ravaged by war, abuse and pain. Divorce has never been rifer and, if the stats are to be believed, a woman is more likely to be murdered by her spouse, lover or close male relative than by a total stranger. When you really think about it, that’s a really frightening thing: the person you open up to and are supposed to trust more than anyone else is also the one most likely to end your life. That just can’t be right, can it?

So, is this another doom-and-gloom piece about how things are getting worse? Definitely not. As much as there is sadness in the world, there are also beautiful things happening all around us. Some of them appear insignificant and yet they require us to have a certain disposition to truly appreciate them.

I’ve come across many definitions of love in my life. As it relates to human relationships, possibly one of the best definitions I’ve encountered is that love is simply “a genuine desire to see good happen to someone else”. Yet, never has mainstream culture promoted individualism and egocentric living as much as it does today. The predominant thinking is that if it doesn’t suit me or it inconveniences me too much, I’m out. The word ‘love’ has been watered down more than we realize and, no different from a group of kids who play with diamonds as if they’re marbles, we play with what we don’t understand.

What does love mean to you personally? Has love lost its true and pure meaning and are we all still looking for love? We want to hear your thoughts.

At 1Africa, we believe that the true starting point of understanding love starts with the humble realization that love is a spiritual force. Those who have truly loved in spite of themselves, will be honest and acknowledge love transcends sheer willpower.

We believe in the story of a love that led to an act of sacrifice unparalleled in all human history. It is a love that is not an end in itself but introduces whoever accepts it to a new way of living and a kingdom that operates by a completely different set of rules. If you would like to hear us share more with you, please click on the banner below this post.

May you know true love in your lifetime!

Big Up Africa: Suzelle DIY

TJ

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February 13, 2015

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It’s Valentine season the world over and, for those who believe in Valentine’s Day, love is in the air. What better way could we, the 1Africa team, find to treat you all to some love vibes of our own other than to celebrate someone uniquely special and uproariously funny on this week’s Big Up Africa feature? Suzelle DIY’s Youtube channel has literally taken South Africa by storm and she has, in the last few months, become something of an internet sensation with her useful and entertaining short videos on how to do anything from removing fluff from jerseys to testing your batteries to check if they are dead or alive. We won’t lie – we can’t get enough of Suzelle and her trusty assistant slash ‘best friend’ (yeah right!) Mariaan! So, in the true spirit of cupid, chocolate and all things romantic, today’s edition of Big Up Africa features Suzelle DIY sharing with us how to show yourself some love by making yourself a happy hugger. After all, winter’s on the way in much of Africa! Why not prepare for it?

Kayla Mueller’s extraordinary letter

Lifestyle

TJ

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February 11, 2015

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There are moments in life when, in the midst of the chaos and confusion we see around us, something fills us with hope. We are reminded at such times that, no matter what we are going through, there is always room for faith that a better day will come. Such is the story of Kayla Jean Mueller, an American aid worker who was taken captive by jihadist group ISIS in 2013, and has now been confirmed dead. She was 26. Last year, she wrote a letter to her family while in captivity and this letter is beginning to be symbolic of hope in an age where violence prevails.

In the letter, she speaks of having nothing bad to say about her captors and declares that, ultimately, all she can surrender to is the creator. You can read the full transcript of Kayla Mueller’s extraordinary letter here.

Whatever we go through in life, it is possible to be sustained by faith and hope, even when things look darkest. Kayla Mueller, and many others like her around the world, provide us with reminders that hurt, pain and tragedy don’t need to kill our spirits and finish us off. Though it’s extremely hard, we can thrive in the midst of adversity.

If you feel overwhelmed by adversity and need to reach out, we want to hear from you. Click on the banner below or give us a shout in our comments section. We’d love to hear from you.

In everything, keep hope alive.

