Cooking - I Know You're Hungry, But I'm About To Serve.

Basically there are two types of cooks – those who seem to take forever in the kitchen and the fast ones. In most cases, the fast ones will give you food that will, yes, fill your stomach but not satisfy your soul. Although all the ingredients are there, they are not mixed with utmost care and precision. Since the food is hurriedly prepared, there is no passion and connection between the cook and the cooked.  As a result, the food lacks ‘soul.’ The slow cooks, on the other hand, are not necessarily good cooks. They too can burn, overcook and even undercook the food. But mostly, this type of cooks take a lot of time in the kitchen because they care so much about what they are doing. To them, food preparation is like the process of making art. The end result, which is the plate of food, is indeed an artwork to them.  These cooks have the patience, love and passion. They will meticulously peel a tomato without a grunt of complaint. They will marinate vegetables for thirty minutes before finally putting them under fire. If it takes an hour to boil, squash and mash potatoes to a paste, they will do it, nevertheless. If something needs to simmer or boil for some time, they are not only patient but happy to let it be. All the ingredients are mixed with right dosages. They double cross and ensure that their food is well balanced, with all the necessary vitamins. They will give you the right amount salt and pepper – never too much, never too little.  

I say this because right now, as I type this, I’m in a kitchen. I’m cooking. I’ve been in the kitchen for quite some time now. This therefore throws me in the category of slow cooks, the-forever-in-the-kitchen type. But my kitchen is different. The ingredients are different. And so are the tools, utensils and equipment. The stove, the pots, the plates, the cutlery, the sink, the spices and herbs have been replaced by guitars, keyboards and pianos, drums, sound mixers and speakers, microphones, earphones and computers. This kitchen is a recording studio, the place where music is being cooked. I’m in the final stages of recording my album. Actually the recording part is all done. We are now in the stages they call mixing and mastering.   It’s been three full years since this project began. Like slow cooks in a kitchen, we are sure this will be a plate of food worth waiting for. Those who have previewed it have given positive reviews and this always rejuvenates my strength and willpower. Sometime before the end of January 2012, the poetry album, or should I say the ‘plate of food,’ will be hitting shelves of CD outlets and record stores. So, if you come across something that reads; ‘Dredd X – Poetic Meditations,’ grab it! That’s the soul food you need.   

The Ultimate Queen (Poem).

You said no one loved and cared about me
And that you and I were never meant to be
See, I plugged my ears from the rough sound of your voice
As though I didn’t have a choice
I cried and cried and cried but to me you’ve always been so mean
Little did you know that I’m the ultimate Queen

Your scathing words were like bullets of destruction
Your strength, your muscle, your ammunition
Piecing through the tender fabric of my heart
My mind disintegrating and my soul breaking apart 
But in Him I found my pillar of strength
I’m no longer a looser and I’m free at length 

Go throw your empty blows and kicks at hard walls
I have a true Master and I obey when to me He calls
Now I march in the aisles of love that shine with blossoming beauty
He made me whole and He has given me a wonderful duty
To Him I’m beautiful, born out of love and anointed with happiness
Gone are the days of sorrow, pain and sadness

Now as I parade my beauty I know I shall wear His crown
I smile and never again will my face frown
With the power of prayer I shall get better
And I will save my people just like Queen Esther
Strength of a woman surely makes me the ultimate Queen
With the touch of my Master’s hand I shall stay free from sin…

Oh, What a Performance!!! Goodbye 2011...

Performing at 'Poetry for Thought: Empowering Women Through Poetry,' at Maharaja, Gaborone, Botswana.

Last weekend, the 25^th and 26^th of November had been a hectic weekend for me.  I just arrived back home from performing in Francistown and Gaborone. That is a cross country journey by road! However the performances were all so great. The first show was at Maharaja Conference Centre in Gaborone on Friday 25^th. Beautiful performances by skilled poets and storytellers. Francistown was even better with a good balance of traditional and modern poetry. Yes, it was moment in time. Right now we are preparing for the Maun International Poetry Festival 2012.

Unfolding the Scrolls: Chronicles of the Poets Part 2 - A Francistown Wordsperience

Poetavango Spoken Word Poetry will be hosting a massive poetry event in Cresta Thapama Hotel, Francistown. Saturday 26^th November 201, 6pm1. This is the first time Poetavango moves en masse to any place outside of Maun. On Friday 25^th, the collective will be performing in Gaborone at Maharaja Conference Centre in a show called Poetry for Thought: Empowering Women in Poetry organised by Berry Heart and Women Affairs Department.

Ticket to the Gaborone show costs P200 while the Francistown show costs only P90. 

