Doesn’t Mafikeng sound like some kind of curse word? Maybe it’s just me. Anyways!
This is my first time actually posting on the day that the events occurred.
We had a workshop and a show today. The workshop was great because it turned into a forum about hip hop music – what it is, the limits of what can be considered hip hop, opinions on which artists are hip hop and which are not. I loved the dialogue and the students had really great opinions and comments.
We left Johannesburg and headed for Mafikeng. The ride there was unbelievable. There are incredible sights of Mountains and clouds and natural formations all throughout Africa. This is a beautiful place. The hills and valleys come to life through the trees and the smell of fresh air. I was surprised to see so much land preserving the natural beauty of Africa. Che and I had a conversation on how many years it would take to get a Wal Mart here… which typically means economic death in the name of commercialism. At any rate check out a couple of the pics I took during the ride:
Today was supposed to be our day off, but that really meant just off from playing. We took a tour of Johannesburg’s Southwestern Township a.k.a. Soweto. This area is a conglomeration of suburbs (not suburbs like we’re used to in the states) that in all house over 3 million people. It’s an area that has only recently seen electricity provided throughout the whole township. It is also an area of high crime and poverty and an area that we were constantly warned to be careful in.
I met someone while I was there that stirred up some emotions in me. His name was Hector Pieterson, the young man whose lifeless body is being carried away in the picture. He is a symbol of humanity at its worst and the deadly result of people standing for what they believe.
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