Stay With Me

Faith
Jesus

TJ

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February 9, 2015

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Over the weekend, the biggest winner at the 2015 Grammy Awards was English singer-songwriter Sam Smith. He walked with awards in four categories, three of them being major ones: Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. Smith won Song of the Year for his hit Stay With Me, a melancholic soulful piece that seems to both celebrate and mourn love. I sat down and listened to the song over the weekend (I’d not listened to it intently before but had only heard it in passing) and it brought up some interesting emotions. One thing it brought to surface emotionally, particularly through the lyrics, is that life, no matter who you are, is hard.

The song, I imagine, deals with the desperation of asking someone to stay and yet the relationship itself is not founded in anything deep or substantial.

“This ain’t love, it’s clear to see

But darling, stay with me”

Do you see the contradiction in these words? It’s quite striking. Why ask someone to stay when there is no love to speak of? In a way, this is symbolic of life and the desperation for warmth we all often feel. Life is full of contradictions. There are things we wish we could be but then daily we are confronted with who we are. There is peace and joy we wish we could attain but when we wake up each morning, we can’t escape the emptiness and desolation we feel.

How often in our lives do we settle for second best? We let people walk over us and somehow convince ourselves that we don’t deserve the very best.

Whether we admit it or not, there is someone who came to show us that we deserve the very best. He has pointed us to a way of life and new way of thinking that can transform us and fill us up inside. He’ll stay with us and has stayed with humanity all along, in spite of how much we’ve ignored him and dragged his name through the mud. His simple reason for staying? He loves us.

We want you to discover and know the kind of unconditional love we’re talking about. Click on the banner below and join us on a journey to knowing this true love. Please don’t wait another minute.

Music Video Release – “This Water” – Interview with Evelyn Hart

TJ

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February 5, 2015

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Music Video Release – “This Water” – Interview with Evelyn Hart

Whoever says all the fun stuff is happening Stateside might seriously need to reconsider. At 1Africa, apart from sharing goody bags of love with our subscribers and friends on a daily basis, we love to unearth all the beautiful things happening creatively around Africa and showcase them exclusively to you. We’re not a bragging bunch but this time, we’re left with no choice but to say… are you ready?… YOU SAW IT HERE FIRST! Right here, right now we bring you an exclusive 1Africa interview with upcoming South African songstress Evelyn Hart. This is the first interview she’s granted after the release of her brand spanking, fresh-out-the-oven, new music video This Water just hours ago. Apart from the video being a thing of beauty, it fills us with awesomeness to say that the director of the music video is one of our own. More on that later. For now though, ladies and gentlemen, here’s our interview with Evelyn:

1A: What’s ‘This Water’ about?

EH: ‘This Water’ is about the quest to find true life and purposeful direction. What better metaphor for life is there than water? I identify with it in many ways and am always drawn to using it in my music. When you are living in freedom, it’s like a river running swiftly – the current is fresh, powerful & clear and it is only going in one direction – towards the sea. You can’t hold it in your hands for long, you’ve got to drink it or let it flow. But when water is confined to a dam or a jar and sits still too long, it dries up or becomes diseased. As a believer, this is the pursuit of walking by faith in the Spirit, knowing that time is short and living in Him brings us a deep & purposeful existence.

1A: What are your musical influences?

EH: I love all kinds of music but am particularly drawn to epic movie soundtracks – anything that takes me to other places and times in my mind and helps the imagination go wild. Lately I’ve been getting into a lot more electronic music, which is reflected quite a lot in our new sound.

1A: What are you listening to most right now?

EH: I’m loving Brooke Fraser’s new album, Brutal Romantic. I’m also drawn to M83 and listen to his music constantly.

1A: Share with us the journey of the making of the video.

EH: The concept for the video came entirely from our super talented director, Rash Ferguson. He was the one responsible for the shooting, editing, EVERYTHING. We asked him to sit down, listen to the song and imagine way to tell a story about the search for freedom & meaning. We knew we wanted to incorporate wide open spaces and give people the feeling of being on the move. The result is what you see. We decided to showcase the beauty of Cape Town & surrounding areas, and also get creative in a studio.