Gaborone Line Up includes but not limited to;

1.       Berry Heart

2.       Dredd X

3.       Tautona

4.       Phenyo

5.       Juby Peacock

6.       Mosa Podile

7.       Edgar Pelekekae

8.       Vygos

9.       King Philosopher

10.   Pearl Khumo

11.   Moratiwa Molema

12.   Ntirelang Berman

 Unfolding the Scrolls: Chronicles of the Poets Part 2 – A Francistown Wordsperience

1.       Juby Peacock

2.       Ngwao Putswa (Tsikitsiki)

3.       Swankiss

4.       Tautona

5.       Dredd X

6.       Vygos

7.       Priskath

8.       Keabonye

9.       Mathinthinyane

10.   Mista Poke

11.   Prophet Caribbean Weed

12.   Mr T

MMore info - (+267) 73597356

The Moon Has Eyes and Other Stories – Published!

When, in 2010 I was told by a strange voice in my phone that I had won the Bessie Head Literature Award for the short story category, I wasn’t sure of what to do or say. I remember that I was in the post office, about to send my sister some money – around P200. I doubled the amount! This was my first literary award. I’ve heard of people winning Grammies and other huge titles but a Bessie Head for an aspiring writer like me was, honestly, a breakthrough. 

When I wrote The Moon Has Eyes, I had not planned to take it to a competition. The win was, therefore, quite a surprise. As part of the prize package Pentagon Publishers has just published the book. Since this is a short story, it has been compiled together with stories by other writers. To see story summary/blurb of The Moon Has Eyes, go to my April 2011 posts on this blog. 

The Moon Has Eyes - Front Cover

The Moon Has Eyes - Back Cover

Below is an excerpt from the story;

…It was a Sunday morning. The room was cool and silent. Save for a gold chain around her neck, she was naked. Sunlight splashed in from the open window and bathed her with a golden illumination. She lay on her back, her body twisted slightly in a teasing posture. A pillow was stashed underneath her upper back to maintain specific form. Her elbow was pinned on the bed, palm supporting her cheek. The face was angled a little upwards, features bright and sharp with eyes gazing unseeingly at the roof. The silkiness of her skin against the rough texture of the wall created a stunning contrast – a pleasure for the pencil. A couple of meters from the bed, Kagiso’s head tilted constantly from the drawing board to the subject on the bed. He sat on a stool, the easel lowered to a comfortable height and position. He swallowed hard as his hand stroked marks on the pad. He drew with vigour and absolute focus. The image on the pad was coming to life as he hatched a rendering technique.  Sensitive and delicate pencil marks formed a duplicate of Refilwe’s figure. He felt like a god of creation and he knew his teacher would be proud of him. In a couple of hours, the monochromatic drawing was complete. He sat next to her on the bed, showing her the masterpiece. That was Kagiso’s best, a replacement of the destroyed painting.
            ‘Oh my,’ she cried. ‘Oh my, it’s fantastic. It’s too precious, Kagiso. This belongs in a gallery.’
            ‘It belongs to you, my love,’ he said, enveloping her in his arms. They kissed passionately…

…Stephen swung his rocking chair back and forth. He blew thick cigarette smokes into the air. He was sitting on his porch, looking at the night village scene with an accusing scorn. The village had swallowed the only woman he loved. Refilwe had made it clear to him that she did not love him. Stephen was convinced that she was bluffing. She had been given to him by her family and there was no way he was going to lose the opportunity. She was royal and rightful for him, a perfect partner to sail through life with. He picked a glass of wine and gulped a mouthful before he dragged himself to bed. Early in the morning, he lifted his head from the pillow with unbearable agony. Then a thought struck him. He picked his car keys and the Range Rover roared in the dark streets…

Other stories in the anthology are The Evil Messenger of God (Atang Mogome), The Rise and the Fall in All of Us (Jelena Ivancevic), A Motsetse School Girl (Puseletso Elizabeth Kidd), The Storm of Life (Sethobogwa Dorcas Sefo) and Invicible Scars (Tidimalo Motukwa).

Surgery – Unpacked.

“Art is not merely an imitation of the reality of nature, but in truth a metaphysical supplement to the reality of nature, placed alongside thereof for its conquest,” so said Friedrich Nietzsche. A few weeks ago I was one of the Maun visual artists who took part in the first group exhibition by Maun based artists.  