It took a few days to get all of the shots we needed before we entered into the editing phase. During shooting, I was jumping into freezing water in the middle of the night, riding a horse at the crack of dawn, running through forests and dancing in a bedroom – it was nerve-wracking seeing myself on camera the first time we watched the first cut, but I was BLOWN away. I was invigorated! And my confidence grew. Rash had a vision and he brought it to life in a way that went far beyond my original thoughts of how it would look. That was my favorite part by far – seeing a creation of ours becoming a creation of his. It took a few tweaks before we nailed the final cut but we are SO happy with the result.

1A: What did you want to communicate with this video?

EH: With this being the very first music video that we have ever done, we wanted to give people something emotive and beautiful to watch that would introduce them to us and to our music. As mentioned in the first question, the song is about freedom – and that’s our message. You can search all your life for something and never find it, only to realize that what you long for is your home.

1A: What’s the personal value of a music video to you?

EH: A music video opens up so many doors, it’s unbelievable. It adds another dimension to your story and helps people get to know you and form a connection with you.

1A: Favorite part of the production process?

EH: My favorite part of the production was definitely in the actual shooting of the vid. My husband used to be a location scout for film companies and he went on a mission to find some beautiful spots. So it was great fun getting to be creative in nature!

1A: It’s very clear a lot of love, care and detail went into every shot. Is that a reflection of you as a person and an artist in some way?

EH: We have spent a good deal of time on the record so far and we love that the video is just as detailed. The best part of working with friends is that you have the luxury of having extra time to craft something until it’s perfect.

1A: Do your personal and spiritual beliefs play into your music and artistic creations or do you have a ‘separate’ persona for your art and keep some things to yourself?

EH: My love for God plays an integral part in being creative and inspires everything that I do. It’s the best part. That being said, Evelyn Hart is a stage name and there is an element of theatre and mystery. My hope is that people walk away from a performance or from listening to a song feeling like they have discovered another world.

1A: What would you say to encourage or guide any young African musicians who want to make music or get into music videos but maybe don’t have the means?

EH: I would tell them to find out what makes them unique and work hard at honing that sound, no matter what. Don’t be afraid to collaborate. Also, timing is important. Sometimes, you need to pay attention to the season you are in and just prepare for when you have everything you need to pursue your craft. I’ve worked full time as a designer right up until the end of 2014. This year is now the right time for me to pursue music full time. For others it may come earlier. Being involved in music is so much more than just a career. It is the opportunity to serve people and bring comfort, encouragement & freedom wherever you go and there are so many amazing (and free!) ways to do that in the digital age we live in. Find something that works for you using what you have available to you, and don’t let the gift God has given die inside you.

Well, there you have it people. Definitely a talent to look out for in days ahead. Enjoy the video!

Simba Mhere: A Rising Star

Lifestyle

TJ

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February 2, 2015

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I’ve been reading a lot about the tragic passing of Simba Mhere, the popular presenter of SABC3’s high-end lifestyle TV show Top Billing. Mhere’s life ended abruptly on the morning of Saturday 31st January when, on his way to OR Tambo International Airport to catch a flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town, he was involved in a fatal accident. Judging by the level of outpouring of tributes for the man, it’s pretty clear he was well loved and will be sorely missed. Recurring themes within the thread of messages in mainstream and social media are that Simba was humble, passionate about his work and poised for even greater heights than he had reached. What has touched me most about the things said about him was that he was real. What he was in front of people was what he would be when they were out of sight. This speaks volumes, particularly in an industry known for back-biting, nastiness and maneuvering.

At 1Africa, our thoughts and prayers are with Simba’s family, friends, colleagues and fans. We pray that God would comfort them at this time of mourning.

May we also be challenged to live each day with a view to leave behind a legacy.

TJ

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