Each work in the gallery was strong yet different enough to stand on its own.  A number of artists sold their pieces during the show. Some of them are Keamogetswe Meralo, Sonja Raats, Gurudev Korvi, Thitaku Kusonya, Mike Smith and Ompatile Sebuelo. However, about two or three works in the exhibit were tagged NFS. Surgery, my artwork – or a part of my artwork since I believe it’s still in the making – was also labelled ‘Not For Sale’. I learnt, however, that quite a few visitors were interested in it. But you see, Surgery is not the kind of artwork one would like to hang on his office or home wall. It is an artwork sourced from deep within my emotions. In fact, like I once said, fine art, just like poetry, happens to be able to reveal my true feelings. Surgery is supposed to be a triptych – and it will be. I am currently working on two other panels.

Now, here is the Surgery story – at least what I can read of it;

Highly conceptual two-dimensional and mixed-media piece, Surgery is. Based on tea-stained and mono-printed fabriano paper, molten bees-wax is pasted almost haphazardly, yet somewhat controlled, over subtle and fading prints of illegible words. The shape formed by the paste is stitched painfully on the edges in black and white embroidery thread. Crimson acrylic had been squeezed though cracks in the wax, giving an impression of clottedblood. More careless stitches can be seen around the artwork, creating an unpleasant border. 

The eligible words, when given a microscopic look, can be vaguely read. Most of these words don’t seem to make much sense, even as they force the viewer squint painfully in order to read them. They fade into the dark background, the voice of a man who seeks to be heard, yet, somehow his words don’t seem to tell the ‘right’ story. A few words on the artwork are pretty much large and bolded (as though highlighted) indicating those few moments when the speaker would actually shout in attempt to forcibly drive his words through the ears of whoever could be listening.  

 But he is trapped. He is trapped in a mud of sorrow, like a fly stuck in wax. Memories bring to him nothing but pain, hence the blood-like creaks through the wax. It’s a memory of black and white, or white and black, or a black and white memory, stitched in his brain by a careless surgeon. He is trying to recover, to be mended, but what the surgeon does, alas, is to increase the pain. The medical gauze/bandage stitched over the wounds does little impression, however. 

…the complete meaning of Surgery can be fully comprehended when all the pieces of the triptych are seen together. So, for now, this is what one may decipher from this pretty gruesome artwork.  

Water, Water, Everywhere, Nor any Drop to Drink

A third week is now beginning since we last had water in Maun. There hasn’t been much explanation to the crisis except that ‘the boreholes had been washed away by the flooding Thamalakane River,’ or ‘water pipes are still being cleaned.’ It’s been way too long for one to go without such a vital need in human, animal and plant life. Now you can imagine what that means. 

As I write, my body is aching for a good bath – and I can’t remember the last time I had one. Think of water system toilets, they hadn’t been working for weeks! Take a look at my beloved garden. It was such a great sight that supplied me, my friends and my neighbours with enough fresh produce. You see, I’m vegetarian – and I really depend on this garden. It is my life support. Now someone is depriving us - me and my garden - the lifeblood of survival; water. I was merely following the president's initiative and I don't think he will take this kindly. The first three photos show my garden in full health, and the rest, gosh...

Very ironic that this region is in abundance of water – yet we don’t have any in our houses. The rivers are flooding, bridges and culverts breaking down. Lake Ngami and other delta tributaries are, in fact, over spilling. We don’t know as to when the remedy to the situation will be.  

I’m reminded of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem;

"Water, water, everywhere,
     And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
     Nor any drop to drink."

Sometimes it can drizzle at around 0200hrs. Only in the outside tap. So I would set up my alarm at such times of the morning just to check if there is anything dropping off the tap. Dazed from heavy sleep (2am isn’t a very friendly time. More so when one has to go to work in the morning) I’d stagger outside, trip on my own feet in the darkness as I wander to the tap. Many a time, I come back disappointed – not even a breath of air from the pipe. At those times when there is something, I’d fill my containers including all the cups and glasses in the kitchen. By the time I try to pour a couple of buckets on at least one of my vegetable plots, the pipes would run dry, or, the eastern horizon would brighten up – an indication that it’s time to get dressed for work. Yes, that’s how it has become of late; I dress up for work and there is very little bathing – so sad.

Surgery at Maun Art Exhibition

“He who depreciates art loves neither philosophy nor nature. Truly art is a science, the true-born child of nature.” Spoken by Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci over four hundred years ago, this philosophical statement continues to inspire modern artists around the globe.

For a long time I have neglected the visual artist (fine art) in me. I can’t remember the last time I sat down and created a work of fine art. When I was approached to take part in the upcoming fine art exhibition by Maun-based artists, it was a chance for me to awaken the sleeping persona that had been dormant for many years. Of course I’ve been engaged in some form of visual arts (mostly graphics) but fine art is the kind that always pokes at my emotions. Somehow, through my conceptual art, I feel like it is the other voice, alongside poetry, with which I can truly display my thoughts, emotions and general outlook at the world. 

My art has long been divorced from direct/representational kind of art. I hope this is the kind of art form that will tap at the viewer’s curiosity and engage with one’s thoughts. I will be exhibiting a mixed media piece entitled, Surgery. Although media is mixed, surgery is operated on a base of sepia mono-print on fabriano paper. Molten bees-wax is pasted almost haphazardly, yet somewhat controlled, over subtle and fading prints of illegible words. The shape formed by the paste is stitched painfully on the edges in black and white embroidery thread. Crimson acrylic had been squeezed though cracks in the wax, giving an impression of clotted blood. More careless stitches can be seen around the artwork, creating an unpleasant border. The work is framed on a glassless black and gold frame. More about this work, including image, will be posted after the opening on the exhibition on Wednesday 17^th August 1730hrs at the Nhabe Museum, Maun, Botswana.  Refer to the post below for more details on other participating artists.

Showcasing Maun Artist - A Fine Art Exhibition

Among the names that will be taking part is painter Roger Brown, winner of Thapong’s Best Upcoming Artist award 2010. Although he has been living in Botswana for the past 11 years, 25 year old Brown was born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. He paints mainly in oils on canvas and his subject matter is dominantly wildlife and traditional lifestyle of Botswana.
                Then there is Ompatile Sebuelo. He holds a B-Tech degree in Fine Art, with specialities in ceramic sculpture. He is currently an art teacher at Okavango International School. Sebuleo’s ceramic pots are extraordinarily shaped, with forms that break the typical boundaries of pottery. He is first prize winner of the 2011 Presidential Awards Exhibition.
                Mike Smith was born in England. He has been drawing and painting in Botswana since 1973. He says his paintings are mostly inspired by shapes found in nature. He then further abstracts the forms he finds in plants and animals. Mike Smith has designed stamps for Botswana Post.
                Christiane Stolhofer is a 55 year old sculptor who first came to Africa in 1979 as a nurse. She was then working in Zambia and Zimbabwe. In 1983 she began to sculpt, working full time with stone. During 1987, when travelling through Central and West Africa, Christiane started sculpting wood. That was the beginning of a deeply involved relationship with the African hardwoods. She came to live and work in Maun six years ago. 
                “These heavy old woods are, in their character, messengers of a raw untouched nature that has largely disappeared,” she says of her artworks. Christiane has exhibited widely in Harare, Maputo, Gaborone, Johannesburg, Paris, Munich and New York.
                Thitaku Kushonya hails from the village of Etsha. She is a renowned basket weaver who is international crowned ‘the master weaver’. She has been selling baskets since she was only eight. Her award winning baskets are often based on traditional patterns such as 'tears of the giraffe' and the 'flight of the swallow' while other designs come to her in dreams.
                “When I sleep,” she says, “I dream the patterns, and then I draw them.”
                Another sculptor taking part is 33 year old Elijah Mazhani, belting a Master’s in Fine Art from the University of South Africa. Elijah has participated in national and international exhibitions.
                Kgalemang Moipolai will also participate in the show. He is an inmate at Maun Central Prison. Kgalemang never went to school and his sculptures are moulded from leftovers of cooked mealie-meal mixed with papier-mâché, built on an armature of wire.
                Tobacco farmer to self-taught artist - this is how Ken Oake describes himself. Ken spent nine years in the National Museums of Zimbabwe at Bulawayo as a taxidermist where he worked in the habitat design and construction of the dioramas in the museum. He moved to Maun in 1979 and started Game Studios (Botswana) Pty Ltd as a taxidermy and sculpture studio.
                Francis Murray-Hudson first came to Botswana in 1976. She has exhibited in group shows and annual national exhibitions where she has won awards for both her ceramics and paintings. Her work is in private collections around the world. The Bank of Botswana, the National Museum and Art Gallery and Thapong Trust own pieces of her work.
Other participating artists are Mellany Oake, Sonja Raats, Balisi Tabengwa, Keoagetswe Meralo, Oatumetse Kewagamang, Barapedi Kaumbo, Gurudev Korvi, Mike Diyombo and Kennedy Bakwadi.

 With performances by Poetavango, the exhibition will be opened by Lesiga Segola, principal curator at the National Art Gallery in Gaborone on Wednesday 17^th August at 1730hrs, Nhabe Museum. Sponsors are Okavango Wilderness Safaris, Maun Lodge, Ngamiland Adventure Safaris, Botswana Tourism Organisation, And Beyond, A to Z Hardware Dealer, Riley’s Hotel, Northern Building Supplies, Lepopo Food and Liquor Services, Aquarite (Pty) Ltd, The Office Shop and Elena Dovydenas.